Like so many in the current American economic recession, Steve Rude, the much admired co-creator of '80s indie sensation "Nexus" and illustrator of "Superman/Batman: World's Finest," has fallen upon hard times. "This could quite literally cost us the house if the auctions continue this way," he said in a recent Facebook posting, urging his fans to spread the word about his many fine wares for sale and for auction.


Considered one of the best artists in the business, Rude has mostly stuck to the fringes of the comic book industry, working mainly on his and writer Mike Baron's deeply personal "Nexus" rather than more lucrative mainstream projects. As detailed in the forthcoming "Rude Dude" documentary, Rude recently retired from making comics altogether, pursuing a new career in the fine arts while supplementing his income with a seemingly ceaseless line of private commissions and eBay auctions of his vast archive of "Nexus" artwork.

"Our house is up for auction November 15th and we're trying to get money in before then," Rude wrote on Sunday. "I was trying not to say anything - nobody likes to hear bad news, but with the last two weeks of auctions being near a bust I didn't see an option." He also noted that auction sales have been down since October 2008, and that he's undertaking "a MAJOR financial restructuring" to help avoid a similar plight in the future.

Those unable to purchase any artwork are encouraged to spread the word and post a link to http://www.steverude.com/auctions in all the appropriate places. More artwork, books and other products are available at SteveRudeArt.com. Check out a few of our favorites below.



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