HoundsTV.com's Best and Worst Autograph Signers - Musicians - Canada 2008

TORONTO (HoundsTV) - Since it seems to be the time of the year when best and worst lists are everywhere. HoundsTV.com officially presents it’s annual (ok, it’s actually our first best and worst list, but annual has got to start somewhere.)

So who were the BEST and WORST music acts for greeting fans and signing autographs to come through Canada during 2008. We quizzed the people that know best, the celebrity photographers, the autograph collectors, and even a few fans to think about who were the best and worst of 2008...Richard

The Best Signers of 2008


1. AC/DC
Perhaps of all tours to hit Canada this year - none was more anticipated by fans and autograph collectors than AC/DC. It had been more than five years since the last time they breezed through Toronto and everybody remembers how fan friendly they were back then.

It was good to see things had not changed with AC/DC and they were still the same great guys in 2008. From the time they checked into their downtown Toronto hotel, until boarding the bus to play the sold-out stadium gig, to after lunch on Bloor St. the next day - Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Cliff Williams, and Brian Johnson (and yeah, and even the usually tough drummer, Phil Rudd) were signing champs and all round great guys greeting fans and collectors at every turn. AC/DC - The signing champs of 2008. And with a good new album and buzzed about world tour - probably the biggest rock band in the world right now.

2. COLDPLAY
Chris Martin and the boys spent a few days in Toronto during early August for two concerts and a few television and radio station appearances to talk up the new album. All the guys from the band were great about signing and always taking time to greets fans and pose for photos. There was especially a lot of attention on Chris Martin and he was a class act - always polite to fans and autograph collectors.

3. BACHMAN / CUMMINGS (The Guess Who)
Canadian rock icons Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman shared the stage for a cross Canada tour that found its way to Toronto during June. There was a time, not so long ago that Randy Bachman was not so good about signing autographs for collectors (and if HoundsTV was publishing a “bad” list back then - Bachman would surely have found himself on it.) But Bachman seemed to have a change of heart during 2008 and collectors reported he was much better about signing. As for Burton Cummings? Truly one of the nicest, most fan-friendly artists you could ever meet. Collectors are not even sure they have ever seen Burton turn down an autograph request. Cummings sometimes takes such an interest in the items that fans ask him to sign - he’ll often talk with the collectors and share stories about the photos or albums he is autographing.

4. SHANIA TWAIN
Shania came back to Toronto for a few days during the summer when she had personal problems with her marriage. We could understand Shania not wanting to even see a fan or collector. But Shania still was gracious with fans who recognized her on the city streets and she still signed lots for the collectors who managed to find her. Through good times and bad Shania remains very gracious about giving autographs and greeting fans.

5. THE JONAS BROTHERS
Disney sensations The Jonas Brothers spent close to a week in Toronto gearing up for their North American tour. Wherever the Jonas Brothers went rabid fans were never far behind. The Brothers did not disappoint trying to make as much time for fans and autograph collectors where they could. It was usually under the watchful eye of their big security guard - but the brothers didn’t seem to also mind signing for the more professional autograph seekers who were clearly just out to make a buck or two on their signatures. (and yeah, the average looking pro collector does stick out among packs of screaming girls.)

HONOURABLE MENTION (BEST) - OASIS

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The Worst Signers Of 2008


1. ROBERT PLANT & JIMMY PAGE (Led Zeppelin)
While they were not touring together, founding Led Zeppelin members Robert Plant and Jimmy Page arrived in Toronto within weeks of each other during 2008. Plant, on tour with Allison Kraus played a summer show, and Page came to the Toronto Film Festival weeks later to support a film (previous post about that experience here.) Page announced on arrival at TIFF regarding autograph requests “I’m kinda finished with that.” and stuck to his word. Robert Plant was equally dismissive the few times approached by collectors over the course of the couple of days he was in Toronto. By mutual agreement among many, Page and Plant were the worst rock god signers to come though during the year. Autograph collectors went home with their Led Zeppelin memorabilia unsigned during 2008, except for a few pieces that a very lucky Brad managed to find a way to get signed.

2. BON JOVI
One of the highest grossing tours of the year, Bon Jovi’s Lost Highway tour put the group in Toronto for close to a week when they played 4 (four!) sold-out arena shows. Sightings of main members Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi were numerous at many of the fine dining establishments in the city. Reports of their willingness to sign varied. Sambora did it here and there. Sure, if your a good looking women who approaches Jon Bon Jovi you’ll get your few minutes. But approaching Jon with Bon Jovi albums came with very unpredictable results. One autograph collector simply labeled Jon Bon Jovi, “an asshole. Jon will repeatedly belittle and be very mean with collectors he feels might be selling his signature.”

3. THE EAGLES
The legendary Eagles managed to put their legal woes aside for another year and spent a few warm summer nights in Toronto during July playing two sold-out gigs at the ACC. Scattered reports suggest they lived up to their reputation for being impossible for autographs and generally not nice guys to meet (and we do mean you - Mr. Henley and Mr. Frey). Actually, the autograph hounds didn’t have too much to say about this one. Most collectors are already well informed, through years of fruitless trying, on the difficulty of getting all the Eagles to sign the same item. Most collectors don’t bother wasting too much time going after them. Heck, the one Eagle who could be counted on for a few autographs they kicked out of the band.

4. MADONNA
Madonna sailed through Toronto late in the year for a couple of sold-out dates on her enormously successful “Sticky & Sweet” concert tour. As for collectors getting autographs? Fans meeting Madge? Please… you could consider yourself lucky to even get an look at her outside her concert venue. Over the couple of days Madonna was in Toronto - fans, paparazzi, autograph hounds didn’t even get a glimpse of the material girl. Enormous care and security precautions were used to keep Madonna far away from any prying eyes.

5. EDDIE VEDDER
Many of the autograph collectors agreed it was tough to add Vedder to the “bad” signers list. There had been so many positive stories about Eddie Vedder greeting fans and signing for the hounds during his many stops in Toronto touring with Pearl Jam over the years. But something about 2008 was different. Vedder made a two-night solo stop at Toronto’s Massey Hall during August and gave the autograph collectors fits. He just wasn’t into giving any autographs on this trip. Eddie’s personal security did a good job keeping everybody far away. They even took Vedder out a rarely used back door at Massey Hall as opposed to the regular, much more fan-friendly, stage door most performers use.

HONOURABLE MENTION (WORST) - RUSH

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Michael H. Price’s ‘Southwest Heritage:’ They Couldn’t Get Enough of Billy

One of the rarest autographs known to history can be seen at Texas’ splendid Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, at Canyon. Most public figures whose lives become the stuff of legend will leave a trail of many signatures. But Billy the Kid was a man of few words, written or uttered.

The document bears quoting in its entirety, with lapses of syntax, punctuation and spelling intact:

Tascosa Texas

Thursday Oct 26th

1878

Know all persons by these presents that I do hereby sell and diliver [sic] to Henry F. Hoyt one Sorrel Horse Branded BB on left hip and other indistinct Branded on Shoulders, for the Sum of Seventy five $ dollars, in hand received.

[Signed] W.H. Bonney

Witness
Jos. E. Masters

Geo. J. Howard

The horse thus accounted for was a magnificent Arabian, which William H. Bonney, alias Billy the Kid, actually gave—going through the motions of a sale, for the official record—to Dr. Henry Hoyt, the first civilian physician in the Texas Panhandle. Hoyt and Billy Bonney had become friends during the time that the outlaw spent encamped near Tascosa.

Upon hearing that Dr. Hoyt would be moving away, Bonney rode into town and presented the horse as a farewell gift. The witnesses were the proprietors of a general store. Dr. Hoyt eventually became Surgeon General of these United States. The bill of sale found its way into the museum early in the Twentieth Century.

Many historians consider Billy to have been a moronic, sadistic delinquent. Certainly, there are facts to support such a view. A visit to New Mexico’s Lincoln County Courthouse, where some of Billy’s correspondence is preserved, gives cause for second thoughts, however. Written in a flowing hand and showing only occasional misspellings, the letters suggest that the writer was a fairly erudite young man despite a lack of formal education.

An opposing camp pictures Billy as an avenging angel—a Hamlet on horseback—bringing relentless justice to murderers beyond the reach of the law. There is some justification for this romanticized view, as well, for most of the men against whom Billy set his hand were among the instigators of a terrible range war in which innocents were slain while the elected authorities looked the other way or even participated.

Billy was feared and despised and adored and revered. The one tintype-photograph generally accepted as an authentic likeness reveals an ungainly and repellent-looking youth. This tintype, being a metallic mirror-image, also has given rise to the legend that Billy the Kid was a left-handed gunslinger.

Other photos, identified as genuine by associates who survived Billy, show a much better-looking cowboy—closer to the descriptions provided by friends. Sallie Chisum, an Eastern-educated niece of the cattle baron John Chisum, called Billy “as courteous a little gentleman as I ever met.” And George Coe, a fellow ranch-hand, stated: “Billy, with his humorous and pleasing personality, got to be a community favorite… so popular that there wasn’t enough of him to go around.”

An arrest-warrant poster, issued when Billy was eighteen, described him as blond, standing five-foot-three, weighing one hundred twenty-five pounds and having “regular” features. The same poster describes him as being the leader of “the worst gang of desperadoes the Territory has had to contend with.” Then there are those twenty-one men he is supposed to have killed before his twenty-first birthday.

Only one thing is certain: The true story of Billy the Kid will forever be obscured by a tangled mythology.

Apart from a likely birthdate of November 23, 1859, in New York, the first fact known (or generally accepted) about Billy is that his widowed mother, Catherine McCarty, married a drifter named William H. Antrim in 1873 at Santa Fe, New Mexico. The younger of Mrs. Antrim’s sons, Henry, is the individual later known as Kid Antrim, who re-christened himself William H. Bonney and, from that, Billy the Kid. The first killing formally ascribed to Bonney is that of a blacksmith named E.P. Cahill, on August 17, 1877.

But only after Billy’s arrival that same year in Lincoln, New Mexico, does his career come into a crisper focus. Lincoln County was the site of a vicious range war, with ranchers John Chisum, Alexander McSween and John H. Tunstall allied against a banking-and-mercantile syndicate run by Major L.G. Murphy and J.J. Dolan. Although Bonney had first gone to work for the Murphy-Dolan gang, Tunstall saw in the youngster the makings of a leader and hired him away. Tunstall became the nearest thing to a father that the Kid had known.

Tunstall’s murder in 1878 on orders from the Murphy-Dolan interests—a scenario re-enacted most vividly in a motion picture of 1988 called Young Guns—triggered a vengeful impulse in Billy. Within months, Billy had begun making good on an oath to kill everyone involved in the ambush-slaying of Tunstall. The act that made Billy a fugitive-for-life was his attack on four lawmen in the employ of Murphy and Dolan.

Billy migrated during the fall of 1878 to Tascosa, in the Central Panhandle of Texas. Though a known fugitive, Billy Bonney had many friends in Tascosa. Meanwhile, the New Mexico warfare had escalated to a point that President R.B. Hayes intervened. Hayes installed a new governor, General Lew Wallace, who proposed to calm things down by offering amnesty to all concerned—all except Billy the Kid, that is.

In a letter to Wallace, Bonney offered to testify against the Murphy-Dolan thugs in exchange for exemption from prosecution. The outlaw and the governor reached an agreement, which of course ended in betrayal for one of them, and we don’t mean the governor. After escaping a death-cell in April of 1879 and eluding capture for months, Billy finally met his end in an ambush by Sheriff Pat Garrett.

Billy the Kid had been long in the grave when Dr. Henry Hoyt learned the truth about that fine Arabian horse Billy had given him in 1878. In 1921, a detective named Charles Siringo showed a copy of that bill of sale to James Brady of Carrizozo, New Mexico.

“That was my father’s horse!” Brady shouted. “He was riding it when he was killed by the Kid!” Brady’s father, William Brady, was the corrupt sheriff who had arranged for the ambush of John Tunstall, and who in turn fell prey to Billy’s campaign of vengeance.

—G•E•T & M•H•P

Aside from M.H. Price: When I ran this tale of Billy the Kid in The Business Press of Fort Worth during 2004, as an installment of the paper’s recurring Southwest Heritage feature, the popular response was immense. Never mind that this version had stood since around 1966 as something vaguely akin to the Last Word on its topic. One letter-to-the-editor was sufficiently audacious to prompt me to publish this column in follow-through:

I am delighted to have received an emphatic rebuttal to last month’s installment of our Southwest Heritage series, if only because the challenge illustrates the broad geographical range of The Business Press’ readership. Then too, there’s always something new that bears learning, even by those of us who make a profession of inflicting our opinions upon a massed audience.

I have tended, or pre-tended, to ignore the past few years’ ruckus over a campaign to order the exhumation of the mortal remains of Billy the Kid—and those of his purported and/or actual mother—for newfangled DNA sampling. My preference is to stick with the story as researched and codified by the Panhandle-Plains Historical Society and George E. Turner’s authoritative Southwest Heritage magazine (1966-1969), whose archives include much of my earliest work as a researcher and contributing writer.

Such are the primary sources for The Business Press’ July 16 presentation..., which provokes this persuasive memo from the genealogist Emily C. Smith, of Hayden Lake, Idaho:

“… Billy was born December 31, 1859, in Buffalo Gap, Texas (not New York!), and he died December 27, 1950, in Hico, Texas. His mother was Mary Adeline Dunn-Roberts,… a half-sister to Catherine Bonney-McCarty… Billy’s mother died when Billy was about three years old, and he went to live with Catherine, her husband, William H. Antrim, and Catherine’s son, Joseph, by her first marriage to Michael McCarty...”

Considerations of space dictate condensation, but Smith seems in accord with our qualified perception of Billy the Kid as something of a Hamlet-on-horseback, driven to the killing urge out of loyalty to his slain mentor, the rancher John H. Tunstall.

But now the larger sticking-point, per Smith: “… Billy did not meet his death at the hands of Sheriff Pat Garrett; that is a lie historians have handed down over the years after reading Pat Garrett’s own accounting…”

The notion of the Kid’s long-term survival is fascinating, if only because it grates so strikingly against the romanticized notion (accepted in lieu of any thesis more authoritative) of a volatile career and an early crash-and-burn. Such sweeping revisionism parallels that applied to Billy’s Southern contemporary Jesse James, who might seem now to have survived a Nineteenth Century ambush and lived to an advanced age in Louisiana and Texas.

