What's the deal with Stan Lee's signature?

[Lee K]

I mean really?

 

Below is a photo of Stan's sig on a modern I had done for my wife in 2010. What strikes me most is how clear and readable the signature is. While it is obviously the signature of a person who signs their name often, fluid & smooth, it isn't a unidentifiable black scrawl on my wife's book. It is rather crisp, and although I gave Stan free reign to sign anywhere on the book he wanted, he selected a location that doesn't hammer the artwork.

 

Yesterday I posted about my sole Stan sig series book, and while I love it, it does look like it was signed by an angry doctor with a dull sharpie. It is basically a dull black smear across my book. While I am willing to acknowledge that age might have something to do with the deterioration of his sig, or even his up and down health, I really blame the way his handlers have him do the signatures. Too many sigs, too fast, all in the name of the unholy dollar...

 

I would be happier if there were fewer Stan lee sigs, but they were more beautiful to behold. I personally won't have another book signed by Stan.

 

Lee

 

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[Tnerb]

I know exactly what you mean. Although I still want my Daredevil issues from one to ten signed by him I feel his signature is just a scrawl of a line. It seems like the busier the con is, the worse the signature is. My Daredevil #3 was great, of course it was also the second book he signed that day. My issue four however, just seems drab.

[newshane]

What's the deal? He's a very, very old man for one. He's also signed one billion autographs. What do you expect?

 

And of course he is signing for the "unholy dollar" and I don't blame him one bit for that.

 

I think we should all be thankful that he is still around and that he is still willing to spend every weekend of his life signing comics for fans.

 

I love Stan but I will never seek out his autograph. His signature is so ubiquitous that it is practically worthless in the open market. It also seems like he gives little to no thought about his signature placement. In short, his signed books are ugly, ugly, ugly!

[GamingEtc-migration]

I have a grandmother that is the exact same age as Stan Lee and she cannot walk unasisted or write her name. I think it is absolutely unreal that a man Stan's age keeps the schedule he does, damn near a miracle even. I find this topic very weird.

[newshane]

I have a grandmother that is the exact same age as Stan Lee and she cannot walk unasisted or write her name. I think it is absolutely unreal that a man Stan's age keeps the schedule he does, damn near a miracle even. I find this topic very weird.

 

+1

 

Stan is now 90 years old. I think it's amazing that he even shows up for the madness of conventions!

[Tnerb]

I am thankful he is still around. I'm unthankful that anytime you see him and try to call out to say hello they rush on by. Or if you try to get a picture at a signing they tell you no.

 

Patrick Stewart has been known to stop fro the fans.

 

Grag Capullo and Scott Snyder impressed me at how easily approachable they were.

 

It is true Stan is up there in age, but he is also Stan Lee. How is it that for most people that you try to get a signature for, there is no problem, but to get STan Lee's autograph for CGC, you must go through Desert Winds, or certain other facilitators...who must go through Desert Winds.

[surfer99]

Stan will always be the man. Can't thank him enough for what he continues to give of himself for this hobby we all love. I honestly wouldn't care if he scribbled a smudge...just knowing he made the effort is enough for me.

 

The one thing I have always been curious about is whether Stan, and all other comic creators for that matter, think about the time they spent making the book being signed. I know this is true for Bret Blevins who reminisced with his wife about the issues he was signing for bagofleas at the Phoenix Con this year.

 

 

[gadzukes]

Did anyone see the Strange Tales 110 that was on ebay where Stan Lee actually signed the comic upside down by mistake?

 

hilarious.

[meshuggah]

I agree with Lee a little in that sometimes he picks the worst place to sign and it may seem smudged. But this is not a big deal to me. Just to have been in his presence and have him sign something for me, makes me happy. If you look in my registry at ASM 252 and 700 his signature isn't in the best place or the neatest looking. I'm just glad he's able to meet the fans and provide us with what we want.

 

It is annoying that they shuffle everyone through and you don't really get time to say much, if at all. But in order to accomadate everyone we need to be willing to make do.

[Lee K]

I think that some of my point is being missed. I don't have my books signed in order to create some potential increase in value, I do it because I have always enjoyed meeting artist and writers and having my books signed. Since I am familiar with the rampant fraud and forgery that exists in the sports memorabilia market, I am willing to pay for authentication.

