I’m thinking of writing a Fan/Pro Bill of Rights

At a recent West Coast convention, female fans were harassed by a serial groper, who had his membership taken away and was eventually forcibly removed from the convention. By the same token, the abuse that pros have had to suffer at conventions borders on the legendary.

I think it would be an interesting idea to produce a list of simple, basic rights that everyone attending conventions–both pros and fans–should expect. I mean, you’d think that they would be common sense; things that people would just know. On the other hand, the 10 Commandments were pretty common sense too, when you think about it, so I figure if it’s good enough for God…

Obviously there’s the one that tops them all, which naturally I call the Prime Directive:

Fans and Pros have the right to be treated by each other with the same courtesy that they themselves would expect to be treated. Fans and Pros who act like jerks abrogate the right to complain when they themselves are treated like jerks.

But there’s others, such as:

Guest Pros being sponsored by the convention have a right to written confirmation of all terms of their convention attendance at least ninety days before the convention, with travel arrangements finalized no later than thirty days prior. Travel in such instances should never be the expense of the Pro with subsequent expectation of reimbursement unless the Pro agrees to this…in which case, the Pro better be dámņëd sure the organizer is good for it, because otherwise he’s on his own.

Fans and Pros have a right to walk through convention space without being impeded by other attendees who are either taking photographs or posing for photographs. Particularly applicable when large numbers of costumed individuals are posing for a large group of photographers. It’s a convention, not the red carpet at the Oscars. Should such blockages occur, fans and pros desiring to get from Point A to Point B should have the right of way and walk directly through the picture-taking area without the slightest concern about ruining other people’s pictures. If they weren’t courteous enough to worry about you getting to your panel, you shouldn’t have to worry about them getting their photograph of five slave Leias and a Wookie.

Conventions should take security measures and have people designated specifically to handle disruptive individuals, crowd control, etc.

Fans do not have an automatic right to expect an autograph unless a Pro is specifically seated at a table designated as an autograph table. Even then: (1) the Pro is under no obligation to sign more than one item unless stipulated by mutual agreement with the convention; (2) the Pro has every right, at his discretion, not to autograph items, for any number of reasons including, but not limited to, (i) not having authored the work in question, (ii) fatigue, (iii) the Fan is acting like a jerk (see: Prime Directive.)


Fans with excessive amounts of material to be autographed should be willing to go to the end of the line and wait again in order to accommodate fans with fewer books to be signed. The definition of “excessive” will be the sole discretion of the Pro and the convention organizers.

If a Fan tells a Pro that a particular work of his is the fan’s “favorite,” the minimal acceptable response is, “Thank you.” Cringing, making a face, saying, “Are you kidding me?,” “Do you have your taste in your ášš?”, “What is wrong with you?”, “That’s the least favorite thing I’ve ever done,” etc., should all be actively discouraged. If seeing past work of yours upsets you to such a degree that you feel obliged to denigrate both yourself and the Fan’s taste, don’t go to conventions.

Corollary rule: If a Pro has a well-known hatred of a particular work associated with him, do not be a smart ášš and bring it anyway just to get a reaction. Poke the bear and don’t be surprised when you get the claws (AKA The Ellison Exacerbation).


If you’re so exhausted that you think you may fall asleep, don’t sit in the front row in the panel room. For that matter, don’t be on the panel.

Shut off your cell phone during panels. If you forget and the phone rings, people are allowed to voice loud annoyance and vituperation. If you’re ON the panel and YOUR cell phone goes off, loud annoyance and vituperation is NOT permitted. However laughter and snarking are not only acceptable but encouraged.

Fans should not monopolize a Pro’s time. Do not stand at the table for extended periods, waiting for the Pro to say or do something clever. It makes the Pro feel uncomfortable and the Fan come across as kind of creepy.


Authors are not your bìŧçh (AKA The Neil Gaiman Assertion.)


Actors are not your performing monkeys (AKA The Misha Collins Declaration.)

Attendees have a right to expect that convention organizers will heed the Maximum Occupancy signs and not endanger the attendees by overselling the convention. Rarely does anyone cosplay a Fire Marshall; if you see one, chances are he’s real and you’re in trouble. Nobody needs this grief.

These are just some of the ones that have occurred to me, off the top of my head. I’m looking for suggestions which I’m then going to codify into a single draft and post a finalized version. Feel free to contribute, although I offer no promise that I’ll use them. Touches of humor are always appreciated so that it doesn’t come across as too dictatorial.

