More Derision for Pointless Signatures

[mattn792]

Continuing my latest tirade.

 

Well I was going to let it ride for a while, but eBay delivered me a new object of especial derision -- an SS 9.4 copy of Wolverine 102.5. Why would I find this particular book annoying? Well, for starters, its listing title mentions Slott, Vallejo, and Bell. But, did any of these wonderful contributors actually sign the book? Why no, that would make too much sense! This particular copy is signed by none other than Len Wein and Herb Trimpe along with the standard Marvel default of Stan Lee. For sale at the low low price of $999.99.

 

Yes, 102.5 is one of those Wolverine issues that's tough to come by in high grade. But considering 1974 occurred 22 years prior to 102.5's release, I ask again -- why the hell would anyone buy this book? Especially when you consider it's SIMPLE to track down a show where Mark Buckingam and/or Dan Slott are appearing (and yet I think I'm the only one to have copies signed by these 2). Heck, even Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell were at Wizard World Philly last year (couldn't bring myself to crack my SS 9.8 for them though).

 

Look, if it's your thing to undertake collecting the entire 1-189 run signed by the original Wolverine creation brain trust, then good on you. Collecting should be a personal journey first and foremost. But if you're just out to make a quick buck by having the first person who can spell W-O-L-V-E-R-I-N-E sign random issues, then frankly you're helping to cheapen the entire concept of the Signature Series. Please, collect the signatures you want. Don't chase registry points at any cost.

 

In my case, as you may have already guessed, I overwhelmingly prefer signatures from direct contributors to an issue. Ergo, for example, here's my Wolverine 187 that I had signed by artist John McCrea.

 

See more journals by Matt

[seanfingh]

I agree with the sentiment. Until those books stop selling, people are going to keep making them.

[Brandon Shepherd]

Good, cleaver commentary! These trends are alarming.

[Rune]

Great post - I fully agree. For example, recently I found this book

 

 

Expecting that it could be signed by Miller or more likely Janson, I was very disappointed to find it signed by O'Neill

 

Also saw Sylvester Stallone sign an Eagle Dredd #4 book

 

What will be the next - soon you are allowed to sign DKR books, if you have read a Batman book and know how to spell the name?

 

Books should only be signed by the primary authors or artists involved in the making of the signed book (=first-hand experience)

[seanfingh]

That I disagree with. I love actor and celebrity signatures on comics depicting characters they played.

[mattn792]

I agree that celebrity signatures can be great, when they make sense of course. One of my fellow Wolverine collectors got a few issues signed by Hugh Jackman a few months ago, which I think is flat out awesome.

 

Conversely, eBay features two particular gems of celebrity signature ineptitude. One is a Wolverine (2013) signed by Will Yun Lee, who played Harada in "The Wolverine". Never mind that the book's story and the signature make absolutely no sense in conjunction. And my other favorite -- a Death of Wolverine 4 signed by Norman Reedus. Just add David della Rocco and Sean Patrick Flannery, and we could all assume that Wolverine really fell at the hands of the Boondock Saints.

 

 

[seanfingh]

. That is hard to argue.

[Rune]

The discussion above may illustrate that it's not easy to define what's acceptable when signing and including books into the CGC SS.

 

I prefer if the signatures on SS books are much like an artist signing his or her own work. I'm not much into celebrity signatures, but of course I understand that some persons may enjoy getting for example Christian Bale to sign a DKR book and adding it to the SS, but it does kind of make my ultra-sensitive skin crawl

 

[seanfingh]

The discussion above may illustrate that it's not easy to define what's acceptable when signing and including books into the CGC SS.

 

I prefer if the signatures on SS books are much like an artist signing his or her own work. I'm not much into celebrity signatures, but of course I understand that some persons may enjoy getting for example Christian Bale to sign a DKR book and adding it to the SS, but it does kind of make my ultra-sensitive skin crawl

 

And I absolutely understand and respect your position. There is a broad spectrum of opinion. It's obvious that some people love Stan's sig on Deadpool books. I think it is stupid. For me, Liefeld and Nicienza are infinitely better than Lee, but I would probably take a Ryan Reynolds over anything.

[Jeffro.]

The discussion above may illustrate that it's not easy to define what's acceptable when signing and including books into the CGC SS.

 

I prefer if the signatures on SS books are much like an artist signing his or her own work. I'm not much into celebrity signatures, but of course I understand that some persons may enjoy getting for example Christian Bale to sign a DKR book and adding it to the SS, but it does kind of make my ultra-sensitive skin crawl

 

And I absolutely understand and respect your position. There is a broad spectrum of opinion. It's obvious that some people love Stan's sig on Deadpool books. I think it is stupid. For me, Liefeld and Nicienza are infinitely better than Lee, but I would probably take a Ryan Reynolds over anything.

 

People get Stan's sig on anything. Many times it makes little sense. Just because Stan is the ambassador for Marvel that seems to mean that people will have him sign any Marvel comic.

[rmolina]

It is a matter of personal preferences, Matt.

I would rather enjoy having a Wolverine #102.5 signed by Romita, Trimpe, and Wein. I would never pay $999 for it though.

On the other hand, I am not interested at all on a Wolverine book signed by Stan Lee. There are plenty of books were his signature makes sense to me. Never on a Wolverine.

The only thing I really hate about that book is the price.