 

But Stan is old, he's not dissimilar in age to my mother, who while spry avoids flying as it hurts now. She's sharp, mobile due to artificial knees & hips, and has vision due to complicated medicine that is injected into her eyeballs. If I were yo ask her to sign something, I would allow her to take her time, sign 50 instead of 100...

 

But the rushing by Stan's handlers doesn't support this, there's no slow time, or down time between sigs...just a signature farm, from the hands of a elderly legend, that we, as fans, enable.

 

Are we doing a disservice? Are we overworking, overtaxing, The Man because we have great respect for his work?

[meshuggah]

I can see the point of overworking him. But I'd also think if he couldn't handle it he would speak up or chop down some of his travelling for more than just being sick. I also don't get my books signed for the potential profit. It does cross my mnd and I will probably sell some of my books and sports stuff eventually. But I enjoy having these things signed because in general I think its cool to have their sigs and if I get to meet/see them during the signing thats even better.

[JollyComics]

Did anyone see the Strange Tales 110 that was on ebay where Stan Lee actually signed the comic upside down by mistake?

 

hilarious.

 

S-P-O-O!

 

The Sarge got upset at Beetle Bailey when the paint bucket spilled all over him. He put the paint on Beetle's head and buckled him inside the ladder.

 

The Sarge walked away from him and said oops in backward.

 

A big SPOO! I am very sure the fan was totally upset about the book was in a wrong position!!!

 

S-P-O-O!

[JollyComics]

Back to the topic....

 

I had him for five years. Yes, I noticed his signature was not same but sometimes, he signed few better ones.

 

I think he is better with the black markers not the silver markers.

[Tnerb]

This is also true if photos too. Stan likes to meet his fans. Two tears ago I was able to shake his hand and have a few seconds if conversation. This is no longer the case. Stan is a legend and I am glad I met him. I do wish though his handlers understood this and would decrease his workload.

 

At Wizard world I watched as he signed numerous amount of books as the fans watched. I would like to see Stan again and again but if I do go for a signature again, I will wait in line and try to converse with him, even if it's only for a few seconds.

[Mailman_Comics]

I've seen some really bad signatures of his, quality and placement. The guy is old, after writing for 10 minutes, my hand starts to cramp up, I don't know how he does it. I was able to get his signature back in 2011 at the Dallas Comic Con. I had to wait for the priority guys to go first, but i finally got there. They asked what color pen, I said silver, I actually brought my own, but they handed Stan their pen. They never asked where I wanted it. The handlers were just pushing us through like cattle, no photos, if you were lucky a handshake and a few words. Stan Lee did my books himself and I felt he really gave me two quality signatures. I was very excited and appreciative.

 

I also paid $50 to get my photo taken with Stan. While busy trying to get Romita Jr's signature, I almost missed out. I ran upstairs and bust through the doors and saw Stan sitting in his chair with his back towards me. I gave the guy my ticket and I heard him tell Stan if it was alright if he took one more, he said "oh sure" and turned towards me and smiled. I shook his hand, said it was an honor, put my arm around his fragile shoulders ( I didn't really realize how old he was till that moment.) and took a picture with the legend. After we took the pic, Stan pointed at me and rocked his finger and said " Congratulations, you winged it!" in his upbeat Stan Lee fashion. I shook his hand again and thanked him and that was my experience. In my senior year, my English teacher asked us to write who we thought were the two greatest men in history was. I put Stan Lee and Walt Disney .

 

Here's one of the comics he signed for me....

 

 

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[meshuggah]

Awesome story

[Mailman_Comics]

Thanks, I enjoy reading everyone's entries and stories on here as well, thought I'd chime in on this one.

[thehumantorch]

This is also true if photos too. Stan likes to meet his fans. Two tears ago I was able to shake his hand and have a few seconds if conversation. This is no longer the case. Stan is a legend and I am glad I met him. I do wish though his handlers understood this and would decrease his workload.

 

At Wizard world I watched as he signed numerous amount of books as the fans watched. I would like to see Stan again and again but if I do go for a signature again, I will wait in line and try to converse with him, even if it's only for a few seconds.

 

I suspect that Stan enjoys meeting fans and signing autographs. He can't really need the money.

 

He can see how many people want to meet him and get his autograph, and I think it's important to him to make as many people happy as possible. He could limit the number of weekends he goes to shows, and he could certainly limit the amount of sigs and fans he meets.

[Lee K]

Great story Grandmaster, thanks for joining the conversation and sharing.

 

Lee