PAD

144 comments on “I’m thinking of writing a Fan/Pro Bill of Rights

  1. Personally, I don’t see why a con should be expected to post a price list for autographs any more than they should for the vendors.
    .
    Have a budget. Stick to it.

    1. It’s hard to have a budget if you don’t know what to budget for, isn’t it?

      Granted, I don’t know if it’s the con’s responsibility, but doing whay the NYCC does on the FAQ page couldn’t hurt. They have a one sentence explanation of autographs basically stating that media stars typically charge for autographs, comic guests don’t. Doesn’t give an exact price, but it alerts the fans.

    2. Actually, a budget is a perfect reason why prices should be posted. Part of a budget is making smart choices, and a budget shouldn’t consider only the monetary but also the intangibles like time and space. If I know ahead of time that Guest X is charging $5 and Guest Y is charging $10 and Guest Z is charging $30 then I can bring 2 DVDs for Guest X, a book for Guest Y, and a print for Guest Z rather than bringing 5 DVDs for Guest X, 5 books for Guest Y and 20 prints for Guest Z and then wasting the luggage space and taking con time to prioritize and sort when I could have easily done it before packing if the con had been courteous.

    3. Aside from the budget reasons others have mentioned, a couple of other reasons come into play for why some advance noted would be helpful (though these reasons are pretty linked in some ways).

      First off, people might be willing to spend only a certain amount for an autograph and, fairly or unfairly, fans will likely be willing to pay more for some autographs than others. If the price is too high, no harm, no foul, but maybe the item(s) that would otherwise be autographed stay(s) home.

      Related to this, keep in mind that the items that are to be autographed are often not bought on site but are brought from a collection at home, which could be a long ways away if the attendee isn’t local. Furthermore, unless the place the fan is staying is within a few blocks of the convention, it’s likely that the item(s) to be autographed with stay with the fans the entire day. Finally, fans are likely to buy stuff at the convention (and if they’re from out of town, possibly other places in the city as well). Knowing ahead of time that you are not going to get certain things autographed (and if from out of town, can thus be left at home at home) due to cost can save the fan some dead weight and leave them feeling just a little less tired after a long day.

    4. Charging for autographs… who even THOUGHT of this crap? “Hi Mr. R., I’m a big fan; I’ve been coming to games/buying your books/seeing your movies for years, contributing cash to your employment, and I’m glad to do it. If I give you thirty bucks, would you take four seconds out of your life to let me know how much you appreciate your fans?”
      .
      I’ll pay for a sketch or a commission, or for a piece of memorabilia (photo, baseball, whatever). But to expect to PAY for a simple signature? Forget it. I’ve already paid for your product; I was hoping for something memorable if small in return.
      .
      Corollary: And I am Legion, and I contain multitudes. If I were, say, waiting in line for PAD to get a autograph, and he asked me after he signed if I would be good enough to get him a soda, I’d do it in a heartbeat, and never mind the cost, Mr. David, glad to help you out! But the plain outright greed of the cash for autograph rubs me the REALLY wrong way.
      .
      Corollary 2: And of course, people who expect free autographs and then sell ’em for beaucoup bucks are another pest… sigh. We need a set of rules or somethi- oh. 🙂

  2. Two more articles, based on personal experience:

    Pros should wear their ID badges on their breast pockets. Wearing it on the belt can lead to some awkward moments for a fan looking to do an interview with a pro for a fanzine. (nobody ever complained, but I felt like a perv trying to read an ID badge placed near the crotch of some pros way back when during the UKCAC)

    If you want your picture taken with female pros, actresses or models, do not touch them (that’s for the guys out there). If said woman allows herself to be touched, the only place where you can put your hand is her shoulders. Anyplace lower, and you’re likely to receive a well-deserved slap in the face, at best. (never happened to me, but i’ve seen some rather rude behavior in cons).

  3. Can I defend the lurkers. Most of the time lurkers are just shy or they have a quirky (but not weird) request, and are just afraid of bothering the Pro.

    Once I took a picture with Ryan Ottley, a talented artist and super nice guy, but when I looked at the picture, stupid me was covering the title of the book I was holding with my hand. I really wanted another picture, but I was working up the courage to ask. I didn’t mean to make anyone feel uncomfortable.

