Autographed comic question

[jp1969]

I have a question concerning getting a comic autographed.
This years geust of honor at the Montreal comic con is Chris Claremont.
I have been thinking of getting my copy of X-Men 141 signed.I have never attempted this before and know no one first hand who has gotten this done.
Question:Surely there is a fee involved,and does the person autographing generally provide some type of proof as to his signature being authentic?

Any info appreciated.
thanx.

http://www.montrealcomiccon.com/home.htm#g

[wilbs518]

Sometimes there is a fee. I have seen them anywhere from $2-$10.Chris Claremont signed a bunch of comics for me a few years back for free. But at a big convention there is usually a fee. I always take a pic with the person giving the signature while holding the item signed.

[Riffster]

i've never seen comic folk charge for autographs, sketches yes but not too sign

[samurainoir]

Generally comics folks don't charge for autographs unless it's for charity... I know some pros have a little jar for ACTOR.

No real proof unless it's a CGC sponsored signing where there is a representative right there to witness it just before it's slabbed.

[Brazoo]

Yeah - I've never seen an artist/writer charge before. No authentication though, but whenever I've done it they've personalized the autograph to me. Generally speaking I believe most autographs would devalue the condition anyway - for me it's just a keepsake and an excuse to talk and ask questions to someone who's work I like.

[Blue Meanie]

Every comic I ever had autographed I had it autographed to me personally. As for a fee, In 25+ years of either going to ComicCons or signings at store, I've never been charged for an autograph. I have heard that there are some artists and writers that are starting to charge...which in my personal opinion is wrong. Please, whatever you do, don't get it autographed on the cover of the book. One of my biggest pet peeves is artists and writers signing on the cover of a book. My bro, Wannabemego, could tell you a horror story about a certain Hulk book and Peter David. I thought he was gonna absolutely lose it...but I digress. IMHO, autographed covers just take away from the artwork on the book. At least you have a small spot to autograph on that first page of a comic....just below the "Marvel Comics...Issue 141...."

[johnnystorm]

I got some comics signed by Claremont last year at the Baltimore Con, there was no fee for his signing, but he did have a limit of only 5 books per person at a time. You could go back to the end of the line and wait again if you had more you wanted. Claremont had a line about 45 minutes long. He's a bigger name in comicdom, so I'd advise getting a map of the room layout if you can (sometimes the con website has one online) or at least ask where Claremont is seated. Get there early, go to his table first and get your autos before you do anyhing else. I guarantee he wo'nt be around after lunch- they'll start panel discussions, he'll get pulled away by the promoters to judge a contest, etc. Just as the line is getting full. Worst thing ever is to get in a line they cap off 4-5 people ahead of you so the guy can go to a panel. You've wasted the time already spent standing there, plus he probably won't be back or if he does return there will be limited time for signing and it may happen again to you.

As far as proof of signing, at most of the major cons you can go to a booth and buy a COA from the promoters for $5-10. I've never done that because I really don't feel the need for a COA on a book for my personal collection. The coa is up to you- the quick snap with your cellphone camera is probably just as good, print it online at home later. And I don't mind the cover signing, All in what you prefer I guess. I actually kinda prefer it- as long as they don't sign over top of another signature. Had that happen once!

As far as charging, some do these days. Some have the five books free then a dollar or two for every one after that. Neal Adams charged $5.00 PER ITEM. A lot of them ask for a donation of a buck or two for the CBLDF o HERO or another charity. And I really don't mind the 5 book limit, because it speeds things up and stops the inevitable occasion of finding that the guy in front of you has brought 3 long boxes of mutiple copies of everything the artist has ever done. And don't laugh, I've seen that happen-a lot... Michael Turner comes to mind, a nice guy who would just dig in to the pile, may he rest in peace, but you would wait forever to get your turn. And then there are the artist writers who find every excuse not to sign...like Mark Texiera, Tim Sale- guys that will only sign from 3:17 to 3:19 pm.

At the Pittsburgh Con last week, Gary Friedrich was charging two dollars a signature. Since I had gotten a few books he'd written signed (for free) by artist Herb Trimpe at the same show, I decided to pop for the $6 and get both artist & writer. Friedrich signed the books with a big G and a dot after. Didn't make me too happy- I was happy to pay for the signatures, but geez-if you feel the need to charge something, and I understand many do because of their financial situations, at least write your name!

[The Toyroom]

G.

Yeah I'd be p.oed too!

[johnnystorm]

Not really p.o.d, just disappointed. While my own signature can be pretty sloppy, I think if you are signing something as an autograph, you can at least try to make it legible. Particularly if you feel you need to charge people to do so. Of all the artists & writers there, he (Friedrich) was the only one that had no line. He was seated next to Roy Thomas & Herb Trimpe, both of whom had lines, and he kept getting up to look at the people waiting. He had this full table of stuff he was selling , prints, books, etc he'd done at (what I thought) were high prices- like $30 for a signed print of Ghost Rider. Seems there's a lot of bitterness around Marvel making money off Ghost Rider and not giving any to him as creator. Not that I can't agree, but that's between him & Marvel, and not the fans. I was also disappointed because after I saw the sig, I just left and therefore didn't get to talk to him about his work, not so much on Ghost Rider but on stuff like Red Wolf & Sgt Fury. Of course, that choice was on me, but I wasn't in a mood after that.

Thomas & Trimpe were great, Ernie Chan was there, signed for free really great guy. Rudy Nebres also, what a wonderful person.
Highlight for me was meeting Joe Sinnott, who remembered EVERY book I gave him, and had a comment about each (FF#200 - "Last time I got to ink Kirby pencils on a book...Marvel Spotlight Warriors Three- "My favorite work of all time!") What a nice man!

[samurainoir]

Good News for JP1969 since he wants his Claremont sig authenticated.

It appears that the Chris Claremont signing at the Montreal con will in fact be CGC sponsored.
CGC Signature Series – Events


Doesn't say anything about pricing though.