Latest news with #autograph
The Independent
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Star Wars fans not impressed at price for a Mark Hamill autograph
Mark Hamill, known for his role as Luke Skywalker, is reportedly charging fans a minimum of $400 for an autograph. Prices for his autographs at a FanExpo event were listed as $400 for an 8x10 photo, $500 for a premium autograph, and $700 for a 'bulky' autograph. The high cost of the autographs has generated significant discussion and criticism among fans on Reddit, with many expressing unwillingness to pay. Some online commenters defended the pricing, suggesting it could be a strategy to deter resellers or manage interactions with overly enthusiastic fans. Hamill recently shared an anecdote about his late co-star Carrie Fisher, who once urged him to embrace his Star Wars fame after he omitted it from his Broadway biography.
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Mark Hamill sparks outrage after charging Star Wars fans 'sickening' amount for autographs
Star Wars legend Mark Hamill has shocked fans with the 'sickening' amount he is charging for his autograph. The acclaimed actor, 73, who famously played Luke Skywalker in the classic George Lucas films alongside Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, is charging up to $700 a pop to scribble his signature on various items. A photo shared on Reddit exposed the eye-watering fees for Hamill's signature, sparking controversy in the comments. According to the snap, which was taken at a FanExpo event, the star is charging $400 to sign an 8x10 photo, while it costs $500 for a premium autograph. Meanwhile, a 'bulky' autograph – on a action figure or other similar merchandise - will set fans back a hefty $700. Outraged fans took to Reddit to complain about Hamill's prices, with one going as far as saying they've lost respect for him. One said: 'I wouldn't pay $400 for a meet and greet with my favorite celebrity, much less an autograph.' Agreeing, another said: 'I wouldn't pay $400 to sleep with my favorite celebrity.' 'Love Mark, but gotta say I've lost a little respect for him for this,' wrote a third. 'I know he's not the only one, and people have to make a living, but come on.' A fourth blasted: 'This is sickening.' 'I'll never quite understand paying for an autograph,' another quipped. 'Looking at a framed Luke Skywalker, ah remember when I paid 500 bucks at some convention hall to sign this! What a fun memory!' Others, however, defended Hamill and reasoned that his sky-high prices will deter crazed fans. 'I feel like this would just filter out the normal non-weird fans,' one pointed out. Another said: 'Sometimes people set these high prices because they don't really want to do it. At his age, with his popularity, it might be a way to set the pace.' But others were critical of this idea, with one slamming: 'Then don't do it? It's such a scummy practice.' Outraged fans took to Reddit to complain about Hamill's prices, with one going as far as saying they've lost respect for him Earlier this month, Hamill revealed his future in the iconic franchise after nearly 50 years playing Luke Skywalker. In an interview with Willie Geist, he said he won't be back for the new Star Wars film starring Daisy Ridley but is adamant he did not quit. He said: 'Well, let me say: they haven't asked me. It's not like they said, "Please come back." 'I don't want to make a big PR pronouncement like "This is my decision."' 'I'm just saying that it really felt like a conclusion. My character was given complete closure. I died, ironically by overdosing on the Force, I might point out.' Hamill starred as Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy, which also included 1980's Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and 1983's Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. He then reprised the role again in 2015's the Force Awakens. In the 2017 film The Last Jedi, Luke dies at the end, melding with The Force. He put on the mantel for what appeared to be the final time in 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, as Luke's spirit. Hamill said completing the Skywalker trilogy allowed for other adventures under the Star Wars umbrella. 'It was a whole new era for them,' he explained. 'George [Lucas] gave them this amazing canvas, the entire galaxy. They can do westerns, mysteries, comedies, whodunits, anything within that realm of Star Wars,' he said. 'And they're doing so well,' he added. 'I love Rogue One, Mandalorian, Book of Boba Fett.' Hamill made brief appearances in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett as Luke with the help of de-aging and motion capture effects. 'I had my time,' he said of his tenure in the 'galaxy far, far away.' 'I'm really appreciative, but I'm really looking to the future for all these new projects.' Hamill made headlines in late May when he told 'I left my robes behind. And there's no way I'm gonna appear as a naked force ghost.'