    1. The perfect solution to this is an additional corollary to Peter’s lingering fan rule:

      If the Pro after a period of 5-15 minutes depending upon line, availability of Pro, or creepiness of Fan asks the Fan, “Is this something else I can help you with?”; This is the Official International Response in which Fan should take hint to ask for final signatures, pictures, etc. and move along to next location for at least a reasonable period of time such as 2 hours, 1 day, or the rest of your life.

    2. I don’t mind the lurkers. I have been on the other side of the table. I have been tongue-tied in front of people I respect greatly.

      But there is a major difference between lurking and actively listening.

      Here’s the difference

      I was at a convention with Peter, Harlan, and Neil.

      Neil and I had some business to discuss that we agreed we would talk about at this convention. I was hiring him for an introduction to a book I was editing and we had reached a point were a short face to face discussion could finish the deal and he could write up the piece I needed while I put in the voucher to get him paid.

      I waited at his table while he finished up signing. There were a couple of people who were lurking. There was a group of four, a young lady, and a young man. Now I could tell that the young lady was trying to get up the courage to speak to Neil. The young man had a piece of paper in his hand and he also was trying to get his courage up to talk to Neil. The group of four had been lurking since Neil had started signing.

      Neil got up from the table and we started to walk off to have our discussion. The young lady came up and told Neil how much she admired his work and that something he wrote had helped her through a very dark time in her life. Neil spoke to her for a bit and she walked off happy that she had been able to say what she wanted to say to Neil. Now while this was going on, I noticed that the four lurkers had moved back into our space again.

      We took a couple more steps and as we were passing the young man. He said Excuse me Mr. Gaiman. Neil turned and the young man had a beautiful drawing that he done of the Endless. Neil complimented the man on his art work and the young man gave it to Neil as thanks for his writing. Again the group of four was creeping back into our space. They were trying to see what Neil had in his hand. I put myself between them and Neil.

      Neil and I moved off to a corner and I watched the group of 4 again creeping toward us. Neil saw them and we walked down a hall away from the convention and got about half way through our discussion when we saw two of the group again trying to creep up on us. Neil asked them very politely to leave us alone and they got the hint and left us alone.

      The rest of the weekend I kept getting serious dirty looks from that group.

      I guess I should have said stalker rather than lurker. I didn’t mind the first two people who interrupted us but that group was way over the line.

      1. Thanks for clarifying the difference. I am always afraid of coming off as a stalker when I get an autograph. I just think its rude to interrupt an artist if he’s sketching. If he’s engrossed in a sketch, I’ll wait a bit to see if he’s availiable for an autograph. I think that’s better than barking “Hey, can I have an autograph!” If he’s too busy, I’ll come back later. But I’d rather seem stalker ish than pushy, I guess.

  4. Here are my two cents, much of which ties into what has been said before:

    1) Follow directions. If a pro says no sketches, don’t ask for a sketch. If there is a three book limit for signatures, don’t plop down 50 books expecting them to sign them all. I’m usually behind these people when getting my one or two things signed, and while listening to the negotiations that ensue are always fun,it would save a lot of fun if they just obeyed the rules.

    2) If kids in strollers irritate you, then avoid kid’s day. Kid’s days are designed for the bringing in or kids. And kids of a certain age require strollers. Remember, comic cons are for everybody–young single people like you and old child-having fogies like me.

    3)No cutting in line. Nobody wants to stand in line for a half hour for any reason. But that’s what comic con’s are all about. The only thing worse than standing in line for that long is standing in line that long and seeing someone cut in line three people ahead of them. If you have line-waiting proxy, that’s okay. But let the people behind you in line see you waiting with them for just a little bit.

    4) If there is a time schedule for a signing/panel/etc, keep to it. Obviously, emergencies come up and the unexpected and unavoidable happen. But if a signing starts at noon, make every effort to be there at noon. If it’s supposed last until 2pm, then stay until 2pm. Don’t cut off the line or leave the signing early.

    5) Comic creators are people too. Be nice. If you can’t be nice, be polite. Talk to them like human beings. Don’t shout epithets across a crowded convention floor. I am usually shy, but nice. The result is that most creators will respect that and make you feel at ease. I have a lot of great conversations that way.

    6) Creators, wear name tags. Not every creator is as recognizable as PAD. But if you don’t wear a name tag that is not visable to a fan, don’t be rude if they ask you nicely if you are creator X when you are at creator X’s table.

    1. Agreed about the name tag. At the Emerald City Comic Con I took photos of most of the people I got autographs from (with their permission) and in some cases they weren’t wearing tags, it wasn’t obvious who they were from the table, and the item I got autographed didn’t make it into the shot. So to recall afterwards who they were after the fact would have been a time consuming game of process of elimination.

