Never Got That Memo

[kevin_standlee]

Inspired by a side comment by redneckotaku, and not intended to be critical of him or of anime conventions:

Is is somehow distasteful or otherwise socially unacceptable for someone working on a genre (SF/F/etc.) convention to ask for the autograph of any of the people there? For instance, if you were a particular convention's GoH liaison, would you consider it bad form to ask for that GoH's autograph?

I'm wondering if there's been a social convention (ahem) out there of which I've been completely unaware of for all of my years of convention attending and volunteering, or if it's a recent development, or something that only happens in some areas, geographic or otherwise. Also, I've never (except see below) been a huge collector of autographs, so it may be something I've just never noticed.

Let me also establish that getting someone's autograph and acting all gushy over someone are not the same things. Surely it's possible to admire someone's work and be interested in collecting an autograph without looking foolish, isn't it? (Says the person who took a huge stack of very heavy Elfquest stuff with him to L.A.con II in 1984 to collect the Pini's autographs because he was hugely enraptured by the series and even to this day has an in-remission case of Elfquest Fanboy Syndrome.)

I'd set this up as a poll question, but I can't come up with answers that I think cover all of the likely answers.

Again, I stress that this should not be taken as criticism of any person, genre, region, or convention-running style. I'm honestly curious.

Comments

[orangemike.livejournal.com]

I've never thought of it as taboo, as long as you're low-key about it, not stalkery and drooling. The GoH Liaison, in particular, has certainly earned it!

Cicatrice loves to recount the time she bowed down at Cliff Simak's feet chanting, "Author! Author!" in homage to his mellow Midwestern excellence. I've certainly done it more than once. (Somebody in Milwaukee should still have a jar of Orville Reddenbacher's Popping Corn, autographed by Anne McCaffrey at the pre-X-Con 2 party after she'd given a dramatic reading of its label.)

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

For instance, if you were a particular convention's GoH liaison, would you consider it bad form to ask for that GoH's autograph?

Only if the liaison asked the GoH to sign a body part.

[trinsf.livejournal.com]

Now see, if I'm going to ask Harlan to sign something, it's going to be a body part. Or else, what's the point?

[twilight2000.livejournal.com]

Yes, but we're talking Harlan here - so the rules must change ;>

[querldox.livejournal.com]

It's somewhat situational. Getting one autograph usually wouldn't seem to be a problem. Hitting them with multiple items, well, that's what the scheduled autograph session's for.

And vis a vis that, at, say, a Worldcon where there are a lot of folk even just at Staff level up, not to mention gophers, skipping the autograph session to get, say, Gaiman's autograph at a random time probably isn't good unless you're working during the session. It somewhat depends on what the demand for autographs from the guest is.

[controuble.livejournal.com]

I have gotten books signed by authors who were just attending the con (not there as a GOH) and none of them have ever acted like I was doing something tacky. I do ask politely before getting the book(s), I don't just run up with an armful and attack.

edit: If it's not during a scheduled autograph session, that is.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

The key here is whether being one of the people putting on the convention makes you someone "above" such things as collecting autographs. Not having time, I understand completely.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

There are people, not many in the real SF field, who would get so pestered by people that they only do autographs at official autograph sessions. This may be more common in the media-side conventions, and they may have developed standards of behavior from that.

[lindadee.livejournal.com]

I was GOH liaison for Peter David at Foolscap last year and bid on a short story manuscript he put up for auction. I won it and asked him to autograph it. Even though I've known Peter since his fanzine days, I'd never asked him for an autograph before that.

[howeird]

I would think it depends on the GoH. I'm kicking myself right now because last week I won a photo op with George Takei and did not bring my Khan poster for him to sign because I thought it would be tacky to do that, but when I told him, he said he would have been happy to sign it.

[cmdrsuzdal.livejournal.com]

I get the impression that it's one of the relatively small and relatively rare perks some staffers enjoy, so unless the guest is made uncomfortable or there's massive abuse I'd think it was natural.

Else that would mean that chronic staffers never get the chance to have things signed, no?

I do know that in a few (mainly media) conventions of the recent past there has been a feeling that (some) con runners have organized an event basically as an excuse to meet/socialize with their guests while having other people (attendees) foot the bill for them. But that's a whole other ball of wax.

[petrea-mitchell.livejournal.com]

I would think it's fine under the same circumstances as anyone else asking-- at an autograph session, okay; at a party, okay. Taking advantage of your access when the GoH is trapped with you just as they're completing a 10-hour journey to the convention site would be bad form.

[petrea-mitchell.livejournal.com]

Having located the aside you're talking about, I think, I read it as "I don't plan to have time to collect autographs because I'll be busy with my duties" rather than "I shouldn't because staff should be above such things".

[yourbob.livejournal.com]

As long as done politely and no temper tantrum is thrown if they say no, there should be no problem.

[dsmoen.livejournal.com]

Unless there's a compelling reason for that person not to sign autographs (e.g. recent carpal tunnel surgery, etc.), then I'd say it's fine, so long as it's not done in a rude manner.

Some GoHs have been known to have convention-staff-only events, e.g., a brief reading and/or signing.

[scalzi.livejournal.com]

When I am a GoH, I find it completely unobjectionable to sign autographs for con staff or for my liaison, particularly if for some reason they have to miss the scheduled autograph session.