Autograph April 2009

AUTOGRAPH

300 CELEBRITY MAILING ADDRESSES INSIDE! PAGE 64

FORRY ACKERMAN ESTATE AUCTION • OPERATION BULLPEN • JOHN UPDIKE • JOAN BLONDELL • 10 BASEBALL PLAYERS TO GET NOW • MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS

APRIL 2009

CONNECTING WITH CELEBRITY

John Updike: Real, Bright and Huge Inside FBI’s Operation Bullpen Medal of Honor Recipients 10 Baseball Autographs to Get Now The First Lady of Star Trek Remembered 80 Years, 600 Autographs, One Tablecloth

A Sneak Peek at the

Forrest J Ackerman Horror & Sci-Fi Auction

APRIL 2009

autographmagazine.com

AM0409_Cover.indd 1

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A Profiles in History Auction April 30 - May 1, 2009

original

1931 Frankenstein

one-sheet poster

1-310-859-7701 w w w . p ro f i l e s i n h i s t o ry . c o m for more information call

Profiles

in

History • 26901 Agoura Road • Suite 150 • Calabasas Hills • California 91301

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the collection of the king of pop

Michael Jackson Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Display; $1,000 – 1,500 Michael Jackson Crystal Glove; $10,000 – $15,000

Michael Jackson Hollywood Walk of Fame Jacket; $15,000 – 20,000 D. Pauvert (French, 19th/20th Century); $30,000 – 50,000 Bronze Statue of Napoleon Crossing the Alps; $300 – 500

Public Exhibition: A pril 14-21, 2009 Public Auction: A pril 22-25, 2009 S ession I: Garden Statuary & Outdoor Furniture S ession II & III: Furniture & Decorative Arts S ession IV: Antiques, Paintings & Fine Decorative Art S ession V & VI: Amusements, Arcade Games & Entertainment S ession VII & VIII: Memorabilia From the Life & Career of Michael Jackson

To purchase the 5-catalogue set, please call 310-836-1818 or visit our website at www.juliensauctions.com.

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title: Julien’s Auction, Michael Jackson Sale element: Autograph Magazine Ad manager: Darren Julien, Eric Lynxwiler round: 2F version: size: 8.375" x 10.875" date: 2/27/09

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The Foundation of All Great Collections © 2009 Collectors Universe, Inc. 901904

April 2009 | Volume 20 | Number 4

Features

22 Remembering Michael Minor

Autograph dealer and historian Michael Minor will be missed far beyond his friends, family and the autograph community.

36 Majel Barrett-Roddenberry The First Lady of Star Trek.

By Mark J. Gross

38 The Masters of Golf

No. 6 in this series: Herman Keiser.

By Ron Keurajian

48

36

40 Men of Honor

Collecting Medal of Honor recipients.

By Robert Moore

44 The Red Thread Legacy

An Irish linen tablecloth filled with more than 600 celebrity autographs, and Walter Light’s passion.

By Natalie Navarro

Ackerman 48 Forry Estate Auction

Horror and sci-fi’s No. 1 fan left behind quite possibly the most notable collection of its kind.

By Kimberly Cole

54 Operation Bullpen

The story of the infamous Southern California forgery ring that ripped off collectors for more than $100 million.

By Kevin Nelson

58 John Updike

He refused interviews—but will be remembered through his books.

By Lawrence Grobel

40 54

44

58

AUTOGRAPH 4

APRIL 2009

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AUTOGRAPH

3/12/2009 10:54:47 PM

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www.autographmagazine.com

Columns

24 Affordable History

Collecting soldier of fortune Ivor Thord-Gray.

By Jon Allan

26 Autographica Curiosa How not to impress Emily Post.

By William L. Butts

34

27 You Are What You Write

Can you guess the man from the hand?

By Arlyn Imberman

28 Book Collector

The British are signing.

By John E. Schlimm II

30 Sports Guru

Diamond legends: 10 players to get now!

By Tom Talbot

32

32 Sirens

Joan Blondell.

By Jeff Benziger

34 In the Trenches

Wined, dined & signed by James Cameron.

By Josh Board

16

26 30

Departments On the Cover Forrest J Ackerman with Vincent Price in the Ackermansion. Get the scoop on the Ackerman estate auction, starting on page 48.

Photo courtesy of Profiles in History 6

APRIL 2009

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28

8 10 11 12 14 16 18 20 62 64 67 70 71 72

Inscription Letters Contributing Writers News UACC News Auction Action Contest In-Person Scoop Passings Celebrity Addresses Autograph Events Collector’s Marketplace Guide to Advertisers Celebrity Signatures

AUTOGRAPH

3/12/2009 9:53:23 PM

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT MEMORABILIA

Consign to our upcoming Music & Entertainment Auction June 5-6, 2009 Dallas, Texas Buddy Holly Passport

Sold For: $26,290

Heritage realizes top prices for...

HA.com/622-46001

Martin Luther King Jr. Signed Letter to Sammy Davis Jr.

Sold For: $10,157 HA.com/634-76001

◆ Screen-Worn Costumes ◆ Scripts and Props ◆ Autographed Material ◆ Awards ◆ All Quality Entertainment Memorabilia

Clint Eastwood Early Signed Letter to Billy Wilder (1954)

Sold For: $7,767 HA.com/696-63014

Laurel and Hardy’s Complete Hal Roach Studio Archive of Contracts from 1923 to 1939

Sold For: $47,800 HA.com/648-134001

We Pay Finders’ Fees

To consign your material to a future auction, call one of our consignment directors today!

The consignment deadline for this auction is April 14.

Consign Now! Doug Norwine • 800-872-6467, ext. 1452 DougN@HA.com 3500 Maple Avenue, 17th Floor Dallas, Texas 75219 800-872-6467 • HA.com/Entertainment

TX Auctioneer licenses: Samuel Foose 11727; Robert Korver 13754; Mike Sadler 16129; Andrea Voss 16406.

This auction is subject to a 19.5% Buyer’s Premium.

Receive a free copy of this catalog, or one from another Heritage category.

Register online at HA.com/AC16552 or call 866-835-3243 and mention reference AC16552. The entire auction will go online approximately May 17 at HA.com/Entertainment.

Annual Sales Exceed $700 Million • 425,000+ Online Registered Bidder-Members 16552

BY STEVEN CYRKIN

Passion

O

AUTOGRAPH www.AutographMagazine.com AUTOGRAPH MEDIA a California Corporation

ne of the reasons I love autographs is

the community. And our community lost a good friend last December: Michael Minor, a partner in Lone Star Autographs. I hope you’ll take a minute to read about his life on page 22. I had the pleasure of working with Mike and his partner, Larry Vrzalik, on their tribute to President Ford that appeared in our April 2007 issue. Mike was a brilliant guy, a passionate collector and I know he’ll be greatly missed.

You don’t want to miss our feature on the Forrest J Ackerman sale. The upcoming auction of his autograph and memorabilia collection is the event for horror and sci-fi fans. Even though he accomplished many things—he was a literary agent, an actor, a writer—he’s still best known and most often described as “a fan.” His passion inspired writers, directors, actors and designers of science fiction and horror for the past 75 years. And now, with the upcoming Ackerman Estate Auction starting April 30, his collection might inspire you, too.

Our feature on Walter Light tells the story of collecting more than 600 celebrity autographs on an Irish linen tablecloth and how “the project took over my entire life.” Light’s passion for collecting lead him into presidential office suites, Audrey Meadows’ living room and across the Atlantic for the autograph of the Titanic’s only living survivor.

As Paul Theroux said of John Updike, “His work is all of a piece, capturing the life forces of America, a half century of the social, the political, the marital; of solitude and intimacy, and passion—the human libido is often warmly throbbing in Updike’s fiction.” Larry Grobel tells the story of his quest for an interview with Updike, and allows us to say goodbye to a literary lion.

Autograph is planning a major feature story in August on autographs in education. We’ve been working with educators who have developed amazing curriculum for high school students in history, English and letter writing, using autographs and celebrity connections to inspire students. I’d be willing to bet that there are more programs like these. So I’m asking for your help—if you know of any similar programs, or if you use autographs to teach your own kids, please drop us a line at editor@autographmagazine.com and tell us about it.

There has been chaos on the magazine racks since February. The largest wholesaler went out of businesses and the second largest one almost did.

Combined, they controlled half of the single copy magazine sales in the U.S., including most of the bookstores. Warned that our March issue would likely never reach the stands, we decided to sell them ourselves. This issue was likely to be effected, too. Add to this that bookstores are closing left and right (Border’s stock is 44-cents as I write this), there was no reliable way tell people where to find Autograph. So we’ve decided to leave the magazine racks, at least temporarily, and sell Autograph strictly by subscription and direct single copy sales.

Sales have been excellent, so it was a good choice. Please be sure to tell your friends used to buying it in the stores to come to the website now.

There’s one big benefit to not being in stores—no barcode on the cover!

How do you like that?

Until next month...happy collecting!

8

APRIL 2009

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Publisher

Steven Cyrkin

Steve.Cyrkin@AutographMagazine.com

Editor

Kimberly Cole

KCole@AutographMagazine.com

Managing Editor/Creative Director Tamara Berger Tamara@AutographMagazine.com

Editor Emeritus Ev Phillips

editorev@shawcable.com

Editor-at-Large Lawrence Grobel

Larry.Grobel@AutographMagazine.com

Contributing Editors Jon Allan Jeff Benziger Josh Board William L. Butts Arlyn Imberman

Ron Keurajian Joe Kraus Robert Moore Natalie Navarro Kevin Nelson

Joshua Platt Anthony Record John E. Schlimm II Tom Talbot Scott Voisin

Webmaster Paul Karavitis paul@autographmagazine.com Advertising Inquiries Nicole LeMaster Nicole@AutographMagazine.com

Subscriptions & Customer Relations CustomerService@AutographMagazine.com P.O. Box 25559 • Santa Ana, CA 92799 714-263-3560 x106 • 800-996-3977 Subscriptions:

$29.95/year U.S., $44.95/year USD Canada, $69.95/year USD all other International, $5.95/single copy Editorial, Advertising and Business Office: P.O. Box 25559, Santa Ana, California 92799 800-996-3977, 714-263-3560, Fax 714-557-2105 Volume 20 Number 4 • April 2009 Printed in the United States. Copyright 2009 by Autograph Media ISSN #10713425. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. All views expressed are those of the contributors. Nothing herein is provided by the publisher or its employees as investment advice.

Authentication opinions are those of the individual providing them and not the publisher. Autograph is published monthly by Autograph Media at 3629 W. MacArthur Blvd., Suite 210, Santa Ana, CA 92704.

Periodicals Postage paid at Santa Ana, Calif., and at additional mailing offices. Subscription price: one year, all U.S., $29.95; Canada $44.95; all other foreign $69.95 per year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Autograph, P.O. Box 25559, Santa Ana, CA 92799.

AUTOGRAPH

3/15/2009 4:52:26 PM

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1/26/2009 2:51:25 PM

“...both Hillary and Bill Clinton are known for using the Autopen.”

Political Writers

Dear Editor, I have been collecting autographs for the past 19 years. I began when I was 9 years old, starting with Mickey Mantle.

Most of my collection is signed sports cards and signed baseballs. However, I have a growing signed first edition book collection that focuses on sports, former presidents and other nonfiction writers.

My purpose for emailing is to tell you that I am starting to focus more on politically signed books. I have seen John Schlimm’s articles in Autograph and wanted to ask which members of the Watergate controversy have books that they will sign? Also, what are some other political players who sign? And finally, do Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton use Autopens to sign their books through the mail? I have been curious about this and want to send them their books, but I do not want them autopenned.

Thanks for your time and for good stories.

Josh Parks Via email

Gre at qu esti on s , Jo sh .

Unfortunately, you missed the chance to get Deep Throat’s autograph. Mark Felt, revealed in 2005 as Deep Throat, died in December. Your questions regarding Watergate prompt enough information to warrant an entire article. But here’s a short answer—among the Watergate principals, only John Dean, G. Gordon Liddy, James McCord, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are still alive. All of them wrote books, and all of them will sign. Their websites are probably the best starting point for instructions for getting books signed through the mail and for 10 april 2009

AM0904_Letters.indd 10

events at which you might get an in-person signing.

For more political players who sign, take a look at John Schlimm’s column in this issue on British Prime Ministers—it’s a great area to collect.

Finally, both Hillary and Bill Clinton are known for using the Autopen. Your best bet is to write in your letter that you DO NOT want the books signed by autopen. If they cannot be signed personally, ask that they be returned to you unsigned.

Boris Karloff

Dear Editor, I have subscribed to Autograph for the last couple of years, but have never seen any articles written about the King of Horror...Boris Karloff. His autographs, as I understand, are very collectible and always seem to have high interest when good ones come up on eBay. Would it be possible to have an article regarding Mr. Karloff and his autographs (fake and authentic) in a future story spread in Autograph?

Yours is the most interesting of all magazines—and highly informative! Keep up the good work!

Larry Turek Dearborn, Mich.

Larry, did you enjoy the signed photo of Boris Karloff as the monster in March’s feature, “Vintage Hollywood Photos,” by Joe Maddalena? And I hope you enjoy the signed photo of Karloff au naturel in this issue’s article on the Forry Ackerman collection. One of the incredible things about Forry’s collection is the provenance—the stars of horror and sci-fi were his friends, and their signed photographs decorated the walls of his home. We don’t have an article dedicated

to Karloff scheduled, but we’ll put your request in the pipeline. It’s a good idea.

Kenny Baker’s Autograph

Dear Editor, I am writing to ask you to either delete the home address of Kenny Baker [R2D2 in all the Star Wars movies, and the Ewok Paploo from Return of the Jedi] from your address listings or please advise your readers that Kenny no longer signs for free through the mail.

Since he was taken ill on a flight back from Chicago in March 2008, Kenny has had to reduce his workload and due to ill health will no longer be able to undertake overseas flights to attend autograph conventions.

At the request of his family I have revamped his website at www.kennybaker.co.uk, due to the volume of autograph requests he was receiving where people were requesting multiples of undedicated, signed photos, and in a lot of cases not enclosing sufficient return postage. Coupled with this, it was brought to light that people were openly bragging on autograph chat forums about how many times they had written to him and how many items they had got done for free, so they

have now spoiled it for the genuine fans.

As well as helping Kenny to write his life story, I am helping those fans who genuinely want Kenny’s autograph and are prepared to pay for his time. This letter is in response to a fan letter recently, in which they stated that they had got his address from your magazine, so I would ask you please to put a stop to this as they will be wasting their time and money.

Ken Mills Via email You’re right—the greedy people ruin it for both true fans and celebrities. We’re sorry to hear of Kenny’s ill health and hope he has his strength back soon.

May the Force be with him—and we thank Kenny for all the years he signed for free.

Corrections

Our apologies to Todd Britton, author of March’s feature, “The Perfect Game.” Todd updated the article to reflect that Kenny Rogers has 219 wins and now plays with the Detroit Tigers; Randy Johnson has 295 wins and just signed with the San Francisco Giants; David Wells has 239 wins.

We dropped the ball and used an earlier version of his article.

In March’s feature, “Future Hall of Famers,” the Brett Favre images are considered by our experts to be secretarials signed by Favre’s mother.

Autograph loves your letters and we publish as many as we can. Keep them concise, honest and interesting and send them to: Editor, ­Autograph P.O. Box 25559 Santa Ana, CA 92799 Email: Editor@AutographMagazine.com All submissions become property of the publisher. We reserve the right to edit for content, brevity and whim, and use as we see fit. Opinions are those of the writer, not the publisher.

AUTOGRAPH

3/13/2009 3:32:30 PM

JON ALLAN is a historian, political junkie, autograph collector of more than 50 years and owner of Elmer’s Nostalgia. He was awarded the George and Helen Sanders Outstanding Dealer Award and is listed in Who’s Who in America. Email: elmers1@ myfairpoint.net JEFF BENZIGER is a newspaper editor in California and has been collecting autographs since 1972. Email: jeff.benziger@autographmagazine.com JOSH BOARD is a newspaper writer and rabid collector. He has worked in radio since his 20s. Email: josh.board@autographmagazine.com William L. Butts (not pictured) owns Main Street Fine Books & Manuscripts, Ltd. (ABAA, PADA) in Galena, Ill. Phone: 815-777-3749. Email: william.butts@autographmagazine.com KIMBERLY COLE (not pictured) is a freelance writer, editor and software developer living in Corona del Mar, Calif. Her love of autographs started when she was 3 and her father, a newscaster, brought home a signed photograph of himself with Ernest Hemingway.

LAWRENCE GROBEL is a freelance writer and a contributing editor at Playboy and Movieline’s Hollywood Life. He has written nine books, including Conversations with Capote, Conversations with Brando, The Hustons and The Art of the Interview, a subject he teaches at UCLA. He cowrote Montel William’s Climbing Higher. His latest book is Al Pacino: In Conversation with Lawrence Grobel. Pacino’s foreword can be read at www.lawrencegrobel.com. Email: larry.grobel@autographmagazine.com MARK J. GROSS is a videographer and freelance writer covering the sci-fi scene. Email your thoughts or convention info to him at mark.gross@autographmagazine. Web: www.yourscifiguy.com ARLYN IMBERMAN is president of Emerging Image, Inc. in New York and the author of Signature for Success (Quill Driver Books).

Ron Keurajian (not pictured) is a banker and attorney in Detroit, Mich., and has collected autographs since the 1970s. He has authored numerous signature studies on vintage baseball and golf.

Joe Kraus founded Autograph and has authored the book Alive in the Desert and more than 300 articles in some 60 publications. A retired newspaper managing editor, he has collected for more than 50 years. Email: celebritygalleries@sbcglobal.net Robert Moore is a freelance marketing consultant who has been collecting sports, music, politics, history and military autographs for more than 15 years.

Natalie Navarro is a public relations assistant for the Sports & Entertainment division at Formula PR, Inc. who got her start as an intern for Autograph.

Kevin Nelson is an author and journalist.

Nelson’s many books and articles cover a range of topics, from crime and California history to sports and parenting. His newest book, Wheels of Change, From Zero to 600 MPH, The Amazing Story of California and the Automobile, will be published in 2009 by Heyday Books and the California Historical Society Press. He can be reached at: http://www.operationbullpen.com JOSHUA PLATT is an autograph collector and freelance writer who has been writing for Autograph since 1997. He was named a Contributing Editor in 2003, when he began authoring “Auction Action.”

Email jrplatt2000@yahoo.com to notify him about newsworthy autograph auctions.

ANTHONY D. RECORD is an optometrist and longtime autograph collector, mostly by mail, and an Autograph contributor for more than a decade. Email: anthonydrecord@gmail.com JOHN E. SCHLIMM II collects signed first edition books, and is the author of The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Cookbook, among others. Email: john.schlimm@ autographmagazine.com TOM TALBOT is an avid writer and autograph collector based in Rochester, N.Y. Email: tom. talbot@autographmagazine.com. Website: www. autographchaser.com

AUTOGRAPH

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april 2009

11

3/4/2009 4:12:21 PM

Sign up for the Autograph eZine at www.AutographMagazine.com current happenings in the autograph hobby

Ulysses S. Grant Moves South

M

ississippi State University is now home to 90 file cabinets filled with hundreds of thousands of documents and memorabilia related to General Ulysses S. Grant, who helped swing the Civil War in the Northern states’ favor when he led a military victory at Vicksburg, Miss.

Cape Cod Times reported in January that MSU won the collection in a legal battle with Southern Illinois University, which held the items for more than 40 years until a falling out with the legal owners.

Items in the collection range from original Grant documents to the Grant family’s Bible. “It’s an incredible collection of amazing things,” said John Marszalek, a Civil War scholar and Mississippi State history professor emeritus who’s now overseeing the collection. “All my colleagues are just beside themselves, saying, `Man, how’d you get so lucky?’”

While it may seem sportsman-like for the defeated to promote a conqueror, leader of the Sons of Confederate Veterans Cecil Fayard Jr. said, “Southern folks remember well his brutal and bloody tactics of war, and the South will never forget the siege of Vicksburg.”

But Marszalek explains, “People recognize this for its scholarly worth, and I think what has happened over time is that people have come to realize that the Civil War is over and we’re a united An unused 1880s invitation from the Grants, one of the thousands of papers held at MSU (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) nation again.”

Few universities are home to the papers of earlier presidents because the custom of creating presidential libraries did not occur until the mid-20th century. Marszalek, a biographer of Union General William T. Sherman, one of Grant’s closest friends, said, “This Grant collection is going to be a star on campus.”

A-Rod’s Autograph Value in Jeopardy

Heisman Trophy Winner Signs for Accident Victim

A

s the youngest player to hit 500 home runs, Alex Rodriguez is considered one of the best baseball players of all time and the demand for his autograph memorabilia has remained consistently high throughout his career. But the Yankees third baseman’s recent admission to using banned substances while playing for the Texas Rangers from 2001 to 2003 may impact collectors’ deAlex Rodriguez card sire to own Rodriguez-signed items, and ultimately lower his autograph value.

“Here was a player that was thought of as a guy who was clean, kind of the anti-Bonds, someone you could root for as he approaches baseball’s most hallowed record,” said David Kohler, president and CEO of SCP Auctions. “Now, that’s all changed. The demand for Rodriguez memorabilia will be significantly less, as well as the value.

“The bottom line is there’s always going to be an asterisk to Rodriguez pieces,” Kohler continues. “Even his 500th home run ball, which has never been put up for auction, would be a fraction of what it was worth prior to his admission.”

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hen high school student Kaitlyn Mounce was killed in a car accident, Tuttle, Okla. residents rallied to support her family. A fundraiser, combining burgers, soft drinks and the autographs of 2003 Heisman Trophy winner Jason White, brought in contributions of more that $3,000, The Tuttle Times reported.

“They’re living every parent’s nightmare,” said Dale Hurley, owner of Hurley’s Corner, a local service station. Jason White (Okla. Athletic Dept.)

“We’re doing what we can do.”

What they could do involved more than 200 hamburgers as White signed autographs. “I’m getting used to it,” White said, signing a couple of ball caps in exchange for a $100 donation. The ball cap customer got one of the autographs for her husband and the other for her friend and neighbor, Kaitlyn’s grandfather.

White was the University of Oklahoma’s quarterback from 1999 to 2004 before quitting professional football as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans in 2005 due to knee weakness. In his 2003 Heisman Trophy year, White threw 40 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.

He won the Davey O’Brien Award two years in a row and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2004.

AUTOGRAPH

3/6/2009 12:48:36 PM

“Tell Baryshnikov he’s amazing ’cause he’ll give you his autograph.”

—Commarrah Bashar, New York University Examiner

OBAMA WATCH

T

he Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona has issued a warning to consumers against spending too much for common memorabilia items related to President Barack Obama’s inauguration.

“For memorabilia to become worth much money it would need to be quite rare, unfortunately for Obama collectors, there is a glut of merchandise being sold nationwide,” said Kim States, BBB of Southern Arizona spokesperson. “There’s nothing wrong with buying a plate or a coin celebrating Barack Obama’s inauguration, but consumers need to be aware that the value of the item might be purely sentimental.”

Experts estimate that as much as $200 million has already been spent on Obama memorabilia. They also suggest that Obama items from his Senatorial term would be of greater value than those of his presidential years due to the greater scarcity.

O

•••••

n January 27, 2009, Dee Dee Myers used her column in Vanity Fair to declare President Barack Obama “the most famous living person in the history of the world.”

Myers considered the competition: Princess Diana, Bill Clinton, Muhammad Ali, all of whom have global reach and appeal. “But all fall short of the man-meets-the-moment frenzy unleashed by Obama,” Myers wrote.

According to Myers, “Obama has made America cool again—and more than that, he’s made his own brand arguably the most powerful the world has ever know.”

Tommy Lasorda Signs Freely

F

ormer Los Angeles Dodgers greats Bill Buckner and Tommy Lasorda attended the Friends of Baseball breakfast in Greeley, Colo, on Jan. 31. In his speech, Lasorda mentioned his dislike for the sports card shows that charge fans for autographs. He’d been invited to one such show and was promised $5,000 if he came. He agreed, but with a caveat—he didn’t want to charge for his autograph.

At the event, Lasorda was sitting at his table and saw a line of kids, all holding pictures, waiting for his autograph. “I asked one kid, ‘Where’d you get that photo?’ He said, ‘Across the room over there—they’re selling them for 10 bucks.’”

Lasorda told the kids at the show that they should send him a letter addressed to Dodgers Stadium, and he promised to reply with an autographed photo—for free. Lasorda said he turned down the payment for appearing at the show, and he hasn’t done another card show since.

After the breakfast, Lasorda and Buckner signed autographs and posed for photos for a long line of fans for free. The two stayed nearly an hour after the event, until the building was almost empty, to continue signing and posing for photos.

U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction in May

O

n May 1-2, 2009, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation will hold its U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction Gala at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The only American to test-fly the Russian Manned Maneuvering Unit, George “Pinky” Nelson, the first Commander of the International Space Station, William M. Shepherd, and Commander of five of the six Space Shuttle missions that he flew, James D. Wetherbee, will be honored at the event.

Tickets to the event are limited. To check availability and purchase tickets, go to www.astronautstore.org/20ashaoffain.html, or call 321-455-7015.

Sign My Urn, Please

C

askets and urns are not the somber accessory to death that they once were. Now, for only $5,000, sports fans can get a Phillies Casket sporting handles in Phillies red, with the team’s logo placed above the handles, on a fabric liner and at the casket’s ends. “Clearly, it’s for the ‘die-hard-fan,” said the Kingston & Kemp Funeral Home manager, Shawn Kingston, with pun intended.