Writes Smith: “Interesting that Pat Garrett’s own daughter said [that Garrett’s account of the Kid’s demise] was a lie. There were several credible sightings by people who knew and loved Billy months and years following his purported death. Having been promised a pardon in 1879…, [Billy learned that the] pardon had been a swindle in exchange for Billy’s testimony…

“Thus, on November 29, 1950, Billy, after leading a law-abiding and moral life for over sixty-nine years, traveled with his friend and attorney, William V. Morrison, to meet with the governor of New Mexico… [to renew a] petition for [a] pardon… [T]he two men met with such opposition and confusion that Billy, now known as Brushy Bill Roberts, age ninety, became so ill that Morrison had to take Billy to a local doctor… Billy returned home to Hico… [Then,] on December 27, 1950,… [while] walking to the post office, Billy fell to the ground… dying from a heart attack… Billy’s heart was literally broken because his pardon was never granted…

“New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson has recently expressed a new interest in giving Billy that pardon he so greatly deserves... Let’s pray he will follow through… so Billy the Kid can finally rest in peace.”

Smith at once qualifies and bolsters this assured memo with this acknowledgment: “I realize, with great distress, [that this] information is not popular thought, nor does it follow what historians… believe to be true.”

New Mexico’s present-day [2004, i.e.] re-investigators—talk about a Cold Case Unit!—include Deputy Sheriff and El Capitan Mayor Steve Sederwall, Lincoln County Sheriff Tom Sullivan and De Baca County Sheriff Gary Graves. These lawmen appear to have grown resentful of having the likeness of Pat Garrett emblazoned upon official insignia, having grown to believe that Garrett was a murderer, or a liar, or some combination thereof. Outcries both for and against an exhumation have surfaced in Texas’ Hamilton County.

And yes, our Southwest Heritage series has as much to do with folklore as with history, which in the case of Billy the Kid are inseparable in any event. My favorite Billy the Kid stories, for the record, occur in an entirely fraudulent series of WWII-era movies starring Bob Steele and, later, Buster Crabbe. (“Part of the interesting problem,” writes Emily Smith, “is that you have several Billy the Kids in graves in the South.” All of which, one might add, make for a greater boon to tourism than to historical integrity.)

The original version of The Business Press’ Billy the Kid tale, incidentally, had appeared under the title “They Couldn’t Get Enough of Billy.” Seems they still can’t get enough of Billy. Whoever they are.

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Orioles Legends Ripken, Murray Together Again

The Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards today announced that it will host an exclusive event on Feb. 4 with Baltimore Orioles legends and Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr. and Eddie Murray.

"An Evening with Cal & Eddie" will take place at Sports Legends Museum from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and feature a "fireside chat" with Ripken and Murray hosted by longtime Baltimore broadcaster Scott Garceau. Each guest will receive an item autographed by both Hall of Famers and have a photograph taken with Ripken and Murray. The evening will also include a cocktail reception, and guests will have access to the galleries in Sports Legends Museum.

Tickets are limited as just 150 tickets are available for purchase at $500 each. They may be purchased by calling 410-727-1539 ext. 3013 or contacting Mary Hennemann at MaryH@BabeRuthMuseum.com.

Ripken and Murray were teammates with the Orioles for nine seasons and earned a world championship with Baltimore in 1983. Ripken was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. He spent his entire career with the Orioles (1981-2001) and is the team's all-time leader in several offensive categories.

One of baseball's most productive hitters from the late 1970s through the 1990s, Murray was a staple at first base for 12 seasons for the Orioles (1977-88, 1996). He was a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame's Class of 2003. Murray is one of four players in history with 500 home runs and 3,000 base hits, joining only Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Rafael Palmeiro.

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Coventry Hotel Was Once a Mecca For Celebrities and Autograph Seekers

The Hotel Leofric in the Fifties and Sixties was an autograph hunter’s dream as stars of stage and screen booked in while they were staying in Coventry.

Christmas time with the panto at the Coventry Theatre and the annual Spring Show at the same venue ensured a steady stream of showbiz guests.

Now the city’s best known hotel is being transformed and will open as a Travelodge in 2009.

The closure of the Broadgate venue triggered a stream of memories for former pageboy Allan Davies, who was on duty on the day it first opened at 8am, on 1 April, 1955.

Allan, now aged 69, who lives with his wife Pam in Villa Road, Radford, will be remembered by many local people as the former steward of the Bedworth Liberal Club, then landlord of White Swan in Bedworth up to 1991.

But for Hollywood stars like Danny Kaye and Tyrone Power, he just might be remembered as the bespectacled young pageboy who served them tea and shyly asked for their autograph.

Other luminaries staying there have included 50s rocker Bill Haley and his Comets who sparked a near-riot of fans trying to invade the hotel; and TV comedy legends Morecambe and Wise.

Even today Allan still keeps his autograph books where the signatures of favourite switchboard operators at the hotel sit alongside the autographs of actress Ruby Murray and comedian Jimmy Jewell, singers Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson, crusty Gilbert Harding and grand Dame Cecily Courtneidge.

Allan was doing a shift as a night porter when the cast of the Goon Show arrived after a show.

He still remembers being waltzed around the lift in the middle of the night by Peter Sellars in a bid to persuade him to open the bar.

“Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe were looking on laughing, although in fact there was no need to persuade me. As a four-star hotel we had to serve guests alcohol at any hour of the day or night,” said Allan.

That was after he’d spent a year training in the Leofric’s extensive wine cellars before being allowed “above ground” as a waiter where he was taught to “present” a beer or cocktail to a customer, not simply hand it over.

It was a skill which served him in good stead when he went on to run the White Swan along with several other pubs around the country.

Allan was taken on with fellow pageboy Carl Van Dooren and they spent three months at the Leofric even before it opened.

During the next five “golden years” Allan served breakfast in bed to George Formby and his wife – he still remembers they were in room 512 reading the Daily Express – and helped to smuggle Bill Haley out of the back when his screaming fans were massing in Broadgate.

He also watched the amazing transformation of Danny Kaye after showing the star to his room in 1956. The entertainer was in Coventry on a goodwill mission for the international children’s organisation UNICEF.

Allan said: “He flopped face-down on the bed, his face was green with exhaustion. Immediately the phone began to ring.

“He asked if I would answer it for him and I told him: ‘Mr Kaye the press are downstairs waiting to meet you.’

“He got up and splashed water on his face. He was still green as I took him down in the lift but with each floor we passed his face slowly began changing back to normal. Just before the doors opened he put on a huge smile and walked out.”

Allan can even recall that screen heart-throb Tyrone Power stayed in room 50, radio presenter Jimmy Young was in 410 while Billy Cotton’s Band Show and the singer Diana Decker were all over the place.

Allan, who moved to Coventry as a 15-year-old, added: “I also remember Ken Dodd – not only as a great comedian but from when he was our coalman in Liverpool where I grew up!”

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Gary Coleman Has Issues With Fans and Local Police

Gary Coleman, who makes it no secret that he likes his privacy and wants to be left alone, chose to settle in small-town Utah — far away from the paparazzi and autograph seekers of his former life as a TV star.

But a rocky romance, a prescription pill overdose and sometimes contentious interactions with the public have brought him unwanted attention here, where public records show a pattern of Coleman involving police in his personal life.

Officers have been called to assist or intervene with Coleman 21 times since he moved to Utah in fall 2005, according to police reports — including a July 2007 call where Coleman told authorities he had taken dozens of Oxycontin pills, was suicidal and "wanted to die."

"Gary ... was upset that his girlfriend was breaking up with him. He calmed down and was cooperative and acknowledged he took approx(imately) 30-40 Oxycontin pills. He said he is suicidal and 'wanted to die,'" according to a police report.

Coleman could not be reached for comment. His phone number is unlisted, nobody answered a call button at his home and messages left with Coleman's agent and an attorney were not immediately returned.

Coleman, 40, has acknowledged attempting suicide in the past, saying in a 1993 television interview he had tried to kill himself twice by overdosing on pills.

In April of this year, police were called to Coleman's home because they were told he was having marital problems and threatened to harm himself, although police didn't find him suicidal.

Documents show Coleman has long had a tumultuous relationship with his now-wife, Shannon Price, 23. The two met in Utah on the set of the 2006 comedy, "Church Ball."

In January 2007, Coleman called police because he was worried Price was going to bring her three brothers to confront him following an argument they had. Then in July of that year, he exploded at Price in a clinic parking lot in Provo.

"Coleman was yelling and pounding his steering wheel for approximately 10 minutes before he jumped out of his truck. He ran out in front of his truck and around to the woman's door, stopping several cars, and then he went to his door and was running around, yelling and screaming and throwing his arms in the air as he did," the police report says. "Coleman was yelling that he could not take it anymore."

The report says Price felt threatened and was worried things were going to "get out of control they way they did earlier." The 4-foot-8 actor was charged with disorderly conduct and eventually placed on probation.

One month later, Coleman whisked Price, who is 5-foot-7, to a Nevada mountaintop to wed.

In October 2007, Price told police Coleman threw an object at her that caused a small scrape on her hand, although she couldn't say whether it was intentional and police didn't trust either of their stories after going over the domestic violence statute.

"I could not develop enough probable cause to make an arrest," the police report says.

Coleman also worries that people are trying to break into his home, which has a privacy wall and is partially fenced, according to police reports. He has called police, saying he found a window open and, on another occasion, when he heard a noise that turned out to be fallen boxes in his basement. Once, he called because there was mud on his car, presumably some kind of drywall residue.

Coleman's most recent involvement with the law was a September dustup with a fan taking his photo at a local bowling alley which resulted in Coleman pleading no contest Dec. 2 to a disorderly conduct charge.

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Le'Ron McClain Signing - Great Moments, Inc.

Le'Ron McClain
Baltimore Ravens
Pro Bowler

Tuesday
December 30, 2008
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Autographs
$18.00

Westminster Location

Great Moments
140 Village Shopping Center
Westminster, MD 21157
(410) 876-6906

Great Moments, Inc.

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The Biggest Celebrity Shockers of 2008

• HEATH LEDGER: The Brokeback Mountain star died of an accidental prescription drug overdose in January, and many months later, it was still tough to fathom. The Australia-born Ledger left behind a 3-year-old daughter and a bright career. He earned posthumous raves -- and Oscar buzz -- for his frightening performance as the Joker in the Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight. He'll probably win, too.

• JENNIFER HUDSON'S TRAGEDY: The Oscar-winning actress and singer had a new fiancé and solo album to boot when her worst nightmare came true. In late October, Hudson's mother and brother were found shot to death in the family home on Chicago's South Side, where Hudson grew up. Adding to the heartbreak, a frantic search began for her missing 7-year-old nephew Julian, whose body was discovered days later in the back of an abandoned SUV. Hudson's estranged brother-in-law, William Balfour, was later charged with the triple murder.

• TRAVIS BARKER/DJ AM PLANE CRASH: The punk rocker and celebrity DJ went through hell and came out the other side -- changed forever. After performing in South Carolina on Sept. 19, they boarded a private plane bound for Los Angeles that crashed and killed the two pilots and two of their close friends. The surviving duo fled the burning wreckage; DJ AM, real name Adam Goldstein, jumped through a fireball. The near-death experience left them emotionally scarred and badly burned, requiring weeks of treatment at various burn centers. Back in good form, the pair will reunite to headline a New Year's Eve party at a Hollywood club.

• PAULA ABDUL FAN DEATH: The American Idol judge has lived through her share of drama, but she wasn't prepared for the shocking death of Paula Goodspeed, an aspiring pop star and obsessed fan. Goodspeed, who grew up Sandra May McIntyre in her home state of Maine, was found dead Nov. 12 in a car near Abdul's Los Angeles home. The 30-year-old had dreamed of stardom and expressed her admiration for Abdul during a train-wreck audition on season five of Fox's Idol in which she was ridiculed for the braces on her teeth and a lack of talent. Goodspeed's family members said she struggled with depression and eating disorders as her show business dreams fell apart. Goodspeed died of a drug overdose the day before she was to have moved back home with her mother.

• BERNIE MAC: Sending shock waves through his fans and celebrity friends, the comic actor died Aug. 9 in the Chicago area from complications due to pneumonia. Mac, who starred in his own TV sitcom and numerous movies including the Ocean's 11 trilogy, did not live to see his final roles voicing the lion Zuba in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and starring alongside Samuel L. Jackson in Soul Men. Speaking before thousands of mourners at the 50-year-old's memorial service, Jackson said: ``He never turned that kid down for an autograph. He always had time to shake a hand. He was always that kid from Chicago who wanted to make everybody happy and everybody laugh.''

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LaBeouf, Fox Really Under Fire In 'Transformers 2'

Transformers stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox again play civilian kids Sam and Mikaela, who know the secrets of the heroic Autobots (led by good-guy leader Optimus Prime).

This time, the story finds Sam and Mikaela under attack by the evil Decepticons because of something Sam has learned about the origins of the Transformers and their ancient history on Earth.

To acquire this knowledge, the invading Decepticons need to capture Sam instead of kill him. Meanwhile, the U.S. military and an international coalition has united with the good-guy Autobots to fight back the villains' attack.

Some of the most important newcomers are in the robot cast: Decepticons Soundwave, a fearsome communications expert, and Devastator, whose arms and legs are built out of other Transformers. And on the Autobots' side is Jetfire, a villain whose age and broken-down physicality leads him to help the Autobots.

"It's not Shakespeare," LaBeouf jokes.

During one scene shooting in New Mexico, Fox and LaBeouf flee an ancient temple while villainous Decepticons stomp and crush their way through a village in pursuit.

LaBeouf and Fox are supposed to run toward the line of tanks and soldiers blasting guns at the giant robots above and behind them — to be added later as digital effects.

Racing into gunfire is instinctively daunting, but the actors say it's easy to find motivation when enormous gasoline bombs and packs of dynamite are sending up walls of flame and clouds of debris behind them.

"It makes you run fast because you are genuinely terrified," Fox says, looking sun-baked and weary. "And you still feel blanks. With that many guns going off, you don't really know."

It requires an act of faith in the troops who are aiming machine guns toward them.

"I've got 75 military officers firing at me, and I have shrapnel falling on my head that's bigger than my arms. It's hard to be normal," LaBeouf says, sweating after several hours of running and diving in the sand.

"Not that we don't trust (special effects coordinator James D.) Schwalm and the boys," he adds. "But even an eyelash flying at you at 700 miles an hour will cut you. You're running past them, and your clearance is only about 10 feet. These dudes are moving, and if one trips or falls and we run into the muzzle of a blank, that could blow your chest open or burn you."