  5. Lots of great stuff here! A couple of mine…
    (1.) Never meander and never suddenly stop in the middle of an aisle. Keep to one side or the other if you decide you want a relaxing stroll. ALWAYS assume there are people behind you who would like to get by.
    (2.) Con organizers: Never, never, never categorize pro guest badges by “status” level, as the Philadelphia Comicfest folks did in 1994. It can be very awkward explaining to a pro guest why he/she is “C-lister” instead of an “A-lister.”
    (3.) Help the dealers by having something other than $100 or $50 bills.
    (4.) If getting $$$ from the ATM, have your card ready in hand so you don’t have to dig for it when it’s finally your turn. Also, don’t balance your checkbook, file your nails, talk on your cell phone, etc. Get your money and get the hëll out of the way.
    (5.) With a nod to Wally Wood, never, never, never tell a pro, “I liked your old stuff better.”
    (6.) If you walk up to talk to a casual “con friend” or pro you’ve only met 4-5 times before, make sure your name badge is visible. Better yet, check your badge AND verbally reintroduce yourself.

      1. The “never stopping suddenly” should be a all-situation rule as well. Especially in NYC, Times Square area. You’d think people never saw a neon sign the size of Duluth before.

        And in a correllary to #3, another help to dealers would be leaving the checkbook at home. Most dealers will accept credit, all of them will accept cash, but checks are hardly ever welcome. Unless you have a relationship with a dealer and he know you’re good for the check, it will be hard to find a dealer who will take a check. I’ve seen a long, drawn-out discussion between an exasperated dealer and a customer trying to pay by check.

  6. Do no assume that just because you find a creator’s character sexy that he wants to hear your sexual fantasies about said character, or that he will want to draw said character in a sexually available position, or that he will want to have sex with you.

    Comics is big. You can be darned famous in context and still have people who don’t know your work. Treat their curiosity as an opportunity, not a burden.

    Just because I drew a sketch for a four year old kid doesn’t mean I have to draw one for you. We like kids, and aren’t here hoping to make our money off of them.

    Be aware of where you stop and talk with your friends. When you stand in front of my table in a tight aisle for 10 minutes, you’ve just shut down my business for that time on a busy day.

    If your kid is running to every table asking “what have you got for free”, please stop them.

    (I will defend those who charge for autographs; they tend to be a combination of celebrities whose career highlights are behind them, for whom this sort of signing provides and income as well as an excuse to interact with fans – I’ve seen what the residual checks look like on someone who did that cool guest character on a favorite show decades back, and it doesn’t buy a pack of gum – and creators who know that many getting their signature are not doing it because they’re fans, but because they can turn around and sell the signed item at a markup. The vast majority of working comic creators at a convention will sign at least something for free.)

    1. Once during the mid-1980s, I said to myself, “Self, I think we should start doing commissions.” But after placing a small ad in, I think, “The Buyer’s Guide for Comic Fandom,” the first request I received in the mail was to draw a topless superheroine of note. So, after a big sigh, I politely declined the request and told myself, “Self, you don’t need the money that bad.” Of course, I can afford to be prudishly choosy. I’ve never had to support myself drawing comics.

  7. My contributions are two requests for clarification or elaboration on suggestions already posted.

    1. If a pro has a “well known” hatred of a piece of his earlier work… I think it is quite possible for something like this to be well known to fans long immersed in cons and fannish activities but not at all well known to casual fans who drop by out of a sincere interest in that very work (and perhaps little knowledge of what else the pro has done). How can we protect these newbies from the pro’s wrath? A sign at the table saying “Please don’t ask me about X”?

    2. The suggestion about strollers is fine unless kid’s day also happens to be the only day when some popular program is scheduled. In that case, I think we have to default to a rule that stroller pushers need to act so as to try to minimize the negative impact of strollers on others, while also expecting that the others will show tolerance and avoid overt hostility when it is clear that the stroller pushers are trying. Kind of like the rule one might suggest regarding adults on planes faced with kids.

    — John Hall

    1. Well, the people with strollers should act responsibly when pushing their strollers regardless of the circumstance. Popular programs shouldn’t be the reason for common courtesy. Within reason, of course. If you stop in front of a stroller with no warning, expect to be hit with a stroller. There is little the stroller pusher could do to avoid that, other than being a fortune teller/

  8. Pros have a right to be Fans too.

    Unless the Pros are at a panel or autograph table or an “appearance”, then they have a right to enjoy the convention as any other fan.