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
WNBA star Kelsey Plum's brutal insult to autograph-seeking 'fan' divides opinion... so was she in the right?
Opinion has been split after video emerged of an awkward interaction between Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum and a 'fan' hoping to snag an autograph from her. In a video posted to TikTok, a group of fans were seen waiting for Plum and teammate Dearica Hamby outside of a team hotel. The fan, who appeared to sound like a grown man, and Plum exchanged words which were spoken right before the video began - likely Plum asking why the man and others who had gathered were waiting for them. After the fan told Plum 'the bus was right here', Hamby made some kind of comment and continued walking away. Plum then remarked, 'Don't y'all find that kinda weird? Low key? Like low key, come on.' When the fan agreed with her, Plum said that she was 'really turned off right now, not gonna lie.' After affirming he was a fan - which Plum said she appreciated - and being asked to sign just one trading card on a sheet the fan held out, the former NCAA leading scorer relented and put her signature on a card. The video then ended with Plum signing the autograph and the fan encouraging her to 'keep going this year', which the player appreciated. The awkward encounter led to many opinions being shared online. Some thought that Plum seemed ungrateful for her fans. Others believed this fan wanted her autograph so he could sell it online. In fact, the latter turns out to be the case. When visiting the page of the account - with the username @minnygraphs99 suggesting he's from Minnesota and sells autographed cards - you find hundreds of videos from this user of him obtaining and selling autographed trading cards. Still, other users came to this account's defense. 'Kelsey Plum dumb asf. Nobody knew her until Caitlin [Clark] and now that she's got some fans she pissing on them,' wrote one user on X. Another said, 'Weird a fan? Lmaoooo.' 'Why are the WNBA women so f***ed up in the head? Dude is just asking for an autograph. What is Kelsey Plum f***ing problem?,' another user posted. Still, there were plenty of others who believed that the behavior from this fan was weird and defended Plum. 'It is weird, and a lot of athletes refuse to sign multiple items from obvious re-sellers,' one user said. 'I have zero problems with her calling out obviously weird resellers. They are not fans,' a different user posted. Another said, 'tbh I have no problem with her saying this. It must be awkward for a grown man to ask another adult for an autograph. And it is absolutely weird to wait by their bus. I've chased auto's … when I was 13-14 yrs old.' Despite the Sparks struggling at 4-9, Plum has been a godsend in the midst of her first season since being traded from the Las Vegas Aces. Plum leads the Sparks in scoring with 20.9 points per game.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rarely Seen Heavy Metal Icon Has Exciting News For Fans
The world of rock was never the same after Black Sabbath. The four lads from Birmingham—, , Geezer Butler and Bill Ward— solidified the sound we call heavy metal with their self-titled debut album. But for decades, one question remained: who was the "witch" on the cover of Black Sabbath? With long, dark hair and a flowing black coat, the unnamed, intimidating figure stood amongst the weeds, casting her spell. For decades, no one knew that this woman was model Louisa Livingstone. And now, heavy metal maniacs have an opportunity to secure a rare artifact: her autograph. The former model and actress announced that she will raffle off her autograph and a personalized letter to fund a cat rescue project. "Many Black Sabbath fans have asked me online for my autograph, and to this day, nobody has one - for a variety of reasons! But I have now decided, at this epic time with Black Sabbath doing their last ever gig, to raffle my autograph," wrote Livingstone. Raffle tickets cost £1 (or USD 1.35) each, and fans can make multiple purchases to increase their chances of winning. The drawing takes place on July 20, two weeks after Black Sabbath's final show ever. Livingstone hopes to raise funds to purchase property for her cat haven. "I am aware it may sound rather optimistic, but there are literally millions of Black Sabbath fans around the world, and if just a small proportion bought a raffle ticket costing very little, it could be life-changing for my cat rescue efforts," she added. Livingstone's identity as the witch on Black Sabbath stayed a mystery until Rolling Stoneconfirmed it in 2020. "I had no idea I was so popular until after the…interview and article when fans sent me photos of their tattoos bearing my image," she wrote. Louisa says she hasn't made any money off her likeness and "haven't been in a position to sign any autographs anywhere at all." "However, if you feel moved to buy raffle tickets," she wrote, "you will be helping the 'witch on the Black Sabbath cover' to do a lot more for cats that need help and looking after."Rarely Seen Heavy Metal Icon Has Exciting News For Fans first appeared on Parade on May 28, 2025