The danger leads to camaraderie on set between stars and servicemembers. At the conclusion of one sequence, a soldier who spent the blazing day crouched in full battle gear beside a Humvee asks Fox and LaBeouf for an autograph as they pass, apologizing almost shyly as they take his pen and paper.

"What are you (expletive) sorry for?" LaBeouf says and starts signing right away.

Suddenly, a half-dozen other soldiers gather around, extending pens and paper.

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Remembering 'The Greatest Game Ever Played'

Photos of the Dec. 26 event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1958 NFL championship.

From left, Lenny Moore, Art Donovan and Andy Nelson join the crowd to watch a replay of the 1958 NFL championship game.


Former Colt Leo Sanford signs a helmet that will be auctioned off for charity. Many who played in the game gathered at M&T Bank Stadium to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1958 NFL championship.


Old photographs show Ronnie Greenwood as a child with former Colts players Johnny Unitas (left) and Lenny Moore during training camp in Westminster.


Peter Roman (left) gets a program signed by former Colts player Raymond Berry. Roman's father-in-law, Jim Katcavage, played for the New York Giants in the 1958 NFL championship game.


From left, Lenny Moore, Art Donovan and Ordell Braase talk and sign autographs. Some who played for the Giants attended the event, as well.

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Topps Creates Robinson/Obama Dual Autographed Card

The first sports card to feature autographs of the first African-American baseball player and first African-American U.S. President hits the market when Topps American Heritage arrives next month.

American Heritage will fuse the popular Topps Heritage brand name, a selection of classic Topps designs as well as new designs and tell the story of the United States through sports, politics, the arts and pop culture.

The set features an array of autographs, relic cards and cut signatures from every U.S. President. Each hobby box will guarantee two such hits.

Boxes of 2008 Topps American Heritage are already available for sale.

The product breakdown is as follows:

BASE CARDS (150)

Heroes of the Revolution (10 subjects) – 1962 design

Explorers (10 subjects) – 1955

Inventors (10 subjects) – 1963

Writers(10 subjects) – 1953

Industrialists (10 subjects) – 1983

Military Leaders (10 subjects) – 1956

Civil Rights Leaders (10 subjects) – 1968

Artists (10 subjects) – 1973

Entertainers (10 subjects) – 1975

Statesmen & Jurists (10 subjects) – 1974

Great American Events (25 subjects) – 1961

2008 Election Collection (25 subjects) – 1971

PARALLEL CARDS

Chrome Parallel sequentially numbered to 1776.

Chrome Refractor Parallel sequentially numbered to 76.

INSERT CARDS

American Legends: (18) Includes baseball’s immortals. Sequentially #’d to 199.

American Icons: (10) Baseball’s icons off the field. Sequentially #’d to 99.

American Presidents: (44) Featuring all the U.S. Presidents on the 1952 Topps design (1:6)

American Celebrities (10) Featuring American celebrities (1:12)

RELIC CARDS

Presidential Patches Includes a manufactured letter from the last name of every president. Sequentially #’d to 50.

American Legends Relics (15 subjects) – Featuring baseball’s all-time greats. Sequentially #’d to 25

American Legends Duals Relics (5 cards) #’d to 20.

American Legends 8-piece (2 cards) #’d to 1.

American History, Monuments & Presidential Relics (50+ subjects). Will include relic pieces from presidents, historic places and special events.

American Celebrity Relics (10 subjects)

AUTOGRAPHS

Presidential Cut Signatures (43 subjects). #’d to 1. Every President in US history.

American Legends Cut Signatures (10 subjects) Featuring baseball greats such as babe Ruth. #’d to 1

American Legends & Presidents Dual (3 cards) #’d to 1

American History Cut Signatures (25 subjects) U.S. Historical figures #’d to 1

American History Dual Cut Signatures (5 cards) #’d to 1

American History Quad Cut Signatures (3 cards) #’d to 1

American Cut Signature Relics (3 subjects) Includes a cut signature and a relic tied a specific event or place related to the subject #’d to 1.

American Celebrity Autographs (10 subjects)

Each 8-card pack carries a $3.00 SRP.

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John Malkovich, M. Night Shyamalan and John Glenn in NYC

Kevin did well in NYC...I thought that was him on TMZ! Good stuff...Lon

Earlier this month, I spent eight days in New York City with three friends (Doug, Jay, and Mark) collecting photographs and autographs at movie premieres, Broadways shows, talk shows, and special events. I even got my first subway "celebrity encounter," and made my debut on the syndicated television show, "TMZ on TV." I came home with photographs/autographs from 104 different individuals.

I'll have a more "in-depth" recap of the trip later, but here are a few highlights:


Day one of trip on Saturday, December 6, yielded a photograph with actor John Malkovich at the Saturday Night Live "after party." Malkovich is widely known for not signing autographs or taking photos. However, as he arrived at the party, he surprisingly stopped to take a photo with me and other members of our group. He didn't say much during the encounter, except a comment to my friend, Jay. Jay mentioned that he was also a graduate of Illinois State University, to which Malkovich responded, "oh, how tragic." As my friend, Mark, said, "this guy has weird he hasn't even begun to use." I had an encounter with Malkovich several years ago at the Roger Ebert Film Fetival. He literally spent three minutes explaining to me why he wasn't going to sign autographs or take photographs with anyone. Needless to say, I was happy that he stopped to take a photo!


Meeting my favorite movie director was another highlight of the New York trip. M. Night Shyamalan, known for movies such as The Sixth Sense, The Happening, and Signs, was doing a presentation at an architectural library on 44th street on December 11. He arrived late to the event, but stopped to sign one autograph for me and five other collectors waiting at the front door. I asked for a photo, but he declined citing his tardiness. So, a couple of hours later, I returned for the photo. He was more relaxed after the event and was happy to pose and even sign another autograph.


The third highlight of the trip was my encounter with astronaut and senator John Glenn. Glenn, one of the first astronauts in the U.S. space program and the oldest human to fly in space, was in town as the guest speaker for the College Football Hall of Fame Foundation Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Glenn arrived mid-afternoon, and after a quick trip to the men's room, signed an 8 x 10 for me and posed for this photograph.

Thanks Kevin!

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Dallas Cowboys Fans Bid On Texas Stadium Farewell Game Mementos

Missed Saturday's farewell to Texas Stadium? For a price, you can take home pieces of the historic night – in the form of plastic cups, parking passes and programs.

Such items started popping up on Web sites such as eBay and craigslist right after the last game at the legendary structure, creating an online market for farewell goods.

Not that anyone's shocked.

"That's what happens in sports when a historic venue closes or a significant era has come to an end," said Rich Dalrymple, the Cowboys' director of public relations. "Everything becomes memorabilia, so it's not a surprise at all."

Two farewell game programs fetched more than $30 each Monday on eBay. They cost $10 at the game. The opening bid for a VIP parking pass was $175, though there were no bidders as of Monday afternoon.

So what market forces control the prices for such memorabilia? It all boils down to how badly someone wants something.

"There's just so many things that go into determining the value of the item," said Bill Priakos, the Cowboys' vice president of merchandising. "As in all things in a memorabilia sale, the value is determined by the fan himself."

Bob Bragalone's massive collection of Cowboys items is part museum, part shrine. He bought a locker, a turnstile and locker room carpet in an auction that fetched more than $245,000 for Texas Stadium items earlier this month.

But even Mr. Bragalone's surprised at some of the things fans buy – and how much they pay.

"EBay is fun to watch," he said. "All it takes is two bidders to fight over a $3 pennant to drive it up to $70."

Mr. Bragalone is still surprised that some of the lockers didn't sell in the official auction, while the door to the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders' locker room went for more than $5,000. He's also surprised that people wanted items such as signs advertising Cowboyritas.

"I guess people have great memories of getting sloshed on the $12 margaritas," he said.

Fans who made it to Saturday's big goodbye seemed to be in a nostalgic mood. Anything labeled "Farewell to Texas Stadium" was a hot item at Saturday's game. Farewell t-shirts were pretty much sold out by the third quarter. More are set to be printed this week.

One vendor operating a souvenir stand in the stadium parking lot Saturday said he sold more than $40,000 worth of merchandise over a four-hour period. That was about twice what he normally sold throughout a normal game day.

But it appears that warnings by the Cowboys and Irving police that security would be tight to prevent looting were heeded by fans. Irving police said there were no reports or arrests of people trying to steal anything from the stadium.

Mr. Bragalone said supply and demand will also play a big role in how much things get resold for in online auctions. He said the Cowboys printed plenty of programs, and estimates the resale price for them won't go much higher than $30.

Of course, the Cowboys' loss to the Baltimore Ravens during their farewell to Texas Stadium could put a damper on the excitement surrounding some items from the game.

Mr. Bragalone said: "That's not the history we were looking for."

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Tina Fey is the AP Entertainer of the Year

Fey was voted The Associated Press' Entertainer of the Year, an annual honor chosen by newspaper editors and broadcast producers across the country. Fey was selected by AP members as the performer who had the greatest impact on culture and entertainment in 2008.

The 38-year-old comedian bested runner-up Robert Downey Jr., whose comeback was capped with the blockbuster smash "Iron Man," and the third-place vote-getter, Heath Ledger, who posthumously wowed audiences as the Joker in "The Dark Knight."

But it was Fey who most impressed voters largely with her indelible impression of Gov. Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live." Her cameos on her old show (where she had been a head writer until 2006) helped drive the show to record ratings and eventually drew an appearance from Palin herself.

"Tina Fey is such an obvious choice," said Sharon Eberson, entertainment editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "She gave us funny when we really needed it and, in a year when women in politics were making huge strides, Fey stood out in the world of entertainment."

Fey's 2008 was a full year, though.

She also starred for the first time on the big screen in "Baby Mama" (which grossed $60 million at the box office) and won three Emmys for her critically lauded NBC sitcom "30 Rock," which she created, stars in and writes. In the comedy series category, she won for best lead actress and best writing, and shared in the award for best comedy series.

"She simultaneously entertained us with her wit and put a mirror up to the nation during the election and made us think about what was going on," said Scott Shive, assistant features editor at the Lexington Herald-Leader. "She is the epitome of the smart kid coming out on top for once."

As soon as Palin was chosen as Sen. John McCain's running mate, conjecture mounted that the similar-looking Fey would have to return to "SNL" to play her.

In an interview earlier this fall, Fey recalled watching early TV coverage of Palin: "That was the first time I thought, `Well, I kinda do look like her. I'd better really listen to how this lady talks.'"

Fey debuted the impression on the "SNL" season premiere and a sensation quickly followed. She made four more pre-election appearances as Palin on the late-night satire.

"From the winks to the nods to the accent, she nailed it," said Marc Bona, assistant entertainment editor of the Plain Dealer in Cleveland. "And she did so at a time when it seemed the whole country was tuned in — both to the presidential race as well as 'Saturday Night Live.'"

Her Palin impression has benefited "30 Rock," too. The show premiered its fourth season to 8.5 million viewers, a million more than last year's opener.

Recently, she was also nominated for a Golden Globe (for best performance by an actress in a TV series, comedy or musical), as well as a Screen Actors Guild award.

"The `SNL' stuff has certainly changed things for me," Fey said in October. "A lot more people seem to know who I am."

Last year's AP Entertainer of the Year also went to a comedian whose satire blended in with politics: Stephen Colbert.

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Simpson, Co-Defendants Ordered to Pay Victim

A Clark County judge made her final rulings in the O.J. Simpson robbery case, deciding what will happen to all the sports memorabilia at the center of the case. Any future matters involving Simpson will be at the Nevada Supreme Court when a promised appeal is filed.

But one of the two victims inside the room at the time of the robbery says the decision makes him a victim a second time. Bruce Fromong is the North Las Vegas sports memorabilia dealer who had brought items to the Palace Station to show to an unidentified buyer. That buyer turned out to be Simpson.

During the trial, Fromong showed members of the jury the items eventually recovered from the room, which included signed Simpson game balls, autographed photos and awards.

Friday, Judge Jackie Glass ordered all Simpson related memorabilia turned over the to Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office. That will satisfy what is called a turnover order filed by the family of Ronald Goldman in conjunction with a civil judgment against Simpson.

Fromong says the decision cost him between $75,000 and $100,000. Fromong looked on in court but was not allowed to testify.

Judge Glass also ordered Simpson and his five co-defendants to pay Fromong a combined total of $3,560 for some missing baseballs and also medical bills from the incident. The court will also return to Fromong several signed Joe Montana lithographs, which were recovered but not tied to Simpson.

Fromong says he is very upset with the decision. Not only was he injured during the incident, but now the memorabilia items which he says were rightfully his are headed to LA County, where the will likely be sold.

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Robert Pattison and Kirk Douglas Signing Autographs

Acting legend Kirk Douglas signs autographs while leaving Madeo in Hollywood 12-21-08


Robert Pattison signs autographs outside Il Sole in Hollywood

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'Harry Potter' Cast Contact List

Contact info for several Harry Potter celebrities (listed alphabetically). These addresses can be used to send fan mail or ask for autographs.

Actors who have appeared in Harry Potter movies who are not listed below might be able to be reached at:

Actor's Name
c/o Heyday Films/1492 Pictures
Leavesden Studios
P.O. Box 3000
Leavesden, Herfordshire WD2 7LT
England

None of these celebrities have public email addresses that we know of.