    Back at one of the Chicago Comicons in the 90s, around the time the SDCC copyrighted “Comicon”, I attended one and JMS finished a panel and we all left then he went into the men’s room, and for a moment I paused, but instantly berated myself that I did not have to used the bathroom, that I would be approaching the psycho stalker line if I did follow Joe, so I kept walking.

    The next day of the con I saw him and his wife, Kathryn, walk past me, touring the convention and again I wondered what they’d be interested in, but again, remind myself, no, not fair. They have a right to enjoy the con like any other fan. So, despite my love of BABYLON 5 as my favorite tv series, and his work then on RISING STARS, which was the sole reason I got back into comics after the 2nd time quitting, but I had heard he was writing a comic book series and was one of the main guests (Harlan was the guest of honor) along with a certain writer of stuff, I kept going in my original direction.

    There can be a thin line between fan and fanatic and I didn’t want to cross it.

    — Ken from Chicago

    P.S. The 1st time I quit comics was due to cost and inconvenience of getting to stores back in the ’80s, the 2nd time was in the 90s when I got crossovered out with 20-part series where little if anything of importance happened and was shocked ending one crossover just as Marvel’s “The Phalanx Covenant” 20-part crossover was announced in PREVIEWS for Fall. The 3rd and final time was in the 2000s after DC’s “Identity Crisis” and Marvel’s “Avengers Dissembled”. Even comics by writers I loved kept piling up, while I snapped up prose books, even those by those same writers (e.g. Star Trek: New Frontiers), and realized I feared TPTB, once again, mangling stories the writer’s stories.

    P.P.S. I remember Peter had a “But I Digress” column in COMICS BUYERS GUIDE where he encountered a kid who was a fan of Spider-Man, but not the comics, due to the movies, tv shows and video games. That’s how I’ve felt, even tho I don’t read superhero comics, I’m a fan of superheroes (e.g., Iron Man movies, Spider-Man movies, Captain America: First Avenger, City of Heroes online game, Champions Online game, and of course, DC Universe online game–and BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES is finally getting edged out of the best animated superhero series by the new YOUNG JUSTICE, as well as best Batman–last week’s episode and the depiction of Batman was frelling awesome!).

  9. I’m usually too impatient to wait behind a fan or fans while the artist draws sketches for the fans. Waiting five minutes or more for an artist to draw a sketch for a fan can feel like forever. I rather come back when the artist’s line is short. I am polite when I finally meet the artist(s), however. The lines for writers is much faster and shorter since most writers don’t draw their own books. Celebrities, on the other hand, their lines can be the largest and their autographs very pricey. Celebrities should not charge more than $20 for an autograph, period. End of story. Fans want celebrities to stay employed, but do NOT want overpay for autographs. And with this economy, fans can’t commit to overpay for autographs.

  10. I didn’t read all of the comments, but the Fan/Pro Bill of Rights should also include these 10 Convention Commandments:

    1) If a Pro is scheduled to appear at 11am, they should show up at 11am if not earlier to set-up. I’ve seen way too many tardy professionals either show up excessively late or not even bother to show up at all. You’re not a rock star, and even rock stars shouldn’t be late to their shows without the wrath of the diva label. If you’ve got a panel at 10am or a scheduled signing, use judgement and not go out drinking ’til 4am the previous day then laugh or brag about it the next day, I don’t think that’s professional behavior at all. Be on time and stay for at least the duration of your commitment. Staying late is like an encore, fans appreciate it.

    2) Pros who are signing autographs, don’t flatter yourself and accuse every fan as a person who’s going to profiteer and sell the item on eBay as if your name was John Hancock. If you’re worried about it, create protective guidelines and limits. Have maximum allowable quantities of items to sign. I think the best way to avoid and identify most of those pesky profiteering folks in the guise of fans is to simply insist on personalizing all autographs and sketches as a rule. Jim Steranko does it. Another way, without the pro looking bad is to set up a donation to a charity like Hero Initiative, CBLDF or any other entity for autographs or sketches that are normally free.