The caskets are created by Eternal Image, a Michigan company that has successfully negotiated licensing from the Vatican Library, the Kennel Club, American Cat Fanciers Association and... drumroll, please...

Star Trek. Interestingly, the licensers for the Three Stooges and Marvel Comics rejected the proposal.

It seems that Major League urns have been available since 2007, with more than 1,000 sold nationwide. Sam Steckline of Red Lion, Pa., bought a Phillies urn for himself last January and had Phillies coach Charlie Manuel autograph it. Former pitcher Steve Carlton signed the urn at an autograph show, inscribing it: “To 100 years more before death” and “No. 32.” The top of the urn is reserved for a baseball that Carlton signed in 1979.

UK Service Station Autographs

F

or Autograph readers not in the UK, the Watford Gap is a section in Northamptonshire, England, that connects middle England to the South East by motorway. A Watford Gap service station called the Blue Boar that opened in 1959 received so many guests that Jimi Hendrix thought it had to be a London night club from the way his fellow rockers talked about it.

Beatrice England worked the night shift at the Blue Boar, and as celebrities passed through, she got their autographs. Her collection includes the signatures of Sir Paul McCarty, Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, The Eagles and Dusty Springfield. RoadChef, the current operator of Watford Gap services, paid £1,000 for the signatures and intends to put the collection on display at the site.

AUTOGRAPH

AM0904_News.indd 13

april 2009

13

3/4/2009 4:20:38 PM

UACC NEWS

BY DAVID GROSSBERG

Want a Dealer Who Works Hard to Earn Your Business?

We’ve been known as The Friendly Dealers for 20 years, and have earned a reputation for fairness and honesty. Our goal is to help you build a rewarding collection of authentic autographs.

Please let us know what you’re looking for.

• Hollywood—Current & Vintage • Presidents • Authors • Politicians • Artists • Musicians • Scientists

Meet Austin Meyer

T

he grand canyon state of Arizona is home to collector Austin Meyer. Austin is a 36-yearWhen visiting Texas be sure to visit our gallery: old special education teacher at an Rummel Creek Village Antiques elementary school. He has been collecting 13190 Memorial Drive Houston, Texas 77079 autographs since high school and has incorporated his passion into his classroom. www.historicalcollections.net David Grossberg: What do you collect?

Send us your want list!

Austin Meyer: My main emphasis over Sorry, no printed catalogs the years has been collecting the stars of television and the silver screen.

“The Friendly Dealers” What sparked your interest in collecting autographs?

(713) 723-0296 Aside from being a die-hard John & Shirley Herbert movie fanatic, I got into collectMailing address: ing autographs through the mail PO Box 31623 Houston, TX 77231-1623 because checking the mail had become depressing. I wanted to UACC Registered Dealer #6 do something to make it exciting.

Autograph collecting does just that. You never know what might be in your box from day to day. It truly helps spice things up.

What’s your advice for a beginning collector? $ 95 4/16/2008 11:49:11 AM The best advice is still the same tried and true formula: along Your trusted resource for important with sending a SASE, make sure addresses for the past 20 years, your letter is concise and to the is now also available ONLINE! point. And learn to be patient. http://lookup.vipaddress.com Remember, actors, athletes and politicians are not just sitting Execute custom searches, bookmark your favorite celebrities, email profiles to friends—it’s the easiest and most flexible around waiting for your letter to way to find and manage contact information. Choose a arrive. Place, practice, patience. subscription plan that’s right for you: What mistakes have you made?

1-month: 12-months: 24-months: Really, I haven’t made any mistakes. Before $ 95 $ $ 9 10995 19995 I got into seriously collecting autographs Still prefer a book in your hand? through the mail, I did my homework. I No problem! The all new 2009 picked up many, many issues of Autograph Edition of the V.I.P. Address Book to find out exactly what was necessary to be containing more than 30,000 successful in this terrific hobby. By the time addresses of the famous and powerful, is now available for I started collecting, I felt I was ready and $94.95 and the mid-August knew what I was doing.

Update is available for $24.95.

What are your most prized autographs?

Order the book and the While I love all of my autographs, my most update and SAVE $10! prized items would have to be autographed Order toll-free 800-258-0615 pictures from Jean Stapleton (All in the or for more information 541-764-4233 Family) and Joe Pesci. Those are very sentiWeb site: www.vipaddress.com Email: vipaddress@centurytel.net mental to me because they are the first two Visit http://store.vipaddress.com for a unique autographs I ever received in the mail. They opportunity to browse and purchase more than 20,000 authentically autographed items from a private collection arrived simultaneously.

What item would you most like to obtain for your collection?

I am a massive fan of The Three Stooges. I would love to have a signed photo of the great Moe, Larry, Curly or Shemp, either individually or as a group. I also know that would be extremely expensive and the demand far outweighs the supply, but I will get it someday.

Historical Collections

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Search 230,000 V.I.P. addresses online for as little as 9

14 april 2009 VIP_AutoColl_1-6pg.indd 2

AM0904_UACC.indd 14

“Before I got into seriously collecting autographs through the mail, I did my homework.”

How do you explain your passion to someone who doesn’t collect?

I am not sure I can explain it. We all have a passion for something, and it’s my passion.

It is what I do and what I love to do. It is still cheap and highly intoxicating.

If you are a collector interested in being interviewed for this column, email David Grossberg at dgrossberg@charter.net. Please include a short biography of yourself and what you collect. Fellow collectors want to hear your story! The Universal Autograph Collectors Club was founded in 1965 and has grown to be the largest autograph collector’s organization. Go to www.UACC.org for membership information.

AUTOGRAPH 11/18/08 6:29:44 PM

3/2/2009 5:40:28 PM

Auto

Prevgiraph ew!

A ti E Auction Ends d Saturday, April 4th 8pm EST

LOT 1016 - President B Barack Obama Signed Book “The Audacity of Hope” PSA/DNA COA

LOT 19 - 1965-66 Roberto Clemente Puerto Rican League Contract PSA/DNA

LOT 977 Vintage 1949 Babe Ruth Wrist Watch in the Original Box

LOT 1021 - 2008 Upper Deck Historical Cuts John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy 1/1

LOT 10 - Babe Ruth & Lou Gehrig signed baseball with WM “Lena” Styles JSA & PSA/DNA

LOT 1020 - 2008 Upper Deck Historical Cuts John F. Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe Dual Cut Auto 1/1

LOT 3 - 2008 Upper Deck Signs of History Quad Autograph Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and George Washington 1/1

LOT 20 - 1971 Game Used Adirondack Willie Mays Bat PSA/DNA GEM MINT 10, Mears and JSA

REGISTER NOW!

www.memorylaneinc.com

877-606-LANE (5263)

The Fastest Growing Vintage Auction in the Hobby Memory Lane, Inc. • 12831 Newport Ave., Suite 180, Tustin CA 92780 Email: contactus@memorylaneinc.com • www.memorylaneinc.com Office hours M-F 9-5 pm PT, Office: 714.730.0600 FAX: 714.730.0602

BY JOSHUA PLATT

GRAMMY Live Auction

L

ast month we highlighted eBay auctions associated with the GRAMMY Awards. This month, we spotlight some of the marquee items that gaveled during Julien’s Auctions’ GRAMMY Awards Live Charity Auction, benefiting MusiCares, held February 6 in Los Angeles.

A guitar played and signed by Eric Clapton realized the highest price for any autographed item among the sale’s 104 lots. The inked Fender Stratocaster hammered for $50,000 (A).

A band-signed Led Zeppelin II album sold for $10,000 (B), and an acoustic guitar autographed by The Who’s Pete Townsend realized $7,500 (C).

Beatles signatures accounted for three of the F top 10 highest prices realized. A piece of paper inked by the lads from Liverpool realized $9,373 (D). A display featuring John, Paul, George and Ringo’s cut signatures, mounted next to a Love Me Do album cover, fetched $6,400 (E). And, a group of Beatles ephemera, programs and photos included with the Fab Four’s autographs on Hotel George V stationary sold for $5,760 (F).

Emily’s Collection

H

B

ow many autographs can a determined collector amass in her lifetime? Emily acquired approximately 10,000 inperson, signed index cards from the 1950s through the 1990s.

R&R Enterprises offered the 95-year-old woman’s collection as part of its sale that closed February 11. It featured cards inked by authors, actors, athletes, musicians and politicians—with names from Walter Abel to Catherine Zeta- C Jones—too many to make a complete list.

R&R’s Bob Eaton told Autograph the collection is “among the top 5 percent of any he’s ever sold.” The “true treasure trove” hamA mered for $25,745 (A).

Two notables from “Emily’s collection” that were sold separately included a personalized and inscribed Bruce Lee card, which Eaton says he has “never seen before,” $4,264 (B), and a personalized and inscribed Marilyn Monroe signed card, $3,300 (C).

IMAGES COURTESY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AUCTION HOUSES. SELLING PRICES INCLUDE THE BUYER’S PREMIUM, WHEN APPLICABLE. AUTOGRAPH DOES NOT VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY OF AUCTION LOTS SHOWN IN AUCTION ACTION. 16

APRIL 2009

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B D

E

C

A

Titanic Letters Set Record Price

N

early 100 years after the R.M.S. Titanic struck an iceberg and sank on April 14, 1912, items from the doomed ocean liner continue to fascinate collectors.

As featured in Autograph (January 2009), Spink Smythe offered two handwritten and signed letters composed aboard, and mailed from, Titanic. Both letters were written on Titanic letterhead, onboard the ship and mailed from Southampton, England, on April 10, 1912.

“Letters from passengers aboard the Titanic are extremely rare,” according to Spink Smythe officials, “and are justly among the most prized artifacts from the disaster.”

A letter written by perfume maker and Titanic survivor Adolf Saalfeld, in which he claims to A be “the first man to write a letter on board,” realized $7,475 (A).

A letter from George Graham, who perished in the B disaster, to a colleague in Berlin sold for $16,200, a world record price according to Spink Smythe (B).

AUTOGRAPH

2/24/2009 5:01:32 PM

1927 Yankees Photo

A

team-signed 1927 New York Yankees photo was the highest grossing autographed item in SCP Auctions, January 28, $1.75 million online sale.

Yankees owner Jacob Rupert gave the photo—which bears 47 signatures, making it “one of the most comprehensive signed items ever discovered from this dominant team”—to Hollywood Beach, Fl., hotel owner James Hanes, who, in turn, gifted it to the consignor. The “Murderers Row” team treasure realized $94,153 (A).

Other notable Yankees items included a 1927 Yankees teamsigned ball that sold for $12,134, and a Mickey Mantle and Casey Stengel dual-signed 1950s era baseball, which hammered for $6,062 (B).

Signatures on the Hood

Super Bowl Auctions

California couple drove away from the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., on January 16 in a baseball-themed Chevy Tahoe for $100,000.

As featured in January’s Autograph, 220 baseball players, including Goose Gossage and a half dozen other Hall of Fame players, and numerous future members of the hall, inked the truck’s hood as part of a promotion staged by AutoTrader.com.

A portion of the proceeds benefited youth baseball programs.

ot content with being the auctioneer of record for baseball’s All-Star game, Hunt Auctions staged football’s NFL Experience live auction, in conjunction with NFL Auction, during Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, F Fl., on January 31.

The sale included more than 300 lots, including game used jerseys, helmets and numerous signed items. Highlights included: • A Joe Montana 1980s San Francisco 49ers signed helmet, $5,175 (A) • A Tony Dorsett signed Pittsburgh Panthers jersey, inscribed “‘76 Heisman,” $2,990 (B) A • A 1987 “Giants-Broncos Classic” LeRoy Neiman serigraph, signed by the artist and Giants’ Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms, $2,990 AmericanMemorabilia.com’s Super Bowl Auction ended February 5. Highlights included: • A Gale Sayers B game-worn, inked Bears jersey, $13,790 (C) E • An autographed and inscribed Peyton Manning gameused colts jersey, from his MVP and record touchdown 2004 season, $12,883 (D) • A late 1970s, early 1980s Walter Payton Bears gamer, with an extremely faded autograph, $8,763 (E) D • And, a Vince Lombardi single signed football, $7,272 (F)

A

Book Reviews

A

review of some of the signed books gaveling during several recent sales.

• A signed limited, first edition copy of D.H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover, PBA Galleries, January 15, $6,000 (A) • Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep, Sleep First Black Widow Thriller Edition, personalized, B inscribed and signed, $4,200, PBA (B) • Der Gott der Väter, part of D Bloomsbury Auctions’ 50lot, £314,400 ($443,430) sale of personally inscribed and signed Marc Chagall artworks, photos and books in London, January 29, £850 ($1,199) (C) C • Chagall’s Herr, mein Gott wie groß bist du!, du! signed with a self portrait in red A crayon on the title-page, Bloombury, £600 ($846) (D)

N

C AUTOGRAPH

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APRIL 2009

17

2/24/2009 5:02:43 PM

BY ANTHONY RECORD

AUTOGRAPH CAPTIONS Win Tony the Tiger’s Autograph!

This month we feature a photo with a few more options than the last captions contest (Autograph Feb. 2008).

Pictured is Kellogg’s mascot Tony the Tiger with the late Thurl Ravenscroft, who for 53 years was the voice of the tiger (“They’rrrrrrre Grrrrreat!”). Ravenscroft, who also performed with legends like Bing Crosby and even appeared in a few Disney movies, passed away in 2005. The winning person will be able to add this grrrreat signed photo to his or her collection. Good luck.

Congratulations to the last Captions contest winner Chris Davis, of Clayton, N.C. Chris loves collecting TV, comedy and music, and would love to acquire a signed item by each member of The Beatles. Chris came up with the winning caption for one of the most challenging photos we have featured—simply a head shot of legendary lyricist Hal David. Chris’ winning caption: “I think I have a title for a new song: ‘Raindrops and Autographs Keep Fallin’ on My Head.’” Classic, Chris.

Submit all your contest entries to Anthony Record via email at AnthonyDRecord@gmail.com or mail to P.O. Box 5445, Spring Hill, FL 34611.

18

SEPTEMBER 2008

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AUTOGRAPH

3/2/2009 5:39:04 PM

Autograph HELL THE TRUTH ABOUT COLLECTING

BY CHARLES IRION

161-Page Exposé of the Autograph Industry As We Know It

If you collect autographs, this book could pay for itself 1,000 times over Buy Direct from www.autographhell.com $19.95 + $3 S&H To receive discounted rate, enter promo code: 123abc

List Price: $26.95

4462 E. Horseshoe Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85028 (480) 699-0068 charles@irionbooks.com

It Doesn’t Have to Be Real.

It Just Has to Be Authentic!

AM0904_19-Irion-CelebAuth.indd 28

1/16/2009 9:06:05 AM

3/2/2009 9:11:04 AM

[

FROM AUTOGRAPH READERS

Matt Damon Jeffrey B. Deremiah • Decatur, Ill.

L

Clockwise from above: Matt Damon signing for fans on the set of The Informant • Damon on a fan’s cell phone • Damon’s signature

Usually you have to travel great distances to meet celebrities. But this time, they were literally right outside my front door.

[

ast May, Matt Damon and the entire movie crew were right outside my house shooting The Informant. The caravan of trailers, cars of the 1970s, lights, sound equipment, cameras, etc. arrived early in the day to set up for filming. Matt and the costar, Scott Bakula arrived a few hours later.

The cast, including locals from Decatur, took several takes. A few blocks away, the police had barricaded the street, but those of us who could see the action from our front doors got to talk with Matt and Scott. Matt was very kind—he signed autographs and posed for pictures. He even made cell phone calls to anyone who requested. I asked him to use my cell phone to call my brother John in Georgia. He said, “Hello, this is Matt Damon and I was in your brother’s neighborhood filming a new movie and just wanted to say hello.”

Lost in Space Cast Julie Snyder • Palm Harbor, Fl.

L

ast October, my dad and I flew from Tampa to Burbank to attend the Hollywood Collectors Show. We were there to meet the cast from TV’s Lost in Space– Mark Goddard (Major Don West), Marta Kristen (Judy Robinson), Angela Cartwright (Penny Robinson, Bill Mumy (Will Robinson) and Bob May (the Robot). I had met the men from the show before, but I had never met the ladies. That was the big draw for me. To have them all there was a dream come true.

I had several LIS items to be signed by the cast members and I had my picture taken with the entire cast on my digital camera. Then, I raced

out and had an 8x10 printed, took it back to the room and had them all sign it. It was fantastic! Bill and Marta were both surprised that I got it done so quickly. I purchased a few other LIS items, including Mark’s memoir, To Space and Back.

Bob May commented that I had by far the best T-shirt (depicting the Robot) and told me that he was planning on attending MegaCon in Orlando in March 2009. Sadly, he died unexpectedly on Jan. 18, 2009. RIP Bob, you will be missed. I’m grateful that I had an opportunity to meet you.

Julie Snyder with the cast of Lost in Space at The Hollywood Collectors Show in Burbank, Calif., in Oct. 2008. Cast from left to right: Mark Goddard, Angela Cartwright, Bob May, Bill Mumy and Marta Kristen.

Screaming Tiki Con Jay, Jack and Jason Neill • Cincinnati, Ohio

I

have twin boys who just turned 5 years old and I have passed my love of autograph collecting on to them. The first celebrity they met was Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Bob Feller, who held my son Jason and even gave him a kiss on top of the head when he was just 9-months old. At only 5 years old, they have already attended an Andy Griffith reunion, Botcon, Gencon, Mid-Ohio Con, Screaming Tiki Con and the Midwest Comic Con. They have met baseball stars like Johnny Bench, Pete Rose and Robin Roberts. They have met great celebrities like Lou Ferrigno, Butch Patrick, Barry Williams, Peter Mayhew, Adam West and Jim Belushi.

Last month at Screaming Tiki Con, Jeremy Bulloch was one of the nicest ever. The ladies from Batman such as Lee Meriwether, Julie Newmar and Yvonne 20 april 2009

AM0904_InPersonScoop.indd 20

Craig all took the time to tell stories and talk to my boys. We asked Peter Mayhew how long it took to get dressed as Chewbacca and he said only 10 minutes and that the teeth were built into the costume.

From far left to right: Jay, Jack and Jason with Julie Newmar; Peter Mayhew; and Jeremy Bulloch

AUTOGRAPH

3/2/2009 10:23:34 AM

AUTOGRAPH

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Why is Autograph the world’s most read autograph magazine? Because no one covers autographs better—or makes collecting more fun. Autograph is packed with fascinating, richly illustrated features on Hollywood, music, history, sports, literature and more. You’ll find industry-leading articles on authentication and forgeries, insightful celebrity interviews, in-person celebrity experiences, columns on collecting autographs by mail, and practical info and tips by leading experts—and collectors like you. Plus over 300 of the most up-to-date celebrity autograph addresses in every issue! If you love autographs you won’t want to miss an issue of Autograph.

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AM-SubAd0811.indd 76

10/2/2008 9:24:04 AM

I n M em o riam

David “Michael” Minor April 21, 1946—December 23, 2008

A

Mike authored and coauthored several books, most notably From mong those who pursue their passions, few the President’s Pen, with Larry. The 1991 book on presidential autowere more passionate than Michael Minor. Michael’s graphs has become an important reference work, and Mike and Larry knowledge and expertise in the autograph collecting were writing a new edition at the time of Mike’s death. field was sought by other collectors, museums and fellow Mike wrote several internationally circulated articles on hisautograph dealers. Michael passed away on Dec. 23, 2008, leaving a torically significant docgreat void in the autograph uments, some of which collecting community. contained previously unMike was born April known information about 21, 1946 in Bowie, Texas, presidents and first ladies. to his parents David Ritchie And he contributed chapMinor and Lillian Ervin ters in several editions of Minor, and spent his childthe Sander’s Price Guide to hood in Montague, Texas.

Autographs.

He attende d Texas Mike’s interests were Christian University and not limited to autographs Midwestern University, and and practicing law. While then put himself through still in law school, he belaw school at South Texas came interested in the Holy College of Law. A pracShroud of Turin, which is ticing attorney for more believed to be the burial than 38 years, Mike worked cloth of Jesus Christ. He as a prosecutor in Plainview, quickly gained in-depth Texas, then as Assistant knowledge of the Shroud, D i s t r i c t Att or n e y for and in 1984 was retained as Kaufman County. Later, he legal counsel for the Shroud worked in private practice of Turin Research Project, in Terrell and Kaufman, Inc. (STURP), and later the Texas until his passing.

American Shroud of Turin Mike was an avid historian and a collector of rare A photograph of Michael Minor (right) with Jimmy Carter, with an inscription from Carter to Minor. Association for Research From Michael Minor’s personal collection.

(AMSTAR). documents of presidents, While involved with Shroud Research, Mike had the privilege of first ladies, world leaders, royalty, astronauts and stars. He received attending the 1998 and the 2000 Shroud Expositions in Turin, Italy. He many personal letters throughout his life from every president from organized three International Shroud of Turin Symposiums in Dallas Harry Truman forward, as well as letters from key military leaders in 1998, 2000 and 2005. In 1996, Grizzly Adams Productions, Inc. from World War II, many of which contained previously unpublished approached AMSTAR to make a documentary on the new evidence historical information. in Shroud research. Mike helped coordinate filming for the docuMike’s love of history and autograph collecting grew so much mentary in Colorado and Turin, Italy. He also coauthored the book that he made it his business, founding Lone Star Autographs almost Case for Christ’s Resurrection and appeared in several documentaries 30 years ago with his long-time friend, Larry Vrzalik. The two men, relating to research on the Holy Shroud of Turin. and Lone Star, became highly respected names in the autograph Michael Minor will be greatly missed by his family, his many community, building a stock of more than 100,000 autographs and good friends, His clients, colleagues, business partner, and his behistoric documents over time. They remained close friends and busiloved Schnauzers, Canis Minor and Kaiser. ness partners to the end.

22 April 2009

AM0904_Minor.indd 22

AUTOGRAPH

3/13/2009 12:07:23 PM

Images courtesy of

Untitled-1 1

3/12/2009 10:30:46 PM

BY JON ALLAN

Ivor Thord-Gray

Military Adventurer

F

or years i have been far more interested in collecting the politics of war, rather than in those who fought in them. But this changed when I bought several large collections that included some fascinating people who played key roles in history.

In a collection of WWI autographs, I found one of the great soldiers of fortune, Ivor Thord-Gray. There are gaps in the information on Thord-Gray and even contradictory statements, so in writing this article I have tried to piece together what seems to be the most logical set of events from the varying sources.

Ivor Thord Hallstromat was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1878, and spent his life far from home as he sought and served in what seems like all of the world’s wars from 1897 through WWII. He joined the merchant marines at the age of 15 and landed in South Africa.

Thord-Gray was unique in that rather than fighting as a mercenary, he joined the military of the country he was fighting for.

During much of his time in the British military, Thord-Gray was suspected of being a German spy and both M1 and the FBI spent an inordinate amount of time trying to prove it. In actuality he was mistaken for another officer named Gray who was a German spy, but the problem haunted him.

Some sources claim that Thord-Gray’s stories of Africa served as an inspiration for Tarzan. Married five times, he died in Florida in 1964. Once asked why he had married so many times he replied he was collecting mothers-in-laws.

In making the choice of Thord-Gray, I picked one of the rarest adventurers. The Swedes are proud of his accomplishments and more than 1,000 letters and papers exist in their Royal Library. I paid almost nothing for my autograph, but there also seems to be nothing listed for sale, so I would suggest looking for signed copies of his books or letters. These could range from $50 to as much as a $1,000, depending on who is selling it to you. Or you may get lucky and find the autograph in a yard sale box for a fraction of its value.

If adventurers interest you, do some research. People who explored Africa, the Amazon or the North and South Pole have wonderful stories and sell for under $50 or as much as $1,000 for a diary with content. Research is the secret. Make a list of who you want and why the individuals excite you. I just came across a list I made 15 years ago and realized I’ve collected every name on the list. It may take years, but that is part of the adventure of collecting.

24 april 2009

AM0904_AffHistory.indd 24

AUTOGRAPH

Year

Military

1897

South African Cape Mounted Rifleman

War Fought in Bechuanaland and Pondoland

1899-1902 British Army

Fought against the Boers in the Second Boer War—this war pitted the British Empire against the two independent Boer Republics in South Africa and was the first major international war of the 20th century

1903-1904 South African Constabulary

Fought with forces in Transvaal and saw action as a captain in the Lydenburg Militia

1906-07

Royston’s Horse Fought with the British against Zulu chief Bambatha; the Zulus had turned to guerilla attacks against the British, but the superiority of the British arms defeated the Zulus and Bambatha was beheaded.

1907

Nairobi Thord-Gray was known as a big game hunter Mounted Police/ during these years.

Kenya

1908-09

US Army/ Philippines

Joined the U.S. Army as a Captain and spent time in the Philippine Constabulary

1910

French Foreign Legion

Fought in Tonkin (now Vietnam) and some sources have him joining the Italian Army and fighting in Tripoli

1912

China

Fought in the Chinese revolution under Sun Yat Sen

1913-1914 Mexico

Thord-Gray wrote a book, Gringo Rebel: Mexico 1913-1914, describing experiences serving as Pancho Villa’s captain and commander in charge of artillery.

1914

WWI

Thord-Gray joined the British Army as a Major and made second in command of the 15th Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers.

Promoted to lieutenant colonel and then colonel of the 11th Northumberland Fusiliers, he then became commander of the 1/26th Battalion.

The 11th saw action in many battles. Thord-Gray received important decorations for his service and wrote a book on trench warfare.