Sean Biggerstaff (Oliver Wood)
c/o ICM
76 Oxford Street
London, England
W1N OAX
www.seanbiggerstaff.com

Kenneth Branagh (Gilderoy Lockhart)
c/o Fishmonger Films
Studios Road
Shepperton
Middlesex, England
TW17 OQD

John Cleese (Nearly Headless Nick)
115 Hazlebury Rd.
London, England
SW6 2lX

Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid)
c/o CDA
19 Sydney Mews
London, England
SW3 6HL

Christian Coulson (Tom Riddle)
c/o ARG
4 Great Portland Street
London, England
W1W 8PA

Emily Dale (Katie Bell)
c/o Jackie Palmer
30 Daws Hill Lane
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire, England
HP11 1PW

Dawn French (The Fat Lady)
c/o PFD
Drury House
34-43 Russell Street
London, England
WC2B 5HA

Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore)
c/o ICM
76 Oxford Street
London, England
W1D 1BS

Richard Griffiths (Uncle Vernon Dursley)
Bearley House
Snitterfield Road, Bearley
Stratford-Upon-Avon, England
CV37 OSJ

Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)
c/o Actual Management
Attn: Chris Harris
7 Great Russell Street
London, England
WC1B 3NH

Robert Hardy (Cornelius Fudge)
c/o Chatto & Linnit
Prince Of Wales Conventry Street
London, England
W1V 7FE

Ian Hart (Professor Quirrell)
c/o ARG
4 Great Portland Street
London, England
W1W 8PA

Shirley Henderson (Moaning Myrtle)
c/o Hamilton Asper Mgmt
24 Hanway Street
London, England
W1T 1UH

Joshua Herdman (Gregory Goyle)
c/o Jackie Palmer Agency
30 Daws Hill Lane
High Wycombe Bucks, England
HP11 1PW

John Hurt (Mr. Ollivander)
c/o Julian Belfrage Associates
46 Albemarle St.
London, England
W1X 4PP

Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy)
c/o ICM
Oxford House
76 Oxford Street
London, England
W1N 0AX

Gemma Jones (Madam Pomfrey)
c/o British Equity
Guild House
Upper St. Martin's Lane
GB-London, England
WC2H 9EG

Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom)
c/o Lynne Walker
Scala Kids Casting
42 Rufford Avenue
Yeadon, Leeds
West Yorkshire, England
LS19 7QR

Miriam Margolyes (Professor Sprout)
c/o PFD
Drury House
34-43 Russell Street
London, England
WC2B 5HA

Hugh Mitchell (Colin Creevey)
c/o Curtis Brown Group Ltd.
Haymarket House
28-29 Haymarket
London, England
SW1Y 4SP

Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan)
c/o Neil Brooks Management
153 Rathgar Road
Rathgar, Dublin 6
Ireland

Gary Oldman (Sirius Black)
c/o ICM
76 Oxford St.
London, England
W1N OAX

James and Oliver Phelps (Fred and George Weasley)
c/o JOP Project
PO Box 9765
Sutton Coldfield, England
B75 5XB

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)
c/o ARG Talent
4 Great Portland Street
London, England
WIW 8PA

Chris Rankin (Percy Weasley)
c/o Ken McReddie Ltd
91 Regents Street
London, England
W1R 7TB
www.chrisrankin.com

Adrian Rawlins (James Potter)
c/o Ken McReddie Ltd
91 Regents St
London, England
W1B 4EL

Alan Rickman (Professor Severus Snape)
c/o ICM
76 Oxford Street
London, England
W1N OAX

J.K. Rowling
c/o Arthur A. Levine Books
555 Broadway
New York, NY
10012
www.jkrowling.com

J.K. Rowling
c/o Christopher Little Agency
Eel Brook Studios
125 Moore Park Road
London, England
SW6 4PS

Fiona Shaw (Aunt Petunia)
c/o ICM
Oxford House
76 Oxford St
London, England
WIN OAX

Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall)
c/o ICM
76 Oxford St.
London, England
WIN 0AX

Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew)
c/o Markham & Foggatt
Julian House
4 Windmill Street
London, England
W1P 1HF

David Thewlis (Remus Lupin)
c/o ICM
76 Oxford St.
London, England
W1N OAX

Verne Troyer (Griphook)
c/o Verne Troyer's Official Fan Club
PO Box 923190
Sylmar, CA
91392-3190

Julie Walters (Molly Weasley)
c/o ICM
76 Oxford Street
London, England
W1N 3HN

Zoe Wanamaker (Madam Hooch)
c/o Conway Van Gelder Limited
18-21 Jermyn Street
London, England
SW1Y 6HP

Emma Watson (Hermione Granger)
c/o Special Artists Agency
9465 Wilshire Blvd
Suite 890
Beverly Hills, CA
90212

Paul Whitehouse (Sir Codogan)
c/o London Mgmt
Noel House
2-4 Noel St
London, England
W1V 3RB

John Williams
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Symphony Hall
301 Massachusetts Avenue
Boston, MA
02115

Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley)
c/o Peter Fraser & Dunlop
Drury House
34-43 Russell St.
London, England
WC2B 5HA

Luke Youngblood (Lee Jordan)
c/o Rossmore Personal Management
Rossmore Road
London, England
NW1 6NJ

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Paul McCartney Autographs Electric Arguments at London HMV to Save the Record Shops - Hints at Touring in 2009

Paul McCartney autographed Electric Arguments record from HMV London signing on December 21, 2008. Paul added the happy face to the album cover design.

LONDON (HoundsTV) - Living legend Sir PAUL McCARTNEY stopped by HMV’s flagship London store on Oxford Street early today to greet a few hundred fans and sign copies of his new Electric Arguments record.

It is extremely rare to have a legend as big as McCartney doing a record store signing but he said his reasons to appear today were “nostalgic” and had a little to do with saving an industry in drastic change. McCartney quipped, “There’s not that many record shops - people buying stuff in record shops - anymore, so it’s a bit nostalgic.”

“The main thing is to actually meet the people who buy your records and you get some amazing stories. You’re doing a signing and then someone says ‘I have just flown in from New York’. She drove from Philadelphia. That is why I do it.” - SIR PAUL McCARTNEY

McCartney talked for a few minutes to awaiting press before he started greeting the two hundred or so lucky fans that managed to grab wristbands to the event a few days before.

Our HoundsTV collector had no trouble getting into the store about an hour before the 10 am start time. Photography for anybody NOT accredited media was very tough and if security saw people with cameras out they were warned not to snap photographs. Our collector friend reported that once he got up to McCartney, he was in a great mood making sure to ask the name of each fan he greeted. McCartney was further adding personalizations and his “All the Best” to albums and CD’s he was signing and even adding a happy face to the record cover design.

While it was posted that McCartney would only be signing from 10-11 am he did stay for an extra half-hour to ensure everybody in the store got a signature.


By the time McCartney was set to leave the store - a very large crowd had assembled outside. A fan reported that, “McCartney defied security guards to walk into a waiting crowd and continued to sign autographs.”

Another autograph collector remarked that while Paul did sign for a few fans outside the HMV store - they were “scribbles” compared to the quality of autographs McCartney signed inside the store.

Thanks Richard!

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Zac Efron Gets Charitable with the Children

Doing his part to help bring a little cheer this holiday season, Zac Efron paid a visit to the Mattel Children’s Hospital on the UCLA campus on Friday (December 19).

Teaming up with Gifts.com, the “High School Musical” actor happily presented gifts, signed autographs and posed alongside his giddy fans as he made his hospital rounds to the facility’s patients.

And though he happened to be at UCLA this particular day, the 21-year-old Efron had at one time planned to attend rival school USC.

“I was accepted to the film program, but I deferred,” Zac recently told press.

And though his post-secondary plans were derailed by the success of “High School Musical,” Zac still sees himself hitting the books someday.

“Eventually," he said. “But not at this moment.”

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SAG Auctions Includes Tickets, Autographs and More

The Screen Actors Guild Awards’ ninth annual online auction is under way. To bid on lots of one-of-a-kind items and opportunities, go to www.sagawards.org/auction/. SAG’s first batch of auctions (which end Dec. 22) will feature:

♦♦Tickets to the SAG Awards Jan. 25 in Los Angeles (includes access to post-Awards Gala)

♦♦Tickets to the Hollywood premiere of “The Spirit”

♦♦Autographed television and movie posters

♦♦A private cooking lesson nwith SAG Awards Chef Alan Jackson

The second auction runs Jan. 2 to 12 and includes SAG Awards red carpet bleacher seats (15 sets of two seats and 15 sets of four seats). Winners will be able to take pictures, get the chance to acquire celebrity autographs and take home a unique gift bag put together by People Magazine.

The Ceremony Auction (Jan. 23 to Feb. 2) revolves around the nominated actors and ensembles. In previous years, the auction has included autographed scripts and posters, wardrobe and props and set visits to studios.

A lot of great stuff for a good cause. Proceeds from the auction benefit Screen Actors Guild Foundation programs that provide emergency relief to members in economic distress, video and audio preservation, scholarships for performers and their children and emergency funds for members with catastrophic illnesses.

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Keanu Reeves and Bill Nighy Signing Autographs For Fans

Bill Nighy signing autographs for fans in Hollywood


Actor Keanu Reeves gives his autographs to Japanese fans during Japan premier of his latest movie 'The Day The Earth Stood Still ' in Tokyo, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008

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How Much Is Suri's Autograph Worth?

Last night as Katie Holmes and daughter Suri exited stage left after a performance of "All My Sons," they were, as usual, hounded by fans clamoring for autographs. Katie stopped and signed a bunch while Suri looked on disapprovingly. "You know mother, the fewer you sign, the more valuable your autograph becomes."

I wonder what would happen if Suri came down off her high (rocking) horse and put her Sharpie to work - how much do you think her baby John Hancock would fetch on the open market?

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Inaugural Events Offer Celebrity Autograph Seekers a Rare Opportunity

Forget the millions on Metro, and the bus caravans inching in from beyond the Beltway. Barack Obama's inauguration is destined to create the greatest red-carpet gridlock in the history of the Federal City.

Oprah at the Kennedy Center. Yo-Yo Ma at the swearing-in. Sting at the Harman Center.

Consider all the stars circling The One: Aretha Franklin, Spike Lee, Melissa Etheridge, Lou Gossett Jr., Ashley Judd, Dick Gregory, LL Cool J and T.I., for starters. And the rumor mill is loudly buzzing that Bruce Springsteen (and his new album), Kanye West and Will.I.Am just might drop by.

That doesn't count all those waiting for his people to call their people: A bunch of really big names aren't announcing their plans because they're hoping the Obamas want them at an official inaugural event. "If they need me to volunteer, they need me to sing, I'm there, and I'm ready," Beyoncé shamelessly hinted to reporters the day after the election.

Oh, please! You couldn't keep her away if you tried. This extravaganza is like the prom: A-listers are holding out for their dream date, but will go with their backup rather than miss the party of the year.

"Everyone's going to be here. There's not a star in the country that's not going to be here," said Marc Barnes, owner of Love nightclub off New York Avenue NE. Barnes has booked T.I. and Young Jeezy to show at the club, plus some "major people" he plans to announce next week. But he's having a hard time getting final commitments. "When you're competing with the president of the United States [for talent], there's no competition," he said.

All this star power is a bonanza for entertainment reporters, autograph seekers and paparazzi who usually ignore D.C. as too "political" (a.k.a. boring, unattractive, stuffy). The trick will be figuring out who's where -- and how you can cadge a ticket or crash a party to see them. (Note to you arrivistes: See our future dispatches to learn how you, too, can cozy up to a boring, unattractive, stuffy insider.)

The Presidential Inaugural Committee hasn't released the names of any celebrities attending official events, and probably won't until after the New Year. Yesterday, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies said Aretha Franklin, Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma will perform at the swearing-in ceremony. No chance for tickets there (unless you're "political"), but no worries -- you can see them on television. (Franklin also is giving a free concert at the Kennedy Center on Martin Luther King Day, and those tickets will be available that afternoon at the venue.)

Also on television: performers at MTV's live "Be the Change Inaugural Ball" on Jan. 20 at the Ronald Reagan Building. The cable music network will have "several leading artists, celebrities and government officials" but hasn't nailed down names. (See Prom, above.) BET is also planning a live midnight performance by a very big star for its Jan. 20 ball at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, but hasn't released the very big name yet. BET has nabbed Mary J. Blige, Magic Johnson, Tyler Perry, Judith Jamison, Gabrielle Union and B. Smith for its second BET Honors on Jan. 17 at the Warner Theatre.

Most of the celebrity names already announced are attending the unofficial inauguration -- all those benefits and balls carving a slice of the Obama pie.

First out of the gate: The Creative Coalition, which lobbies for government support of the arts, announced its Jan. 20 ball at the Harman Center before the election -- both to get a jump on fundraising and to preserve its rep as a bipartisan organization. Sting, Sam Moore and Elvis Costello will perform; Susan Sarandon, Anne Hathaway (with the new not-a-con-man boyfriend, we hope), Spike Lee, Alfre Woodard, Dana Delany and Maggie Gyllenhaal are among the dozens of celebrity hosts.

"The great thing is that Sting's management called us," said Executive Director Robin Bronk. "It's not just a party -- it's a party with a purpose. People want to be part of it."

The ball is the group's major fundraiser ("It's what allows us to keep our doors open"), but given the economic meltdown, the prices -- starting at $10,000 for two tickets -- seemed unrealistic. But it sold out all 800 tickets three weeks ago, and Bronk said she's even kicking around the idea of a concert the night before the ball.

A close second out of the gate: Oprah, who's absolutely, positively going to be here. Tickets for her Jan. 19 taping at the Kennedy Center were snapped up in a couple of hours, and her yet-to-be-announced party will instantly become the primo must-attend event in Washington.

Dozens of other parties are scrambling for attention and talent. The first Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball on Jan. 19 at the Harman Center boasts Russell Simmons, LL Cool J, Young Jeezy and T.I. plus a "surprise" performer, with tickets starting at $500. On the same night but (we're just guessing here) quite different in tone, Lou Gossett Jr., Ashley Judd, Kate Walsh and Patricia Arquette will host the Purple Ball (purple velvet, crystals and champagne) at the Fairmont Hotel to end racism and honor troops.

Other paparazzi-worthy stakeouts Jan. 20 include the Human Rights Campaign Equality Ball at the Mayflower Hotel with Melissa Etheridge, Cyndi Lauper and "equalitinis"; the sold-out Peace Ball at the National Postal Museum with Harry Belafonte, Alice Walker, Eve Ensler and Dick Gregory; the Urban Ball (Big Boi, Monica, Cedric the Entertainer) and the Legends Ball (Dionne Warwick, Chaka Khan, George Clinton, the Temptations), both at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

They'll have stiff competition if Kanye West performs that night at the Impact Film Fund's party at Fur nightclub -- but then, all these rumors have a funny way of disappearing into thin air, so don't get too excited until it's official. Even then, don't get too excited: Celebrities themselves have a funny way of disappearing into thin air, but that's going to be harder to do in a city where everybody will be reduced to hoofing it.

Oh, and you "major people"? There's only going to be one long black limo that stops traffic, and in it rides the only really, really, really big name.

You'll be able to hear that motorcade a mile away. Stand in the right place at the right time, and you can tell your grandchildren you saw him.

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Paula Deen Delivers Smiles, Loads Of Ham

Paula Deen, as bubbly and jovial as ever, rolled up her sleeves and got to work Tuesday afternoon, helping unload a truck filled with frozen meat - 12.5 tons, to be exact - at America's Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia.