    3) Fans, there are no “holding places” in line for more than a bathroom break, and not for your friends to jump in, especially for sketches. Each sketch takes 10-20 minutes, so, every added person takes that much longer, and 3 people can be an extra 30-60 minutes to the person at the end of the line, and can be the difference between waiting for an hour or two and getting something or waiting an hour or two and getting nothing at all. I’ve seen pros handle lines properly by eiher assigning numbers to those in line or scheduled times to come back. Play by the rules.

    4) Fans and Pros who line up for a certain popular artist, please control those lines so they don’t block the exhibit space of vendors or other professionals and prevent fans and/or customers from visiting those around. And fans in the guise of exhibitors or press, please don’t abuse the system, stand in line at the appropriate time like the rest of the fans, who are actually more valuable than you are, since they’re paying attendees of the convention.

    5)Pros, don’t over commit to sketches/commissions you can’t do and take money in advance without proactively offering a refund if the piece isn’t done. Most art fans are docile, timid nerd-folk who kow-tow to artists and let them walk over ’em and wouldn’t think of asking for their money back in fear of not only their own shadow but of upsetting this so called creative genius. Give the nerds a break n’ be fair by either offering a refund or actually being honorable to promptly live up to your obligation. There’s too many horror stories of artists holding fans money hostage and fans practically having to continually beg for their piece month after month turing into year after year ’til they get fed up and blog about it or post message board rants to get a response from the artists.

    6) Fans, don’t discount inkers, colorists or writers from the creative team and make any rude or insensitive comments to others other than the penciler/artist while waiting in line. Show respect.

    7) Fans, “no, means no” so if there’s no time to sign your item or draw your sketch, don’t harass the pros and guilt them into doing anything for you. Begging is unbecoming. You are not an exception to the rule, so learn to deal with it and move on. Nothing is that important. Please don’t cry or pout either.

    8) Promoters, your role is more than just collecting money and letting people in. You’re the referee to the event. Please don’t put fans nor pros in bad situtions. Help situations out by being the “orginized” in your role as “organizer” – This means line control, getting your guests to come and be ready on time, and ensuring fans don’t ruin the experience of other fans by abusing or violating the system.

    9)Pros, if you see a certain fan abusing your system, there are ways of getting rid of them without public shame or humiliation. In the sensitive world of sketches/commissions, do what the top artists do, which is build a list and don’t do a 1st come, 1st served approach, otherwise you’ll get all sorts of greedy monsters and their profiteering friends clogging the list. The best approach is to take names and character/requests and then tell everyone you’re randomly picking what you feel like drawing in no sequence, the you can make pointed efforts to draw for those you want to and more importantly avoid those who you don’t want to draw for. If you feel any one person is profiteering, insist on taking photos of each fan with the completed piece, then you’ll be able to track the activity of there’s abnormal behavior of reselling if that’s something you don’t like happening. Some artists don’t care, $100 is $100, and what happens to that art afterwards if it’s burnt, kept or re-sold doesn’t matter.

    10) Pros and Fans, if you don’t like the experience of an event, please stay home. Nobody wants or needs you there if you’re just going to complain and ruin it for others.

  11. Pros:

    – Run your table a little bit like a business. Meaning: greet/acknowledge people when they approach and make sure that your prices/policies are clearly posted. If you leave your table, leave a note indicating when you plan to be back.

    – Try to manage your lines. You can’t change the fact that you don’t have enough time to sign autographs for everybody, but you can proactively declare someone to be The Last One In Line and prevent all of the surplus from wasting time.

    – When a fan makes a request (such as “May I take your picture?”), Option “A” is to consent and be pleasant about it. Option “B” is to decline and be pleasant about it. Don’t grudgingly agree and then make it plain that you think you really shouldn’t have to put up with this kind of ****.

    Fans:

    – A creator’s work is always worth exactly what he or she asks for it. That might be more than you might be interested in spending, and that’s fine. But never haggle, unless the creator suggests he’s open to making a deal.

    – Use your camera with discretion. No creator wants to be surprised by a camera flash when they’re eating, or during that one instant when they were definitely staring into Power Girl’s oval.

    – It’s unlikely that you have any good reason to take up more than three to five minutes of a creator’s time.

  12. hmm….

    the only touchy sore subject i think is ok is thanking rob liefield for making shatterstar gay.

    😀

  13. Fans, don’t go around shoving the manuscript of your ghastly unpublished novel at an author, and don’t fish for a recommendation of publisher. If you simply *must* tell them about it and they say “Hmm, that’s interesting; send it to my agent” it’s not a sign they like your pitch; it’s a polite verbal equivalent of gnawing off their leg to escape.

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