Why would anyone get a book autographed on the cover??

[Mikey]

Roberto,

I know you're a record album guy ....

What do you think of an artist signing their album cover ?

Wouldn't that be the same ?

[Blue Meanie]

Roberto,

I know you're a record album guy ....

What do you think of an artist signing their album cover ?

Wouldn't that be the same ?

In my personal opinion it's not. With a comic book the art is THE ART...where as the cover of an LP is not THE ART....the music is THE ART. I have my copy of Sgt. Peppers that I bought from Record World back in the early 80's autographed by Sir George Martin...and I had him autograph it in the sky blue part near the top of the LP. I would think that if they autographed the vinyl/record itself...then yeah, I would relate that as being the same as autographing a comic cover.

[samurainoir]

That's the whole thing though...Do they have reps for every artist at a show?? Probably not. That's why I don't think they truly WITNESS ALL the signings that are slabbed. IMHO it's not possible.



I completely agree with that statement. As for buying autographs...no way. Unless I get it signed by the artist or writer in person it means absolutely nothing to me. That's true for comics or anything else I collect like Records/Music.

My understanding about how CGC sigs work is that a rep is always present for a CGC sponsored signing. The rep witnesses every sig that the pro does on a comic and then the comic immediately goes into the slab and is sealed.

Basically this is how CGC controls the market on the signed and slabbed books. Unless they are sponsoring the signing, your signed book is not acknowledged to be such when you submit it for slabbing. Thus you had a signed Dave Cockrum book, but it couldn't be authenticated because a rep wasn't on hand when it was signed by the pro and slabbed by CGC on the spot. So that is why they treated it like a flaw as opposed to a sig.

If it is not a CGC sponsored signing, then it does not get the CGC acknowledgement. Basically think of it as another revenue stream for their business.

Not something I would generally buy myself, but that's how you gaurentee an authentic signuture when you buy a comic that you yourself didn't actually witness being signed. Particularly in this day and age of online sales.

[Adam West]

I have never had any comic books autographed but always have books autographed on the inside first page.

If there is any upside; I guess if you want the autograph, it only makes sense to have it on the cover especially when it is graded. Otherwise, you would never see the autograph again.

[Zemo]

Actually, the Signature Series came to be BECAUSE of situations like you mentioned, of a lower graded book GETTING that lower grade because of a signature.

You can test for restoration using a black light and other equipment. You cannot test for authenticity on an autograph in the same way.

No matter how expert you are on autographs, some folks are just better at faking them. It's a problem in the autograph collecting field that's been around since forever. Many "experts" in the field (many who may work for Christies and Sotherbys at times) have been fooled.

Early on when they started, CGC chose not to mess with it, and whether it was signed by your mother, Stan Lee, George Washington or whoever it didn't matter. It was considered "writing" and consider a defect on the book as a whole, and the grading reflected it.

Well collectors got up in arms. They spent money on autographed books and they considered them more valuable than those unsigned... and here was CGC telling them that they weren't.

CGC is a business. It makes business sense to create a subcategory for those that do collect autographed comics. That subcategory is the Signature Series. However you still come up short in the whole, how to you authenticate a signature?

Well, the only surefire way is to be present at the signing. To visually WITNESS the autopgraph. That is why the they do so at shows, where a grader from CGC can physically witness the autograph. Some books sold through Diamond get the same treatment. Books go to the artist or writer to sign and a CGC grader watches them do it.

Is it perfect? No. But it is what it is.

It's not exactly the same as buying a COA, since CGC labels and slabs are patented... but it still means nothing in the whole scheme of things.

You buy what you like, you'll always be happy. You buy for profit, and well, that's your business.

Great post, and me I want the cover signed.

[WannabeMego]

I don't think we're talking about the validity of a signature as much as we're talking about if a signature (whether verified or not) on the cover takes away from the condition of the book.

Of course, there is no black/white answer...it's a matter of your preference.

If someone came up to me with that Hulk book with a signature on the cover vs the same book but in a slightly lesser condition but without the signature...I'd take the one without the signature.

[HardyGirl]

Oh yeah, and Lindsay Wagner signed my Bionic Woman comic as well, on the cover! (just where I wanted it signed!)

[ScottA]

The only comics I have signed are Tiny Titans by Art. Aw, Yeah, Signing!!

[johnnystorm]

Hey, Lets Ask Art:

Where do the majority of fans get you to sign comics at shows? Inside or outside, or doesn't it matter?

[WannabeMego]

Hey, Lets Ask Art:

Where do the majority of fans get you to sign comics at shows? Inside or outside, or doesn't it matter?

My guess to that is on the outside...

I tend to believe that this is somewhat of a new thing/trend (well at least when Image started) cause back in the day, 20+ years ago, I hardly ever saw anyone sign the cover of comics.

Again...that would be my guess...I'm in the minority school now when I go to shows...it seems everyone signs the covers now.

[Mego Milk]

aw yeah on the cover.

but not on any characters or faces.

I kinda like it around the title.

[johnnystorm]

Thank you, oh Master of the Tiny Titans! You rule! I have to order some stuff from your site soon!

Now that it was mentioned & I thought about it, I notice that older artists & writers do tend to sign inside, usually under the indicia area. Newer guys sign on the cover automatically it seems.
Like Art said, I like when the artist chooses an appropriate spot to sign. I have a few covers with huge white areas on them, and yet the sig was over the logo or on top of the character. Chris Claremont actually signed one of my books over Michael Golden's signature. Arrgh! Golden's a poor signer too, so it'll be hard to 'fix'!


At Baltimore, Amanda Conner signed my books on the cover, but each signature was done in a different color marker that she chose to tie-in to the color scheme of the book- in fact, she had my daughter help her choose which color to use on each book, which really thrilled my 8-year old a lot, and helped get her excited in the comics a bit more. Plus Amanda has a beautiful full signature...it was almost a shame to hand the books over to her partner Jimmy Palmiotti because he has this scrawly little signature.

I think my biggest peeve in signings are the guys that only sign at cons during specific hours. I could see this if they put the time into signing like Amanda did, but Howie Chaykin, Adam Hughes & Stephan Roux only signed an hour or so a day, and yet their signatures consist soley of the intials C_______, AH! & SR. Why come to the con if you don't wanna sign?

Sorry, tangent! Apologies! I appreciate the signatures on my books, it means something to me a a part of my collection.