The setting, Deen said, couldn't have been better.

"I feel like I can never repay this city for the goodness they have shown me and my family, and any way I can give back a little bit really warms my heart," Deen said, moments after toting a few six-pound spiral hams, packaged with labels featuring her smiling face.

"And I'm for feeding the world - I want everybody full."

Courtesy of Smithfield Foods, the massive cargo of hams and spareribs was presented to the eastside Savannah food bank during a small but clamorous gathering.

Deen passed along hams to local schoolgirls, and others waited - books in grasp - to collect the celebrity cook's autograph.

At Second Harvest, where demand is up and donations are down, Tuesday's delivery was a godsend.

"We're seeing a lot more of the working poor. ... By the time they pay the rent and the electricity and other bills, they don't have any money left over to purchase food," said Mary Jane Crouch, executive director of the agency. "This will probably get us through February."

Crouch and others were quick to note the importance - and rarity - of stocking shelves with protein-rich foods.

"We're especially concerned with children. If children aren't nourished, they can't learn," said Dennis Pittman, corporate communication director for Smithfield Foods. "We feel this is part of breaking the cycle of poverty."

Added Deen: "Rarely do you see the food banks getting protein, much less 25,000 pounds. Our children definitely need that for their little brains."

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Nicolas Cage and DeNiro-Pacino Films Rapped Over Violence In Adverts

The decision to display a poster for blockbuster Righteous Kill at Stockwell on the day jurors at the Jean Charles de Menezes inquest visited the London Underground station has been rapped by the UK's advertising watchdog.

Mr de Menezes was killed by armed police on a tube train at Stockwell on June 22nd 2005 after being mistaken for a suicide bomber.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) criticised the decision to display the poster during the inquest, which last week returned an open verdict, over its provocative tagline.

"There's nothing wrong with a little shooting as long as the right people get shot," the tagline read.

The ASA did not uphold complaints that the poster glamorised violence and gun crime but adjudged it to have breached the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) code through an ill-advised location.

In a statement the ASA said the campaign was in breach of the CAP code in terms of social responsibility and decency.

Distributor Lionsgate said the poster being placed at Stockwell station was "an unfortunate oversight" and stressed that it had been immediately removed when they became aware of the inquest into Mr de Menezes' death.

The television advertising campaign for Nicolas Cage action film Bangkok Dangerous was also the subject of a complaint, the ASA confirmed.

Though the advert in question contained shooting and guns, the ASA considered the violence featured was "not especially brutal" and unlikely to cause mental harm to children.

However, the watchdog said the 'post-19:30 restriction' imposed by advertisers Clearcast was inappropriate in light of the advert's content and said it should not be broadcast before 21:00.

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More 'Third-Party Authentication' Incompetence

www.AutographAlert.com posts another example of third-party autograph authentication incompetence.

The latest speciman can be found in R&R Enterprises' latest sale of December 14, 2008. Item number 184 is identified as a document signed by Martin Van Buren.

AutographAlert states "Sadly, this item attracted 7 bids yet sold for only $198.00 which is below what a genuine "clipped" signature would sell of Van Buren. Why so cheap? All the educated collectors and dealers know this document is not hand signed by Martin Van Buren so they didn't bid on it."

Read the full story and find out who botched the authentication at www.AutographAlert.com

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Paul McCartney Will Meet Fans At Signing

Sir Paul McCartney is to meet Christmas shoppers when he goes on an autograph-signing spree this weekend.

The singer will sign copies of his album Electric Arguments, released under the guise of The Fireman.

The project has seen Sir Paul collaborate periodically with record producer Youth since 1993.

Their latest release consists of 13 tracks recorded in 13 days over the period of nearly a year.

Each track was written and recorded in the space of just one day, with no plan or clear direction of how the band wanted the album to sound.

The signing contrasts to another former Beatle, Ringo Starr, who in October instructed his fans not to request his autograph.

The drummer said he would no longer sign memorabilia and would throw away fan mail.

In a video message posted on his website, he ranted: "I want to tell you please... do not send fan mail to any address that you have. Nothing will be signed after October 20. If that is the date on the envelope, it's gonna be tossed."

Sir Paul will be at HMV's flagship London store, 150 Oxford Street on Sunday between 10am and 11am.

Access to the event will be by wristband only, which will be distributed in advance on a limited basis from the store at 9am on Thursday. Only copies of the album will be signed.

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SAG Splits Into Strike Camps - How Would a Strike Affect Autograph Seekers?

All work and no contract has made members of the Screen Actors Guild a surly bunch.

While support for an actors' strike was already running thin thanks to the industry-wide burnout still being felt from the 100-day writers' strike in 2007-08, the current state of the nation's economy—not to mention the just-underway awards season—has Hollywood up in arms over what could be another potentially disastrous work stoppage.

A select group of A-listers is in favor of authorizing a strike, should SAG leadership choose to go that route, but nearly 150 big-deal actors have now gone ahead and publicized their avowed opposition to such a move.

George Clooney, Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, Cameron Diaz, Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner, Charlize Theron, Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman and Eva Longoria Parker are among the boldfaced names found on a petition that was sent to SAG National President Alan Rosenberg asking the board to cancel a strike-authorization vote scheduled for Jan. 2.

"We feel very strongly that SAG members should not vote to authorize a strike at this time," the petition read. "We don't think that an authorization can be looked at as merely a bargaining tool. It must be looked at as what it is—an agreement to strike if negotiations fail.

"We support our union and we support the issues we're fighting for, but we do not believe in all good conscience that now is the time to be putting people out of work."

David Boreanaz, Ewan McGregor, Sally Field, Michael C. Hall, Felicity Huffman, Rob Lowe, Kevin Spacey, Josh Brolin, Pierce Brosnan, Glenn Close, Donald Sutherland, Billy Crystal, Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Edward Norton, Tobey Maguire, Bradley Whitford and Helen Hunt also lent their signatures to the document.

Then again, plenty of A- and B-listers are in favor of authorizing a strike, having signed a "Statement of Support" for Rosenberg & Co.'s studio-fighting tactics.

Among the 30 prominent thesps who will stand by SAG if it chooses to play even harder ball are Mel Gibson, Ed Harris, Holly Hunter, Martin Sheen, Sandra Oh, Jerry O'Connell, Rob Morrow, Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, Ed Asner, Elliott Gould, Valerie Harper, Robert Hays, Justine Bateman, Scott Bakula and Diane Ladd.

SAG's contract with the studio-representing Alliance of Motion Picture and TV Producers expired June 30 and actors have been working under the terms of their own deal ever since.

As was the case with the Writers Guild of America, SAG continues to quibble over new-media residuals and other compensation-related issues.

The AMPTP's response to SAG's upcoming vote was as follows: "SAG members are going to be asked to bail out a failed negotiating strategy by going on strike during one of the worst economic crises in history. We hope that working actors will study our contract offer carefully and come to the conclusion that no strike can solve the problems that have been created by SAG's own failed negotiation strategy."

What does all this mean to the entertainment autograph hobby?

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Will Smith Loves to Play the 'Fame Game'

Will Smith at New York Premiere of 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' at AMC Loews Lincoln Square - Arrivals New York City

Hollywood star WILL SMITH is happy to sign autographs for fans - because it means he can leap to the front of the queue in posh restaurants.

The Hancock actor insists he never moans about the constant attention he receives from paparazzi or movie-goers as it is the price he pays for fame.

And he is adamant that by always agreeing to give fans his signature, he earns the right to be treated like a star.

Smith tells USA Today newspaper, "By being famous, you're afforded rights that other people who aren't famous aren't afforded. If I'm going to walk to the front of the line (at the restaurant) because I'm Will Smith, then I have to sign all the autographs.

"If I don't want to sign any autographs, I don't walk to the front of the line. It's that simple. Stand in the line with everybody else."


Will Smith at New York Premiere of 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' at AMC Loews Lincoln Square - Arrivals New York City

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Videos: David Archuleta, Michael Phelps and Hugh Jackman Signing For Fans

David Archuleta signing autographs at the FYE booth during the Philly Jingle Ball 12/14/08.


Olympic gold medalist record-holder Michael Phelps signing copies of his biography "No Limits" in Los Angeles.


Hugh Jackman signing autographs in front of his hotel in Stuttgart (Germany) before his appearence on "Wetten dass"

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International Autograph Club Convention - Worms, March 21st – March 22nd, 2009

All those who plan to attend the autograph convention in Worms are kindly requested to bring unique items from their collections. Occasionally collectors will combine childhood memories with autographs they later acquire. In other cases there could be a personal story behind their treasured autograph. Let us know why the items from your collection is something special to you?

Saturday, March 21st, 2009

10-12 a.m. Club Convention / Election of the new Board of Directors
12 a.m.- 3 p.m. Lunch / Autograph show (buying/selling/swapping)
3 p.m.-4 p.m. Werner Franz (last survivor of the Hindenburg Zeppelin Disaster at
Lakehurst, New Jersey/1937) signing autographs free of charge.
4 p.m.-5 p.m. Presentation of rare autographs
5 p.m.-5.30 p.m. Presentation of the book “Muhammad Ali Autographs” by Stephen Koschal
5.30 p.m.- 7 p.m. Guided tour (Urban Library of Worms) and presentation of rare autographs by Dr Martin Luther, Frederick the Great etc.

Throughout the whole day: Exposition of non-genuine signatures and specification of “doubtful” autographs by the ISITREAL team

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009

09 a.m.-ca. 11 a.m. Lecture by the ISITREAL team on fake autographs, forgeries etc.

Those who require assistance regarding hotel accommodations may contact Stephan Daniel or Dr Heinz-Ulrich Kammeier. It will be our pleasure to help.

________________________________________________

Join the

INTERNATIONAL AUTOGRAPH COLLECTOR CLUB

The German Autograph Society (AdA) was founded in 1986. We were the first autograph organization in Continental Europe that organized meetings with collectors and dealers. We have designed an English version of our homepage effective April 1, 2008. The club is aware that collectors and dealers worldwide have a desire for an International organization where they can exchange ideas, educational information and find ways to protect themselves from acquiring forgeries. Additional plans of the club are to notify the membership of future autograph events and the publication of autograph educational material such as reference books and signature studies. These are the main goals of our organization. Members who publish their field of collecting will be able to exchange information with other members who have similar interests. Log onto the International Autograph Collector Club and see for yourself how this club has expanded. For just 10 Euro (about $15.00) members have the ability to publish autograph related articles and much more. Those who write the most interesting article will win a monetary award. The website also offers the ability to discuss autograph related topics and exchange successful addresses in a moderated forum. A membership application will be found on the homepage. The German Autograph Society is a non profit organization and is looking forward to your support. Join today and help keep this wonderful hobby of autographs alive!

(Click image for larger version)

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Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Withdrawn from Sotheby’s Sale

One day before Sotheby’s planned auction of three documents related to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the singer Harry Belafonte, who owned the papers, has withdrawn them from the sale, the New York Times reports.

Sotheby’s offered little explanation for the decision, only issuing a statement saying that the items had been removed from today’s Fine Books and Manuscripts Including Americana sale “at the request of Mr. Harry Belafonte.” Belafonte did not return calls left with his agent.

The three items were a handwritten version of King’s “The Casualties of the War in Vietnam” speech, which he delivered in February 1967; notes for a speech recovered from his suit pocket after he was assassinated; and a condolence letter to Coretta Scott King, King’s widow, from President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Earlier this week, the King estate released a statement condemning the auction. “The King estate contends that these documents are the property of the estate of Martin Luther King Jr.,” the statement read. “Mrs. Coretta Scott King and the King estate stopped a previous attempt by members of Harry Belafonte’s family to anonymously and secretly auction wrongfully acquired King documents through a Beverly Hills auction house.”

In an interview before Belafonte withdrew the items for sale, David Redden, vice chairman of Sotheby’s, defended Belafonte’s acquisition of the items, which were estimated to earn between $750,000 and $1.3 million.

Belafonte met King in the mid-1950s, and they remained friends until the civil right leader’s death in 1968. The singer reportedly fell out with the King family around the time of Coretta Scott King’s funeral in 2006, when he was allegedly invited, and then disinvited, to give a eulogy.

In 2006, the King family was prepared to sell about 10,000 items from its collection of King’s papers at Sotheby’s. The collection was withdrawn at the last minute when the city of Atlanta secured a privately financed loan of $32 million to establish a nonprofit organization to buy the papers and store them.

“It is regrettable if Mr. Belafonte has been intimidated by the estate, if indeed he was going to put the proceeds to good social cause,” said David J. Garrow, author of a biography of King.

“Given the years of intimate loyalty that Belafonte had with Dr. King, he is one of the last people who should be legally intimidated by the estate.”

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Jimmy Carter Book Signing Events

Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States, will be signing copies of his book We Can Have Peace In the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work at the following locations:

1/26/09 7:30 PM at Barnes & Noble – Fifth Avenue. New York, NY.
1/27/09 6:00 PM at Costco – North Clybourn Avenue. Chicago, IL.
1/28/09 6:30 PM at Borders Books – Crossroads Center Way. Bailey’s Crossroads, VA.
1/30/09 6:00 PM at WalMart – Galleria Blvd. Charlotte, NC.
2/10/09 5:00 PM at Left Bank Books - North Euclid Avenue. St. Louis, MO.
2/11/09 6:30 PM at the University Bookstore – Kane Hall, University of Washington. Seattle, WA.
2/12/09 7:00 PM at Book Passage - Tamal Vista Blvd. Corte Madera, CA.
2/13/09 6:00 PM at Changing Hands Books - South McClintock Drive. Tempe, AZ.

Jimmy Carter Book Signing Events
Jimmy Carter Book Signing Events

Book Signings & Events

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Collectibles As Gifts Are Huge This Year

With the economy in the dumps people are looking for a gift that will show their loved ones how much they care without spending a fortune. This is an opportunity for collectibles dealers.

Gifting, is no simple matter these days. In fact, some major department stores even provide special gift consultants. Unfortunately, these services are useless where collectibles are concerned.

If an online dealer is considering selling collectibles as gifts, they have to be informed and somewhat rational about the process. It helps if a collectibles dealer is also a collector, because it pays to know about collecting and hopefully the collectible items when selling collectibles.

A collectibles dealer can also sell items that they find interesting. Items that reflect their own collecting interest. However, this year it seems that holiday shoppers are looking for something that will reflect their personal feelings with as little expense as possible so collectibles and memorabilia have become the hot gift to give.