1918

Canadian Army

Lieutenant colonel and director of information when the Allies invaded Russia to try to put down the Soviet government, he fought the Bolsheviks across Russia to Siberia

1919

Russian White Army

Colonel and commanding officer of the 1st Siberian Assault Division; seriously wounded on August 14, 1919 in Omsk. Thord-Gray was again wounded in 1920 and captured by the Red Army, but was quickly turned over to American troops.

1928

Venezuela

Given the rank of lieutenant general when revolution broke out, but gave up the rank when the revolution broke down in early 1929.

1934-1935 Florida militia / United States

1941

US Army

Became an American citizen; Governor David Scholtz appointed him major general in the Florida militia and chief of staff to the governor.

Some sources have him advising during WWII.

Images courtesy the author

2/24/2009 9:57:31 AM

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12/31/2008 2:06:38 PM

AUTOGRAPHICA CURIOSA

BY WILLIAM L. BUTTS

How Not to Impress Emily Post

A

rnold f. gates (191493) was not a professional historian, but he was a serious and well-respected Lincoln and Civil War scholar for half a century; long-time book review editor of the Lincoln Herald, officer of the Civil War Round Table of New York, contributor to the 1960 anthology Lincoln for the Ages and other books, friend and unofficial agent of many a noted author.

As a 23-year-old autograph collector in his hometown of Cleveland, though, Gates’ letter to Emily Post (1873-1960)—well, let’s say it failed to impress the 64-year-old queen of etiquette. In other words, he violated about every rule in the book, provided your book is Post’s 1922 landmark guide, Etiquette.

“Dear Madam,” writes Gates on a printed one-cent postal card. “I have many of your fine books on Etiquette and would now like to add your autograph to my collection. Would you please send it to me? Please do! Thank you.” And a postscript: “This is my third plea so please!”

Near the bottom of this missive the doyenne pens: “It is only by chance I saw this.

Why do you write on a postcard? No one ever answers a postcard!!!!” One can imagine Ms. Post shuddering, exclaiming Margaret Dumont style, “Well! I never!”

Gates’ request seems straightforward enough—polite, sincere, to the point. By today’s lax standards, this note contains no embarrassing faux pas. Gates sounds enthusiastic about Post’s work and genuine in his desire to own her signature.

But to the redoubtable Ms. Post, this 26

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Civil War scholar Arnold F. Gates sent this autograph request to Emily Post, who was appalled by his letter etiquette, but she still signed and wrote a postscript on how to properly address her.

“The only reason she bothered to reply, I’ve no doubt, is his mention of this being his third request.” and Gates’ previous requests lacked the “oldfashioned grace of speech and deportment” demanded in her 1922 manifesto. There’s no “fresh turn of phrase,” no “delightful keenness of observation.” It is typewritten, he failed to use matching paper and envelope, and worst of all he chose a lowly postal card. Even the address portion on the verso is objectionable, addressed simply to “Emily Post.” Naturally, Post noticed this and took the time to pen a bold “Mrs” in front of it, adding a large pointing arrow to make sure Gates noticed her correction. The only reason she bothered to reply, I’ve no doubt, is his mention of this being his third request. Clearly Post knew if she didn’t reply she would continue to get peppered with more postal cards.

Perhaps this case study is a clue as to why Emily Post autograph material is mildly scarce today. Letter writers had to live up to her high standards of letter writing if they were to be graced with a reply. Unless, like Arnold Gates, persistence won out over manners. Even a damaged example such as this,

given its amusing content, catches the interest of etiquette autograph collectors.

Serious autograph collectors, especially collectors of historical documents, are more aware than non-collectors of how handwriting styles have changed over the decades—even more so of how differently we phrase things today, how Hemingwayesque our sentence structures are compared to days of yore. But every age tends to think that earlier ages had better penmanship and expressed themselves better. Post noted in 1922 that the younger generation of her day “don’t care a bit whether they write well or ill... so they let their mental faculties relax, slump and atrophy.” What would she make of today’s text messaging?

Perhaps as a way of thumbing his nose at her upbraiding, Gates got the last laugh: He simply clipped her signature out of her chastising note. Likely he glued it into his copy of one of her “fine books.” Left behind is this curt, defaced reminder of an age when etiquette was everything to some.

IMAGES COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR

2/24/2009 6:35:36 PM

BY ARLYN IMBERMAN

A Man Beyond His Years

T

he writing pattern is remarkably modern for someone born in 1835. We should call him a maverick, for he does not adhere to the strict and formal conventions of his era. Instead, his writing is evolved, developed and modern.

There are clever connections and the page is replete with the “lyrical d,” which is a sure sign of a writer or journalist.

The writing is clear and unentangled. The high t-bars show his idealism and high personal standards. The strokes and writing connections are extended and open.

The g in the word “get” (4th line down) is very modern and sophisticated. The space picture shows a high level of awareness of others and the world around him. The simplifications of the letter forms are unusual in their simplicity and indicate a sign of his high intellect. They also are a way of evaluating his ideas and personal experiences, connecting the words “out of ” (4th line down), as well as the letters in the word “Robert.”

We don’t know the age of the writer at the time this document was penned, but there is no doubt he has vigor, energy and purpose.

Although he uses a primitive pen, he has fine coordination—the script is fluid, liquid and elegant.

He is articulate with aesthetic sensibility. The letters are like an embroidery of delicate form. They resemble strands of silk moving effortlessly on the page. The clever connections are further illustrated by the way he writes the date: the cross of the A in “April” forms the first stroke of the p, and the number “30” is written in a manner that displays his originality.

The left margin is straight, which shows respect for learning and education. His sense of visual aesthetics is further confirmed by the dashes he forms to fill the empty spaces.

The final strokes on the right margin in the words “my” (4th line), “have” (9th line), “in” (11th line) and “not” (14th line), extend toward the right, which represents his welcoming the challenges of the future.

The pattern is lively and active, showing

Clues to mystery person: American male, lefthanded, born in the 1830s Turn to page 69 to find out who the mystery writer is!

that the writer is quick to process data, swift to perceive situations and recognize the subtext of any problem. This is a man with an active “inner theater” and a well-nourished imagination. Not a detail is missed—he crosses every t and dots every i.

He has what Carl Jung would call a “feminine sensibility,” which enhances his ability to zone in to another’s mindset. His detachment, confirmed by the space picture, permits him to be ironic. He is someone who is not burdened by superficial thinking or dogma, and can appreciate the human comedy.

The high t-crosses show he has a high level

of aspiration and is not afraid to dream big dreams. The writing form is disciplined with a steady baseline and connected letters showing his perseverance. The thready strokes reveal his variability and his ability to adjust.

He has an interesting way of looking at life and its absurdities. This is a very original writing style reflecting a man with unusual insights and principles. He has a high level of Emotional Intelligence, can negotiate well, is energized by stress and driven to accomplish. Although he was a product of the 19th century, he would be very comfortable living life in the 21st century.

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BY JOHN E. SCHLIMM II

The British are Signing!

Most Former Prime Ministers are Super Signers

L

ike the u.s. presidents, there is another exclusive club of political authors that no book collection should be without. And, luckily for us collectors, all the living members of this club can be reached via one of the most famous addresses in the world: 10 Downing Street.

The prime ministers of Great Britain have proven themselves to be busy scribes, but when it comes to signing autographs through the mail, not all of them are onboard with collectors.

Cover for current British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s newest book, Courage and a facsimile signed portrait.

Mrs. Brown sent the real thing (below).

Gordon Brown

The current prime minister, Gordon Brown, replaced his predecessor Tony Blair in 2007, but Brown has been writing since just after he entered Parliament in 1983. His earliest books include Maxton: A Biography, Scotland: The Real Divide, Where There's Greed and Values, Visions and Voices. Since assuming the highest office in the land, next to the Queen, of course, Brown has written two books, Britain’s Ever yday Heroes and Courage.

Cover for former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s book, New Britain, and a signed portrait

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But the big question is how does Prime Minister Brown measure-up on the autograph circuit? I wrote to him and asked for a signed bookplate for Courage. I also wrote to his wife, Sarah, for an autograph. I was curious to see who would respond first.

Several weeks later, Mrs. Brown responded with an authentically inscribed portrait. A few weeks after that, the Prime Minister’s Office sent a facsimile signed picture of Brown. No bookplate and no real signature.

I may have had different results had I sent the actual book, which I advise all of

you to do. Otherwise, you may opt to send Mr. Brown’s book to Mrs. Brown to autograph as she appears to be the more generous scribe in the family.

Tony Blair

Prime Minister Tony Blair’s tenure at 10 Downing Street from 1997 to 2007 was one of historic proportions, including his friendship with both Presidents Clinton and Bush, and his reactions to the death of Princess Diana and September 11. A few months ago, I profiled Cherie Blair’s memoir, Speaking for Myself, so this month her husband gets his shake.

IMAGES COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR

2/24/2009 9:39:51 AM

“[Tony Blair] proved to be a fourstar signer all the way.”

Cover for former Prime Minister John Major’s The Autobiography, with a bookplate signed by Major and his wife, Dame Norma Major

Before his ascendancy to the Prime Minister’s Office, Blair started his own library with Socialism and Let Us Face the Future, among others. Once in office as PM, Blair’s keyboard was busy with his release of New Britain and The Third Way. How did this PM measure up to his successor in the autograph department? He proved to be a four-star signer all the way. I sent a letter to Blair asking for signed bookplates for New Britain and The Third Way. In response, I received two authentically signed pictures of the former prime minister. Now, while my exact request wasn’t met, I applaud Blair for knowing how important it is to sign each and every picture himself.

Therefore, I advise sending the actual books to Blair for signing. Otherwise, you might find yourself with the glue stick, pasting his autographed photo into your book. (Which isn’t a very good idea!)

John Major

Following his run as prime minister from 1990-97, John Major gifted political junkies and book collectors with The Autobiography.

He also captured the hearts of autograph collectors around the world by proving to be a willing through-the-mail signer. As with his successors, I wrote to the former PM and asked if he would send a signed bookplate. I further asked Major to also have his wife, Dame Norma, sign the bookplate. Much to my elation, a bookplate was, indeed, sent back to me this time with both autographs.

In 2008, Major showed his sporty side by releasing More Than a Game: The Story of

AM0904_BookCollector.indd 29

Cricket’s Early Years about his beloved summer sport. My letter for another dual signed bookplate is in the mail.

Margaret Thatcher

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s legendary service at 10 Downing Street from 1979 to 1990 as the first woman to hold the post spanned one of the most historic periods in history. She will always be regarded as one of the most famous and accomplished individuals to ever hold the office. Now known as The Rt. Hon. The Baroness Thatcher, she wrote a breathtaking, two-volume memoir, The Downing Street Years and The Path to Power, chronicling her life and work. She is also the author of Statecraft: Strategies for a Changing World.

I was fortunate to be living and working in Washington, D.C., when Thatcher came through on book tour for The Downing Street Years. Although I was unable to attend the event, a friend had a book signed for me.

Lady Thatcher was a great signer in the past, but she is reportedly unable to sign anymore. She is suffering from the effects of senile dementia and a series strokes, I’m sad to say.

Gary King, a U.K. dealer and founder of GetHoldOfIt.com, a website where collectors can search the inventories of about 20 reputable dealers at the same time, offers some tips regarding the authentication

Cover and inscribed title page in Margaret Thatcher's The Downing Street Years

of prime minister and royal autographs. “As far as I am aware, only the Royals have used Autopens. I don’t think any PM has and I know of no secretarial either, at least not in modern times.

“Many of the PM’s have used printed and stamped letters and photos, Churchill’s being the most well known. His were very convincing and these often turn up in minor auctions and collections.”

Address Write all current and former British prime ministers care of: Office of the Prime Minister 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA United Kingdom

2/24/2009 9:39:56 AM

BY TOM TALBOT

Diamond Legends

10 Players to Get Now!

B

eing a modern day collector of baseball autographs can be a little frustrating. It seems like every “can’t miss” prospect has stopped signing for free once he makes it to the Bigs. And how many times have we heard “I’m not signing today—it’s just going on eBay.” Even the tried and true method of writing to players through the mail has become hit or miss. Sure, many of the hard-to-get guys will occasionally sign a stack of mail from spring training, but most of the time that’s just dumb luck.

As we approach another season of baseball, collectors can turn back the clock to a time before ballplayers “roided up” to get an edge, when many players worked a job in between seasons to make ends meet, and players were happy to sign a free autograph for their fans.

The long retired ballplayers are much more likely to sign their fan mail, either for free, or in exchange for making a donation to their favorite charity. Hall of Famers like Stan Musial and Robin Roberts never seem to get tired of autograph requests.

Stan Musial

Regarded by most baseball enthusiasts as the “greatest living player,” Stan “The Man” Musial still loves his fans and rewards each letter with an authentic signed 4x6 photo.

He also sends along a catalog of unique

items sold through his company Stan the Man, Incorporated. Musial occasionally signs items mailed to him; I was able to get a St. Louis Cardinals hat and a baseball signed years ago. But most of the time he sends the signed postcard, which is reward enough from one of the true legends of the game.

Musial’s beautiful signature will highlight any baseball fan’s collection. Enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1969, Musial was the Most Valuable Player three times, won seven batting titles with a career .331 batting average, and collected 3,630 hits and 475 homeruns.

He played a major role in three World Series championships.

Duke Snider

requests a fee of $5-$20. Snider has been inconsistent through the mail over the years.

His 83rd birthday is in September, which is another reason to drop him a note.

Robin Roberts

Robin Roberts has a plaque at the Hall of Fame, too. His year of induction: 1976. This seven-time All Star selection had six 20-win seasons attributed to his pinpoint fastball.

Like Snider, he is a great signer if you include a donation; his charity of choice is the Baseball Assistance Team (B.A.T.). $10-$15

Another gracious Hall of Famer who signs his mail, The “Duke of Flatbush” put fear in the eyes of opposing pitchers, slugging 40 or more homeruns in five consecutive seasons.

Also a great clutch hitter, he hit four homeruns in two different World Series.

He was enshrined in Cooperstown in 1980 and continues to sign for fans from his home address. Sometimes he signs for free but most of the time he Signed photos from top of this page: Phil Niekro; Jim Kaat; Duke Snider; Robin Roberts • Signed cards from far left: Luis Tiant; Rich Gossage; George Kell; Bobby Thomson; Stan Musial; Bobby Doerr

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IMAGES COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR

2/24/2009 6:46:24 PM

of only three knuckleballers to be enshrined.

Niekro will sign a card or picture for $10 and a ball for $15.

Rich “Goose” Gossage

The “Goose” isn’t free anymore since he entered the Hall in 2008, but he still signs for a nominal fee through the mail. He’s hands down the best-looking signature in all of baseball. In a 23-year career he had 20 saves an amazing 10 times, and twice reached 30 saves. Many collectors are having good luck “grabbing the Goose” for $10-$20.

Bobby Thomson

is 90-years young and still providing autographs for the price of a stamp. His No. 1 has been retired

by Boston.

George Kell

Kell joined the exclusive Hall of Fame club in 1983 as a rock solid hitter and fielder. He was Mr. Consistent, batting more than .300, nine times in his career, leading the league six times in turning the double play. Kell has always been a friend to autograph collectors, signing for free.

Many baseball stat geeks will tell you that Kell beat out Ted Williams for the American league batting title in 1949 by less than two ten-thousandths of a point.

Jim Kaat

Bobby Doerr

94449 Territorial Road Junction City, OR 97448

Goose Gossage

35 Marland Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80906

Jim Kaat

3968 SE Old Saint Lucie Blvd.

Stuart, FL 34996

George Kell

Stan Musial

Luis Tiant

6382 Nichols Rd. Flowery Branch, GA 30542

usually does the trick, though he has been known to sign a few freebies.

Bobby Doerr

Phil Niekro

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Addresses

Jim Kaat returned a sharp looking blackand-white I sent him last month, featuring him in the windup that won a franchise record 189 wins for the Minnesota Twins. An astounding fielder, he won 16 Gold Glove Awards. Kaat included an envelope requesting a donation to a memorial fund he set up to honor his late wife.

A Fenway Park favorite, many fans think he should be in the Hall of Fame. Tiant won more than 200 games and followed in the footsteps of his father who excelled in the Negro Leagues. He is a great signer both in person and through the mail.

Doerr is a 9-time All Star and probably the best through-the-mail signer of all time.

A legendary Red Sox second baseman, Doerr

Responsible for one of baseball’s all-time greatest moments, Thomson hit the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” on October 13, 1951. The New York Giants beat the Brooklyn Dodgers for the pennant off Thomson’s game-winning homerun in the bottom of the ninth inning. Thomson usually includes the date of the game with his signature and still signs for free.

Niekro’s knuckleball kept him in the Majors for an incredible 24 years. It also allowed him entry into the Hall of Fame, one

P.O. Box 70 Swifton, AR 72471 c/o Stan The Man Inc. 1650 Des Peres Road #125 St. Louis, MO 63131

Phil Niekro

Robin Roberts

504 Terrace Hill Drive Temple Terrace, FL 33617

Duke Snider

3037 Lakemont Drive Fallbrook, CA 902028

Luis Tiant

24 Southwood Drive Southborough, MA 01772

2/24/2009 6:46:48 PM

BY JEFF BENZIGER

Joan Blonyedsell

Luminous E and Flawless Timing

T

hose amazing big blue eyes could melt any man fast. They may have done more to launch Joan Blondell’s career than anything else. Of course, there was more to Blondell than just the eyes, or even those long legs that made for wonderful cheesecake 1930s poses after she made the jump from vaudeville to Hollywood films. She was a good actress right up until her death from leukemia in 1979 at age 73. She was known in the industry as a hard-working pro.

When Blondell was asked why some actresses, like hers, had staying power, Joan noted: “It’s more than talent and beauty.

Maybe it’s the audience seeing itself in you.”

Blondell was a ready signer who had vertical handwriting, almost as light and feathery as her eyelashes. She often inscribed photos to each fan with the phrase, “All that’s good, Joan Blondell.”

Autograph collectors shouldn’t have much difficulty securing signed images of a later Blondell, which you can find on eBay for around $60. A tougher find is a signed vintage cheesecake portrait from her early career as a major pin-up star.

Born Rose Joan Blondell on August 30, 1906 to a traveling New York City vaudevillian family, Blondell ended up in Dallas, Texas, where she won the 1926 Miss Dallas pageant.

A year later, she was off to Broadway, where in 1930 she was cast in Penny Arcade with James Cagney. Although that play only ran for three weeks, it launched her career when Al Jolson bought the rights and packaged it with Cagney and Blondell for the Warner Brothers movie, Sinners’ Holiday.

The studio put the wise-cracking blonde 32 april 2009

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into a long parade of films over a nine-year period and capitalized on her looks for publicity photos. Blondell was one of Warner’s most valuable properties at a time when the studio was cranking out pictures at a maddening pace. She once quipped that she was “Warner’s workhorse,” but she was also one of the highest earning stars during the Depression. By the

Above: Joan Blondell-signed cheesecake pose; the photo’s border was cut, trimming part of her signature • Below: Signed 1930s publicity portrait

time Blondell left Warner Brothers in 1939, she had appeared in nearly 50 films. Her beautiful face was used in magazine ads to sell products like beauty soap.

Blondell’s personal life was less than idyllic. She was sexually assaulted at age 23 while working as a library clerk, a job she took after vaudeville’s popularity waned and before her Broadway break. Joan was married three times, her second to actor Dick Powell, with whom she made 10 musicals.

Her third marriage to producer Mike Todd was marred by his gambling addiction and

violent streak. Todd once hung Joan outside a hotel window by her ankles.

Her more than 100 films included the 1937 The Perfect Specimen with Errol Flynn and Lady for A Night with John Wayne.

She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her 1951 role in The Blue Veil.

She was also featured prominently in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945), Nightmare Alley (1947), Desk Set (1957), Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?

(1957) and The Cincinnati Kid (1965).

Joan never retired because she needed the money after her last marriage ended.

Joan played character roles and no longer commanded top dollar. From 1968 to 1970, Blondell was the spunky saloon gal Lottie Hatfield in the Pacific Northwest-based western TV series Here Come the Brides with Robert Brown and teen heartthrob Bobby Sherman. She had minor roles in Grease (1978) and The Champ (1979) with Jon Voight and Rick Schroder. images Courtesy of the author

2/23/2009 5:38:18 PM

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BY JOSH BOARD

Wined, Dined & Signed with James Cameron

I

’m usually out there getting autographs the hard way; outside concert venues, sneaking backstage, or waiting in a long line at a bookstore.

Last spring I finally I got a few the easy way.

Thanks to my stepdad, John Donovan, who played Captain Smith in James Cameron’s 3D Titanic movie Ghosts of the Abyss, I got to go to a party at the Malibu mansion of director James Cameron, the Academy Awardwinning author and director of several Terminator films, True Lies, Rambo II and The Abyss. His biggest hit was Titanic.

I immediately called my friend Ken Calloway. At one of his parties, he had bottles of wine with really cool labels. “Buy a bunch of bottles of ‘Two-Buck Chuck,’” he said. “Peel the labels off, and design your own on the computer. Make up vintages that fit the theme of your party.”

“And save a fortune on expensive wine,” I said.

I asked him to make me a Titanic label, so I could hand a bottle of wine to Cameron when I got to the party.

Ken called it

“Iron Jim’s Titanic Cabernet” and had a picture of the Titanic on it.

On the sides, he described the wine, using various film titles in the description. I had him make sure it said 1912, the year the Titanic sank.

Besides the wine, I brought a leatherbound version of Titanic and a DVD of Strange Days, a weird sci-fi film he wrote and produced. I also brought a DVD of Usual Suspects for Cameron’s wife, Suzy Amis, to sign. (They met while filming Titanic.)

I had to turn my name in at the main gate to this community and at Cameron’s residence.

My girlfriend, Kristina, and I met up with my parents outside Cameron’s house, where I was eyeing his cherried-out Shelby Cobra.

When I was introduced to Cameron, I handed over the bottle and he said, “Cool.

Oh, it’s a 1912. I better not open this.” I saw him reading the sides of the label. He smiled and said, “Thanks. I’m going to save this.

If we drink it, it will just end up an empty bottle.” I admitted it was just an $18 bottle of wine anyway. He laughed. I think he was surprised I paid that much.

I waited to ask Cameron for autographs.

This was a swanky affair, and I didn’t want to seem unprofessional.

I told another guest that I wanted to get something signed by Cameron and his wife. He said “Cameron is really good about signing. One time I brought a Titanic poster, and he was late for a meeting. He asked, ‘Do I

have to sign it now? Can I sign it later?’ Then he just signed it. I guess as long as you don’t say ‘Thanks, I can put this on eBay now.”

I spotted Suzy Amis. Kristina advised it would be cheesy to ask Suzy to autograph my DVD, so I tucked it into my back pocket as I walked over to chat with her.

I asked her how she got the part in Usual Suspects. “Kevin Bacon called me,” she said, “and said his friend was directing this little film.”

“My girlfriend is going to kill me,” I said, “but would you mind signing the DVD for me?” I handed her the DVD and she wrote “For Josh, Live Your Passions! Suzy Amis Cameron.”

After dinner, guests gathered in the screening room and Cameron showed scenes from his television documentary Expedition: Bismarck that had never been shown.

Finally, I approached Cameron for his autograph. I gave him an extra label for the “Iron Jim” wine, in case he had another bottle he wanted to slap it on. He thanked me, and I said, “Well, it’s sort of a bribe. I want to see if you’ll sign these.” I handed him the DVDs of Titanic and Strange Days.

With the collector’s edition of Titanic in his hands, he noticed the silver embossed “James Cameron” signature. Signing above it in bold black Sharpie, he said, “Now you’ll have a real one.”

Counterclockwise from top: James Cameron (left) with my stepdad, who played Captain Smith in Ghosts of the Abyss • The wine label I got specially made for the party—a perfect gift • Titanic, Special Collectors Edition, and Strange Days DVDs signed by Cameron at the party; Titanic VHS signed by Cameron during the filming of Ghosts of the Abyss Abyss; The Usual Suspects DVD signed by Cameron’s wife, actress Suzy Amis

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IMAGES COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR

2/23/2009 2:39:37 PM

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BY MARK J. GROSS

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry A Tribute to the First Lady of Star Trek

T

he wife of star trek creator Gene Roddenberry, Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, was the First Lady of Star Trek, having been involved in the franchise since its original pilot. As fans gear up for the May 8 release of Star Trek XI, we remember Majel, who died at 76 last December.

Majel’s career with Star Trek began with some resistance from NBC executives, who insisted that her then-boyfriend, producer Roddenberry, cast a man in her role as starship officer, Number One. Majel went on to play Dr. McCoy’s assistant, Nurse Christine Chapel. And devoted Star Trek fans recognize her voice the first time they hear it, as Majel was the voice of the ship’s computer in the original series, all the spawned series, as well as the films.

Her performance as Deanna Troi’s famous mouthy mother Lwaxan Troi gener-

Majel signed this calendar after our lengthy interview in 1999 and now hangs on my wall 36 april 2009

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ated a huge fan following. This character appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation often, and in Deep Space Nine as the love interest of security chief Odo. Majel was a staple at various conventions throughout her career, promoting new projects. I had a chance to interview her at a convention in 1999. She was as down to Earth as ever, signing autographs and chatting about her memorabilia company, Lincoln Enterprises.

Mark Gross: What was it like being involved with Star Trek from the start?

Majel Barrett: Well, for all of us back then, it was a job, and unfortunately after that first pilot episode, I got fired from my job. I worked my way back in and got the role of Nurse Chapel. We all went to work every morning never thinking it was going to be any more than what it was that day or that week. Each year, we hoped we were going to be on another year, but that only happened for three years. We were actually a failed series then.

