The AJC reported that one of the founding members of Dragon-Con, Edward Eliot Kramer, was arrested on Saturday for child molestation charges that dated back to 2000. Kramer was first arrested in August 25, 2000, on accusations that he sexually abused three teenage boys. Kramer resigned from Dragon Con that year, and has been uninvolved from the show since then. (Some guests expressed on Twitter that with the recent news they will never go back to that convention again, unaware that Kramer is long gone.)
Although charged in 2000, Kramer was eventually ruled to be too sick to travel for a trial, and was put under house arrest for years. Evidentially his health issues did not prevent him from traveling to Connecticut in 2011, where he was found living with a 14 year old boy during the making of a low budget horror movie.
Looking at the above photo, you’d suppose that Kramer was the star of this horror movie.
Henry Barajas is the co-creator, writer and letterer for El Loco and Captain Unikorn. He has also written and lettered short stories for two successful Kickstarter projects: Unite and Take Over: Stories inspired by The Smiths and Break The Walls: Comic Stories inspired by The Pixies. He is the Newsroom Research Assistant for The Arizona Daily Star and was nominated for the Shel Dorf Blogger of the Year award for his work at The Beat. You can follow him on Twitter @HenryBarajas.
Kramer may be “long gone” from running DragonCon, but he’s still profiting from the convention to the tune of at least 150K + each year, and has been doing so for the last 13 years.
Atlanta Magazine ran an article in September of 2012 about what Kramer’s been doing with his money from DragonCon.
http://www.atlantamagazine.com/features/story.aspx?ID=1764014
Maybe if headlines of articles didn’t read “Dragon*Con Founder”, which leads people to believe that Kramer was *the only * founder, & is current, folks wouldn’t be making the assumption that Mr. Kramer is currently associated with the show, which he hasn’t been for 13 years. But, writing it the former way gets more page hits. So that’s how that happens.
FWIW, justice needs to be served. This has been dragging on forever & it must be taking a toll on the victims of the crimes. But every time there’s a new development the same inaccurate headlines roll out.
Again to repeat what Nancy said- Kramer totally HAS been profiting off DragonCon. In 2011 he sued DragonCon, not because they were not paying him, but because they were cooking the books and not paying him enough. There have been a lot of bloggers and journalists over the years that are sympathetic to DragonCon that have confused this in DragonCon’s favor, but make no mistake, for at least the first 11 years of Kramer’s life under the accusation of child molestation, DragonCon has been paying him and as recently as 2011 he was still owner of 34% of DragonCon’s stock.
Sorry, he sued in 2009 but it carried on through 2011.
That Atlanta Magazine article is really well done and an eye-opener.
“Luke, help me take this mask off.”
Blech. The thing that sucks is it sounds like DragonCon has to pay this asshole money. And usually I’m all for ‘innocent until proven guilty’ and wary of a trial turning into witch hunt in the case of such hot button subjects, but.. damn.. this really seems to stink. It frustrates me that the legal system is utterly failing. If they could get a damn freeze on his money from DragonCon. They couldn’t keep him monitored and not filming a damn movie with a teen boy in another state. Without those funds, maybe he wouldn’t be able to pull that shit.
And I cannot fully excuse Dragon Con, which is a major con that friends go to and I’ve been meaning to go to for years. Yet I cannot really blame the current administration if legally and financially they are unfortunately contracted to pay money to this asshole.
Reading that Atlanta magazine article is horrifying. I can only hope that his lies and deficient and using loopholes are now coming to light and this newest charge gets this bastard behind bars. It is just astounding as it is disgusting at how this man has avoided a trail and has been secretly violating his parole. I can only hope the legal system can cut the bullshit and get a damn trial going.
“the current administration” is the mostly the original administration minus Kramer who still owns 34% of it. One other person, Pat Henry, owns 34% and then there are minority owners. Pat Henry was there at the start with Ed Kramer. DragonCon, for over a decade now has hoped everyone would just forget Kramer instead of doing the right thing and openly condemning him and getting him totally off the books. A big thing these articles are leaving out is that for over a decade a lot of people close to and/or working for DragonCon have made repeated attempts to paint Kramer as the victim and his accusers as con men. Year after year this story has worked its way back into the news and year after year Kramer’s supporters have defamed the victims. If you participate in DragonCon in any way that makes money for DragonCon, you are giving money to Ed Kramer.