However, shoppers are not always wise to the best type of collectible to give so a dealer should be prepared to make some suggestions. For instance, antique or collectible lapel pins and lighters make good gifts for office colleagues. Special edition tree ornaments or antique table settings are nice for moms and Grandmothers. Limited edition porcelain and pewter items are ideal for sisters or wives. Autographed photos of sports stars for husbands and brothers who are sports enthusiasts and commemorative coins for those who are not. While autographs from favorite television and movie stars make great gifts for just about anyone and are usually very inexpensive.

Whether the interest is unicorns, coins, chess sets, or autographed photos holidays can be the ideal time to advertise and sell any collectible.

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Tom Cruise Promoting 'Valkyrie', Signs / Poses For Fans

Hot on the promotional trail, Tom Cruise was spotted on his way out of the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” studio following a plug for his new movie “Valkyrie.”

Cruise was gracious enough to stop and chat with fans, sign autographs, and pose for pictures before being escorted away by his bodyguards.

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50's Pinup Icon Bettie Page Passes Away

Bettie Page, the 1950s secretary-turned-model whose controversial photographs in skimpy attire or none at all helped set the stage for the 1960s sexual revolution, died Thursday. She was 85.

Page was placed on life support last week after suffering a heart attack in Los Angeles and never regained consciousness, said her agent, Mark Roesler. He said he and Page's family agreed to remove life support. Before the heart attack, Page had been hospitalized for three weeks with pneumonia.

"She captured the imagination of a generation of men and women with her free spirit and unabashed sensuality," Roesler said. "She is the embodiment of beauty."

Page, who was also known as Betty, attracted national attention with magazine photographs of her sensuous figure in bikinis and see-through lingerie that were quickly tacked up on walls in military barracks, garages and elsewhere, where they remained for years.

Her photos included a centerfold in the January 1955 issue of then-fledgling Playboy magazine, as well as controversial sadomasochistic poses.

"I think that she was a remarkable lady, an iconic figure in pop culture who influenced sexuality, taste in fashion, someone who had a tremendous impact on our society," Playboy founder Hugh Hefner told The Associated Press on Thursday. "She was a very dear person."

Page mysteriously disappeared from the public eye for decades, during which time she battled mental illness and became a born-again Christian.

After resurfacing in the 1990s, she occasionally granted interviews but refused to allow her picture to be taken.

"I don't want to be photographed in my old age," she told an interviewer in 1998. "I feel the same way with old movie stars. ... It makes me sad. We want to remember them when they were young."

The 21st century indeed had people remembering her just as she was. She became the subject of songs, biographies, Web sites, comic books, movies and documentaries. A new generation of fans bought thousands of copies of her photos, and some feminists hailed her as a pioneer of women's liberation.

Gretchen Mol portrayed her in 2005's "The Notorious Bettie Page" and Paige Richards had the role in 2004's "Bettie Page: Dark Angel." Page herself took part in the 1998 documentary "Betty Page: Pinup Queen."

Hefner said he last saw Page when he held a screening of "The Notorious Bettie Page" at the Playboy Mansion. He said she objected to the fact that the film referred to her as "notorious," but "we explained to her that it referred to the troubled times she had and was a good way to sell a movie."

Page's career began one day in October 1950 when she took a respite from her job as a secretary in a New York office for a walk along the beach at Coney Island. An amateur photographer named Jerry Tibbs admired the 27-year-old's firm, curvy body and asked her to pose.

Looking back on the career that followed, she told Playboy in 1998: "I never thought it was shameful. I felt normal. It's just that it was much better than pounding a typewriter eight hours a day, which gets monotonous."

Nudity didn't bother her, she said, explaining: "God approves of nudity. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they were naked as jaybirds."

In 1951, Page fell under the influence of a photographer and his sister who specialized in S&M. They cut her hair into the dark bangs that became her signature and posed her in spiked heels and little else. She was photographed with a whip in her hand, and in one session she was spread-eagled between two trees, her feet dangling.

"I thought my arms and legs would come out of their sockets," she said later.

Moralists denounced the photos as perversion, and Sen. Estes Kefauver of Tennessee, Page's home state, launched a congressional investigation.

Page quickly retreated from public view, later saying she was hounded by federal agents who waved her nude photos in her face. She also said she believed that, at age 34, her days as "the girl with the perfect figure" were nearly over.

She moved to Florida in 1957 and married a much younger man, as an early marriage to her high school sweetheart had ended in divorce.

Her second marriage also failed, as did a third, and she suffered a nervous breakdown.

In 1959, she was lying on a sea wall in Key West when she saw a church with a white neon cross on top. She walked inside and became a born-again Christian.

After attending Bible school, she wanted to serve as a missionary but was turned down because she had been divorced. Instead, she worked full-time for evangelist Billy Graham's ministry.

A move to Southern California in 1979 brought more troubles.

She was arrested after an altercation with her landlady, and doctors who examined her determined she had acute schizophrenia. She spent 20 months in a state mental hospital in San Bernardino.

A fight with another landlord resulted in her arrest, but she was found not guilty because of insanity. She was placed under state supervision for eight years.

"She had a very turbulent life," Todd Mueller, a family friend and autograph seller, told The Associated Press on Thursday. "She had a temper to her."

Mueller said he first met Page after tracking her down in the 1990s and persuaded her to do an autograph signing event.

He said she was a hit and sold about 3,000 autographs, usually for $200 to $300 each.

"Eleanor Roosevelt, we got $40 to $50. ... Bettie Page outsells them all," he told The AP last week.

Born April 22, 1923, in Nashville, Tenn., Page said she grew up in a family so poor "we were lucky to get an orange in our Christmas stockings."

The family included three boys and three girls, and Page said her father molested all of the girls.

After the Pages moved to Houston, her father decided to return to Tennessee and stole a police car for the trip. He was sent to prison, and for a time Betty lived in an orphanage.

In her teens she acted in high school plays, going on to study drama in New York and win a screen test from 20th Century Fox before her modeling career took off.

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HOFer and GOP Senator Jim Bunning Removed From Signing Appearence at Michigan Show

Jim Bunning was the toast of Detroit when he threw a no-hitter for the Tigers in 1958.

Now, after opposing a federal bailout for the auto industry, the Republican senator from Kentucky can't even get a gig signing autographs at a suburban sports-card show.

Bunning was to appear Sunday at the Gibraltar Trade Center in Taylor. Fans would have paid $35 for Bunning to sign a baseball and $55 to sign a bat.

But Bunning was kicked off the schedule after he helped derail an auto-industry loan package in the Senate Thursday night.

Owner Jim Koester says he can't support someone who voted against Michigan's economic well-being.

Messages seeking comment were left for Bunning's office.

Bunning is a Hall of Famer who pitched in Detroit from 1955 to 1963.

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World Premiere of Harry Potter Exhibit Coming to Chicago

James and Oliver Phelps sign autographs and say hello to fans

Some big news today in Chicago for Harry Potter fans - you'll be getting a first-ever look inside the Wizards world in the Spring of 2009 - and you can expect huge crowds for this.

Harry Potter fans will finally have a chance to get a first-hand look inside the famous wizard's magical world through Harry Potter: The Exhibition, which will open at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago on April 30, 2009.

Harry Potter: The Exhibition will give visitors the opportunity to see the craftsmanship of the authentic costumes and props from the films displayed in settings inspiredby the Hogwarts film sets.

Harry Potter: The Exhibition, which will run in Chicago through September 7, 2009, will include elaborate displays of artifacts and props from popular environments featured in the films, such as those from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, including the Gryffindor common room and Hagrid's hut.

After its run at the Museum of Science and Industry, the exhibition will be displayed in other major cultural and entertainment venues, museums and institutions in the U.S. and internationally.

The exhibition will also be updated to include artifacts and costumes from the final installments of the Harry Potter film series once the production of these films has been completed.

The Museum of Science and Industry will begin offering tickets for the Chicago run beginning Thursday, December 11 at 10 a.m. Central Time. Tickets will only be available for purchase online at www.msichicago.org.

Combination admission into the Museum and Harry Potter: The Exhibition during the day is $26 for adults; $25 for seniors and $19 for children ages 3-11.

After the Museum closes, evening hour tickets are $18 for adults and seniors and $15 for children ages 3-11.

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Lance Armstrong Drums Up Support For 'Bikes for Kids'

Central Texan and soon-to-be eighth-time Tour De France participant Lance Armstrong signed autographs for a good cause this morning. He appeared at his Downtown Austin bike shop Mello Johnny's to help drum up support for the 12th Annual Bike for Kids drive.

Armstrong said giving a bike to a child for Christmas not only helps increase their fitness level, but also brings them new sense of independence.

"It gives them the chance to have a little bit of freedom, you know," said Lance Armstrong. "The bike is the first chance. You get on the bike, you go down the street, you turn the corner and mom or dad or grandma or grandpa can't see you and you're gone, you're free. It's an interesting experience for a young kid."

The bike drive is sponsored by Mix 94.7 and is currently collecting taking donations at various Austin locations.

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Celebrities Recently Signing at Events - Kidman, Sutherland and Blanchett

Australian actress Nicole Kidman signs autographs as she arrives for the British premiere of Australia, at a central London cinema, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008


Actor Kiefer Sutherland signs autographs after receiving a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California December 9, 2008. Sutherland was the 2,377th celebrity to be honored with a star on the Walk of Fame


Actress Cate Blanchett signs autographs for fans during a ceremony honoring her with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame outside the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, Friday, Dec. 5, 2008

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Phelps Draws Fans in New York as Book Released

Michael Phelps is thrilled all the attention he received during the Beijing Olympics raised the profile of his sport. Some people, though, were sick of all the coverage.

As he was racking up a record eight gold medals, Phelps reminisced Tuesday, he kept getting joking text messages from friends from high school. They'd say: "Get off the TV. I don't want to see your face anymore. I'm not turning the TV on until the Olympics are over."

Plenty of people in the New York area had no such trouble Tuesday; they couldn't get enough of Phelps. Fans started lining up outside a midtown Manhattan Barnes & Noble at 12:30 a.m. — 12 hours early — to get his book signed on the day it was released.

Then a crowd of about 2,000 turned out for a talk at Adelphi University on Long Island that night. Tickets had sold out in 90 minutes. Donna de Varona, the Olympic swimming gold medalist and broadcaster, chatted with Phelps for about 45 minutes on a variety of topics.

Phelps revealed how competitive games of Risk and Spades would get among members of the U.S. swim team each night in the Olympic Village.

"I can't tell you how many arguments we got into over Risk, over who knew the right rules," he said. "It got really intense."

Another favorite memory from Beijing was seeing other star athletes in the Olympic Village dining hall. Roger Federer would come in and spend 45 minutes accommodating the dozens of people who asked for his autograph and took pictures with him.

Phelps discussed his struggle with ADHD as a child. In elementary and middle school, he couldn't keep from rocking on the back legs of his chair.

"I can't tell you how many times I got yelled at," he said. "There would be two little divots where I rocked back."

By the time Phelps arrived at the bookstore Tuesday afternoon, the line outside snaked around the corner and down the long block.

Girls squealed and giggled as they reached the table where Phelps sat. Those farther back craned their necks around shelves to catch a glimpse.

Phelps signed copies of No Limits: The Will to Succeed for nearly two hours.

"I didn't know what to expect," Phelps told the Associated Press. "They said the line was wrapping around the building this morning, and then I got here and it was."

The crowd didn't exactly match the throng drawn to a recent Jonas Brothers appearance, store officials said, but it was similar to those attracted by a couple of New York sports greats: Joe Namath and Gary Carter.

"It was pretty cool," Phelps said. "It was interesting to see how excited everybody was. (The book is) out, so hopefully we'll get some good feedback from it."

When it was over, Phelps took a deep breath and made a show of stretching his neck and arms. Asked how his hand was doing, he laughed and said, "Oh, it's fine."

David Kugelman, a 17-year-old distance runner from Staten Island, lined up at 8 a.m., wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the Olympic rings. He said this was the first time he waited in line for hours for somebody's autograph. But, he added, it was with good reason.

"He's the most famous athlete in the world," Kugelman said.

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Meet Baseball Hall of Famer Goose Gossage Thursday

Click images for larger version

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Baseball Players, Agents and GMs Invade Las Vegas For Winter Meetings

Baseball players Michael Young, left, Eric Chavez, center, and Milton Bradley pass the time by playing poker in a charity tournament at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.

Pete Rose, baseball's all-time hits leader, is signing autographs for cash at Caesars Palace. Manny Pacquiao, who knocked out Oscar De La Hoya, is hanging out at the MGM Grand. The national rodeo finals are in town.

And, for the first time, baseball descended upon Las Vegas for its annual winter meetings, where every general manager has the opportunity to play poker with the fate of their franchise.

"It's going to be crazy," says veteran slugger Frank Thomas, who spent Saturday winning a charity poker tournament at The Venetian, and planned to cross Las Vegas Boulevard Sunday to start job-hunting at the Bellagio Hotel, site of the meetings. "I want to keep playing. I'm not done. I want to keep climbing the home-run (521) chart.

"I just hope CC (Sabathia) leaves a little money for the rest of us."

Sabathia has already been offered the richest contract (six years, $140 million) for a pitcher in history from the New York Yankees. He is scheduled to meet with Boston and Milwaukee before leaving town today.

"I can't imagine where his mind is going right now," says veteran reliever Eddie Guardado, also a free agent. "It's a life-changing decision for him.

"Then again, he knows he's going to get paid big-time. The rest of us have to sit back and wait."

There are 159 available free agents — headed by first baseman Mark Teixeira, Sabathia and Manny Ramirez— with 30 general managers believing the flooded market could result in potential discounts.

"I think there will be some good deals out there," Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels says. "For teams that have money in this economy, it's not a bad time to buy. It's going to be an interesting week."

Few folks may be involved in more discussions than agent Scott Boras, Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams and Sabathia. Boras has 16 free agents. Williams, who already has dealt two former All-Stars, is willing to keep dealing. And Sabathia must decide where he wants to spend the next six or seven years of his life.

"This is a town where you won't find a clock on the wall, there's no last call and the restaurants are open all night" says Las Vegas-based agent Kevin Kohler. "Who knows what we might see."

The player

Sabathia has been in Las Vegas all weekend. He immediately hit the Wynn golf course on Friday, losing a few balls along the way. He helped celebrate Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells' birthday. He was all set to play in Guardado's poker tournament for autism, but was forced to cancel at the last minute. He attended the fight Saturday night at the MGM, but felt as if he were in the ring with all of the attention surrounding him.

