ampersandandfriends asked: so i am going to my first ever comic-con, HerosCon in Charlotte, NC towards the end of june, and i was wondering about etiquette? i know writers & artists are there, but do they sign stuff, or is that a big faux pas to ask that of them? if they do, i assume you just sorta bring your stuff (mostly TPB's) with you? i know these are probably pretty basic, but i've never been to one :P any other tips for a newbie?
Congrats! Go have fun, you will love it.
Okay, regarding signing. The VAST majority of comic book people are happy to sign your books for free. Most have no limit on the number of signatures, but use your best judgment, if it’s a really long line and a short signing, maybe just ask for a few signatures. If it’s an open signing, or at a creator’s table, most are happy to sign as many as you can bring. Very rarely, a con or event will put a cap on the number of signatures we can do per person, but that’s very uncommon.
My rule is, if you bring it, I’ll sign it. I don’t care how many you bring, if you bring 200 books, I will sign them (I may take care of other people in line in between).
Now, a tiny number of superstar creators do charge for a signature…I think Neal Adams does, I think Stan Lee does. A few others. In such cases, they will have it posted.
Some artists will do quick sketches for free at cons, very quick ones, usually. They will almost always have a price list if their sketches aren’t free.
Media guests as a rule DO charge for their signatures and for photographs. Always ask, if the price list isn’t visible.
And finally, if a guest is eating or going to the bathroom or something, please wait to ask for a signature til they get back to their booth or table. It’s okay to ask questions but it’s very difficult to sign on the run at a major convention.
Most creators turn their badges around if they are ‘off-duty.’ If you see that, that would mean it’s their private time and they would prefer not to be approached for that brief span.
Hope that helps!