And yeah, there are also some major failings in the legal system here. Guilty, innocent, victim, con man, disabled, healthy whatever… the man should have had a trial by now. Maybe this time he gets one.
An innocent man who wanted his day in court would never have used the delaying tactics that Kramer has, food for thought.
Word is that in prison convicted child molestors get the most abuse heaped on them. Gee, I wonder why Kramer has been delaying for so long…
Disclaimer: I do not work for Dragon*Con.
But I have worked with someone, befriended someone, who turned out to be a very different person than what they shared with me originally. This person has a few core values so different from mine, that had I known about them when we started working together, the association never would have happened. When I first started having suspicions, I quashed them down, as my friend was bright, funny, kind, etc, & surely the things I suspected about them could not be true. Eventually the things I suspected were proven correct without a doubt. I, who had been this person’s biggest apologist, not only had to end my association with them but admit I was wrong to people to whom I’d vociferously defended the party in question.
Imagine someone accused your socially awkward friend & business partner of what Ed Kramer is accused of. Who’d believe it? Who would want to believe it? I’m not surprised the con & other partners initially defended Kramer. With hindsight, was this the right move? No. But hindsight is ever perfect. I’ve never heard of someone associated with the show officially saying anything derogatory about Mr. Kramer’s accusers, but, I do remember the past attempts to raise money for his defense.
Dragon*Con’s only continued association with Kramer is one forced by legal necessity. Making it sound like they’re happily still giving him money is misleading. The show has done everything in its power to divorce itself from Kramer & their support of him in the past. To blame them for being legally unable to end that association is unfair. “Doing all they can to get him totally off the books” – what do you call all the legal brouhaha between Kramer & the show?
This is also lesson to anyone who would form a partnership with a friend; you can think you know someone really well, see them every single day of your life. But you better have some kind of legal structure for dissolution in place in case you don’t know them as well as you think. We have prenuptial agreements; a good business partnership should also address frankly what to do if the partnership needs to end.
I don’t think someone who supports Dragon*Con & its attempts to evolve past this automatically supports Ed Kramer &/or besmirches victims, BTW. I agree that Mr. Kramer’s avoiding the arm of the legal system has been a travesty. Victimization of children is disgusting & his game of dodging justice has come to an end.
Also, Mr. Kramer’s legal representation realizing they’ve been lied to & bailing: that will likely affect things moving forward.
I still want to know the truth about what I was told about Harlan Ellison putting his house up for bail so this creep could get out and molest again. I know he supported him for years by speaking out but did he really bail the guy out?
This guy is a Slug of the Highest order.
I’ve been hearing horror stories about Kramer for two decades now, long before he was actually arrested in 2000. The fact that Pat Henry and the rest of the Dragon Con “Powers That Be” are still funneling money to this creep, legally binding or not, is disgusting. Badge prices have increased to an insane amount over the last few years, and why? So the 40,000+ attendees can pay for Kramer’s defense? It’s ridiculous. I was under the impression that Kramer was to be bought out and all ties with the con were to be severed, but 13 years later and that apparently hasn’t happened yet. How is that legal? And while we’re at it, how is it legal that Kramer hasn’t had a trial yet? Seems to me the legal system in Georgia is what people should be complaining about.
Don Murphy – would you happen to have a source for that rumor? There is nothing regarding Harlan Ellison in the reportage on the Gwinnett County bond hearing – where the Judge denied bond in 2000. There was also nothing in the September 2000 coverage from the Atlanta Journal Constitution or in File770 to that effect. Does your source know something that can actually be referenced or sited?
and Harlan just had this to say;
HARLAN ELLISON
– Friday, February 1 2013 14:5:23
THE ELLISON / KRAMER BAIL RUMOR
Not that it’s anyone’s business, but for the record–and all I have to say on the subject of Ed Kramer’s legal difficulties–I have NEVER put up my house as collateral for someone’s bail. No one. Not ever. For any reason. My assistance to Ed, on the basis of a long acquaintanceship, and in gratitude for many kindnesses shown by him, was to halp him obtain a good lawyer. Otherwise, I have had no contact with Ed Kramer, his defense, or this matter in a substantial number of years. But again, I NEVER put up my house to asist in this matter. Or any other. That ought to quash the “rumor” for all but the very dim and/or obstinate.