Sabathia says "he's not climbing the walls," but concedes it's been a little crazy.

Sabathia, who declined to divulge any details of his negotiations, had a scheduled appointment Sunday to talk with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein was hoping to stop in next for a chat. Milwaukee Brewers general manager Doug Melvin may be next.

Sabathia, 28, says he's not stalling, but simply needs time. He and his wife have a newborn. They left their Cleveland home last week to return to Fairfield, Calif. Now, he says, he will start focusing on a decision.

"His intent is to sit back and hear from everyone that might be interested," agent Brian Peters says, "and take it from there."

Sabathia, one of the most popular players among his peers, has solicited plenty of information, but is cautious to tip his hand. This is a time of secrecy. He doesn't want to relinquish any leverage.

"I think he's having a little fun with it," says Los Angeles Angels center fielder Torii Hunter, who has spoken with Sabathia several times. "It's cool to be courted. It's almost like having Halle Berry flirting with you.

"CC is just trying to be patient and making the right decision. He wants to stay on the West Coast, but he wants to win, too, and he knows the Yankees have that tradition of winning every year. It's going to come down to being at a place where he and his family can be happy, and he can win, too."

The agent

Scott Boras was scheduled to check into his Bellagio suite Sunday. He is bringing a staff of nearly 15 employees and about a dozen computers. Yet, the most important information for Boras' well-being was the binder in the room:

The room-service menu.

"It's the first thing I check," Boras says. "I want to see what kind of soup they have because I'll be eating it all week. It doesn't even matter how good the restaurants are because I'll be eating vegetable soup all week. Let's put it this way, I know I won't be leaving the hotel until I go to the airport."

Boras, who represents 16 free-agent clients — including All-Stars such as Teixeira, Ramirez, Derek Lowe, Jason Varitek, Pudge Rodriguez, Garret Anderson and Eric Gagne— could establish Nevada residency before he leaves town. He was so swamped with business at the winter meetings in Dallas in 2000 that he didn't depart for two weeks. His wife had to ship fresh clothes to him with the vow he'd home before Christmas.

Boras typically never rushes to deals. He is doubtful that any of his marquee free agents will sign this week, but then again, he thought the same in 2000 when Alex Rodriguez signed his record 10-year, $252 million deal with Texas. You never know, he says, what that 2:30 a.m. call will come.

"There can be a lot of late-night meetings where you're in a room and people are falling asleep," Boras says. "And you'll have some late-night GMs who want you to drink. I'll allow them to do it, but I won't do it. I do have some interesting things written on napkins over the years.

"This year, I think the intensity of the meetings are going to be different because there are franchise players that are so important to the outcomes of franchises, and people's jobs."

Boras believes that he'll have a strong handle on where his clients likely will land by the time the meetings end Thursday, but always, he says, there is a surprise. He cites the Yankees' last-minute decision to re-sign Bernie Williams to a seven-year, $87.5 million deal after the 1998 season as a prime example.

"I remember the Yankees were not going to re-sign Bernie Williams when he became a free agent," he says. "We had a deal structured with the Boston Red Sox and were very close to calling Boston and telling them we were coming. George (Steinbrenner) called. We flew down to Tampa. We met two hours and George says, 'OK, partner, we're going to do this deal.' "

Boras also scoffs at the speculation the economy will affect the free agent market.

"We had a record $6.5 billion in revenue," Boras says. "Trust me, the money will be there. It's always there for the franchise players."

Yet, with perhaps a dozen teams interested in Sabathia and Teixeira, Boras predicts it may bog the market, with everyone waiting for their decision.

"Many teams are positioning themselves to sign those players," Boras says, "and until teams get those final answers, they may hold off on everything else."

The GM

Kenny Williams, who already traded first baseman Nick Swisher and starter Javier Vazquez this offseason, is open for more business.

You want right fielder Jermaine Dye? First baseman Paul Konerko? Another star? All it takes is a phone call and serious negotiations.

"I wake up every day feeling that there's one more move to make," Williams says. "We'll keep the lights on and see who calls.

"But, to be honest, I think it will be the quietest winter meetings I ever attended. I just think there will be very little trade action because of the economic landscape. Like it or not, teams have to tighten up. You can not give someone a dollar if you only have 50 cents."

The White Sox are bracing for harsh times by already slashing $23.5 million off their payroll. If they trade Dye and Konerko, they'll save another $36.5 million.

"We're not into a big type of rebuilding project," Williams says, "but more of a transitional endeavor where you blend in some young players with a good veteran corps. I know we've traded away a lot of players, but we're just trying to put the best club on the field while staying flexible."

It will be no different this week. If he gets the right offer for one of his marquee players, they're gone, invoking the latest sea of criticism.

"I've been hammered for so long and so much," Williams says, "that none of that really fazes me anymore. I'm kind of immune to it. I learned a long time ago it's better for my self-esteem not to pay much attention to it."

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Sarasota Way Back When: Mickey Mantle Signed His Autograph

In my Dec. 6 column on the Sarasota of my youth (1958: Was Sarasota better, or just different?"), I mentioned a visit by the New York Yankees to Payne Park in the spring of 1962 to play the Chicago White Sox in a spring training baseball game. I related that my mother was upset before the game that Yankees star Mickey Mantle had shoved a boy who sought his autograph.

Mike Hartenstine, now a Sarasota real estate attorney but then a classmate of mine at Southside School, has a different account of that day. In defense of Mantle's reputation, I offer it here:

"Dear Harold: I enjoyed reading your column this morning, as well as last week’s column, on Sarasota in the 1950s and ’60s. Naturally, my memories of this place coincide closely with yours.

"My mother also took me to the Yankees game at Payne Park you wrote about (perhaps all the boys at Southside went). I took with me a collection of black-and-white photographs of all the Yankee players. My goal was to get Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle to autograph their photos. Contrary to your mother’s recollection, my experience was that Mantle was quite indulgent of his young fans. I distinctly remember standing in a circle of kids around Mantle, as he stood just beyond the bleachers outside the first-base dugout, as he autographed paper after paper. I got my chance to stick his photograph in front of him, and he signed it in blue ink -- not a scribble, but a very distinct “Mickey Mantle.” Perhaps Mantle finally had enough after I left with my autograph and did the shoving your mother remembers.

"My recollection of Maris squares exactly with your mother’s. The Yankee bus was pulled up right next to where Mantle was standing, and Maris went straight to the bus, ignoring all pleas for autographs. Whitey Ford and Joe Pepitone were nice enough, however, to reach through the bus window to autograph my photos of them.

"So I left with three autographed photos. I still have them. In fact, your column inspired me to pull them out and look at them again this morning. I have shown them to my 20-year-old son and admonished him to always keep these -- someday they will be worth something.

"Sarasota was such a smaller and safer community back then. My mother even let me ride my bike across the Trail on afternoons after school to play ball with friends on a vacant lot near Frank Rivers’ home on Clematis. That actually was not a dangerous thing to do in 1962, but, of course, no responsible parent today would dream of letting a young child venture alone across the Trail.

"Thanks for stirring so many memories in your columns. I am one of your consistent readers. Although my business is real estate law (and, therefore, your columns are always topical for me), I always enjoy best your reminiscences of our early days."

-- Mike Hartenstine

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Aunua CD / DVD Signing Events

Anuna, best-selling Celtic music group, will be performing & signing copies of Christmas Memories at the following locations:

12/9/08 7:00 PM at Borders Books – Detroit Road. Westlake, OH.
12/10/08 7:00 PM at Borders Books – Lohr Road. Ann Arbor, MI.
12/11/08 7:00 PM at Borders Books – 16th Street. Oak Brook, IL.
12/13/08 2:00 PM at Borders Books – Preston Road. Fort Worth, TX.
12/13/08 6:00 PM at Borders Books – West Freeway. Fort Worth, TX.
12/14/08 2:00 PM at Borders Books – East Basse Road. San Antonio, TX.
12/16/08 7:00 PM at Borders Books – West Thousand Oaks Blvd. Thousand Oaks, CA.
12/17/08 7:00 PM at Borders Books – Post Street. San Francisco, CA.
12/18/08 7:00 PM at Borders Books – Cedar Hills Blvd. Beaverton, OR.
12/19/08 1:00 PM at Borders Books – Fourth Avenue. Seattle, WA.

Aunua CD Signing Events
Aunua CD Signing Events

Book Signings & Events

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Cate Blanchette Signs For Fans at Her 'Hollywood Walk of Fame' Ceremony

Australian actress Cate Blanchett signs autographs after accepting a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California December 5, 2008. Blanchett was the 2,376th celebrity to be honored with a star on the Walk of Fame.

Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett receives the 2,376th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday, December 5. Steven Spielberg, who directed the 39-year-old Aussie star in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, introduced Cate during the ceremony held in front of the Egyptian Theatre. Her upcoming film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, costarring Brad Pitt opens on Christmas Day.

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MEARS Opens First Auction

Milwaukee-based Memorabilia Evaluation and Research Services has been busy over the last couple of years.

In addition to growing its authentication division, the company opened its own sales division, created and marketed new pinback button holders and moved into a 15,000-square-foot research center.

But that was just part of the plan. It's most visible move has come to fruition only in the last few weeks.

MEARS is now conducting its own online sports memorabilia auctions, with the inaugural sale launching earlier this week. Chris Nerat, a former Sports Collectors Digest writer and columnist, is the auction manager.

"I've been a consignor and a buyer in nearly every major sports memorabilia auction in our hobby," Nerat told Sports Collectors Daily. "I know what customers like and what they don't like about the auction industry. Solid customer service is going to be our number one goal, along with providing a sales venue that customers can trust 100 percent."

MEARS will conduct auctions on a monthly basis featuring historic sports and non-sports memorabilia, but will also hold major auctions at least twice each year, possibly in April and September. The first auction features 261 lots with an industry-low 10% buyer's premium. No consignments were taken as the company tests its platform.

Among the items offered are game-used bats, autographed items, game-worn jerseys, vintage photos and advertising pieces.

"We're excited to cater to not only the big collectors, but also to the everyday collector who's in search of unique pieces," Nerat said.

As an authenticator, MEARS will be in the unusual position of selling items it has authenticated but the company says it will provide full disclosure on all items. There will be no hidden reserves in the auctions and MEARS will prohibit employees and consignors from bidding on their own items or those in which they have a financial stake.

MearsOnlineAuctions.com

NOTE: Autograph Collectors Daily is not endorsing MEARS or any other entity in this posting...merely reporting autograph related news.

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The Lost Art of Autograph Collecting

From The Hockey News:

By and large, hockey players are seen as some of the most humble and accommodating professional athletes around, which is why it’s so awkward to see some of the game’s stars getting snared in uncomfortable business deals lately.

You see, there are autographs and then there is the autograph industry. And the autograph industry is getting players in trouble.

Earlier this season, young Edmonton Oilers stars Sam Gagner and Andrew Cogliano were put in the odd situation of signing autographs at a memorabilia show without realizing their fans were getting charged $25 per signature for the honor. The two sophomores weren’t aware of the fee until they were actually at the show and by that time, they were caught in a catch-22: disappoint their fans by walking away or stay and give them the impression hockey players aren’t satisfied with the pay they get for their day jobs.

More recently, as reported by the excellent Vancouver Province-based Orland Kurtenblog a trio of Canucks had a similar run-in with the industry. Fortunately for Alexandre Burrows, Taylor Pyatt and Ryan Kesler, they were alerted to the steep fees the promoter planned to charge – $30 for a small item, $40 for a big one (and as a quick aside, why charge more for a stick than a puck? The signature is the same size, isn’t it?) – and excused themselves from the engagement before it happened.

The whole thing makes me feel uneasy. Like many kids, I was in awe of pro athletes when I saw them in person. Getting a face-to-face autograph from Wendel Clark or Felix Potvin was huge because I got to see them in person, three feet away from me. It’s the same for kids today when they wait outside the arena gates for Henrik Lundqvist or Corey Perry or any other star.

Those sorts of connections are what make sports intrinsic to the lives of many kids (not to mention grown-up fans) and to have that spoiled by third-party commoditization just seems so disappointing. As Burrows noted in an interview with the Province, he didn’t even think his autograph was worth $30 – he signs things for kids all the time after games and he does it for free. That’s the sort of attitude hockey is known for and it’s something to feel good about.

Of course, there’re a lot of unscrupulous folk out there who will get autographs just to turn around and sell them at exorbitant prices and it’s not like the players can tell who these types are, so here’s the solution: personalize everything.

If there was anything even better than an autograph when I was a kid, it was an autograph that said “To Ryan, best wishes…” and then the signature. Of course, if I wanted to re-sell that glossy 8 X 10 photo now, I’d be hard-pressed to find anyone interested in buying it, despite the fact I have a very common first name.

And that’s how it should be. I was always suspicious of autographed merchandise for sale, because I didn’t see the player sign it himself. How do I know someone didn’t forge it? Trying to determine signature forensics is probably pretty tough when a Sharpie is involved. Game-worn jerseys are very popular now, but they have strict authenticating procedures to make sure no one gets ripped off.

If the NHL or a team like the Canucks or Oilers wants to sell player-autographed merchandise and donate the proceeds to charity (a common practice), that’s totally cool. But third parties that trade in ink without giving customers (ugh) the tangible reward of actually meeting one of their heroes seems like a pretty hollow enterprise and a rather sad comment on where some people’s priorities are.

Ryan Kennedy is a writer and copy editor for The Hockey News magazine, the co-author of the book Hockey's Young Guns and a regular contributor to THN.com. His blog appears Mondays and Wednesdays, his column - The Straight Edge - every Friday, and his features, The Hot List and Prep Watch appears Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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Obamabilia: Advice for Novice Collectors

Only 45 shopping days before ... the inauguration of the president-elect. Barack Obama-mania has sparked a buyers' and sellers' market for all things Obama. Nearly $200 million has already been spent on Obamabilia, according to the New York Times.

"Obama is one of the best marketed candidates ever because of the phenomenal amounts of money he had to produce tons of campaign memorabilia," said Steve Novak of Blaine, a former Minnesota state senator and collector of political memorabilia for 40 years. "Everyone wants a piece of this fella," he said.

Longtime political collectors say the pre-election euphoria continues to heat up, but novice collectors who jumped in after the election may get burned. It depends on whether collectors are in it for profit, history or a little of both. For Bill Davis of Minneapolis, it's about collecting history, not an investment.