What did you do after the show was cancelled, until you came back as Nurse Chapel for Star Trek: The Motion Picture?

Gene and I did Spectre, The Questor Tapes, Planet Earth, Genesis II and I was also doing TV shows myself then too.

What was your time like with Gene, who was such a genius in creating science fiction shows?

We just led a normal life. I mean Gene was not really “spacey” and our house didn’t have Star Trek and sci-fi stuff all over. Actually, we were golfers and we went everywhere around the world to play golf.

How did you and Gene meet?

Gene was working on three pilots in L.A. and I was introduced to him as a possibility for a role. We began talking and one thing led to another. We lived together for one year and were married for 22 years.

How did the Nurse Chapel role come about? images Courtesy of the author

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Another item the First Lady of Star Trek autographed for me in 1999

I actually found the role as Nurse Chapel because I was so disappointed in not getting the role as Number One. I kept looking at the scripts and finally, about the fourth script in, I found the role of a doctor who was coming onboard the ship to look for her fiancé, and I said, “I can do this.” But once the network fires you—you know they don’t want you back.

So I went out and bleached my hair, which fooled even Gene at first. I said, “If I can fool you, I can fool anyone.”

Gene said, “Yes you can.”

And I did.

What about your famous voice as the ship’s computer?

I was just simply there, they needed somebody to say all those words onto the tape, and so there I was.

Tell me a bit about your character Lwaxana Troi, Deanna’s mother from The Next Generation series.

Gene came home one day and said to me, “Majel, I have a great part for you, and guess what, you don’t have to act!” Well, I didn’t know what the role called for, and Gene just described it as the Auntie Mame of the Galaxy. Then the character kept coming back, and I got to be quite proud of it. I often heard women yelling to me from across a parking lot telling me that this role has done more for women over 40 than any movement in America. I love Lwaxana, she was a great role!

On Sunday Jan. 4, 2009, Majel’s family, friends and fans came to Forest Lawn Me-

morial Parks in the Hollywood Hills to pay their final respects to the First Lady of Star Trek. A large crowd, including many Star Trek luminaries, gathered for the official memorial.

The Roddenberry family also held a public memorial for Majel at The Hall of Liberty at Forest Lawn. The crowd of approximately 300 was a mix of friends, family, colleagues and many Trek fans, some of whom showed up in costume. Present were Majel’s Original Series costars Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig and George Takei, as well as many of the lead actors from Star

Trek: The Next Generation and subsequent series, including Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis, Wil Wheaton, Anthony Montgomery, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips, Armin Shimerman and Garrett Wang.

When her husband died in 1991, Majel had part of Roddenberry’s remains launched into space in 1997 through Celestis Inc., a memorial spaceflights company.

After Majel’s death, Celestis Inc. announced it will launch the remains of both Gene Roddenberry and Majel in 2012. They will traverse the cosmos and galaxy together, which is exactly how it should be.

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The Ron Keurajian By

Part six of a 12-part series

Masters of Golf

Herman Keiser

October 7, 1914 - December 24, 2003

H

erman keiser was one of the most unlikely golfers to win the Masters or any major, for that matter.

He was an unknown golfer who came out of nowhere to capture the 1946 Masters by beating the great Ben Hogan. Though it was his only major, it earned Keiser a significant place in golf history. All in all, Keiser won five PGA tournaments before he retired in the 1950s. He moved back to Ohio and purchased a driving range, which he operated for the rest of his life.

Keiser signed in a legible and plain hand. His signature has excellent letter construction; it’s easy on the eye and lacks flamboyance.

Keiser signed slowly, which means his signature can be forged fairly easily. Keiser’s hand remained strong throughout his life. He battled Alzheimer’s in his last couple years, but stopped signing well before the disease affected his hand. He died in the closing days of 2003 and stopped signing around 2001. A genuine Keiser signature will show no measurable shakiness of hand and one that does should be considered suspect and avoided.

I had the pleasure to speak with Keiser on the phone in the early 1990s. He was, to say the least, an eccentric fellow with a curt disposition. He is probably the least remembered of the Masters

Herman Keiser wrote with a slow hand, making his signature easier to read, but also easier to forge.

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Champions, and it bothered him. Keiser told me that he rarely received mail requests for his autograph, which explains the lack of genuine material in the market.

Despite being gone for only five years, Keiser is considered a fairly scarce signature and premium items border on the rare side. He typically signed on index cards and the occasional golf scorecard. Signed 8x10 photographs are very scarce as are golf balls. Keiser letters are rare and usually have great content. His two favorite subjects were his service in World War II, which Keiser always felt was a much greater accomplishment than anything he did on the links, and the “conspiracy” of how the golfing world tried to steal away the 1946 Masters from him and hand it to Hogan. His letters are well written but evidence a slight paranoia. Keiser letters are a welcome addition to any vintage golf collection.

Material signed during Keiser’s playing days is very scarce and typically surfaces on the occasional golf program or album page.

The population of genuine Keiser material is small and demand far outweighs supply. Remember, many well executed Keiser forgeries exist, so use a discerning eye.

Keiser material has exploded in value. Signatures are now worth a minimum of $100. I have run across only a few genuine 8x10 photos which sell for $250 to $300. Signed golf balls have excellent eye appeal and Keiser would, on occasion, add the inscription “1946 Masters” under his signature, but very few exist and now sell in the $400 range.

A nice handwritten letter should sell for $300 to $400.

IMAGES OF SIGNATURES COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR

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COLLECTING

MEDAL OF

HONOR recipients by robert moore

T

he congressional medal of honor is presented to members of the United States Military who risk their lives “above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States.” It is the highest military honor that can be awarded to a member of the Armed Forces.

Of the 3,448 Medal of Honors awarded, 618 have been presented to the families posthumously. Almost half of all the recipients are from the Civil War. The Medal of Honor has been awarded to all branches of the military including one Coast Guard recipient, Douglas Munro. There are 19 double recipients, one female recipient, Mary Walker, for her bravery at Bull Run, and 181 minority recipients. Today, only 98 recipients are living from the World War II, Korean and Vietnam wars.

Four soldiers who served in Iraq and one who served in Afghanistan have received the Medal of Honor posthumously.

The first appearance of an individual medal given to a soldier for valor was established by then Gen. George Washington. The medal was called the Badge of Military Merit and was given to any soldier who engaged in “any singularly meritorious action.” The Badge of Military Merit was discontinued and replaced with various medals until late in the Civil War. The Medal of Honor was signed into use by all branches of the military by President Lincoln in1862.

The first recipient of the Medal of Honor was Bernard J.D. Irwin, who was an assistant surgeon in the Army and volunteered to lead a group of troops to rescue the 60 soldiers of 2nd Lt. George Bascom’s unit in what is now the state of Arizona. While Irwin’s act of bravery took place in 1861, he did not receive his honor until more than 30 years later in 1894. His act of bravery is considered the first to be rewarded with the medal.

Collecting Medal of Honor autographs is nothing new to the serious military autograph collector. They are one of the most enjoyable and rewarding collections to work on in the field. Though there are relatively few recipients living today, that shouldn’t deter anyone from starting a collection.

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Hiroshi Miyamura IMAGES COURTESY OF WWW.HOMEOFHEROES.COM AND THE AUTHOR

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Leo Thorsness Vernon Baker Ola Mize

World War II

A good place to begin a Medal of Honor collection is with the living World War II recipients. This list includes the only living African American recipient Vernon Baker. Baker received his honor for his actions on April 5-6, 1945 near Viareggio, Italy, during World War II. Mr. Baker is a good signer and answered my request in a little over a month.

John William Finn is the oldest living member of the Medal of Honor recipients and the only living member remaining who received the honor for his valor during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Finn earned his Medal of Honor by manning a machine gun and continuing to fire on attacking planes even after he was shot five times by enemy fire. Along with his Medal of Honor, Finn received seven more major medals in his time with the Navy. Finn retired from the military as a lieutenant in 1956. He is still a great signer at the age of 99 and will answer a request in about a month’s time.

A unique WWII Medal of Honor recipient success is Daniel Inouye. Not only is Inouye a Medal of Honor recipient, he is also the senior state senator from Hawaii and the third most senior member behind Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd. Inouye has represented the state of Hawaii in some capacity since it became a state in 1959. He was the first Japanese-American to serve in both the House of Representatives and Senate. Inouye served in the 442 Regimental Combat Team. The 442 is the most decorated unit in the history of the Army. Inouye received his medal for his bravery in the European campaign of WW II. He is happy to answer autograph requests, just expect to wait a few months to receive back an answer.

Most of the remaining WW II Medal of Honor recipients are receptive signers through the mail. Heroes like Van Barfoot, Francis Currey, Barney Hajiro, Arthur Jackson, Robert Maxwell, Hershel Williams and Everett Pope are quick to return requests sent to The Congressional Medal of Honor Society. Most successes range from two weeks to three months time.

Hershel Williams

The Korean War

The Korean War doesn’t receive the same attention as World War II or the Vietnam War. But it still holds a very important place in American history because it was the first confrontation of the Cold War. The Korean War lasted from June 1950 until a cease fire was signed in July 1953. The United States intervened on the behalf of South Korea and deployed more than 480,000 troops throughout the three years.

During the U.S. involvement, 132 Medal of Honors were given out, 95 of them posthumously. The remaining 14 are alive today and nine of them have reportedly sent out autographs in the last few years.

William Charette was awarded the Medal of Honor for his acts of valor on March 27, 1953. Charette risked his life by going behind enemy lines to attend to wounded soldiers. On one occasion he threw his body on top of a wounded soldier, absorbing the shock of a live grenade that went off nearby. Even with massive head and face trauma, Charette continued to tend to wounded soldiers on that day. He is a great signer and AUTOGRAPH

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Robert Foley Jack Jacobs Ronald Rosser

Write to Medal of Honor Recipients for Autographs: Congressional Medal of Honor Society 40 Patriots Point Road Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

Van Barfoot

Duane Dewey

will usually return requests in less than two weeks time.

Hiroshi Miyamura is the only recipient whose award was classified top secret by the United States government. Hiyamura was drafted into the Army near the end of WW II and served briefly before being discharged after the Japanese surrender in August 1945. He reenlisted into the Army reserves and was put into active duty when America entered the Korean War. Miyamura’s honor was deemed classified because he was captured by the North Koreans right after his act of bravery.

The United States government feared that if the North Koreans knew of his status as a Medal of Honor recipient, then he would be tortured and might never return home. Miyamura has been a willing signer and returns autograph requests in less than a month.

The seven other Korean Medal of Honor recipients who are receptive to autograph requests include Duane Dewey, Rodolfo Hernandez, Lewis Millett, Ola Mize, Ron Rosser, Robert Simanek and Ernest West. Expect to wait two weeks to a few months to receive a response.

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Vietnam War

The greatest number of living Medal of Honor recipients are from the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War to this date has been the United States’ longest involvement in military conflict. From 1959 to 1975 the United States deployed more than half a million troops, among which 246 were presented with the Medal of Honor. Of the 246, 154 were awarded posthumously and 60 of them live on today.

Pat Brady is a former Army helicopter pilot who retired as a Major General after 34 years of service. In his two tours of Vietnam, he evacuated more than 5,000 wounded and injured men. On Jan. 6, 1968, Brady earned a Medal of Honor for volunteering to fly multiple missions under heavy fire to save the wounded. Throughout the day Brady used three different helicopters to save 51 seriously injured soldiers, who would have died without urgent care. Brady is a willing signer who will return items in less than a month.

George Everett “Bud” Day is the most highly decorated service man since General Douglas MacArthur. He has received 70 military decla-

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Pat Brady

James Taylor

Ernest West

Robert Maxwell

rations in his 35 year career. Retiring as a Colonel in 1977, Day served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Day earned his Medal of Honor for his act of bravery after being captured by the North Vietnamese on Aug. 26, 1967. Day’s aircraft was hit by gunfire and he was forced to eject from his aircraft. He was immediately captured and tortured at a prison camp. Day escaped from prison and unsuccessfully tried to signal U.S. aircraft. He was able to avoid enemy interception and lived off the land until he was captured again. He escaped a second time, was recaptured and put into the notorious Hanoi prison. Throughout his time as a prisoner of war, Day, in terrible physical condition, never relented to his captors. Day is a long standing supporter of John McCain, a fellow prisoner of war, and was spotted signing at McCain events in the last presidential campaign. Day is receptive to in person and mail requests, just expect to wait a few months to hear back from him.

Most of the Vietnam Medal of Honor recipients are glad to answer an autograph request. They tend to be more aware of collectors selling autograph items on sites like eBay. They will usually limit their

Robert Simanek

autographs to one or two items, personalizing many of them. Writing a sincere letter and limiting the number of items should get a positive response from these courageous veterans. James Livingston, Harold Fritz, Bob Kerrey, Leo Thorsness, James A. Taylor, Robert Foley and Jack Jacobs are just a short list of willing signers who have answered my request in as little as two weeks time Medal of Honor autographs of current and deceased Medal of Honor recipients can be found on auction sites like eBay. There is a subculture of collectors who specifically collect military autographs and can point you in the right direction. Websites like the official Congressional Medal of Honor Society website (www.CMOHS.org), www.HameOfHeroes.com and www.MedalOfHonor.com will give you information on these heroes.

Once a year the Congressional Medal of Honor Society holds a convention to honor the Medal of Honor recipients. For more information concerning this year’s convention in Chicago, Ill., visit www.

CMOH2009Chicago.com. Best of luck and happy collecting!

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L egac y Walter Light Jr.’s quest to get famous signatures on the tablecloth his mother began 80 years ago led to a lifetime of stories.

By Natalie Navarro

I

Photo by kim Plawecki Brown

n 1929, joy light started what would become her son Walter’s life work: a large Irish linen tablecloth autographed by Hollywood celebrities, presidents and first ladies, music stars and sports legends. Olga’s husband Walter Sr., owned a movie theater in Chester, Ill., and used to take Olga with him to “Film Row” in St. Louis, where movie stars made their personal appearances.

Olga’s first signature was John Barrymore. By the time of her death in 1944, she had collected 77 autographs, which she meticulously embroidered in shades of red and burgundy. In addition to film stars, sports figures Dizzy Dean and Jack Dempsey, author Sinclair Lewis and bandleader Benny Goodman all signed the cloth.

She left “The Tablecloth,” an unfinished legacy, to her son, who was nicknamed Lucky after he survived a near fall, dangling from the 200-foot water tower right behind his dad’s theater. But Lucky left it aside as he pursued his own career in entertainment.

Big band drummer Gene Krupa gave him the inspiration to be a drummer when he brushed 12-year-old Walter out of the way as the boy stood holding his mother’s tablecloth, hoping for an autograph.

“Out of my way, kid. I’m in a hurry.”

A drummer in the Big Band Era, Lucky Light spent years touring the country, living out of the back seat of his car. In his late ’50s, he was earning money turning horseshoes into personalized objets d’arte, which he also presented to more than 100 celebrities. When Walter met a celebrity to give him a horseshoe, it finally occurred to him to take the tablecloth along. After 40 years stuck in a drawer, the tablecloth finally got autograph No. 78: George Gobels.

Light has added another 582 autographs to the cloth since. “I started out adding signatures to the cloth quite casually—when it fit my schedule and it was handy,” Light said. “It soon became a 24-houra-day mind set. This project took over my entire life.”

In 1984, as Debbie Reynolds contributed her autograph, she commented on how “funky” the cloth had become. Light washed out more than 50 years of grime—unfortunately along with conductor Leopold Stokowski’s autograph, which had not yet been embroi-

This page: Walter Light Jr. holding “The Tablecloth,” which bears nearly 600 embroidered autographs • Opposite page, from left to right, top to bottom: Light with Barbara Bush; Douglas Fairbanks Jr.; Bill Shoemaker; Johnny Carson; Ringo Starr; Loretta Lynn; George Carlin; Kenny Rogers; Millvina Dean; Bill Crosby; Margaret Thatcher; Perry Como; Roy Rogers and Dale Evans 44 april 2009

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Images courtesy of Walter Light Jr. unless otherwise noted

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dered. “I took it to the police station thinking they might have some technology to restore that signature, but they couldn’t get it.”

Light continued his mother’s practice of embroidering the autographs in shades of red thread. “I only have room for about 100 more autographs,” he said. “I made out a wish list about five years ago. I’ve chosen champions—award winners, record holders, Hall of Famers. Some of the people I’ve contacted

have reserved a space.

Dustin Hoffman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver, Priscilla Presley, Martha Stewart—they all want to add their name to the cloth. But it has to wait until I can get out to California, because I won’t mail it anymore.

Colin Powell is mad at me because I won’t mail it to him. My heart just can’t take it any longer.”

Light has mailed the tablecloth 17 times—the first time to golfer Ben Hogan. The last person he mailed it to was Barbara Bush, who signed it while President George H.W. Bush was in office.

When Light meets the celebrities, he takes pictures with them, collects the autographs and even the pens they use to sign the cloth with, and he collects stories. He’s compiling a book of them and shared a few with Autograph.

“I think the most memorable signing experience I had was flying to England to meet Millvina Dean, the last survivor of the Titanic. She took me on a tour of the Southampton Docks where the Titanic embarked on its maiden voyage in 1912. Millvina was the youngest passenger aboard. After signing the tablecloth in the Maritime Museum, we dashed through a heavy downpour to the Gamekeepers Pub. On the cab ride back to my hotel, Millvina and I sang every song ever written about a state in America. She also told me her mother’s maiden name was Light. It broke my heart when I learned that she was selling off all her personal memorabilia just to pay nursing home expenses.”

Light lingers on his sadness until he remembers another one of his favorite encounters. It took three years worth of correspondence to set up an appointment with The Honeymooners Audrey Meadows. After 46 april 2009

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the maid opened the door, Meadows appeared. “You have something for me to sign?” she asked.

“Yes, Audrey, I have this tablecloth for you to sign. Remember?

Can your maid snap a couple of pictures of us?” Light asked.

“Pictures? Pictures? No one told me anything about any pictures,” she said.

“I’ve mentioned it in each of my letters over the past three years,

Audrey.” Light finally convinced her of the importance of the pictures and she left him in the living room, drink in hand while she retired to her room to put on make-up.

“Sh e re tu r ne d looking more radiant and beautiful than anyone ever had a chance to see on The Honeymooners. She took charge—set the stage, the background and lighting, arranged the angles. You can’t imagine. Finally after eight pictures, she figured we were done. ‘Not so fast,’ I said. I moved closer to Audrey and planted a kiss on her cheek. Flash went the camera one more time.”

Five presidents have signed the tablecloth but only one, Ronald

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Reagan, signed it while in office. Light sent the cloth by mail and received it just three days later. His chance to meet the president didn’t come until May 23, 1994. “I met him in Los Angeles, in the Fox Building on the Avenue of the Stars. Meeting him and talking to him for an hour was not something I had expected. I think he liked that my nickname was Lucky—his dog was named Lucky. I gave him a black and white brochure on the tablecloth. He liked it, but then handed me the color brochure of his Presidential Library and suggested I go see it—and that I do a new brochure in color to better show off the cloth. I put one together and used one of the pictures of us together for the cover. It wasn’t until I looked closely that I realized his tie tack was a horseshoe—a beautiful diamond horseshoe.”

Light uses an old Minolta camera to take the pictures of celebri-

ties signing the cloth. “Audrey Meadows finally showed me how to use it,” he said. “She handed the camera to her secretary and said, ‘This camera has a critical center focus.’ Sure took better pictures after she taught me that.”

When asked who has the best signature on the tablecloth, Light reeled off a list of names, but when asked who has the worst signature he quickly answered: “Uncontested. Mickey Rooney.”

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Opposite page, left to right: Light with Jimmy Carter; Audrey Meadows; Tiny Tim; Willie Nelson; Ronald Reagan • This page, clockwise from right: Light with George H. W. Bush; John Travolta; George Burns; Dina Shore; Mickey Mantle; Gerald and Betty Ford

Light explained how he gathers his autographs.

“Once I pick a name, I’m sure I do the same thing all autograph collectors do. Read the papers. Listen to the radio, watch TV. It’s almost like detective work. you have to be persistent and want that signature pretty badly.”

When asked what his plans are when the tablecloth is completed, Light shook his head. “I’ll probably cry a lot. I’ve enjoyed the fantastic experiences I’ve had meeting these wonderful celebrities. I’ve always looked forward to the many challenges and obstacles. I often thought of it as an ongoing game of chess.”

Then Walter Light lifted his head and laughed. “How can I possibly retire? Once the cloth is filled, I still have matching napkins.”

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J

By Kimberly Cole

“I

who influenced collecting.”

f i can’t take it with me, I’m not going to go,” Forrest J Ackerman would tell guests touring his collection. But when the man known as Uncle Forry to legions of horror and science fiction fans died in December at 92, he left an amazing collection behind. Thousands of sci-fi and horror related items will be auctioned from April 30 to May 1 by Profiles in History. “This will be the most important sale of horror-related items ever assembled for auction,” said Joe Maddalena, the firm’s CEO. Jerry Weist, an author, collector and science fiction consultant for Sotheby’s described Ackerman’s collection in 2003: “There was nothing like it anywhere in the world, and there never will be again. The heritage of modern collectors is based in the Ackerman collection. It’s as if one guy in Europe had most of Braque, Picasso, Matisse and Chagalle, as if one person had an overwhelming collection.”

No. 1 Fan

Monocle worn by Metropolis director Fritz Lang during the filming of the 1927 silent movie.

Ackerman won a special Hugo Award in 1953 for No. 1 Fan Personality. He published 50-plus stories, was literary agent to the likes of Ray Bradbury, L. Ron Hubbard and Marion Zimmer Bradley, appeared in more than 200 films, and served as editor and writer of the magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland for 25 years. But the word most often used to describe him? Fan. The key to Ackerman’s tremendous influence on the genres of horror and science fiction films and literature was his life-long enthusiasm for the art form and its artists. As a fan, he amassed a collection that, at its peak in the mid-’60s would have been worth about $10 million in today’s market, Weist once speculated.

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rtant person

Unlike many collectors, Ackerman always shared his collection with the public, offering free tours of it at his home every Saturday. The “Ackermansion,” as his 18-room Los Feliz estate was called, became a mecca for science fiction fans and visitors from around the world. Even after the cost of legal troubles and illness forced him to downsize his collection and home, Ackerman continued to greet visitors and give personal tours of the house he dubbed the “MiniAckermansion.”

Born in Los Angeles in 1916, Ackerman often recounted the birth of his fascination with science fiction when, in 1926, he bought a copy of Amazing Stories.

“Among all the magazines, that one said, ‘Take me home, little boy. You will love me.’”

Three years later, he published his first story in Science Wonder Quarterly and founded The Boys Scientification Club.

His dream of bringing together a community of science fiction writers and readers began. In 1938 he published a young Ray Bradbury’s first story and introduced him to science fiction greats Robert Heinlein, Leigh Brackett and others. They were members of his chapter of the Science Fiction Society, which met in L.A.’s Clifton Cafeteria. Years later he bankrolled Bradbury’s fanzine Future Fantasia with $90.

In 1939, Ackerman attended the first World Science Fiction Convention in Manhattan with his friend Myrtle R. Douglas. Both of them dressed in space costumes, setting the stage for the thousands of Trekkies who would follow suit.

Ackerman is credited with coining the term “scifi.” In a story told to the Los Angeles Times, he explained that he was driving with his wife in 1954, when the radio IMAGES COURTESY OF PROFILES IN HISTORY

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mentioned the term “hi-fi.” “I looked in the rear-view mirror, stuck out my tongue and there, tattooed on the end was ‘sci-fi.’ To her immortal embarrassment, my dear wife said, ‘Forget it, Forry—it’ll never catch on.’”

His connection to the film world grew naturally out of his career as a literary agent, and Ackerman became friends with horror stars such as Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Vincent Price. But Ackerman also promoted the works of the behindthe-scenes artists who created the magic of the movies, inspiring film director Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, Stephen King, Penn & Teller, and many others.

A life-long fan of science fiction B-movies, Ackerman had cameos in more than 200 films, including The Howling, Return of the Living Dead Part II and the campy Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold. More important than his work onscreen was his role in shaping the industry’s understanding of the genre. It was Ackerman who brought attention in the United States to the 1927 German film Metropolis. He called himself Ed Wood’s ‘ill-literary’ agent, and provided feedback to Wood as he wrote and directed Plan 9 from Outer Space.

In 1958, Ackerman launched his magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland, each issue full of interviews with film monsters Lugosi and Karloff, articles on past and current genre films, comic strip adaptations of classic movies and a letter to the editor’s page called “Fang Mail.” In the Mimosa fanzine, Ackerman explained the Famous Monsters tone: “The publisher sent a sign saying ‘I am 11-and-a-half years old and I am your

reader, Forrest Ackerman. Make me laugh.”

Ackerman obliged until 1983 when the magazine stopped publication after a run of 191 issues.

Horror and science fiction may have lost their No. 1 fan, but Ackerman’s legend lives on.

In the words of Stephen King, “Forry was the first; he was best and he is the best. He stood up for a generation of kids who realized that if it was junk, it was magic junk.”

Above: First U.S. edition of Dracula, signed by Bram Stroker, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, John Carradine and others associated with the franchise • Left: Bela Lugosi gave his Dracula ring to Ackerman, who often wore it as he led visitors through his collection.

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Inside the Ackerman Estate Auction

Clockwise from top left: A cape Lugosi wore in stage adaptations of Dracula • Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: The Modern Man Demon signed by the author • Boris Karloff signed and inscribed photo to Ackerman • Bela Lugosi’s robe from The Raven (1935) 50

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After the Ackerman estate trustees decided to use Profiles in History to handle the auction, we spoke to Joe Maddalena, who was in the thick of preparing for the sale.