Yr. Pal, Harlan
The source is a friend of Harlan’s who calls himself so close as to be his “son”
Why would it not be anyone’s business if you helped a child molester go free to molest some more?
Also I fail to see a repudiation of all the support he showed the guy, or an apology to Nancy Collins. So FAIL
Don –
Well, here’s where I am on this now. You say that you know someone “so close as to be his “son” – who claims that Harlan used his home as collateral for Ed Kramer to post bond. A person who you won’t name who doesn’t come forth here or on Harlan’s board to repudiate Harlan on the matter. So right now, this claim is down to you and your anonymous source and someone posting on Harlan’s board (again, anonymously) from an ISP up in Canada. No citation. No source. No court record. No journalism, print or on-line. Just you and anonymous source and another anonymous source quoting *ahem* the two of you.
As for ” it not be anyone’s business” – who said that? Certainly not me. In fact, quite the opposite. I am inserting myself here as an interested party attempting to determine who would say such a thing and WHY they would say such a thing. Right now I have you on one side – and Harlan saying the opposite thing on the other side.
But let’s say you’re right and that Harlan just went out on a limb and told a lie that I can easily verify by checking court records. Why would Harlan use his home as collateral (for a bond which was denied by the judge in 2000 – unless you are referring to some OTHER bond) when Ed Kramer’s annual income FAR exceeds Harlan’s – and has for probably two decades? Your charge, excuse me, your sources anonymous charge, makes no fiscal sense whatsoever.
Finally, while I’ve not met Ms. Collins I have seen nothing in print that she was looking for an apology from Harlan or any sort of clarification on anything. The quotes I have seen from Ms. Collins – now a decade old – indicate that she and Harlan both made some initial mistakes in judging what Ed Kramer may or may not have been capable of.
If Ms. Collins is still on this thread and wants to clarify anything I welcome any exchange. If she wants to communicate privately my email is the worst kept secret on the internet and has appeared over on Harlan’s board pretty much weekly for the last 17 years. Or, can be obtained from my Facebook page. Unlike your source or “Streaky” or “Hmmm” over on Harlan’s board, Harlan and I can both be easily contacted. By you or your source or Ms. Collins or anyone else.
Regards – Barney Dannelke
FWIW – I have now linked all this to Harlan’s page. Also sent a friend request (and was friended by) Ms. Collins and have provided her with links and additional context.
Hey doofus
You aren’t “getting into it with me” as you so put it, you cannot even read well. “Not that it is anyone’s business” was said by Harlan. You are a guy who wants to write a biography that will never be written. Harlan supported Ed Kramer vocally for years and years. This doesn’t go away. I have NO Idea about the bond. This is what I was clearly told. Even if that is wrong, the FREE ED KRAMER site contains for the last 7 years quotes from Harlan in his support, something he clearly never protested. I am not in Canada. I am not hiding. I have no need to name the guy who told me this. Harlan supported this child molesting scumbag to the extent that he still (above) refused to repudiate him or apologize to those he attacked. So if the person who told me this was incorrect about the house or mis spoke or I misunderstood him, what does that mean? He’s only 50% Joe Paterno? I mean your degrees of gradation are astonishing pal.
To publicly answer a couple of Mr. Dannelke’s questions:
Kramer received two bonds. He was granted one for house arrest in 2001, in which he appears to have put up the title to his own home. The second bond was in 2008 for 80K+ in cash, which is the one that allowed him to travel. He supposedly was handed back the title of his house, which he then supposedly sold (although there is some evidence it was foreclosed on in early 2012). I have no idea where that money came from.
Secondly, I used to be a friend of Harlan’s until he called me up in 2000, screaming obscenities, condemning me for daring to speak out against Kramer’s “lifestyle”, as he so charmingly put it. He did not seem interested in hearing about how Kramer was stalking my stepson and other children in my family. Take that for what you will.
>My assistance to Ed, on the basis of a long acquaintanceship, and in gratitude for many kindnesses shown by him, was to halp him obtain a good lawyer<
There are usually two versions of events in the History of Harlan: his, and the truth.