"It's such a historic election, particularly as an African-American. That will always hold value for me and my family," said Davis, who is a member of the Democratic National Committee.

He's never been an avid collector -- just a few Kerry-Edwards and Humphrey items -- but Obama changed that. Davis has spent about $1,000 on memorabilia so far. "I try to find unique things that convey deep meaning," he said.

Even before the election, the euphoria was evident, said Steve Ferber of Scottsdale, Ariz., who runs a political collectibles site with his wife, www.loriferber.com. "Obama's things were outselling McCain 3 to 1," he said. "We saw the strongest sales of memorabilia for a candidate that we've seen in many years."

Local political collector Paul Bengston, who has a huge collection (more than 30,000 pieces), said that the president-elect is generating excitement that is attracting first-time collectors. "He is historic as our first black president and he has charisma. There is a lot of interest."

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Pinup / Collector Favorite Bettie Page Hospitalized After Heart Attack

Bettie Page, a 1950s pinup known for her raven-haired bangs and saucy come-hither looks, was hospitalized in intensive care after suffering a heart attack, her agent said Friday.

"She's critically ill," Mark Roesler of CMG Worldwide told The Associated Press.

He said the 85-year-old had been hospitalized for the last three weeks with pneumonia and was about to be released when she had the heart attack Tuesday. Page was transferred to another hospital in Los Angeles and remained in intensive care Friday.

A family friend, Todd Mueller, said Page was in a coma. When asked to confirm, Roesler said, "I would not deny that," but he would not comment further on her condition.

Page, a secretary turned model, is credited with helping set the stage for the sexual revolution of the rebellious 1960s. She attracted national attention with magazine photographs of her sensuous figure that were tacked up on walls across the country.

Her photos included a centerfold in the January 1955 issue of then-fledgling Playboy magazine, as well as controversial sadomasochistic poses.

Page later spent decades away from the public eye, and during that time battled mental illness and became a born-again Christian.

After resurfacing in the 1990s, she occasionally granted interviews but refused to allow her picture to be taken.

Mueller credits his business dealings with Page for bringing her out of seclusion. He said he first met her in 1989 when he offered her "a bunch of money" to show up at autograph signings.

"I probably sold 3,000 of her autographs, usually for $200 to $300," he said. "Eleanor Roosevelt, we got $40-$50. ... Bettie Page outsells them all."

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Auction Includes Rare Adolf Hitler, WWII Items

A collection of rare WWII military regalia and artifacts including personal items of Adolf Hitler and his right-hand man will be sold at auction in Dallas.

Some of the thousands of items for sale include a large gold ring worn by Hitler's designated successor, Hermann Goring. It is decorated with his family crest, Luftwaffe emblem for the WWII German Air Force plus the Elks head and swastika emblem for the National Hunters Association that he founded.

Also in the sale is a large marble ashtray from his palace bearing the same Huntsmans and Luftwaffe emblems and swatches of fabric from furniture in his personal residence, Karinhalle.

Personal items of Hitlers include his calling card with autograph and a large tapestry that hung in the Eagles Nest.

The items were captured by American heroes at the end of the war and brought back home, said auctioneer Randall Hill.

Other unusual artifacts include a WWII German field telephone made of black Bakelite from Hitler's headquarters in East Prussia, and an original wood carving by sculptor E. Renner from which the official Hitler bronze heads were cast.

There is a presentation copy of "Mein Kampf" signed by Adolf Hitler on the flysheet and dated 1937, a scarce field marshals baton and an original oil portrait of Kaiser Wilhelm II in the sale.

The public auction is being held at the VFW Hall, 300 S. Smith Street in Dallas on Saturday at 10 am. The preview is Friday from 1 until 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. until the auction start.

For more information and a full online catalog with photos, visit Randall Hill Auctions of Atascosa at www.1bid2.com or call 210-663-7707 or 830-928-0707.

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Autograph Collectors Daily's 'Top 10 Celebrity Autograph Signers of 2008'

We have put together a list of the top 10 celebrity signers nationwide. The criteria includes how the celebrity interacts with the fans in different situations and locations, not just in Hollywood. We have used emails and reports from hundreds of collectors and subscribers to put the list together.

1. Matt Damon - signs everything and in most locations - doesn't mind taking a photo as well - cordial and respectful of fans - always one of the best signers.

2. Megan Fox - she may be fairly new at stardom but will sign and converse with fans in various locations including airports - signs multiples if crowds aren't heavy.

3. Johnny Depp - recognizes fans after shoots and on location - very cordial - always high on the list but spent most of the year out of the country though he kept the fans happy while filming "Public Enemies" in the midwest.

4. George Clooney - Very good at premieres and special events - converses with fans - will occasionally sign at airports.

5. Angelina Jolie - fantastic at premieres and other events as compared to most other celebrities - will take an occasional photo.

6. Miley Cyrus - very cordial with fans - normally signs when leaving a hotel and before/after an event - occasionally will sign on the street.

7. Will Smith - great at most events and will take time for photos - doesn't mind stopping in an airport terminal and talking with fans.

8. Al Pacino - signs quickly and tries to get as many fans as possible, usually after an event - sometimes moody but respectful.

9. Brad Pitt - will normally sign when he accompanies Angelina Jolie - a great humanitarian who usually signs at his charity events and occasionally on location.

10. John Travolta - has always be a very good signer especially at premieres - also signs on location.

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Robert Pattison Signing Autographs at 'Twilight' London Premiere

British actor Robert Pattinson signs autographs for fans as he arrives for the UK premiere of Twilight at a central London cinema, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2008.

Robert Pattison, the 22-year-old English actor dubbed as the new Jude Law or the next Brad Pitt, had thousands of teenage fans screaming at the UK premiere of his new movie Twilight last night.

Mirror.co.uk were there and we can confirm that the last time we had our eardrums shredded so much, we were at a High School musical premiere.

Dishy London lad Robert stars in the movie as 108-year-old vampire Edward Cullen alongside co-star Kristen Stewart, who plays his teenage love interest Isabella Swan.

American Kristen, 18, joined him at the Vue cinema in London's Leicester Square wearing a tiny blue dress - and stoically ignored the freezing weather.

Twilight is based on the series of vampire books by Stephanie Meyer which have worldwide sales of more than 14 million copies.

It's set to make Robert, a former model for menswear model for label Hackett, an even bigger star among teens - they already love him after he played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

The film opens in cinemas in the UK on Dec 19.

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Barack Obama's Letter of Resignation

Click above for larger image

President-elect Barack Obama's letter of resignation from the U.S. Senate

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AutographAlert.com Points Out Another PSA/DNA Blunder

Reprinted from AutographAlert.com


Item # 22262 from Heritage/Odyssey catalog #612

An inexcusable blunder made by the "experts" at PSA/DNA could be found in a Heritage/Odyssey Auction #612. Lot #22262. Cataloged as a Mary Pickford Signed Photograph. "RARE, vintage photo signed by the ‘Pollyanna' star, one of the greatest actresses of the silent era." This supposedly RARE item is accompanied by a COA from PSA/DNA.

These photographs are by no means rare. They have been around for nearly 100 years and any dealer with the slightest experience most likely has come across these photographs. With a little effort a collector and surely an "autograph authenticating expert" can go to the educational web site of www.isitreal.com click on the Reference Directory, type in Mary Pickford and voila, an identical photograph with the same signature comes on screen. On this site, the photo is accurately described as a photograph bearing a rubber stamped signature of Mary Pickford.

Can you imagine, someone paid for this quality of service?

How could such a mistake be made by the "experts" at PSA/DNA?

Who is the one or more "experts" at PSA/DNA that passed this as a genuine signature?

How can an autograph "expert" not be able to tell a real ink signature from a rubber stamped signature?

PSA/DNA's website states they do a side-by-side comparison (when necessary). Wasn't this case necessary?

Who was at the helm of the controversial Video Spectral Comparator which PSA/DNA claims can tell "difference in ink types?"

Lastly, why oh why, do these embarrassing mistakes continue to happen?

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Controversial Autograph Signing Session Hounds Canucks Winger

On second thought, three Vancouver Canucks will pass on charging hometown fans at least $30 a pop for autographs.

Alex Burrows, Taylor Pyatt and Ryan Kesler said they will pull out of what could have been a controversial signing session near Metrotown on Dec. 21.

The three were being advertised as Westcoast Autograph's star attractions in a pricey pay-for-autograph at a supplements store.

Organizers were asking collectors, and fans, to pay $30 for the players to sign a "small item" and $40 for a "large item." Too pricey? Not to worry, the advertisement offered people the chance to get three autographs, one from each player, for just $75.

"I don't think I'm worth $30," Burrows said. "Not my autograph. You can't even recognize my autograph, so I don't think it would make sense. I don't want to be the kind of guy to do something like that."

Burrows said the event was a misunderstanding similar to one earlier in the season in Edmonton. But the two Oilers -- Andrew Cogliano, 21, and Sam Gagner, 19 -- were at least at a collectibles show when they were signing autographs for $25. That story drew national attention, with people debating the optics of NHL players making extra money off their fans.

"It must have been a misunderstanding with my agent," Burrows said of the event. "I always try to be as friendly as possible with kids. Everybody who wants my autographs after games, I always stop and sign for those people. Every time I'm on the street and someone asks me for an autograph, it's my pleasure to sign it.

"It's the same way for my fan mail -- I always respond."

Burrows said he would think differently if the event was being organized to raise money for a good cause.

"For a charity or anything like that I would do it," Burrows said. "But I don't think it was for a good cause."

The online ad for the event features Canucks logos and colours. But the team said they knew nothing about it.

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Win a 'Big Bad Voodoo Daddy' Signed Leather Gig Bag

Enter here --> Win a 'Big Bad Voodoo Daddy' Signed Gig Bag

Drawing will take place on December 15, 2008. Winner will be notified by email within 5 days. Void where prohibited.

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'L Word' 5 Convention

Most fans of the L Word conventions, supported by GaydarGirls, know that these events bring you a chance to have your photos taken with the actors and get a signed autograph or two.

Perhaps the attendance of Jennifer Beals, who plays Bette Porter in the TV show, contributed to the packed room, or maybe it was the dedication of continued support to the fans from Laurel Holloman, who plays Tina Kennard, and Rachel Shelley, who plays Helena Peabody, that swelled the room up full of women.

The Q&A sessions were invigorating and the surprise auction caused merry excitement amongst everyone.

Not only did the sophisticated ladies all attend and spend time chatting to exclusive gold ticket holders at the meet and greet, but they held an auction compered with enormous enthusiasm by Janina Gavanka, aka Papi, raising £10,000 in the span of just 20 minutes!

Topics ranged from how ‘hot’ Rachel Shelley is to Jennifer Beals opening up and thanking Laurel Holloman for being so great over the six years series.

The opportunity of seeing Jennifer Beals greatly added to this convention and it could be a rare treat - who knows if she’ll attend another L Word convention again.

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Faith Hill, Kylie Minogue and Pink Signing Autographs For Fans

Singer Faith Hill signs autographs during an appearance on NBC's "Today" show in New York, November 24, 2008



Australian pop star Kylie Minogue signs autographs for fans as she arrives at Changi Airport in Singapore November 24, 2008. Minogue is in Singapore to perform in a concert as part of her X2008 tour of Asia



Singer Pink signs autographs in Offenburg, southern Germany, Thursday, Nov. 27, 2008, prior to Bambi media award ceremony.

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Former NFL Pro Eric Moulds Punches Autograph Seeker

The Buffalo Police Department are looking into claims of a bar fight involving former Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans player, Eric Moulds who allegedly gave an autograph to an Iraq War veteran by punching him in the face.

WGRZ reports indicate conflicting stories about when the fight occurred, however it is understood that video surveillance camera footage of the fight outside Liars Bar on Chippewa St, Buffalo shows it was Eric Moulds who was in the fight, with the unnamed veteran.

Police spokesman Mike Degeorge would only say that police are investigating an incident that’s said to involve a former Bills player. He also added that a current Bills player was also there at the time but was not involved in any way.

We understand that this current Bills player was Josh Reed, and that both of them were reminiscing ’bout the good ol days, when the veteran went up to tell Moulds how great he was and could he have an autograph? Moulds allegedly responded by punching him in the face.

No charges have been filed.

If Eric Moulds was attempting to sign an autograph someone should tell him he is doing it wrong.

So there you go celebrities, an additional response for autograph hunters beside the traditional, yes, no and sod off.

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'Paranormal State' Cast, Chip Coffey, John Frick Signing Autographs At Mothman Festival

The Mothman continues to lure visitors to the area with its mysterious background and paranormal appeal.

The Paranormal Research Society will visit Point Pleasant Feb. 19-22 to examine the Mothman legend. Mason County Convention and Visitors Bureau Chairman Denny Bellamy described the tour as one of the first tourism events of the 2009 season.

Those that participate in the Return to Mothman tour will meet the cast of “Paranormal State,” a show that examines paranormal activity on the A&E network. According to the Web site www.paranormalresearchsociety.org, tour participants will experience amazing lectures and discussions, go on an exclusive ghost hunt with the “Paranormal State” cast and learn about the history of Point Pleasant, has been home to dozens of sightings and strange occurrences.

During the workshops tour participants will learn about the history of the Mothman, Point Pleasant and the Silver Bridge collapse. In addition, tourists will hear accounts from local residents. Tourists also will have the opportunity to take a guided tour of Point Pleasant and the TNT area.

According to the Paranormal Research Society, several activities are included in the tour’s admission, such as a welcome ceremony and screening of the “Paranormal State” Mothman episode with the show’s cast, complimentary dinners for both Friday and Saturday of the tour, autographs and photos with the show’s cast, a question and answer session with the cast and a ghost hunt at the Historic Lowe Hotel, where rumored haunts are told and where “The Mothman Prophecies” author John Keel stayed during his Mothman investigation.

The tour also will feature special guests including psychic medium Chip Coffey, Mothman Museum Curator Jeff Wamsley and Mothman investigator John Frick. According to the Paranormal Research Society, the Mothman tour is the third field trip for the group. The first two field trips investigated Katies Bar with fans and attendees.

The Paranormal Research Society is a professional organization dedicated to exploring the unknown. The organization originally began as a student club prior to becoming a professional organization. The society continues to expand its boundaries with its research lab, a library and growing staff.

A full schedule of events will be announced at a later time. For more information, visit www.paranormalresearchsociety.org.

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