In explaining the trustees’ decision, Maddalena said that his company had sold items from Ackerman’s collection over the years to help sustain him financially. “We specialize in the higher end of this field of collecting—science fiction and horror memorabilia. And we have the right market— not only have we got the memorabilia clients, but we have the autograph clients.”

When asked to give a peek into what’s involved in auctioning Ackerman’s collection, Maddalena described the effort of inventorying the contents of the house and

storage. “Forry’s house is just full— I mean, thousands and thousands of items. There’s autographs, magazines, newspapers, costumes, toys, art work.

We’re inventorying, and then we box it up and bring it to our offices.”

Maddalena will go through the entire collection, looking for the items that will stand alone in the auction. The rest will be sorted by genre, personality, or film and sold in lots. “We turn the collection into thematic lots that can be sold in a sensible way. There are a couple of people who were alive at the time Forry was building his collection and they’ve been helping us identify the history and who he got each item from.”

In addition to local resources, Maddalena said that he’s been receiving countless emails from fans who toured the Ackerman estate—more than 50,000 people visited during the many years that Forry opened his house to the public and people are eager to share stories about items in the collection. “It’s a tremendous help in assembling the catalog,” Maddalena said.

The catalog, available for download from the Profiles in History website in early April, should be a major resource for fans of horror and sci-fi who want one last chance to ogle Ackerman’s collection.

Maddalena provided interesting insights into the challenge of pricing the items. “I like to set starting bids based

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on what’s reasonable. I believe that these collectibles will find their value at market. For example, we have the Dracula ring listed at $20,000-$30,000. But it’s a unique item. It came from Lugosi to Forry. It’s uninterrupted provenance. Who knows what that’s worth? It could go as high as $100,000, but it’s hard to guess because there’s never been another.

Or the costumes—there has never been any Lugosi wardrobe for sale before.”

While popular culturally, horror films were not considered historically significant years ago. “Horror material from the 1930s and ’40s just doesn’t exist,” Maddalena said. “People thought there was no reason to save a Dracula poster. No one thought about saving a costume from Dracula, so this type of material just doesn’t exist. No one has unearthed any Universal horror costumes or costume pieces of significance ever.”

No one except Forry Ackerman. Through his friendships with actors, directors, writers, costume and set designers, Ackerman saved what might have been lost.

“Also impacting value is that the items were given to Forry, and his association has an added value,” Maddalena explained. “You not only have an 11x14 beautiful photograph of Marlene Dietrich, but it’s inscribed to Forry Ackerman. Is there a premium associated with that? Is that premium 10 percent? 20 percent? Is someone willing to pay a premium of 100 percent because it’s associated with Forry’s life?”

Here are a few of the items that Maddalena has identified for single sale.

Dracula ring worn by Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula in the 1948 film Abbott and Costello Meet Dracula. In the

original 1931 Dracula, Lu g o s i’s C o u nt i s wearing a ring with what appears to be a simple black onyx stone. Because there are no references to the ring, it is assumed to have been a personal possession of Lugosi’s, as was the medallion he wore in that film. Lugosi gave the Abbott and Costello ring with the crest on a carnelian stone to Forry Ackerman. Ackerman later loaned it to Christopher Lee for use in his portrayals of Count Dracula. It’s the single most important Lugosi / Dracula screen-worn piece to ever come to auction.

Bela Lugosi’s robe from The Raven (1935) is reportedly the most important 1930s horror costume to ever come to auction. There’s a classic photo of Lugosi, as the Poeobsessed Dr. Vollin, wearing the velvet collared robe as he strokes the head of a stuffed raven.

Also available in the auction is the cape made for Bela Lugosi in 1932 and used by him in stage adaptations of Dracula. Lugosi also wore the costume in Plan 9 from Outer Space. Lugosi was buried in one of his three Dracula capes, and his son owns the second. This is the third and final cape worn by Lugosi.

The 1899 first American edition of Dracula signed AUTOGRAPH

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From top left: A handwritten tribute Vincent Price wrote to Ackerman, which reads in part, “Eventually he and his collection will become monuments to a (but for him) much neglected cinema art form. We all owe him a great debt for keeping alive his favorite genre of movies and preserving its mementoes. His fans are legion.” • 1982 Typed letters signed

by Steven Spielberg and Stephen King to Ackerman’s assistant.

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by Bram Stoker and inscribed by Bela Lugosi to Ackerman (also signed by Christopher Lee, John Carradine and a host of other Dracula-related personalities). The book was originally published in the U.K. in 1897. When Douglas & McClure published the American edition in 1899, they used the original copyright year of 1897. There have been numerous publications of Dracula, but this is the first U.S. edition and should not be confused with the 1927 Grosset & Dunlap edition which was published to coincide with the theatrical opening of Dracula on Broadway.

Autograph asked Maddalena whether the book was of greater interest to autograph or book collectors. “Any real book collector is going to think the Dracula book has been defaced. First American edition signed by Bram Stoker, that in itself is worth $10,000. A book collector is going to get sick when he sees all those other signatures. But an autograph collector is going to be euphoric.”

Fritz Lang’s monocle, which he wore when he directed Metropolis. Ackerman was an ardent fan of the 1927 silent film, and Lang gave his monocle to Forry. Along with Kubrick’s 2001: Space Odyssey, Metropolis is considered one of the most important science fiction films ever made.

A copy of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: The Modern Man Demon signed by the author.

Also available are hundreds of signed 11x14 photographs of stars like Marlene Deitrich, Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Fritz Lang and John Carradine. “These are the most personal autographs,” Maddalena said.

“The ones he didn’t want to sell.”

Forrest J Ackerman

“Ackerman saved what might have been lost.”

Over the years, a number of individuals suggested that Ackerman’s collection belonged in a museum—that it should become a museum.

The failure to do so has enraged some fans. In a 2003 Los Angeles Times article, Ray Bradbury was quoted, “We live in a stupid world.”

He had over the years begged executives at a number of companies to help preserve the collection. “I said, ‘A special room with all of that [Ackerman’s collection] will be more fascinating than all that junk you have.’ They didn’t believe in the future. I believe in the future. Forrest Ackerman believed in the future. No one else cared.”

But within hours after news of the auction hit the Internet, horror and sci-fi sites began buzzing with the idea that from the sale of Forry Ackerman’s collection, thousands of fans will find the core of their own collection; a basis from which to build their own celebration of horror and sci-fi films and writing.

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And, as Maddalena explained: “Forry’s will divides the proceeds from the sale among his beneficiaries. It’s a chance to help Forry give something to the people who meant the most to him.

“This is a great time to celebrate this man’s career. If collectors have ever wanted something from this genre, Ackerman is probably the single most important person who influenced collecting.”

Autograph asked Maddalena for tips for auction novices. “Decide how much you want to spend,” he said. “And try to understand what you’ll be getting for that money. For example, Forry had the last Vincent Price index card—Price signed the date on it. That card will be in a lot with other Vincent Price-related things. But it’s not just Price, it’s the connection to Forry Ackerman that you’ll be buying, so you’re really getting a lot for your money.”

The auction is a treasure trove for Vincent Price fans. In addition to the last Vincent Price autograph, there’s a handwritten tribute Price wrote to Ackerman, which reads, “Eventually he and his collection will become monuments to a (but for him) much neglected cinema art form. We all owe him a great debt for keeping alive his favorite genre of movies and preserving its mementoes. His fans are legion.”

To download the Ackerman Estate auction catalog, go to www.

ProfilesInHistory.com. The auction will be held April 30-May 1 at Profiles in History’s offices in Calabasas Hills, Calif.

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10/2/2008 9:24:04 AM

OPERATION BULLPEN The FBI take down of the biggest forgery scheme ever

A box of Babe Ruth forged baseballs by Greg Marino

Kevin Nelson’s fascinating book, Operation Bullpen: The Inside Story of the Biggest Forgery Scam in American History, tells the story of the infamous southern California forgery ring that ripped off collectors for more than $100 million in the late 1990s—and whose criminal exploits continue to be felt in autograph collecting today. In this exclusive excerpt for Autograph, we learn how master forger Greg Marino and his accomplice Wayne Bray began their national racketeering enterprise, the crooked authentication scams they used, and how the FBI busted them after a dramatic threeyear undercover investigation.

By Kevin Nelson

A

s soon as they filled their first order—no, before that: when Wayne Bray first set eyes on Greg Marino’s perfect Mickey Mantle forgery—Wayne realized that if they were going to take this thing big-time, they needed to do more names than just Mantle. “If you can do Mantle,” he told Greg, “you can do DiMaggio.”

There are three baseball autographs every serious collector has to have: Mantle, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, known in the trade as the Big Three. Greg had emotional ties to his Mantle, but his motive for learning DiMaggio was pure commerce. He agreed with Wayne that if he learned him and got him right, they’d make more money, lots more money.

“Some people said you could never do DiMaggio,” Marino recalled. “His signature was too perfect, always consistent. The big thing on Joe’s name was learning the J. That was the most important. He was very consistent in the way he signed his J. Both the J and the D had to be consistent, and the D had to be at a certain angle. It was easy to mess up the D.” Even though most of the people who saw these autographs wouldn’t know the difference between DiMaggio’s J and Jersey Joe Walcott’s, Wayne knew how Joe D. did it, and he felt strongly this was the way it should be done. Doing quality work, he believed, would give them an edge over the hacks in the racket who were turning out slop just to make a fast buck. Greg’s personal style was more easy-going than Wayne’s, but he too cared about getting the details right. So when Wayne asked him to do a sig again, he did it. And he did it again and again and again and again, however many times it took before he felt he had it and didn’t need to practice it anymore. His goal was not to

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do one perfect sig, it was to do perfect sigs all the time, to sign a star’s signature with the same careless ease he signed his own name.

After learning DiMaggio, Greg moved on to the last of the Big Three. “With Ted,” he said, “the d and the W would run together.

Then Ted would come down on the first loop of the W but not quite finish it and then go into the i. It was like with Joe and Mickey. I did all these letters over and over again until I felt I got it.”

An autograph was a form of personal expression, and yet each one conformed to a pattern. Once Greg discovered this pattern he felt he could lock into a sig and nail it. The o in Dan Marino, for instance, looped around his last name with an expressive curve, accompanied often by his number on the Dolphins, 13. But Dan’s 3 was sharper and less rounded than the way Shaquille O’Neal did the 3 in his number, 34. Whereas Bret Favre’s 4 looked nothing like the numeral; it more resembled the letter f.

Celebrity fakes were part of the mix too, and Greg made sure that his Marilyn was up to the standards of his Joe. The range of his talent was breathtaking, ranging from movie and TV celebs—Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicole Kidman, Whoopi Goldberg, Spike Lee, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey—to a wildly eclectic music mix: Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Bette Midler, Prince, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen, Barbra Streisand, Randy Travis, Eddie Van Halen, Frank Zappa and bands such as the Beatles, Eagles, Kiss, Nirvana, and Pink Floyd. Another much-requested category was movie and TV posters, such as Rain Man, A League of Their Own, ER, Friends and Star Trek. People bought them thinking they were cast-signed but really they were just Greg-signed.

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Other popular products were astronauts and presidents, usually group photos with combo sigs. The Apollo 11 astronauts—Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon— were a big item. Other favorites were the five presidents— Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush the elder—when they appeared together at the opening of the Nixon Presidential Library.

Based on the variety of signatures they offered and the speed and quality in which they delivered them, the BrayMarino partnership was tops in a competitive field. But what also set them apart was their high-quality vintage cuts, another money-making idea that Wayne came up with. “He [Bray] was one of the people most responsible in the United States for the proliferation of cuts,” said a Department of Justice attorney involved with the case. “He practically invented cuts and if he didn’t invent them he took them to a whole new level. Before Bray and the Marinos, cuts practically did not exist. After them, cuts were everywhere.”

A “cut” in the language of collectors is a piece of paper with a star’s autograph on it. A vintage cut, then, is paper signed by a dead celebrity or sports star. Bray and Marino flooded the market with cuts—of Humphrey Bogart, James Dean, Jimi Hendrix, Martin Luther King Jr., Janis Joplin, Bruce Lee, Jackie Onassis, Jimmy Stewart and scads more— because they were so cheap to produce and immensely profitable. (However, their most notorious forgery, that of Mother Teresa, was not a cut; it was on a baseball.) The paper for these cuts came from old books purchased at thrift stores near Greg’s home in Escondido in San Diego County, Calif., where the ring was based. The books they bought predated World War II and sometimes World War I. Typically books published in this era had four or five blank pages in the front and back, which the Marinos tore out. “I did two sigs per page,” said Greg, “never more. Then we cut the page in half with scissors or a razor blade. A cut would be about the size of an old-time 3x5 index card.” He added, “I’d do a hundred in an hour if there were orders. But usually I didn’t need to do that many. Typically I’d maybe do forty or fifty cuts in a day.”

Babe Ruth posed special problems for the gang. Besides the sig itself, the challenge in doing Ruth was in making sure the materials used—pen, ink, baseball—predated his death in 1948 and were authentic to his time. If not, the forgery could be exposed. To avoid this, said Wayne, “I kept Greg in a steady supply of pens from the old days, the ones they actually used.” Nevertheless they still faced the issue of finding legitimate pre-1948 baseballs or, if this was not possible, devising illegitimate ones. Greg laughingly called this “the science of dipping”—the practice of shellacking baseballs in order to disguise their true age so they could be sold as authentic Babe Ruth artifacts.

But even after dipping, something vital about these balls was missing, something that had to be there: the smell of antiquity. Tucked away and forgotten in an attic for generations, only to be uncovered in recent times, baseballs this old must have a certain musty smell attached to them. Only these balls didn’t smell like that; all they smelled of was shellac. “So we’d buy a big bag of mothballs and stick the mothballs in a plastic trash bag with the baseball,” explained “Little Ricky” Mitchell, a close friend of Greg’s and a leader of the ring.

After the FBI raid of Smokey’s Sportscards in Las Vegas, owners David “Doe” and Phillip Scheinman appeared on ABC’s 20/20, defending their store’s stock.

Greg Marino, in the act of forging with his mother in the background, captured by a hidden FBI camera.

Also filmed by a hidden FBI camera, a video shows Wayne Bray selling forgeries to a customer in his shop W.W. Sportscards.

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This page from above left: A forged cut signature of Richard Nixon with a forensic document examiner Donald Frangipani certification of authenticity • A forged Mother Teresa signed photo and one of the infamous forged baseballs that created a stampede of media attention. Greg Marino even remembered to write “mc” for Missionaries of Charity after her name.

Opposite page, clockwise from top left: A forged Neil Armstrong signature on a photo of him on the moon • Forged Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman and Scott Pippen signed photo • Mickey Mantle forgery by Greg Marino • A Goodfellas script with the forgeries of Robert De Niro and Martin Scorcese, among other fake signatures

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“We’d let the ball sit in the bag for a few days or whatever and that would make it smell old.”

Another way they duplicated the smell of age was to forego the mothballs altogether and stick the baseball in a bag of dog food. After a day or two in the bag they’d pull it out and let it cure in the sun a while.

When the process was over it was hard to say exactly what the ball smelled like except that it fooled people and that was all that mattered.

They sold these fake-signed balls dipped in shellac and aged in Purina for thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of dollars apiece.

Still, Greg couldn’t do Ruth or any other sig unless he first saw a genuine example of it. Seeing how important exemplars were to the growth of the business, Wayne rapidly took this duty over, relentlessly combing through magazines, books, autograph handbooks and sports cards in search of them. When he found one he made a copy and inserted the page into a black three-ring binder. By the time he was done they had compiled seven “black books” with 7,000 exemplars in all—one of the biggest and best exemplar collections in the country, albeit one being used for criminal purposes.

Of course, these fake products all needed the stamp of authenticity. The public insisted on COAs when they bought signed memorabilia based on the faulty premise that pieces of paper could confer

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2/23/2009 6:04:28 PM

PEOPLE BOUGHT THEM THINKING THEY WERE CAST SIGNED BUT REALLY THEY WERE GREG-SIGNED legitimacy on their purchases. An East Coast authenticator by the name of Donald Frangipani, whose office was on 13th Avenue in Brooklyn, N.Y., and whose letterhead described him as an “examiner of questioned documents,” issued certs for Bray and others in the ring. And they liked dealing with Frangipani because when he examined their documents, he seemingly okayed everything he saw.

But Bray recruited another man, James DiMaggio, to be the main authenticator for the gang.

But you don’t produce a million counterfeits—the number of forgeries Greg Marino estimated he did in his career—and rip off the American public for $100 million without attracting the attention of the FBI. Beginning in early 1997, the nation’s leading law enforcement agency conducted an intense, all-out undercover investigation that climaxed on October 13, 1999 when four hundred federal agents staged coordinated morning raids across five states on sixty homes and businesses—perhaps the largest one-day takedown in FBI history. On that one day alone they seized $10 million in forged goods and a half-million in cash, busting up the ring and sending many of its members to prison.

“They were,” said one of the agents who busted them, “a bunch of loose-knit guys who were just scraping by. But they became, by far, the

largest and most prolific forgery ring ever uncovered by the FBI.” And their impact on collecting continues to have repercussions today. The FBI undercover agent who investigated the ring has said that a huge number of Marino’s forgeries remains in the hands of collectors today, though they may not realize that what they are holding is fake. The FBI investigated more forgers and counterfeit dealers in phase two of Operation Bullpen, and rumors circulate about a current federal investigation into the hobby. A movie based on Nelson’s book is now under development in Hollywood, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown is planning an exhibit on Operation Bullpen and fake memorabilia scheduled for this year. more To read the full, amazing story of Operation Bullpen, see Kevin Nelson’s Operation Bullpen: The Inside Story of the Biggest Forgery Scam in American History. Autographed copies of the book signed by the author are available at www.operationbullpen.com.

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W

hen I heard that John Updike had died on Jan. 27, 2009, at the age of 76, a series of thoughts ran through my mind simultaneously. I’ve been reading Updike since I was in junior high school.

After I had finished my homework and studied for whatever exams, I would read one of Updike’s stories, because it put me in touch with “literature” and made me think about the subtleties of life. I remember Rabbit Run (1960), the first of four Rabbit novels, and how I looked forward each night to reading another chapter about this guy named Harry ‘Rabbit’ Angstrom who ran out on his wife and child.

My memory then jumped ahead, to how I used to promote Updike as a Nobel Prize candidate, putting him among the handful of American writers I thought worthy. I remembered what writers I had interviewed said about Updike. I also thought of Herb Yellin, the publisher of Lord John Press, who once mentioned he had every foreign and domestic edition of Updike’s. He began publishing Updike’s stories and essays as beautiful private editions in the ’60s 58

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and became a close friend of the writer.

“He was very important to me,” Yellin told me when I called to express my condolences. “It’s been 50 years of knowing somebody.

We had a special connection—we weren’t brothers or related, but it felt like that. I started reading him from the beginning; his writing spoke personally to me. We had a wonderful literary correspondence over the years. Whenever he came to Los Angeles I would see him, we’d go for dinner. He knew of my collection of all his books, and he said he liked that if anything ever happened to his own collection, he had my collection on the opposite side of the country.”

I reminded Yellin that I had tried unsuccessfully to get Updike to agree to do the Playboy interview with me. Playboy rarely interviews writers, but Updike was on the short list, and try as I did, he never said yes. Not even after I told him how I had spent 10 days interviewing the reclusive Marlon Brando and had once served in the Peace Corps in West Africa, where his novel The Coup took place, and how I thought we could cover some of that ground in our conversation. He responded to my letter, but not in the affirmative.

IMAGES COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

3/12/2009 9:31:46 PM

Another Chance

I never gave up though. If I saw that Updike had done some publicity for his latest book, I would drop him a note and ask if he was ready to talk to me yet. In 1999, I saw that he was going to appear at the public library in downtown Los Angeles. I figured I would go, listen to what he had to say, then wait in line as he signed books, for the chance to look him in the eye, introduce myself, and see if my powers of persuasion might prevail.

I wasn’t alone in that line the night Updike made a rare appearance in Los Angeles. There were hundreds of people waiting to get his signature on some of his more than 50 published volumes. Updike was among our most prolific writers. He wrote at least a book a year. A novel every other year. He wrote essays, short stories, art criticism, book reviews. In all there were 23 novels, 14 short story collections, 10 books of poetry, and 10 collections of his nonfiction. He wrote with flair and a degree of certainty that made his work stand out. Though I, like everyone else who had come that evening, had a bag full of books for him to sign, we were told that he would sign only three items per person, so one had to be selective in what one chose to put before him. I chose his book about art, Just Looking; an early volume of poems, MidPoint; and the most prized page of my signature book, reserved for Nobel Prize winners or potential winners. But all that was secondary to my real mission: asking him in person if he would reconsider his decision not to do the Playboy interview.

What I thought I had going for me were the other interviews I had done with writers of his stature—with Oates and Mailer, Capote and Saul Bellow. Bellow was the one I thought might seal the deal, since Bellow had won the Nobel Prize in 1976 and was considered the dean of American letters. If Saul Bellow was willing to talk to me, I figured, how could Updike turn away?

Clockwise from above: John Updike writes to Grobel explaining why he doesn’t want to interview for Playboy • Updike signing a copy of The Early Stories—1953-75 in January 2008 at the Nasher Sculpture Center. Courtesy of the Nasher Sculpture Center.

• First edition of Rabbit, Run, courtesy of Manhattan Rare Books• Opposite page: Updike drew this self-portrait for his essay, “Updike and I,” featured in Daniel Halpern’s 1995 collection of writers’ essays, Who’s Writing This?

Updike Refuses Again

So when I got the chance, finally, to stand before Updike and introduce myself, he looked at me and smiled. Yes, he remembered my request. Yes, he recalled writing to me.

“I’ve talked to a lot of writers,” I said. “And it’s hard to get writers into the public dialogue. You’re one of the ones editors will give space to. You know, Saul Bellow is one of the most reluctant of interviews, but he spoke to me. I don’t know if you saw that.”

“Yes,” Updike said, now staring intently at me with a wry smile, “I did see that. And that is all the more reason why I stand behind my decision not to expose myself in that way.”

Talk about a final response. A telling No. I had nothing to say after that. Bellow, I thought, was my best shot. And it turned out that it was the nail in the coffin of Updike’s rejection.

The Bellow interview had received a lot of media attention, mostly because of the things he had to say about some of his fellow writers.

Like when I asked him if Mailer deserved the Nobel Prize and he said that he’d be willing to give him his, “if he had anything to trade.” Or what he said about Capote: that his early books were “just Southern faded fabrics.”

Updike didn’t want to get caught saying offthe-cuff remarks about fellow writers. That’s what I had concluded when I first told this story in the June/July 2007 issue of this magazine.

But upon further reflection, I think it might have been more personal than that. Updike suffered from a stutter, which made him self-conscious (indeed, his memoir is called Self-Consciousness). Over the years he was able to keep it mostly under control, though he’d occasionally stammer when talking to a reporter. Since the in-depth interview I was requesting would take hours, if not days, to conduct, I believe Updike didn’t want to have his voice recorded on tapes he could not control. (When I mentioned this to Herbert Yellin he said, “He stuttered when he was dealing with a publisher or a writer or someone very smart. It intimidated him to be in that kind of situation, though not so much later in his life.”)

I remembered that moment at the library, as I remembered all the other Updike moments, all at once when I heard that he had died.

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His Contemporaries

Updike’s most successful novel was also his most controversial.

Couples (1968), about sexual freedom in small-town New England, lasted 36 weeks on the bestsellers list of Publishers Weekly. Joyce Carol Oates later wrote that in Couples, the characters’ attempts “to spiritualize the flesh” feel familiar “since for many in our time, the ‘flesh’ may be all that remains of religious experience.”

Philip Roth considered Updike “our time’s greatest man of letters, as brilliant a literary critic and essayist as he was a novelist and short story writer. He is and always will be no less a national treasure than his 19th century precursor, Nathaniel Hawthorne.”

Novelist Lorrie Moore thought Updike was “quite possibly…

American literature’s greatest short story writer, and arguably our greatest writer.”

Paul Theroux said, “His work is all of a piece, capturing the life forces of America, a half century of the social, the political, the marital; of solitude and intimacy, and passion—the human libido is often warmly throbbing in Updike’s fiction.”

One of the great characters in American literature is Harry ‘Rabbit’ Angstrom, whom Updike first introduced in his 1960 novel Rabbit, Run. Over the next 30 years, Updike would chronicle American life through Angstrom’s eyes. Rabbit Redux appeared in 1971, followed by Rabbit is Rich (1981) and Rabbit at Rest (1990)—the latter two both winning Pulitzer Prizes (Rabbit is Rich also won The National Book Award and the American Book Award).

Said Updike of the tetralogy, the series “to me is in the tale of a life, a life led by an American citizen who shares the national passion for youth, freedom and sex, the national openness and willingness to learn, the national habit of improvisation. He is furthermore a Protestant, haunted by God whose manifestations are elusive, yet all-important.”

Lev Grossman in Time wrote: “Rabbit, Run…kicked off one of the great American epics, the story of Harry (Rabbit) Angstrom. Rabbit wasn’t an alter ego; Updike was an epicurean, but Rabbit is a vulgarian, a crass, priapic lower bourgeois who gobbles up whatever pleasures America puts before him—sex, sun, love, drugs, golf—in such industrial quantities that they almost (but not quite) make him happy. …

Rabbit was Updike’s mole, his man on the inside, a way of getting at the spiritual and cultural crises brought on by that disastrous 20th century innovation, suburban life.”