Harlan Ellison has a long tradition of calling people up, screaming obscenities, and making impotent threats long distance. Ms. Collins can join a rather large and illustrious group of people to whom he has done this, for reasons large and small. Shouldn’t Ellison apologize, in light of the fact that Ms. Collins was correct about the vile Mr. Kramer, for his verbal abuse of her? Why should she have to ASK for an apology for him to tender one? Also, I realize that Mr. Ellison is elderly, so he may not understand this, but homosexuality is not a lifestyle. It is a personal identity. Pedophilia is neither a lifestyle nor an identity; it is criminal sexual deviance. The fact that Kramer was his buddy should not be sufficient reason to defend the guy, but it is definitely not a good enough justification to make obscene phone calls. A gentleman and a man of honor would apologize. Yeah, I’m not holding my breath.
Nancy must be stating the absolute truth about her encounter simply because she claims it’s true. Flimsy evidence at best.
I have no idea if Nancy is stating the absolute truth or not, but it does fit into Ellison’s past behavior.
You know what’s flimsy? Calling me a pedestrian ’cause my ex-wife says so. Wait. You were calling me a pedestrian, right? Or did you mean bi-ped? ‘Cause you certainly don’t mean ‘pedophile’ ’cause that would be libelous.
As I implied on Ellison’s Pavilion, for people who complain about anonymity on the Internet, the Webderlanders don’t seem to have an issue when they anonymously post libel.
But that’s The Way of Ellison: when the truth doesn’t fit your worldview, go for the insult.
For clarity.
So now Nancy Collins is a liar? I am sure that Christopher Priest is a liar too. Remember how he treated K. Tempest Bradford? Called her a n!gger, IIRC, but that’s OK ‘cuz he discovered Octavia Buter. I mean, can’t you craven fanboys find a better defense? Nancy Collins isn’t a liar, because Harlan Ellison has a long history of hurling invective via long distance phone call, via internet, and via proxy. He can dish it out but he cannot take it. He defended a pedophlie. He harassed Nancy Collins. If that doesn’t warrant an apology in your mind, then you are the one with the problem.
Remember how it was J. Davis who was among the loudest critics of HE concerning the K. Tempest Bradford incident. Search the archives of the Art Deco Dining Pavilion and you will find Davis using precisely that offensive term. Notice how this entire Kramer episode has conveniently devolved into an opportunity to attack someone else. Apparently, the lies spewed by Don Murphy allowed the usual predators to descend with their vitriol. Of course, it is only one person who is supposed to apologize for providing support to Kramer very early on in this sordid affair. Not Bob Barr, Isaac M. Jaroslawicz, Robert J. Sawyer, Jerry Ahern, Brian Rothery, Andrew Wheeler, J. Neil Schulman, Bill Fawcett, Anne McCaffrey (before she died), or Darrell Schweitzer. All of whom made statements supporting Kramer at some point. Only one single person is it demanded of that an apology be forthcoming. Obviously the feigned concern for Kramer’s behavior and the plight of his victims has nothing whatsoever to do with Don Murphy , Government , rich’s etc outrage. It is merely a pile-on opportunity for sickening predators to spew their bile in an orgiastic frenzy. Have fun.
The Supreme Court in a ruling just last week has upheld our right to share that we did indeed hear that you are a pedophile.
Dear Marc Goldburg (sic): First of all, you are very confused about who the predator is here. It is not people criticizing those who have supported a pedophile publicly and financially. It is Ed Kramer. People typing words on a computer that you don’t like are not predators. They are people you don’t like. Please acquire a dictionary, or an education, or a conscience. Ed Kramer is the predator. Say it in a mirror a few times. Also, I am not sure how you can call anyone else a “predator” over words on a computer screen when you just falsely accused someone of being a pedophile because he insulted your precious little Harlan Ellison. That is beyond pathetic, and were you capable of feeling shame, you would.
Love, NOT who you think it is. That is, no one you have listed or named or thought of in your paranoid, accusatory, virulent lashing out. Just a person who has a different opinion. They do exist, and no, disagreeing with you and Harlan Ellison does not make me or anyone else a predator or a pedophile. Screwing young boys does. Get that straight. Apparently that is MUCH MORE OK with you (if Harlan Ellison likes the guy) than having the outrageous temerity to express criticism. Truly a sickening outing, Mr. Goldburg. Grow up.
It’s funny that the people here vocally supporting Harlan Ellison et al are willing to call everyone a pedophile except Ed Kramer…
OKay this has been interesting but gotta shut it down now.
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