I would like to talk about a subject that gets a lot of people hot under the collar: Comic Book creators charging for autographs!

I have been collecting for a long time and for many years I was never charged for an autograph. I even got a lot of sketches done for free. When I first started getting charged for autographs I wasn’t too upset. My first was Neal Adams and he wanted $3.00 per signature. I was not thrilled at the cost as I had a lot of books for him to sign, but it was Neal Adams, so I did it. Even though I wasn’t too bothered I still didn’t understand why a comic artist would charge for an autograph. The years passed and more artists and writers jumped on the charging bandwagon, but still not to many. So all was right with the world.

Then all of a sudden over just the past few years almost everybody is charging. Some are very low and others are pretty high. At one convention I went to a few months ago I said, I am not paying $30.00 to have Rob Liefeld sign a comic. I was very angry he would charge so much and was not going to pay it. I walked away from that convention contemplating selling my entire comic collection and giving up the hobby. So there!

I did some soul searching over the next few days. Give up comic collecting or not give up comic collecting? This was very rough for me. But I came to realize that I was looking at this completely the wrong way. There were some people whom I did not mind at all that they charged for a signature. Even those that charge a higher price. I and others also have no problem paying actors high prices for their autographs. Years ago I took one of my sons to Comic-Con in San Diego. Darth Vader himself, David Prowse, was there. My son was furious that David Prowse was charging $5.00 for an autographed photo. I explained to my son that David was there to meet the fans, and probably had to pay for his booth. He most definitely paid to have the photographs printed. We needed to respect his reasons for charging and be thankful that we could even get an autographed photo of the real Darth Vader. After my few days of contemplation I realized that I don’t know the reason a comic creator is charging. I either accept that they do and pay it or not. The next time I go to a comic convention that Rob Liefeld is there I plan on getting at least one autograph from him.

So I have changed my mind on the charging debate issue. Either it is worth it to you or not; pay or not. That is all there is to that. There is one thing in the charging debate that does get my dander up. I have heard a few creators say that they charge because they don’t want speculators making money on their signature. Many dealers get a book signed and send it off to one of the grading companies just to flip the book. This upsets some creators. “I don’t want you making money on my signature.” I don’t get this. If I go somewhere and buy a book then sell it for a profit, aren’t they angry that I made a profit on their writing, or artwork? As long as we buy and sell, there is always going to be someone making money on others work. I think to say you get upset at someone making money on your signature is a flawed reason for charging. Charge or don’t; but at least say you just want to be paid for your signature. I can respect that.

I do want to promote those comic creators who do not charge or charge a small amount for their signatures.

James Robinson: Free     Chad Hardin: Free     George Perez: Free     Charles Soule: Free

Marat Mychaels: Free     Norm Rapamond: Free     Brian Michael Bendis: Free

Greg Capullo: Free     Chris Clairmont: $5.00

These are only those that I have met over the last few months. If others are not charging I will try to update this list.

So if a comic creator charges I will decide if the cost is worth it to me. You should do the same.