His Reflections

From top: A page from Grobel’s signature book bearing the autographs of Updike (second from top) and other Nobel Prize-worthy writers Saul Bellow, Kazuo Ishiguro, Norman Mailer and Wole Soyinka • Dust jacket, cover and signed limitation page of Updike’s A Month of Sundays. Courtesy of Heritage Auction Galleries. • Opposite page, from top: Just Looking and Midpoint title pages signed by Updike in 1999 • Updike signed in his novel Brazil in August 1994. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions Galleries 60

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When once asked if there was some unifying theme that bound all his books together, Updike responded, “I think I’ve tried to seek out the corners of human experience. The adventures of ordinary middleclass life. The tensions between our need for safety against our need for freedom. Outward and inward tenderness. Love, certainly…”

Updike was a golfer and wrote about it with the same exacting precision as he did about some of his other favorite subjects—sex, race, anxiety, depression, death and suburbia. In a piece about “Golf Dreams,” he wonders if some of his nightmares are “any worse than the ‘real’ drive that skips off the toe of the club, strikes the prismshaped tee marker, and is swallowed by weeds some 20 yards behind the horrified driver?”

As a critic and book reviewer, he was like some brilliant professor, offering his profound insights into the minds of writers that intrigued him, like Saul Bellow, Kurt Vonnegut, Anne Tyler, Herman Melville, Marcel Proust…even Doris Day. “Book reviews are afternoon work,” he said. “I [do them] when some author excites me and

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I want to share the good news, or when I want to write an essay, or when a book compels me to read and learn.”

Fifteen years ago, someone once asked him if he was slowing down or if he thought about retiring. “It’s hard to know how old one is at 61,” he answered. “Is one very old or just in the prime of old age?

Should one keep going? After all, men are retired in this country at 65, and now they’re being invited to retire early. Wouldn’t it be nice if I were to make my own gesture toward the unemployment problem by getting out of the writing business and letting young people take my place? But in the writing business there’s nobody to give you the pink slip, so I will persevere.”

That perseverance led to 16 more books written after he said this, including seven novels: Brazil in 1994, In the Beauty of the Lilies in ’96, Toward the End of Time in ’97, Seek My Face in 2002, Villages in ’04, Terrorist in ’06, and The Widows of Eastwick (the sequel to The Witches of Eastwick) in 2008.

Today, pristine copies of his early signed books go for as much as $4,500 (Rabbit, Run), $1,800 (The Centaur), $875 (Th The Poorhouse Fair) and $350 (Pigeon Feathers), ), though now that he’s gone, prices will most likely rise.

At the End

“We didn’t become close until he wrote about Ted Williams [“Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu,” in The New Yorker, 1960],” Herb Yellin told me when we spoke after Updike’s death. “I’m from Boston and Williams was one of my heroes. John was from Pennsylvania, but I think that’s one of the reasons he wound up moving to Massachusetts.

That and not wanting to live in New York. But that Williams piece, though reprinted in some sports anthologies, was the first of about 15 or 20 small books of his that I published with Lord John Press. All those books I did in two editions, a Deluxe, which sold for more than $100 and a regular edition that went for $50-$75. I have a lot of them on my website [www.lordjohnpress.com] and I haven’t raised the prices, I don’t do that. [There are 26 signed Updike books or one-sheets available, ranging in price from $50-$200.]

“He had this effect on people. He was very gracious—while I’m not. When the movie of The Witches of Eastwick came out I’d get calls from all over; people who knew me thought I was the Jack Nicholson character; that John had modeled him after me. I was pretty wild in my youth. I told him what people were saying and he sent me a foreign edition of the book and wrote inside, ‘Here’s a copy of your book.’

“I always thought he’d get the Nobel Prize. He certainly was deserving. And he wanted it. Though he didn’t want to be accused of it, he was competitive. And he saw Philip Roth as his competition. Nothing to be ashamed about there—Roth is one hell of a writer. Like John was.

“Though I’m younger than he was,” Yellin reflected, “I never thought I’d outlive him. Nobody knew he had cancer, even he thought he had pneumonia. It happened so fast.”

As Time magazine said of him after his death, at his very best Updike “had the keen, steely nerve to stare straight at the wretched glory of American life and report on what he saw.” Critics pointed out that he wrote his Rabbit novels to show one man struggling to make sense of himself. But that could certainly be expanded to include all of Updike’s writing. His entire body of work—the poems, the essays, the reviews, the memoir, the novels—was his struggle to make sense of himself, as well as of his time.

“The universe is perfectly transparent,” he once wrote. “We exist as flaws in ancient glass.”

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COMPILED BY JOE KRAUS Aanenson, Quentin C., 87, cancer, Dec. 28.

World War II hero and air ace depicted in the PBS miniseries The War by Ken Burns. A painting of him hangs in the National Air and Space Museum, and an airfield in Minnesota was named in his honor.

Bacchiocchi, Samuele, 70, cancer, Dec. 20.

Seventh-day Adventist theologian best known for his work on the Sabbath in Christianity. He has written 16 books on religious subjects.

Bacon, Coy, 66, undisclosed causes, Dec. 22. 1970s football player for the Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals and San Diego Chargers.

Vallard, Clint Jr., 77, natural causes, Dec. 23. Songwriter for number one hits “Game of Love,” “You’re No Good” and “I’m Alive,” among others for singers like Frankie Laine, the Browns, Patti Page, Frankie Avalon and Ricky Nelson.

Baugh, Sammy, 94, various health issues, Dec. 17. 1930s and ’40s football player known as “Slingin’ Sammy” for the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Bell, Griffin, 90, pancreatic cancer, Jan. 5. U. S. Attorney General during the Carter Administration who led the effort to pass the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 1978.

Benitez, Manuel, 39, killed in a shootout with police, Dec. 23. Child actor in the films Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (1985) and Stand and Deliver (1988), and TV shows Galactica 1980 and Highway to Heaven. But in 2004 he killed his live-in girlfriend and fled with their 3-year-old son until he was later killed by police during a standoff.

Berlinsky, Valentin, 83, after a long illness, Dec. 15. Russian cellist and founding member of the world-famous Borodin Quartet in 1945 where he continued as a member until 2007.

Bevel, James, 72, Pancreatic cancer, Dec. 19. Civil rights leader who helped organize the 1963 Birmingham, Ala., Children’s Crusade, the 1965 Selma Voting Rights Movement and the 1966 Chicago Open Housing Movement. He was also involved in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery March and the 1963 March on Washington.

Blum, Mike, 65, cerebral hemorrhage, Dec. 15.

Football player with the Canadian Football League in the 1960s and ’70s.

Boehm, Roy, 84, natural causes, Dec. 30. Highly decorated war hero who led the U.S. Navy SEALS during World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam on numerous commando operations.

Bramlett, Delaney, 69, following gall bladder surgery, Dec. 27. Songwriter whose hit songs have been recorded by Eric Clapton, Ray Charles and Jerry Lee Lewis, among others.

Breck, Freddy, 66, cancer, Dec. 17. Singer who scored five platinum records and 35 gold records in a career that spanned three decades.

Brothers, Peter Malam, 91, natural causes, Dec. 18. World War II British Royal Air Force pilot who became an ace mostly in the Battle of Britain, scoring a total of 16 kills.

Case, Pete, 67, after a long illness, Dec. 16. Football player for the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles throughout the 1960s.

Cavanaugh, Page, 86, kidney failure, Dec. 18.

Pop and jazz singer and pianist first with Ernie Williamson’s band in the 1930s and then as part of a trio throughout the 1940s. He recorded for MGM, Capitol and RCA Records.

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Conté, Lansana, 74, after a long illness, Dec. 22.

President of Guinea from 1984 until his death.

Cook, Norm, 53, undisclosed causes, Dec. 22.

Basketball player who played for the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggests in the late 1970s.

Cordero, León Febres, 77, emphysema, Dec. 15. Ecuadorian President (1984-1988) who was credited with helping to stop terrorism in Ecuador, but was criticized for an increase of human rights violations.

Costelloe, John, 47, suicide by gunshot, Dec. 18. Actor best known for his role in the TV series The Sopranos. His films include Die Hard 2 (1990), Billy Bathgate (1991) and Doubt (2008).

Cox, Kenny, 68, lung cancer, Dec. 19. Jazz pianist for singer Etta Jones who later worked with and recorded with a number of other jazz greats.

Cureton, Stewart Cleveland, 78, undisclosed causes, Dec. 30. Clergyman and president of the National Baptist Convention in 1999, at the time filling out the term of his predecessor Henry Lyons, who was forced to resign.

DeZonie, Hank, 86, natural causes, Jan. 2. 1940s basketball player who became the fourth African-American player to break into the all-white professional leagues.

Douglas, Jack, 81, pneumonia, Dec. 18. British comedy actor best known for his series of Carry On films.

Eilers, Justin, 30, gunshot wound, Dec. 25.

Champion professional mixed martial arts fighter shot dead by his stepfather in a domestic dispute.

Ellis, Dock, 63, cirrhosis, Dec. 19. Baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers and New York Mets.

Fairweather, Gordon, 85, natural causes, Dec. 24. Long-time Canadian member of Parliament (1962-1977).

Fast, Julius, 89, stroke, Dec. 16. Writer of a number of fiction and non-fiction books, including his 1988 semi-autobiographical novel What Should We Do about Davey? It described a gawky teen at a Catskill Mountains summer camp for boys. Julius is the brother of novelist Howard Fast.

Frankowski, Leo, 65, undisclosed causes, Dec. 25. Science fiction author of books such as The Flying Warlord, Conrad’s Time Machine and The Radiant Warrior.

Genelle, Richard, 47, heart attack, Dec. 30.

Actor best known for playing Ernie on the children’s series Power Rangers.

Gibson, Ralph, 84, after a fall, Jan. 2. American flying ace during the Korean War. He also flew in the Vietnam War and was a former lead pilot for the Air Force Thunderbirds.

Gilborn, Steven, 72, cancer, Jan. 2. Actor in The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), and TV roles in The Wonder Years and Ellen.

Graham, Davy, 68, lung cancer, Dec. 15. British guitarist who was one of the most influential figures in the 1960s folk music scene.

Gramatges, Harold, 90, natural causes, Dec. 16.

Cuban composer and pianist who founded and directed Cuba’s Municipal Conservatory Orchestra. In the early 1960s he served as Cuba’s Ambassador to France.

Gueritz, Teddy, 89, natural causes, Dec. 21. British Royal Navy admiral who served his country from DDay in 1944 to The Suez Crisis of 1956 and throughout much of the cold war.

Hamilton, Bernie, 80, cardiac arrest, Dec. 30.

Actor, best known for his role in the TV series Starsky and Hutch. Films included Kismet (1955) and The Devil

at 4 O’Clock (1961).

Haynes, Walter, 80, natural causes, Jan. 1.

Country music steel guitarist and songwriter who worked with Jimmy Dickens, the Everly Brothers and Jeanne Pruett, among others.

Henry, Joe, 78, after a long illness, Jan. 2. 1950s Negro League baseball player.

Hibbert, Christopher, 84, pneumonia, Dec. 21.

British historian whose 33 books included historical accounts from King Arthur to the French Revolution.

His 1990 book Redcoats and Rebels takes a look at the American Revolution from the British perspective.

Hofmann, Paul, 96, natural causes, Dec. 30.

Author of more than a dozen books who earlier served as a spy during World War II and a witness for the prosecution in Nazi war crimes trials.

Hornaday, Ron Jr., 77, cancer, Dec. 21.

NASCAR driver in the 1950s and ’60s whose son and grandson also became drivers.

Hubbard, Freddie, 70, heart attack, Dec. 29.

Jazz trumpeter and recording artist who set the standard in the bebop styles of the early 1960s.

Huntington, Samuel P., 81, diabetes, Dec. 24.

Political scientist who gained prominence through his clash of civilizations thesis of a Post-Cold War. Ja’Afar, Tuanku, 86, natural causes, Dec. 27.

King of Malaysia 1994-1999.

Kincheloe, Joe L., 58, heart attack, Dec. 19.

Author of more than 45 books on urban studies, educational research and cultural issues.

Kinnard, Harry, 93, natural causes, Jan. 5. U.S. Army Lieutenant General who pioneered the airmobile concept of sending troops into battle using helicopters.

Kneale, Patricia, 83, natural causes, Dec. 27.

British actress best known for her role in the science fiction drama A for Andromeda.

Kofler, Matt, 49, undisclosed causes, Dec. 19.

Football player for the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts in the 1980s.

Krol, Joe, 89, after a fall in his apartment, Dec. 16.

Football player in the 1940s and ’50s with the Detroit Lions, Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Flying Wildcats.

Krulak, Victor H., 95, natural causes, Dec. 29.

World War II hero who developed the landing craft vehicles that proved critical in the success of the Normandy invasion. He became a Lieutenant General in the U.S. Marine Corps and wrote three books.

Lapidus, Ted, 79, respiratory failure, Dec. 29.

French fashion designer considered the creator of the unisex fashion look and for making blue jeans part of the mainstream of fashion design.

Latimer, Jon, 44, heart attack, Jan. 4, British historian whose books included Deception in War (2001), Burma: the Forgotten War (2004) and War with America (2007).

Lazarus, Bob, 52, leukemia, Jan. 4. Stand-up comedian who appeared on Showtime and Comedy Central and in the 1991 film The Insider.

Lepeshinskaya, Olga, 92, heart attack, Dec. 20. Russian ballerina who first appeared at the Bolshoi Theatre at the age of 10. A favorite of Soviet leader Stalin and other high-ranking Soviet leaders, in 1956 she married one of them, Soviet General Aleksei Antonov.

Levens, Justin, 28, suicide by gunshot, Dec. 17.

Professional mixed martial arts fighter.

Lieber, David, 83, lung ailment, Dec. 15. Biblical scholar, rabbi and former President of the University of

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Judaism who helped pioneer the Ramah camps.

Livingston, Dale, 63, complications from heart surgery, Jan. 5. Football player (1968-70) for the Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals.

Marshall, Robert J., 90, heart attack, Dec. 22. President of the Lutheran Church in America 1968-1978 which at the time was the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States.

McQuagg, Sam, 73, cancer, Jan. 3. NASCAR race car driver who was named Rookie of the Year in 1965.

Metz, Herman Edward, 90, natural causes, Dec. 10. Air Medal-winning World War II pilot who earned many other awards and medals while flying B-17s and P-38s during the war. Before the war he worked with “Wrong Way” Corrigan, Amelia Earhart and other 1930s aviators.

Mitchell, Adrian, 76, heart attack, Dec. 20.

British poet, novelist and playwright. Although his work was popular a poll in 2005 voted his poem Human Beings the one most people would like to see launched into space, never to return.

Mulligan, Robert, 83, heart disease, Dec. 20.

Academy Award nominated film director of The Great Imposter (1961), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and The Summer of ’42 (1971), among others.

Myers, Hugh, 78, natural causes, Dec. 22. U.S. chess master and author who consistently won state and regional matches and authored several books on the game.

Nagrin, Daniel, 91, natural causes, Dec. 29.Choreographer and dancer who performed in several Broadway productions including Annie Get Your Gun and Plain and Fancy and choreographed the 1954 film His Majesty O’Keefe.

Pell, Claiborne, 90, Parkinson’s disease, Jan. 1.

U.S. Senator from Rhode Island from 1961-1997 who established Pell Grants, the college student aid program.

Pinter, Harold, 78, cancer, Dec. 24. Recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize for Literature who produced 29 stage plays, 26 screenplays and a novel. His screenplays included, The Caretaker (1959), The Homecoming (1964) and The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981) Pohlad, Carl, 93, natural causes, Jan. 5. Billionaire banker rated by Forbes as the 107th richest person in the U.S., and owner, of the Minnesota Twins baseball team since 1984.

Prince, Robert, 89, natural causes, Jan. 1. World War II hero who executed the rescue plan freeing more than 500 Bataan Death March survivors from a POW camp. His actions were depicted in the 1945 film Back to Bataan and the 2005 film The Great Raid.

Purdom, Edmund, 84, natural causes, Jan. 1.

British actor in the classic 1954 film The Egyptian.

Other roles included The Prodigal (1955) and The Student Prince (1959).

Romagnoli, Gian Franco, 82, natural causes, Dec. 15. Italian chef, author of several books and television personality who hosted a cooking show, The Romagnolis’ Table, in the mid-1970s.

Saari, Roy, 63, undisclosed causes, Dec. 30. U.S. swimmer who won the 1964 Olympic Gold Medal in 4x200 m freestyle followed by a Silver Medal in the 400 m individual medley that same year.

Santiago, Carlos Manuel, 82, heart failure, Dec. 21. Baseball player and a member of the famed Negro Leagues of the 1940s. A native of Puerto Rico, he served on nearly a dozen teams in the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Sarnoff, Dorothy, 94, natural causes, Dec. 20. Opera singer and Broadway actress, most notably opposite Yul Bryner in The King and I. Later in life she became a speech consultant. Among her clients were President

Jimmy Carter and Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin and U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher.

Savage, Ann, 87, complications following a stroke, Dec. 25. Actress who starred in more than 20 pulp-fiction films in the 1940s including Klondike Kate (1943), Detour (1945), Scared Stiff (1945) and Satan’s Cradle (1949).

Scott, Willard Warren Jr., 82, Parkinson’s disease, Jan.1. Lt. General in the U.S. Army who commanded troops in the Vietnam War and became the Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point (1981-1986).

Sharp, Willoughby, 72, throat cancer, Dec.17.

Internationally known artist and prolific writer of magazine articles in various art publications.

Smith, Dave, 53, heart attack, Dec. 17. 1980s baseball player who served for 10 years with the Huston Astros and one year (1991-92) with the Chicago Cubs.

Snyder, Harold, 86, respiratory failure, Dec. 18.

Pharmaceuticals magnate who pioneered generic drugs through his firm Biocraft Laboratories.

Stanford, Derek, 90, natural causes, Dec. 19.

British poet, biographer and essayist whose work spanned more than four decades.

Sullivan, Brad, 77, cancer, Dec. 31. Character actor in The Sting (1973), Ghost Story (1981), The Abyss (1989) and True Colors (1991), among others.

Taylor, Sam, 74, complications from heart disease, Jan. 5. Blues songwriter/musician who recorded for Capitol Records and wrote dozens of songs for various artists. Many of the recordings became gold records.

Travares, Feliciano Vierra, 88, prostate cancer, Dec. 16. Known as Flash, this musician/singer was the patriarch of the musical Tavares family, which included The Travares Brothers.

Turner, Henry Ashby, 76, melanoma, Dec. 17.

American historian whose 12 books concentrated on Nazi Germany and Hitler’s rise to power.

Vestly, Anne-Catharina, 88, Alzheimer’s disease, Dec. 15. Award-winning author of numerous children’s books.

Ward, Robert, 70, failing health after stroke, Dec. 25. Blues singer and guitarist who founded the Ohio Untouchables, which later became the Ohio Players.

Washington, Vic, 62, undisclosed causes, Dec. 31. Football player for the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Oilers, Buffalo Bills and the Ottawa Rough Riders.

Welch, Jay E., 83, natural causes, Dec. 15. Musician and founder of the Mormon Youth Symphony and Chorus, Jay Welch Chorale and Salt Lake Repertory Orchestra. He formerly served as the music director of The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Westlake, Donald E., 75, heart attack, Dec. 31. Mystery writer who used several pseudonyms with more than 100 novels and non-fiction books to his credit. He specialized in crime and science fiction stories. Among his books made into films were Point Blank (1967), The Outfit (1973) and Payback (1999).

Weyrich, Paul, 66, diabetes, Dec. 18. Conservative activist who cofounded the Heritage Foundation and The Free Congress Foundation.

White, Colin, 57, cancer, Dec. 25. British naval historian whose works included more than a dozen books, many of them on Admiral Horatio Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar.

Wilson, Eric Charles Twelves, 96, natural causes, Dec. 23. World War II hero and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be bestowed to British and Commonwealth forces. At the time of his death, he was one of only 10 Victoria Cross recipients alive.

Barrett, Majel, 76, leukemia, Dec.18. Widow of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry who appeared in most of the Star Trek productions. She was often referred to as “The First Lady of Star Trek.” Before Star Trek, Barrett appeared on a number of TV shows, including Leave It to Beaver, The Untouchables and Bonanza. Just before her death she completed the voice-over work as the voice of the ship’s computer in the 2009 Star Trek film to be released in May. Bottoms, Sam, 53, brain cancer, Dec. 16. Actor who appeared in the films The Last Picture Show (1971), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) and Seabiscuit (2003). But he is probably best remembered as the Navy Gunner’s Mate stationed on the river boat in the 1979 award-winning film Apocalypse Now. He is the younger brother of actor Timothy Bottoms.

Felt, W. Mark, 95, natural causes, Dec. 18. Deputy Director of the FBI who was recently revealed to be the Watergate figure known as “Deep Throat.” His involvement in giving leads to Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein made possible the exposure of Richard Nixon’s involvement and cover-up that led to the President’s resignation. The identity of Felt was debated for more than three decades as both reporters kept their promise not to expose him. But when Felt himself admitted the fact in a Vanity Fair magazine article, his identity was confirmed.

Graham, Robert, 70, undisclosed causes, Dec. 27. Sculptor whose monumental bronzes commemorate the human figure and are featured in public places across America, including the Olympic Gateway at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. He was married to actress Angelica Huston.

Hingle, Pat, 84, cancer, Jan. 3.

Character actor in the films Hang ‘Em High (1968), Wings (1996) and four Batman films (1989-1997), among others.

On Broadway he originated the role of Gooper in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and was Benjamin Franklin in the 1997 revival of 1776. In 1960 he nearly died in a fall in an elevator shaft, fracturing his skull, wrist and hip, most of his ribs on his left side and breaking his leg in three places.

Kitt, Eartha, 81, colon cancer, Dec. 25. Actress, singer and cabaret star best known for her 1953 hit “Santa Baby.”

She was Cat Woman on the 1960s TV series Batman and starred on Broadway in the hit Timbuktu. Orson Welles once called her “The most exciting woman in the world.” Her mother was of Cherokee and African-American descent and her father was German and Dutch.

Wasserman, Dale, 94, heart failure, Dec. 21. Playwright of two of the world’s most famous plays—Man of La Mancha and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Orphaned at the age of 9, he spent his early years in a state orphanage then left after just one year of high school to ride the rails as a hobo, trying various jobs, before finding his way into writing plays.

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Reminder:

Autograph attempts to bring you the most accurate and up-to-date celebrity addresses available but cannot guarantee that contacting all addresses listed here will result in the return of autographs. For best results, follow these simple guidelines: 1. Don’t send original or valuable photos, as they may not be returned to you.