New York Times
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Frank Gore Jr.'s ‘elementary school' FGJ autograph a joke among Bills teammates that he vows to fix
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Frank Gore Jr. swears up and down he didn't sign that football card. Buffalo Bills teammates have a hard time believing him. 'I don't know what to think,' nickel back Taron Johnson said upon being shown a picture. 'But it's hilarious.' 'Is that AI?' receiver Keon Coleman asked. 'Either way, that s—'s funny.' Advertisement Gore is getting dragged about an autograph Topps inserted into packs and certified as authentic, a scrawling of only his initials: FGJ. A collector apparently pulled the card last week from a pack of 2024 Topps Chrome football cards and posted a photo on social media, asking 'Worst autograph ever?' The tweet made it into a Bills players group chat. They've been skewering Gore ever since. Ty Johnson and the rest of Gore's fellow running backs have been particularly merciless. 'They troll all day,' Gore said after practice Tuesday afternoon. 'They think it's funny, 'FGJ.' They say I have a poor, elementary-school autograph. 'But, in reality, I think it was fake. I'm 99.9 percent positive. I'm sure I didn't do that.' So there aren't any more 'FGJ' cards out there? 'Shouldn't be,' Gore said with a sheepish smile. 'I reached out to my team. It's social media. I'm not going to respond to it. But it was funny for sure.' The problem with Gore's claim is that an eBay search shows for sale dozens of 'FGJ' signatures that also carry a 'Topps Certified Autograph Issue' label. The backs of the cards read, 'The signing of all Topps autograph cards is witnessed by Topps representatives to guarantee authenticity.' But some of the same versions of Gore's 2024 Topps Chrome cards bear a gorgeous, flowing 'F. Gore Jr.' signature. Those cards feature the same Topps authenticity avowals. A third distinct signature can be found on his 2024 Panini Contenders insert cards with the back of the card stating, 'The autograph is guaranteed by Panini America, Inc.' 'FGJ' is worthy of ridicule, but not nearly the worst autograph out there. Card manufacturers have been frustrated for years over poor quality and the minimum effort players, who are getting paid for the endeavor, put into the assembly-line autograph industry. Google 'worst autographs' for a seemingly endless gallery of chicken scratch, spaghetti scribbles and kindergarten scrawls, including superstars such as Tom Brady, first overall pick Cam Ward, NBA great Luka Doncic and three-time NHL MVP Connor McDavid. Some in the collectibles industry consider such autographs vandalism when applied to valuable memorabilia. They're also easily forged. Advertisement Bills quarterback Josh Allen was shamed into improving his signature while playing for the University of Wyoming, where his offensive coordinator's wife saw Allen's slop and told him he needed to be more dutiful to his fans. For a feature on the trend of ugly sports autographs, 2013 National League batting champion Michael Cuddyer told The Athletic how Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew castigated him for a sloppy autograph while at a Minnesota Twins fan event. Cuddyer revised his signature and now is known for delivering one of the most beautiful around. 'Your signature is who you are,' Cuddyer said. 'It's your name. I respect my name, respect the people that gave it to me, respect the hard work they put into helping to make my name autograph-worthy. 'When people truly want your autograph because they're proud to have met you, you don't want them to remember you as a squiggly mark. I feel like I'm defacing my name if you can't read it when I write it.' Topps did not respond to questions from The Athletic about the 'FGJ' authenticity or whether it would assist in a proposal Gore made to remedy the situation. Gore offered to autograph the 'FGJ' card in question, which would create a humorous collectible — and maybe get him off the hook in the locker room. 'If they reach out to me, I'll sign the right one,' Gore said. 'I promise. However I can make it better, I want to make it better.'
