Rude Dude Productions is going to release two more Nexus products and then stop publishing as owner/artist Steve Rude turns to gallery painting, according to the Rude e-mail newsletter.  “Steve is turning his focus to gallery paintings,” the newsletter said.  “Steve is a brilliant artist and we’ve been living hand to mouth for the past three years.  Losing over $5,000 in the last two printings we have been unable to pay our mortgage and have no desire to lose our house.” 

Rude is not totally abandoning comics.  “Steve does plan to continue in comics putting out a book direct to trade every few years and using gallery painting as a means to finance his comic endeavors,” the newsletter said. 

We asked Nexus co-creator Mike Baron for comment.  “I look forward to further collaborations with the Dude under another banner,” he said. 

Next up is the first volume of the manga-sized b/w Nexus collections, Nexus:   As It Happened V1, which will be released to comic stores around mid-month. 

The final Rude Dude Nexus book (at least for now) will be Nexus #101/102, which sounds like it awaits only a cover and the receipt of orders from Diamond mid-month to be ready to go. 

Rude formed Rude Dude in 2006 as a way to self-publish his comic work (see “Nexus Returns”).  The most recent issue for which we have data, Nexus #100, sold around 7,400 copies into comic stores.