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Actors/Actresses Jake Abel—JAA Productions, 4096 Holiday St., Canton, OH 44718 Jensen Ackles—P.O. Box 850812, Richardson, TX 75085 Malin Akerman—Sanders Armstrong Caserta Mgmt., 2120 Colorado Ave. #120, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Amy Adams—The Firm, 9465 Wilshire Blvd. 6th Fl., Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Jessica Alba—Bragman/Nyman/Cafarelli, 8687 Melrose Ave. 8th Fl., Los Angeles, CA 90069 Elizabeth Banks—Untitled Entertainment, 1801 Century Park E. #700, Los Angeles, CA 90067 Drew Barrymore—Flowers Films, Inc., 7360 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90046 Kate Beckinsale—Independent Talent Group Ltd., Oxford House, 76 Oxford St., London W1D 1BS, UK Kristen Bell—Heroes, Tailwind Productions, 100 Universal City Plaza, Bldg. 5225, Universal City, CA 91608 Jessica Biel—Management 360, 9111 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Cate Blanchett—RGM Assoc., P.O. Box 128, Surry Hills, NSW 2010, Australia Ricou Browning—5221 SW 196th Lane, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33332 Gerard Butler—c/o West End Films, 8 Baker St., London W1U 3LL, UK Jim Carrey—P.O. Box 57593, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 Bradley Cooper—Thruline Entmt., 9250 Wilshire Blvd, Ground F., Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Tom Cruise—c/o Paul Bloch, Rogers & Cowan, Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Ave., 7th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90069 Zooey Deschanel—Seven Summits Pictures and Mgmt., 8906 West Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Kat Dennings—Management 360, 9111 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Johnny Depp—Spanky Taylor, 3727 W. Magnolia #300, Burbank, CA 91505 Leonardo Dicaprio—Appian Way Prod., 9255 Sunset Blvd. #615, West Hollywood, CA 90069 Vin Diesel—One Race Prod., Inc., 3940 Laurel Canyon Blvd. #839, Studio City, CA 91604 Robert Downey Jr.—Rogers & Cowan, Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Ave. 7th Fl., Los Angeles, CA 90069 Eliza Dushku—Dollhouse, 20th Century Fox Studios, Inc., 10201 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035 Alexis Dziena—Brookside Artist Mgmt., 250 West 57th St. #2303, New York, NY 10107 Clint Eastwood—P.O. Box 4366, Carmel, CA 9392 Barbara Eden—P.O. Box 5556, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 Zac Efron—P.O. Box 960, Avila Beach, CA 93424 Emilio Estevez—The Collective, 9100 Wilshire Blvd. #700, W. Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Chris Evans—Kass & Stokes Mgmt. Co., 9229 Sunset Blvd. #504, Los Angeles, CA 90069 Dakota Fanning—c/o Osbrink Talent Agency, 4343 Lankershim Blvd. #100, Universal City, CA 91602 Anna Faris—Raw Talent, 9615 Brighton Way #300, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Isla Fisher—c/o Mosaic Media Group, 9200 Sunset Blvd. 10th Fl., Los Angeles, CA 90069 David Gallagher—Leverage Mgmt., 3030 Pennsylvania Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404 Jennifer Garner—Management 360, 9111 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Rebecca Gayheart—Mary Erickson Entertainment, Llc, 2122 Hillhurst Ave. Ste. A, Los Angeles, CA 90027 Crispin Glover—Volcanic Eruptions, P.O. Box 25220, Los Angeles, CA 90025 Danny Glover—c/o Carrie Prod., 2625 Alcatraz Avenue #243, Berkeley, CA 94705 Ginnifer Goodwin—John Carrabino Mgmt., 5900 Wilshire Blvd., 4th Fl. #406, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Maggie Grace—1 Management, 9000 Sunset , Blvd. #1550, Los Angeles, CA 90069 Kelsey Grammer—c/o Grammnet Prod., 5555 Melrose Ave., Lucy Bungalow #206, Los Angeles, CA 90038 Seth Green—Koopman Management, 851 Oreo Place, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 Anne Hathaway—Management 360, 9111 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Hugh Jackman—Seed Prod., 10201 West Pico Blvd., Bldg. 52 #105, Los Angeles, CA 90035 Scarlett Johansson—Melanie Johansson Mgmt., 7135 Hollywood Blvd. #804, Los Angeles, CA 90046 Val Kilmer—P.O. Box 364, Rowe, NM 87562 Kristin Kreuk—Smallville 3 Films, Inc. SL4, 6228 Beresford Str., Vancouver, BC V5J 1K2, Canada (Until April 11, 2009) Diane Kruger—UBBA, 1 rue Elzévir, 75003 Paris, France Jack Larson—449 N. Skyewiay Rd., Los Angeles, CA 90049 64 april 2009

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Taylor Lautner—Management 360, 9111 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Shia LaBeouf—c/o Teresa Dahlquist, Beverly Hecht Agency, 3500 W. Olive Ave. 1180, Burbank, CA 91505 Jason Lee—Ribisi Ent., 3278 Wilshire Blvd. #702, Los Angeles, CA 90010 Justin Long—42 West, 11400 W. Olympic Blvd. #1100, Los Angeles, CA 90064 Jennifer Lopez—c/o Madre’s, 897 Granite Drive, Pasadena, CA 91101 Mila Kunis—Curtis Talent Mgmt., 9607 Arby Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Kellan Lutz—Kazarian/Spencer and Assoc., 11969 Ventura Blvd. 3rd Fl. Box 7409, Studio City, CA 91604 Rachel McAdams—Magnolia Entertainment, 9595 Wilshire Blvd. # 601, Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Derek Mears—c/o Kazarian/Spencer & Assoc. Inc., 11969 Ventura Blvd. 3rd Fl., Box 7409 Studio City, CA 91604 Jeffrey Dean Morgan—Precision Entertainment, 6338 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048 Rhona Mitra—United Agents Ltd., 12-26 Lexington St., London, W1F 0LE, UK Michelle Monaghan—c/o Widescreen Mgmt., 270 Lafayette St. #402, New York, NY 10012 Liam Neeson—ARG, 4 Great Portland St., London W1W 8PA, UK Edward Norton—Endeavor Agency, 9601 Wilshire Blvd. 3rd Fl., Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Al Pacino—301 W 57th St. #16C, New York, NY 10017 Jared Padalecki—Artistry Mgmt., 340 N. Camden Dr. #302, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Danielle Panabaker—Management 360, 9111 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Hayden Panettiere—Heroes, Tailwind Productions, 100 Universal City Plaza, Bldg. 5225, Universal City, CA 91608 Karyn Parsons—Insight, 1134 S. Cloverdale Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90019 Robert Pattinson—Curtis Brown Group Ltd., Haymarket House 4th Fl., 28-29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4SP, UK Sarah Paulson—Hofflund/Polone, 9465 Wilshire Blvd. #420, Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Simon Pegg—Dawn Sedgwick Mgmt., 3 Goodwins Court, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4LL, UK Sean Penn—ID Public Relations, 8409 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069 Matthew Perry—Doug Chapin Mgmt., 1416 Havenhurst Dr. Apt. Gf1, West Hollywood, CA 90046 Ryan Phillippe—Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern, 9601 Wilshire Blvd. #500, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Natalie Portman—Handsomecharlie Films, Inc., 1720-1/2 Whitley Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028 Jackson Rathbone—Cutler Mgmt., 13043 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90049 Nikki Reed—c/o BWR Public Relations, 9100 Wilshire Blvd., 6th Floor West Tower, Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Keanu Reeves—3 Arts Entertainment, 9460 Wilshire Blvd. 7th Fl., Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Ryan Reynolds—Dark Trick Films, Llc., 421 N. Beverly Dr. #280, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Emma Roberts—Sweeney Mgmt., 8755 Lookout Mountain Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046 Seth Rogen—Principal Enmt., 1964 Westwood Blvd. #400, Los Angeles, CA 90025 Amanda Seyfried—Mailbox Pack & Ship, PMB 216, 3140 Tilghman St. #B, Allentown, PA 18104 Michael Sheen—Roxane Vacca Mgmt., 73 Beak St., London W1R 3LF, UK Will Smith—Overbrook Entertainment, Inc., 450 North Roxbury Dr. 8th Fl., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Sylvester Stallone—Rogue Marble Prod., Inc., 21731 Ventura Blvd. #300, Woodland Hills, CA 91364 Jason Statham—Ace Media, 9200 W. Sunset Blvd. 10th Fl., Los Angeles, CA 90069 Ben Stiller—Red Hour Films, Inc., 132 S. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Meryl Streep—42 West, 11400 W. Olympic Blvd. #1100, Los Angeles, CA 90064 Channing Tatum—Management 360, 9111 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Tiffani Thiessen—c/o Tit4Tat Prod. Inc., 11271 Ventura Blvd. #439, Studio City, CA 91604 Jennifer Tilly—T.M.C.E., 7985 Santa Monica Blvd. #550, West Hollywood, CA 90046 Marisa Tomei—Bella Vita Prod., 8033 W. Sunset Blvd. #891, West Hollywood, CA 9004 Mark Wahlberg—Leverage Management, 3030 Pennsylvania Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404 Denzel Washington—P.O. Box 27623, Los Angeles, CA 90027 Emma Watson—c/o Leavesden Studios, P.O. Box 3000, Leavesden, Watford, Herfordshire, WD25 7LT, UK Bruce Willis—Cheyenne Enterprises Llc., 406 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401 Kate Winslet—c/o Peter Fraser and Dunlop, Drury House, 34-43 Russell St., London WC2B5HA, UK Aaron Yoo—Aquarius PR, P.O. Box 56477, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413

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2/25/2009 10:55:28 AM

Music Bands A-Ha—c/o Brian Lane, Bandana Mgmt. Ltd., 11 Elvaston Pl., London SW7 5QG, UK Alkaline Trio—c/o Vagrant Records, 2118 Wilshire Blvd. #361, Santa Monica, CA 90403 Angels and Airwaves—3232 Governor Dr. Ste. B, San Diego, CA 92122 Artic Monkeys—c/o Domino Records, 55 Washington St. #458, Brooklyn, NY 11201 Audioslave—The Firm, 9465 Wilshire Blvd., 6th Fl., Beverly Hills, CA 90212 The B-52s—c/o Direct Management, Ste. G, 947 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069 Bananarama—c/o Mission Cont, 50 City Bus Cent. Lower Rd., London SE16 2XB, UK The Bangles—c/o The Bangles Mail, 2525 Hyperion Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027 The Barenaked Ladies—Barenaked Ladies, The Ladies Room, 1650 W. Second Ave., Vancouver, BC V6J 1H4, Canada The Bee Gees—Middle Ear, Inc., Addicott & Addicott, 900 North Federal Hwy. #201, Hallandale Beach, FL 33009 Better Than Ezra—c/o Monterey Peninsula Artists, 200 West Superior #202, Chicago, IL 60610 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy—c/o Fitzgerald Hartley Co., 34 North Palm St. #100, Ventura, CA 93001 Black Eyed Peas—will.i.am, 13701 Riverside Dr. 8th Fl., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 Blind Melon—9229 W. Sunset Blvd. #607, West Hollywood, CA 90069 Blue Öyster Cult—Rt. 1 Box 56, Belvidere, NC 27919 Blues Traveler—Shore Fire Media, 32 Court St. #1600, Brooklyn, NY 11201 The Bravery—4 Fenway Drive, East Northport, NY 11731 The Cardigans—c/o Talent Trust AB, Kungsgatan 9c, 411 19 Göteborg, Sweden Coldplay—3D Mgmt. 1901 Main St., 3rd Fl., Santa Monica, CA 90405 Commodores—Commodores Entertainment Corp., 1920 Benson Ave., St Paul, MN 55116 The Cranberries—Curtain, Call Ltd, 115 O’Connell St., Limerick, Ireland The Dandy Warhols—c/o Tsunami Entmt., 2525 Hyperion Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90027 Dave Mathews Band—P.O. Box 1873, Charlottesville, VA 22903 Death Cab for Cutie—c/o Zeitgeist Mgmt., LTD, 660 York St. #216, San Francisco, CA 94110 Deep Purple—Thames Talent Ltd., 1720 Post Road East #101, Westport, CT 06880 The Donnas—Lookout! Records, P.O. Box 11374, Berkeley, CA 94712 Duran Duran—Magnus Entmt., 158 West 23rd St. #2, New York, NY 10011 The Eagles—Azoffmusic Mgmt., 1100 Glendon Ave. #2000, Los Angeles, CA 90024 Everclear—Tenth Street Entmt., 700 San Vicente Blvd. #G410, West Hollywood, CA 90069 The Fleetwoods—Gary R. Troxel, 11471 Earle Dr., Mount Vernon, WA 98273 Floggin Molly—c/o 26f Records, P.O. Box 3280, Santa Monica, CA 90408 Foo Fighters—Silva Artist Mgmt., 722 Seward St., Los Angeles, CA 90038 The Go-Go’s—c/o Direct Management Group, 947 North La Cienega Blvd., Ste. G, Los Angeles, CA 90069 Grand Funk Railroad—c/o Monterey Peninsula Artists, Inc., 124 12th Avenue South #410, Nashville, TN 37203 Green Day—c/o Warner Bros. Records Inc., P.O. Box 6868, Burbank, CA 91510 Guns N’ Roses—Black Frog Touring, Inc., LL Business Mgmt., 5900 Canoga Ave. #410, Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Heart—The Heartmonger Fanclub, P.O. Box 1710, Topanga, CA 90290 The Hives—Interscope Records, 2220 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404 Incubus—c/o Sony Music Entertainment Inc., 550 Madison Ave., New York, New York 10022 Indigo Girls—c/o Russell Carter Artist Mgmt., 315 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., #755, Decatur, GA 30030 Iron Maiden—Iron Maiden Holdings Ltd., 22-23 Old Burlington St., London, W1S 2JJ, UK Jane’s Addiction—De Mann Entmt., Inc., 9465 Wilshire Blvd. #426, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Jefferson Airplane—c/o Bill Thompson Mgmt., 2051 Third St., San Francisco, CA 94107 Joan Jett and the Blackhearts—Blackheart Records Group, 636 Broadway, #1210, New York, NY 10012 KISS—McGhee Entmt., 8730 Sunset Blvd. #200, Los Angeles, CA 90069 Kool and the Gang—Gang Touring, Inc., 50 Church St. #L11, Montclair, NJ 07042 Korn—The Firm, 9465 Wilshire Blvd., 6th Fl., Beverly Hills, CA 90212 Linkin Park—Machine Shop Recordings, Llc., P.O. Box 36915, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Los Lobos—The Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency, Inc., 4111 W. Alameda Ave. #509, Burbank, CA 91505 Lynyrd Skynyrd—Vector Management, P.O. Box 120479, Nashville, TN 37212 Maroon 5—c/o Fan Asylum, 1250 Folson St., San Fransisco, CA 94103 Metallica—c/o The Metallica Club, 369-B Third St., PMB #194, San Rafael, CA 94901 Nine Inch Nails—Rebel Waltz, Inc., 31652 2nd Ave., Laguna Beach, CA 92651 Oasis—Oasis Merchandising Ltd., 6 Lansdowne Mews, London W11 3BH Paramore—Fueled by Ramen, Inc., P.O. Box 1803, Tampa, FL 33601 Pearl Jam—c/o Ten Club, P.O. Box 4570, Seattle, WA 98194 Phil Lesh & Friends—c/o Monterey Peninsula Artists, 509 Hartnell St., Monterey, CA 93940

The Pogues—c/o Moneypenny Agency, The Stables, Westwood House, Main Street North Dalton, East Yorkshire, YO25 9XA, UK The Pretenders—Gailforce Management Ltd., 55 Fulham High St., London, SW6 3JJ, UK Queens of the Stone Age—The Firm, 9465 Wilshire Blvd., 6th Fl., Beverly Hills, CA 90212 R.E.M.—Rem-Athens Llc, P.O. Box 8032, Athens, GA 30603 The Racketeers—Spellbound, 19 Belgrave Sq East, Rathmines, Dublin 6, Ireland Reel Big Fish—745 West Katella Ave., Orange, CA 92867 Sepultura—Singerman Entmt., Water Gardens, 1620 26th St. 3rd Fl., South Tower, Santa Monica, CA 90404 The Smashing Pumpkins—Smashing Pumpkins Tours Inc., Goldman Lichtenberg Wasserman, 10960 Wilshire Blvd. #2150, Los Angeles, CA 90024 Spin Doctors—DAS Communications, 83 Riverside Dr., New York, NY 10024 Steve Miller Band—c/o Monterey Peninsula Artists, 509 Hartnell St., Monterey, CA 93940 The Strokes—Wiz Kid Mgmt., 86 E.10th St. #1, New York, NY 10003 Supertramp—Rick Davies Prod., c/o Provident Financial Mgmt., 2850 Ocean Park Blvd. #300, Santa Monica, CA 90405 System of A Down—Velvet Hammer Mgmt., 9911 W. Pico Blvd. #350W, Los Angeles, CA 90035 Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers—East End Mgmt., 12441 Ventura Court, Studio City, CA 91604 The Transplants—c/o La Salle Records, 1821 Wild Turkey Circle, Corona, CA 92880 U2—Principle Mgmt., 250 West 57th St. #2120, New York, NY 10107 The Used—Warner Bros. Records, Inc., 3300 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91505 Van Zant—Vector Mgmt., P.O. Box 120479, Nashville, TN 37212 Violent Femmes—Cooking Vinyl, 10 Allied Way, London, W3 ORQ, UK Weezer—Attn: Karl Koch, P.O. Box #733, Derby, NY 14047 The White Stripes—Monotone Mgmt., 820 Seward St., Hollywood, CA 90038 Wolfmother—John Watson Mgmt., P.O. Box 281, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia ZZ Top—c/o ZZ Top International Fan Club, P.O. Box 19744, Houston, TX 77024

Authors Shana Abe—c/o Bantam Dell Publishing Publicity, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019 Christina Adam—Author Mail, Grand Central Publishing, 237 Park Ave., New York, NY 10017 Mark Acevedo—c/o Author mail, 7th Fl., HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd St., New York, NY 10022 Chinua Achebe—c/o David Higham Assoc., 5-8 Lower John St., Golden Square, London W1F 9HA, UK Richard Adams—c/o Benwells, 26 Church St., Whitechurch, Hants RG28 7AR, UK Warren Adler—c/o The Overlook Press, 141 Wooster St., New York, NY 10012 Charlotte Allen—Island Nation Press, LLC, 14 Rowayton Woods Dr., Norwalk, CT 06854 Norma Jean Almodovar—1626 N. Wilcox Ave., PMB 580, Hollywood, CA 90028

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april 2009

65

2/25/2009 10:55:30 AM

Lillie Ammann—603 Mauze, San Antonio, TX 78216 Richard Avedon—Author Mail, Grand Central Publishing, 237 Park Ave., New York, NY 10017 David Baldacci—c/o The Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency, Inc., 708 3rd Ave., 23 Fl., New York, NY 10017 Susan M. Ballard—P.O. Box 205, Pearce, AZ 85625 Clive Barker—9326 Readcrest Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Joanna Barnes—P.O. Box 1103, Gualala, CA 95445 Derrick Bell—444 Central Park W, Apt. 14B, New York, NY 10025 Erika Berger—Pool Position, Eifelstr. 29, D-50677 Köln, Germany Ira Berkow—c/o St. Martin’s Press, ATTN: Publicity Dept., 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010 Harry Bernstein—13 Dickinson Rd., Brick, NJ 08724 Anne Bishop—P.O. Box 106, Kenmore, NY 14217 Holly Black—6 University Drive, Suite 206, PMB #119, Amherst, MA 01002 William Peter Blatty—7018 Longwood Dr., Bethesda, MD 20817 Lawrence Block—299 W. 12th Street #12-D, New York, NY 10014 Orson Scott Card—c/o Author mail, 7th Fl., HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd St., New York, NY 10022 Jacqueline Carey—c/o Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010 Eric Carle—c/o Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012 Liz Carlyle—c/o Author mail, 7th Fl., HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd St., New York, NY 10022 Jonathan Carroll—c/o Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 18 West 18th St., New York, NY 10011 Patrick Skene Catling—c/o Author mail, 7th Fl., HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd St., New York, NY 10022 Sandra Cisneros—c/o Author mail, 7th Fl., HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd St., New York, NY 10022 Tom Clancy—P.O. Box 800, Huntington, MD 20639 Mary Higgins Clark—MHC-Clark, 15 Werimus Brook Rd., Saddle River, NJ 07458 Jane K. Cleland—P.O. Box 3233, New York, NY 10163

Wrestlers Abyss—TNA Entertainment, Llc., 209 10th Avenue South #302, Nashville, TN 37203 Johnny B. Badd—Marc Mero, SuperSlow Zone, 185 South Westmonte Dr. #1208, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714 Tara Charisma—P.O. Box 76, Bethpage, NY 11714 Serena Deeb—Ohio Valley Wrestling, 4400 Shepherdsville Rd., Louisville, KY 40218 The Disciples—TNA Entertainment, Llc., 209 10th Avenue South #302, Nashville, TN 37203 Bill Eadie—150 Derby Forest Court, Roswell, GA 30076 Lexie Fyfe—P.O. Box 16238, Tampa, FL 33687 Billy Gunn—Northeast Wrestling, Inc., P.O. Box 454, Cornwall on Hudson, NY 12520 Hellena Heavenly—c/o Toni Galvin, P.O. Box 581, Alexandria, KY 41001 Hillbilly Jim—P.O. Box 70004, Bowling Green, KY 42102 Ron Killings—WWE, Inc., 1241 East Main St., Stamford, CT 06902 Lex Lovett—TNA Entertainment, Llc., 209 10th Avenue South #302, Nashville, TN 37203 Rey Mysterio—Team Mysterio, Inc., P.O. Box 6039, Anaheim, CA 92816 The Outlaw—TNA Entertainment, Llc., 209 10th Avenue South #302, Nashville, TN 37203 Lanny Poffo—13300 Indian Rocks Rd. #2103, Largo, FL 33774 Dusty Rhodes—WWE, Inc., 1241 East Main St., Stamford, CT 06902 Sabu—c/o Hitomi Brunk, P.O. Box 27355, Lansing, MI 48909 Sosay—Ohio Valley Wrestling, 4400 Shepherdsville Rd., Louisville, KY 40218 Lance Storm—c/o Storm Wrestling Academy, P.O. Box 58013, Chaparral RPO, Calgary, AB T2X 3V2, Canada Matt Sydal—1209 Buck Ave., Richmond Heights, MO 63117 Trinity—Ariola Prod., Tribeca Film Center, 375 Greenwich St., New York, NY 10013 The Ultimate Warrior—Ultimate Creations, Inc., 43A County Rd. 119 North Santa Fe, NM 87506

Jockeys Braulio Baeza—c/o Janice Blake, 214 S. George St., Ranson, WV 25438 Angel T. Jr. Cordero—New York Racing Assn., P.O. Box 170090, Ozone Park, NY 11417 Norman Dauplaise—29 W. 36th St. #1000, New York, NY 10018 66

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Patrick Day—Jockeys, Guild P.O. Box 150, Monrovia, CA 91017 Kent Desormeaux—Jockeys, Guild P.O. Box 150, Monrovia, CA 91017 Richard Dunwoody—14 Saint Maur Rd., Fulham London, SW6 4DP, UK Earlie S. Fires—16337 Rivervale Lane, Rivervale, AR 72377 Sandy Hawley—9625 Merrill Rd., Silverwood, MI 48760 Julie Krone—Jay Hovdey, Daily Racing Form, 100 Broadway #700, New York, NY 10005 Dick Macomber—6720 NW 28th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309 Adrian E. Maguire—Jockey Club, 42 Portman Square, London, W1H 0EM, UK Christopher McCarron—c/o Dun Roamin, 318 N. Terrace View Dr., Monrovia CA 91016 Lester K. Piggott—Beech Tree House, Tostock Bury, Saint Edmonds, Suffolk 1P20 9NY, UK Robyn Smith—1155 San Ysidro Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Ron Turcotte—82 Seattle Slew Dr., Howell, NJ 07731 Jorge L. Velasquez Jr.—770 Allerton Ave., Bronx, NY 10467

TV Shows According To Jim—4024 Radford Ave., Building 4 #203, Studio City, CA 91604 The Amazing Race—World Race Prod., 4120 Del Rey Ave.Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 American Chopper: Orange County Choppers—Orange County Choppers, 10 Factory St., Montgomery, NY 12549 Big Brother—Arnold Shapiro/Endemol Entmt., 7800 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 The Best Damn Sports Show Period—Fox Sports, 10201 W. Pico Blvd., Bldg. 101 5th Fl., Los Angeles, CA 90035 The Bold and the Beautiful—7800 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 The Contender—c/o Mark Burnett Prod., 1661 Lincoln Blvd., #200, Santa Monica, CA, 90404 Dancing with the Stars—c/o CBS Television City, 7800 Beverly Blvd., Bungalow #1, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Deal or No Deal—Culver Studios, 9336 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232 The Ellen DeGeneres Show—Warner Bros Studios, The Ellen Degenere Show, 4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, CA 91522 Family Guy—P.O. Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213 Futurama—P.O. Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 9021 Good Morning America—147 Columbus Ave., New York, NY 10023 House, M.D.—c/o Heel and Toe Films, 10201 W. Pico Blvd., Bldg. 89 Rm. 230, Los Angeles, CA 90035 Inked—c/o A&E Television Networks, 235 East 45th St., New York, NY 10017 Jeopardy!—10202 W. Washington, Culver City, CA 90232 Jimmy Kimmel Live—6834 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028 The Late Late Show—224 East Olive Ave., Burbank, CA 91502 The Mythbusters—Beyond Prod., 1268 Missouri St., San Francisco, CA 94107 Nightline—1717 DeSales St. NW, Washington, DC 20036 The Price is Right—7800 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 Saturday Night Live—30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112 The Simpsons—P.O. Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213 The Today Show—c/o NBC TV, Today Show, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Rm 380E, New York, NY 10112 The View—320 West 66th St., New York, NY 10023 Wheel of Fortune—c/o Wheel of Fortune, 10202 West Washington Blvd., Sony Pictures Plaza #5300, Culver City, CA 90232 The Wonderful World of Disney—500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521

Directors Alexandre Aja—c/o Alexandre Films, 14 Rue Marignan, F-75008 Paris, France Woody Allen—Perdido Productions, 140 West 57th St. #4-B, New York, NY 10019 Pedro Almodovar—El Deseo, c/. Francisco Navacerrada 24, 28028 Madrid, Spain Ken Annakin—1643 Lindacrest Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Bill Arnsparger—18111 Colonnades Pl., San Diego CA 92128 Darren Aronofsky—Protozoa Pictures, 104 N 7th St., Brooklyn, NY 11211 Larry Bishop—The Coppage Company, 5411 Camellia Ave., North Hollywood, CA 91601 John Carpenter—Storm King Prod., 8532 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069 Sean S. Cunningham—c/o Crystal Lake Entmt., 4420 Hayvenhurst Ave., Encino, CA 91346 John Dykstra—15060 Encanto Dr., Sherman Oaks, CA. 9140 Cory Edwards—11271 Ventura Blvd. #435, Studio City, CA 91604 Dave Filoni—Lucasfilm Ltd., 5858 Lucas Valley Rd., Nicasio, CA 94946 Bryan Forbes—Seven Pines Wentworth, Surrey GU25 4QP, England, UK Stephen Frears—93 Talbot Rd., London W2 5jW, England, UK Larry Gelbart—807 N. Alpine Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 John Landis—The Gersh Agency, 232 North Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Claude Lelouch—Les Films 13, 15, avenue Hoche, 75008 Paris, France Richard Lester—BBC, Artists Mail, BBC TV Centre, Wood Lane, London W12 7RJ, UK George Lucas—Lucasfilm Ltd., 5858 Lucas Valley Rd., Nicasio, CA 94946 Frank Oz—Sesame Workshop, One Lincoln Plaza, New York, NY 10023 Chazz Palminteri—Neighborhood Films, Inc., P.O. Box 622, Bedford, NY 10506 Nick Park—c/o Aardman Animations Ltd., Gas Ferry Rd., Bristol BS1 6UN, UK

AUTOGRAPH

2/25/2009 10:55:32 AM

Visit www.AutographMagazine.com for more events

Alabama Apr 23 – Joey Logano (NASCAR), Home Depot, 289 Vaughan Lane, Pell City. 5-7 p.m. 205-338-1070.

Arizona Apr 6 – Laura Lippman booksigning, Poisoned Pen, 4014 N. Goldwater Blvd., Scottsdale. 7 p.m. 480-947-2974.

