A word to Fandom about Autographs
Posted By Kathleen David on July 8, 2009
I am getting ready for Shoreleave where there will be actors who will be doing panels, meeting fans and signing autographs. There have been a number of rumblings recently and some essays about the cost of these autographs and photos with these actors across the Internet. Some fans are upset because of the prices that some actors are charging for autographs these days and additional money for photo ops. How can they think they (the talent) think they can get X dollars for (fill in the blank)?
Want the quick answer? Anyone can look at E-bay and see what an autograph is going for. It is any wonder that the signer of the autograph wants reasonable cut of that? And don’t they get to decide how much their time is worth to them? Also every fan has the choice not to buy the autograph or photo op.
Then there are those who howl when an actor cancels at the last minute. How could they is the cry. This was my whole reason for coming to this stupid convention I hear them say. It’s the conventions fault that so-and-so didn’t show up.
Well, let me let y’all in on a little secret. These days there is a contract between the talent and the convention. It spells out what is expected of the talent and what is expected by the convention. It also has several clauses about what will make this contract null and void with no hard feeling by either party. One of these is that the actor has work which precludes them from participating. Adam Baldwin has cancelled on DragonCon a couple of times. The first time he couldn’t say why but the reason was that Chuck had gone to series and he was still shooting the first season. Believe me an actor earns a heck of a lot more from doing a TV series than they do signing autographs for a weekend. And it is nothing personal about the fans, it is just economics.
Peter doesn’t charge for autographs since he figures he got “his cut” when you bought the book or comic or whatever. This seems to surprise some people because they are use to authors charging for autographs.
So fans need to stop and think before they start ranting all over the internet about the cost of doing business with their favorite (fill in the blank). The actors aren’t dumb and they can figure out how much their time is worth and charge accordingly. If no one buys it at that rate, then maybe it would come down in price but as long as some people are, the rates will remain as they are now. The fans and speculators created the fair market price that talent can charge. Not the other way around.
I am grateful for people who support my friends by buying their autographs.
Kathleen dearest, there are folks who stopped doing autographs or sketches because the gift got abused. Will Eisner is the example that comes immediately to mind; at a comics con, a kid got Will to do him a sketch, and an hour later he saw the kid trying to auction it off.
I can understand folk who sell autographed pics; we all have to eat, and I try to support them when I can. I can also understand why someone who has a gig on a series or in a movie would have to cancel a con appearance, as the difference between paychecks is pretty dámņ substantial.
I’ve gotten autographs a few times from people for what’s best called services rendered; Webb Wilder signed all my CDs after I gave him a commercial copy of his third album, Doo Dad, the only one he didn’t own. I have Ray Harryhausen’s autograph, courtesy of a friend in England. But the prize is the piece of denim in a frame on my wall that has the signature of Link Wray, one of the great gods of rock. He signed my jacket. I wore it until it fell apart.
Actors and musicians are like anybody else; they work hard, get tired, feet get sore, they get grouchy. I’ve been there. I try to treat them with kindness and friendship, and ask for nothing. They’re family, in a way, and you don’t mistreat family.
Give Ariel and my Evil Twin a hug. Seeya around.
Miles
I’ve always thought it was somewhat unfair that actors charge for autographs but writers don’t.
I don’t care a lot about autographs but I do like to support the actors coming out to cons and doing panels so I generally try to get an autograph when I can. The only time I’ve ever resented it was when I was getting some autographed pics for a friend. This particular star was charging ten bucks more than the going rate for that con and didn’t look up, didn’t smile, didn’t say thanks. When I hand somebody almost $100, it seems to me that they really need to do all three at a minimum. If he was hung over and not in the mood, he could either stay in his room or call on those acting skills.
Jan
I only have four autographs, three of which I got at conventions. As neat as it is that I have George Takei’s signature on an Excelsior blueprint and Micheal Dorn’s on a bridge poster, I’ve always found it more valuable to me that I got to shake the men’s hands and say thanks for all the entertainment.
If I managed to get a job where I didn’t work every weekend, and I got to a con, would I be upset if someone cancelled? I don’t think so. I personally don’t go to conventions for who’s going to be there. I go for the experience, to see neat stuff, and if I meet someone I respect, then all’s the better.
I really don’t understand people selling or buying autographs on ebay. For me, on the one hand it is to show the actor or author that I appreciate them so much that I bought this item of theirs and want them to sign it. It is also a moment of connection between the fan and the actor or author. If you buy it on ebay there is absolutely no connection – no story to go along with the autograph – no context. I’m glad that the price of admission to Shore Leave and Farpoint includes a few free autographs. I normally don’t buy ones off of the other guests, though this time I did from Miracle Laurie. I ended up asking her probably more questions than anyone else at her two presentations and enjoyed it so much I felt I really should do so. Her autographed photo was completely personalized thanking me for asking all those questions.