Apr 8 – Nevada Barr booksigning, Poisoned Pen, 4014 N. Goldwater Blvd., Scottsdale. 7 p.m. 480-947-2974.

Apr 24 – Stuart Woods booksigning, Poisoned Pen, 4014 N. Goldwater Blvd., Scottsdale. 6:30 p.m. 480-947-2974.

May 9 – Sports Card Show, North Phoenix Baptist Church, 5757 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. Guest Graig Nettles. Free admission & parking. www.phoenixcardshows.com.

Arkansas Apr 9-10 – 5th Annual Fan Days, Mark Martin Ford Mercury Dealership, 1601 Batesville Blvd., Batesville. Guests Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. www.markmartinfordmercury.com.

Apr 16-19 – Arkansas Literary Festival, River Market District, Little Rock. Guests TBA. www.arkansasliteraryfestival.org.

California Apr 2 – Patti Davis booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 1201 3rd St., Santa Monica. 7 p.m. 310-260-9110.

Apr 7 – Cloris Leachman booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 189 Grove Dr., Los Angeles. 7:30 p.m. 323-525-0270.

Apr 11 – Jack Hill booksigning, Dark Delicacies, 4213 W. Burbank Blvd., Burbank. 2 p.m. 888-DARKDEL. Apr 17-19 – Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors, Holiday Inn City Center, 1020 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. Guests Clive Barker, Tobe Hooper, Doug Bradley, more. www.creationent.com.

Apr 20 – Tori Spelling booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 189 Grove Dr., Los Angeles. 7 p.m. 323-525-0270.

Apr 25-26 – Hollywood Collectors Show, Marriott-Burbank Airport, 2500 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank. Guests TBA. www.hollywoodshow.com.

Apr 25-26 – Sports Buy Collectible & Automobile Show, Ontario Convention Center, 2000 E. Convention Center Way, Ontario. Guests TBA. Hours Sat 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sun 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. www.sportsbuy.com.

Apr 25-26 – Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles. Guests TBA. www.latimes.com.

May 1-3 – 13th Annual Tristar Collectors Show, Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave., Daly City. Guests Willie Mays, Jim Rice, Willie McCovey, Dennis Eckersley, Tom Seaver, more. www. tristarproductions.com.

May 1-3 – Grand Slam Sci-Fi Summit, Marriott Los Angeles Airport, 5855 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles. Guests Jeri Ryan, Linda Hamilton, Amanda Tapping, John Noble, Sendhil Ramamurthy, more. www.creationent.com.

May 16-17 – GlamourCon, Hilton Los Angeles Airport, 5711 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles. Guests TBA. www. glamourcon.com.

Canada Apr 2-5 – Stargate SG-1 & Atlantis Con, Hilton Metrotown Vancouver, 6083 McKay Ave., Burnaby, British Columbia.

Guests Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Connor Trinneer, Robert Picardo, more. www.creationent.com.

Apr 3-5 – Calgary Sports Collectors Show, Marlborough

Community Centre, 636 Marlborough Way N.E., Calgary, Alberta. Guests TBA. www.bossashows.com.

Apr 18-19 – Toronto Comicon, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 222 Bremner Blvd., Toronto, Ontario. Guests TBA. www.hobbystar.com.

Apr 19 – Bonsor Sportscard Show, Bonsor Recreation Centre, 6550 Bonsor Ave., Burnaby, British Columbia. Guests TBA. www.bossashows.com.

Apr 25-26 – Sci-Fi On the Rock, Holiday Inn, 180 Portugal Cove Rd., St. Johns, Newfoundland. Guests Peter Mayhew, Vaughn Armstrong, Christian J. Simpson, more. www. scifiontherock.com.

Colorado Apr 1 – John Grossmann booksigning, Tattered Cover Bookstore, 1628 16th St., Denver. 8:30 p.m. www.simonandschuster.com.

Apr 2 – John Grossmann booksigning, Boulder Book Store, 1107 Pearl St., Boulder. 8:30 p.m. 303-447-2074.

May 2 – Debbie Macomber booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 1565 Briargate Blvd., Colorado Springs. 7 p.m. 719-266-9960.

Connecticut Apr 3-5 – Sports Card Show, University of New Haven, Charger Gymnasium, Ursone Way, West Haven. Guests TBA. www.nyshows.org.

Apr 15 – Marlee Matlin booksigning, R.J. Julia Booksellers, 768 Boston Post Rd., Madison. 8 p.m. 203-245-3959.

Delaware Apr 19 – Lisa Scottoline booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 4801 Concord Pike, Wilmington. Noon. 302-478-9677.

Apr 26 – Sports Card, Comic Book & Collectible Show, Aetna Fire Hall, 400 Ogletown Rd., Newark. Hours 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Admission $2. 302-559-7962 or www.a2zshows1.com.

England Apr 17-19 – Autographica, Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel, National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. Guests Ernest Borgnine, Helen Sharman, George Kennedy, Ronald Homes, more. www.autographica.co.uk.

Apr 18-19 – Collector Mania Midlands, Hilton Metropole Hotel National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham. Guests Gigi Edgely, George Lazenby, Dave Prowse, Mathew Lewis, more. www.collectormaniamidlands.com.

Florida Apr 3-5 – AccioCon, Holiday Inn, 6515 International Dr., Orlando.

Guests Kellan Lutz, Ashley Greene, Edi Gathegi, Kevin M. Connolly, Hannah Lees, more. www.acciocon.com.

Apr 17-19 – 20th Annual FX Show, Orange County Convention Center, 9899 International Dr., Orlando. Guests James Marsters, Julie Benz, Lindsey Wagner, Ray Park, Mark Goddard, more. www.fxshow.com.

Apr 25 – Harley Jane Kozak booksigning, Murder on the Beach Bookstore, 273 Pineapple Grove Way, Delray Beach.

6 p.m. 561-279-7790.

May 8-10 – EyeCon-Twilight Convention, Florida Hotel & Conference Center, 1500 Sand Lake Rd., Orlando. Guests TBA. www.eyeconfla.com.

May 22-24 – Jacon, Ramada Orlando Celebration Hotel &

Convention Center, 6375 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy., Kissimmee. Guests Stan Bush, Gregg Berger, Richard Epcar, Lynn Flewelling, more. www.jacon.org.

Georgia Apr 16 – Paula Deen booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 7804 Abercorn Ext. 72, Savannah. 7 p.m. 912-353-7757.

May 1-3 – OutLantaCon, Holiday Inn, 2001 Clearview Ave., Atlanta. Guests TBA. www.outlantacon.org.

May 22-24 – TimeGate, Holiday Inn Select, 4386 ChambleeDunwoody Rd., Atlanta. Guests Mary Tamm, Brad Greenquist, Terrance Dicks, more. www.timegatecon.org.

Idaho Apr 9 – Jane Goodall booksigning, ZooBoise, 355 Julia Davis Dr., Boise. 7-8:30 p.m. www.zooboise.org.

Illinois Apr 7 – Harlan Coban booksigning, Wilmette Theatre, 1122 Central Ave., Wilmette. 7 p.m. 847-446-8880.

Apr 11 – Tinley Park Comic Book Show, Holiday Inn Select, Chicago-Tinley Park Convention Center, 18501 S. Harlem Ave., Tinley Park. Guests Terry Huddleston, John M. Metych III, more. Hours 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission $1.00. www. shotthirty.com.

Apr 13 – Mike Krzyzewski booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 55 Old Orchard Center, Skokie. 7:30 p.m. 847-676-2230.

Apr 18 – Alexander McCall Smith booksigning, Book Stall, 811 Elm St., Winnetka. 2 p.m. 847-446-8880.

Apr 30 – George & Anthony Weller booksigning, Pritzker Military Library, 610 N. Fairbanks Ct., 2nd floor, Chicago.

6 p.m. 312-587-0234.

Indiana Apr 14 – Barry Griswell & Bob Jennings booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 4550 University Ave., West Des Moines.

7 p.m. 515-221-9171.

Kansas Apr 3-5 – Sports Show, Overland Park International Trade Center, 6800 W. 115th St., Overland Park. Guests TBA. www.gtsportsmarketing.com.

Kentucky Apr 4 – Lexington Comic Book Show, Four Points Sheraton, 1938 Stanton Way, Lexington. Guests Tony Moore, Mark Kidwell, David & Mary Conley, more. Hours 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. www.comiccitytn.com.

May 16-17 – Wonderfest, Crowne Plaza Hotel, 830 Phillips Lane, Louisville. Guests Veronica Cartwright, Tom Woodruff Jr., Ken Kelly, Kenny Miller, more. www.wonderfest.com.

Louisiana May 8-10 – LouisiAnime, Baton Rouge Marriott, 5500 Hilton Ave., Baton Rouge. Guests TBA. www.louisianime.com.

Maryland Apr 2 – Laura Lippman booksigning, The Book Center, 15 N. AUTOGRAPH

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Centre St., Cumberland. 7 p.m. www.harpercollins.com.

Apr 4 – Sports Card Show, Valley Mall, 17301 Valley Mall Rd., Hagerstown. Guests Jack Lambert, James Harrison, more. www.btsports.com.

Apr 10-11 – Sports Card Show, Town Mall, 400 North Center St., Westminster. Guests TBA. www.jssportspromotions.com.

Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis. Guests TBA. 618-281-6014.

Apr 6 – Harlan Coben booksigning, Left Bank Books, Mad Art Gallery, 2727 S. 12th St., St. Louis. 7 p.m. www.left-bank.com.

Apr 20 – Paula Deen booksigning, Unity Temple on the Plaza, Sanctuary, 707 W. 47th St., Kansas City. 7 p.m.

913-384-3126.

Massachusetts

Montana

Apr 4-5 – Boston Comic Con, Back Bay Events Center, 180 Berkeley St., Boston. Guests Whilce Portacio, Mike Allred, Dick Ayers, Jim Cheung, Paul Gulacy, more. www. bostoncomiccon.com.

Apr 4-5 – Rice & Friends, Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center, 366 Main St., Sturbridge. Guests Jim Rice, Carlton Fisk, Johnny Pesky, Fred Lynn, more. www. mab-celebrity.com.

Apr 5 – Bernadette Peters booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 98 Middlesex Pkwy., Burlington. 2 p.m. 781-273-3871.

May 22-25 – MisCon 23, Ruby’s Inn & Convention Center, 4825 N. Reserve, Missoula. Guests Steven Brust, John Kovalic, Michael Stackpole, more. www.miscon.org.

Michigan Apr 19 – X-Trava-Con Comic Book, Toys & Non-Sports Card Show, Knights of Columbus Hall, 19801 Farmington Rd., Livonia.

Hours 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. www.motorcityconventions.com.

Minnesota Apr 26 – Barbara Graham booksigning, Loft Literary Center, 1011 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis. 2 p.m.

612-215-2575.

Missouri Apr 5 – Sports Show, Two Hearts Banquet Center, 4532 S.

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Nebraska May 5 – Barbara Graham booksigning, Lee Booksellers, 5500 S. 56th St., Lincoln. 7:30 p.m. 402-420-1919.

Oregon Apr 15 – John Grossmann booksigning, Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside St., Portland. 8:30 p.m.

503-228-4651.

New Jersey Apr 1 – Cloris Leachman booksigning, Bookends, 232 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood. 7 p.m. 201-445-0726.

Apr 2 – Joyce Carol Oates booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 911 Haddonfield Rd., Cherry Hill. 7 p.m. 856-486-1492.

Apr 5 – Wayne Collectibles Show, Company #1 Firehouse, Parish Dr., Wayne. Hours 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Admission $2.

973-726-9897.

Apr 6 – Kathy Ireland booksigning, Bookends, 232 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood. 7 p.m. 201-445-0726.

Apr 7 – Roy White booksigning, Bookends, 232 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood. 7 p.m. 201-445-0726.

Apr 11 – Harlan Coben booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 112 Eisenhower Pkwy., Livingston. 2p.m. 973-758-1310.

Apr 11 – South Jersey Fanfest II, Holiday Inn, 2175 W. Marlton Pike, Cherry Hill. Guests Hillbilly Jim, Shane Douglas, Francine, Shannon Moore, Paul London, more. www. jennystoychest.com.

Apr 14 – Marlee Matlin booksigning, Bookends, 232 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood. 7 p.m. 201-445-0726.

Apr 15 – Lisa Scottoline booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 1311 Nixon Dr., Moorestown. 7 p.m. 856-608-1622.

Apr 17-19 – Final Farewell Fan Fest, Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2 Harmon Plaza, Secaucus. Guests Paul O’Neill, Darryl Strawberry, more. www.mab-celebrity.com.

Apr 17-19 – Chiller Theatre Expo, Hilton Parsippany, 1 Hilton Court, Parsippany. Guests Al Snow, Cyndi Lynch, more. www.chillertheatre.com.

Apr 23 – Roy White booksigning, Yogi Berra Museum, Montclair State University, 8 Quarry Rd., Little Falls. 6-8 p.m. 973-655-2378.

Apr 30 – Darryl Strawberry booksigning, Yogi Berra Museum, Montclair State University, 8 Quarry Rd., Little Falls. 6-8 p.m. 973-655-2378.

New Mexico Apr 7 – Mark Rudd booksigning, Bookworks, 330 Tijeras N.W., Alburquerque. Time TBA. www.harpercollins.com.

New York Apr 2 – Cloris Leachman booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 1972 Broadway, NYC. 7:30 p.m. 212-595-6859.

Apr 3-5 – I-Con 28, Holiday Inn, 3845 Veterans Memorial Hwy., Ronkonkoma. Guests Holly Black, Tory Belleci, more. www.iconsf.org.

Apr 5 – David Wells & David Cone (baseball), Last Licks, 104 S. Ridge St., Rye Brook. 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

914-315-6687.

Apr 5 – PADA Show, Helmsley Park Lane Hotel, 36 Central Park South, NYC. Hours 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. www.padaweb.org.

Apr 5 – Albany Comic Con, Holiday Inn, 205 Wolf Rd., Albany.

Guests Herb Trimpe, Joe Sinnott, Ron Marz, Ramona Fradon, Fred Hembeck, Joe St. Pierre, more. Hours 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Admission $3.00. www.myspace.com/comicbookshow.

Apr 7 – Mary Tyler Moore booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 33 E. 17th St., NYC. 7 p.m. 212-253-0810.

Apr 7 – Cokie Roberts booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 1972 Broadway, NYC. Time TBA. 212-595-6859.

Apr 7 – Paula Deen booksigning, Borders Books, 10 Columbus Crcl., NYC. 7:30 p.m. 212-823-9775.

Apr 13 – Marlee Matlin booksigning, Borders Books, 10 Columbus Crcl., NYC. 8 p.m. 212-823-9775.

Apr 14 – Charles Grodin booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 2289 Broadway, NYC. 7 p.m. 212-362-8835.

Apr 14 – Joyce Carol Oates booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 1972 Broadway, NYC. 7:30 p.m. 212-595-6859.

Apr 15 – Carol & Mary Higgins Clark booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 2289 Broadway, NYC. 7 p.m. 212-362-8835.

Apr 15 – Kristin Chenoweth booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 1972 Broadway, NYC. 7:30 p.m. 212-595-6859.

Apr 17 – Tori Spelling booksigning, Borders Books, 10 Columbus Crcl., NYC. 6 p.m. 212-823-9775.

Apr 18 – Yogi Berry & Don Larsen (baseball), Last Licks, 104 S. Ridge St., Rye Brook. Noon – 1:30 p.m. 914-315-6687.

Apr 20 – Mike Krzyzewski booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 555 Fifth Ave., NYC. 12:30 p.m. 212-697-3048.

Apr 21 – Alexander McCall Smith booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 1972 Broadway, NYC. 7:30 p.m. 212-595-6859.

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Apr 21 – John Grossmann booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 122 5th Ave., NYC. 8 p.m. www.simonandschuster.com.

Apr 24 – Lee Woodruff booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 1972 Broadway, NYC. 7:30 p.m. 212-595-6859.

Apr 25 – Daniel Murphy (baseball), Steiner Sports Store, Roosevelt Field Mall, Garden City. 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

800-242-7139.

Apr 26 – John Maine (baseball), Last Licks, 395 Main St., Armonk. 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. 914-273-3551.

Apr 28 – Darryl Strawberry booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 555 Fifth Ave., NYC. 12:30 p.m. 212-697-3048..

May 4 – Ricki Lake booksigning, Borders Books, 10 Columbus Crcl., NYC. 7 p.m. 212-823-9775.

North Carolina Apr11–Sportscard&MemorabiliaShow,NC State Fairgrounds, Kerr Scott Bldg., 1025 Blue Ridge Blvd., Raleigh. Hours 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission $5.00 www.insidepitch.com.

Apr 14 – Carolyn Hart booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 8431 Brier Creek Pkwy., Raleigh. 7 p.m. 919-484-9903.

Apr 14 – Margaret Maron booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 8431 Brier Creek Pkwy., Raleigh. 7 p.m. 919-484-9903.

Apr 18 – Boone Comicon, National Guard Armory, 274 Hunting Hills Lane, Boone. Guests TBA. Hours 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Admission $2.00. www.hauntedcomputer.com.

Apr 25-26 – Toy, Hobby, Sportscard & NASCAR Show, Metrolina Expo Center, 7100 Statesville Rd., Charlotte.

Hours Sat. 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission $5.00. www.insidepitch.com.

Ohio Apr 3-5 – Cinema Wasteland Movie & Memorabilia Expo, Holiday Inn Select, 15471 Royalton Rd., Strongsville. Guests Marilyn Burns, Allen Danziger, John Dugan, Gunnar Hansen, Christina Lindberg, more. www.cinemawasteland.com.

Apr 19 – Toledo Comic & Sci-Fi Convention, Holiday Inn-Express & Conference Center, 10621 Fremont Pike, Perrysburg. Hours 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Admission $2. www. harpercomics.com.

May 16 – Bob Feller booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 28801 Chagrin Blvd., Woodmere. 2 p.m. 216-765-7520.

May 22-24 – MarCon, Hyatt Regency, 350 N. High St., Columbus. Guests Simon R. Green, Jordin Kare, Patricia McCracken, more. www.marcon.org.

Oklahoma Apr 11 – Carolyn Hart booksigning, ND Foods, 2632 W. Britton Rd., Oklahoma City. Time TBA. 405-840-9364.

Pennsylvania Apr 3 – Laura Lippman booksigning, Mystery Lovers Bookshop, 514 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. 7 p.m. www.harpercollins.com.

Apr 4 – York Book and Paper Fair, York Expo Center, 343 West Market Street, York, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. www. yorkbookandpaper.com.

Apr 17 – Lisa Scottoline booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 150 W. Swedesford Rd., Devon. 7 p.m. 610-695-6600.

Apr 24-26 – Steel City Con, Pittsburgh Indoor Sports Arena, 220 Rich Hill Rd., Cheswick. Guests Catherine Bach, Mick Foley, Sandra Taylor, Orli Shoshan, Cathy St. George, more. www.steelcitycon.com.

Apr 25 – Signamania IV, Bucks County Technical High School, 610 Wistar Rd., Fairless Hills. Guests Bret Hart, Dusty Rhodes, Jimmy Hart, Spike Dudley, Billy Gunn, more. www.signamania.com.

May 2-3 – Sports Card Autograph Show, Bucks County

Apr 15 – Carolyn Hart booksigning, Florence County Library, 509 S. Dargan St, Florence. Time TBA. www. harpercollins.com.

Apr 16 – Carolyn Hart booksigning, Charleston Library Society, 164 King St., Charleston. Time TBA. www.harpercollins.com.

Apr 5 – Comic & Pop Culture Con, Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Dept., 2148 Gallows Rd., Dunn Loring. Hours 10 a.m.

– 3 p.m. www.capicons.com.

Apr 25 – Roanoke Valley Comicon, Salem Civic Center, 1001 Boulevard, Salem. Guests TBA. www.untamedworlds.com.

May 1-3 – Malice Domestic, Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel, 1700 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington. Guests Nancy Pickard, Elaine Viets, Anne Perry, more. www. malicedomestic.org.

May 2 – Handsome Jimmy Valiant booksigning, Shawsville Middle School, 4179 Oldtown Rd., Shawsville.

7-9 p.m. 540-268-2262.

Tennessee

Washington, D.C.

Apr 2 – Adriana Trigiani booksigning, Borders Books, 2501 Westend, Nashville. 7 p.m. 615-327-9656.

Apr 26 – Lloyd Kaufman booksigning, Borders Books, 2501 Westend, Nashville. 3 p.m. 615-327-9656.

May 14-17 – Starfleet Region One 2009 Summit, Mainstay Suites, 410 Pine Mountain Rd., Pigeon Forge. Guests TBA. sites.beyondweb.com/r1-summit.

Apr 19 – Barbara Graham booksigning, Politics & Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. N.W. 1 p.m.

202-364-1919.

Technical High School, 610 Wistar Rd., Fairless Hills. Guests Bake McBride, Dallas Green, Bob Boone, Claude Humphrey, Sean Landeta, more. www.poppel.com.

South Carolina

Texas Apr 2 – Joey Logano (NASCAR), Home Depot, 901 N. Stemmons Pkwy., Lewisville.5-7 p.m. 972-436-1398.

Apr 7 – Laura Lippman booksigning, Murder By the Book, 2342 Bissonnet St., Houston. 6:30 p.m. www. harpercollins.com.

Apr 8 – Heather Armstrong booksigning, Book People, 603 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin. 8 p.m. 512-472-5050.

Apr 18-19 – Sci-Fi Expo, Richardson Civic Center, 411 W. Arapaho Rd., Richardson. Guests TBA. www.scifiexpo.com.

May 1-3 – Texas Frightmare Weekend, Sheraton Grand Hotel, 4440 W. John Carpenter Fwy., Irving. Guests Karen Black, Alice Cooper, William Forsythe, Caroline Williams, Tobe Hooper, more. www.texasfrightmareweekend.com.

Washington State Apr 4-5 – Emerald City Comicon, Washington State Convention & Trade Center, 800 Convention Place, Seattle.

Guests Noel Neill, Tahmoh Penikett, Brian Michael Bendis, Gris Grimley, Frank Cho, Jewell Staite, Ray Park, more. www.emeraldcitycomicon.com.

Apr 9 – Lisa Jackson booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 7700 N.E. 4th Plain Blvd., Vancouver. 7 p.m. 360-253-9007.

Apr 14 – John Grossmann booksigning, University Bookstore, 4326 University Way N.E., Seattle. 8:30 p.m. www.simonandschuster.com.

Apr 28 – Lisa Scottoline booksigning, Barnes & Noble, 2675 N.E. University Village St., Seattle. 7:30 p.m.

206-517-4107.

Texas Apr 2 – Joey Logano (NASCAR), Home Depot, 901 N. Stemmons Pkwy., Lewisville.5-7 p.m. 972-436-1398.

Apr 7 – Laura Lippman booksigning, Murder By the Book, 2342 Bissonnet St., Houston. 6:30 p.m. www. harpercollins.com.

Apr 8 – Heather Armstrong booksigning, Book People, 603 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin. 8 p.m. 512-472-5050.

Apr 18-19 – Sci-Fi Expo, Richardson Civic Center, 411 W. Arapaho Rd., Richardson. Guests TBA. www.scifiexpo.com.

May 1-3 – Texas Frightmare Weekend, Sheraton Grand Hotel, 4440 W. John Carpenter Fwy., Irving. Guests Karen Black, Alice Cooper, William Forsythe, Caroline Williams, Tobe Hooper, more. www.texasfrightmareweekend.com.

If you know of an upcoming autograph opportunity, send the name of the event, date(s), place, city/state, autograph guests (if known) and a contact number for information to Autograph Magazine Events, P.O. Box 25559, Santa Ana, CA 92704 or email events@autographmagazine.com. We need three months lead time to meet deadline requirements.

Utah Apr 15 – Heather Armstrong booksigning, The King’s English Bookshop, 1511 South 1500 East, Salt Lake City.

8 p.m. 801-484-9100.

The mystery person from “You Are What You Write,” page 27: Mark Twain

Vermont Apr 18 – Kevin Phillips booksigning, Northshire Bookstore, 4869 Main St., Manchester Center. 7 p.m.

802-362-2200.

Virginia Apr 4 – Handsome Jimmy Valiant booksigning, Nottoway High School, 5267 Old Nottoway Rd., Nottoway. 7-9 p.m.

434-292-5373.

AUTOGRAPH

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T H E

P L A C E

T O

B U Y,

S E L L

A N D

T R A D E

Reach the hobby’s most active collectors with a classified ad or a twelfth-page color or black and white ad. For rates, email us at Advertise@AutographMagazine.com or call 800-996-3977 in the U.S. or 714-263-3560 internationally. Ads may be emailed to the address above or mailed to: Autograph Marketplace, P.O. Box 25559, Santa Ana, CA 92799.

classifieds Autographs for Sale AUTOGRAPH PHOTO LIQUIDATION SALE. MANY $2 – $4. I have collected autographs since 1978. I am semi-retired. I have decided to sell my collection of signed photos. Many music greats and legends.

Sports greats and legends. And, many celebrities from the television and movie fields. Many signed photo’s I am going to sell in the $2 – $4 PRICE RANGE. That is correct: I am going to liquidate many of the authentic, signed photos. Starting at a low of $2 each. To receive my listing, please send a #10 Self-addressed, Stamped Envelope and $2 cash to receive my next three listings. Thank you. Ralph Paticchio.

PO Box 490129, Everett, MA, 02149.

CELEBRITY autographs from movies, television, music, politics and more! Serving the discriminating collector since 1989 and member of the U.A.C.C. Drew Totten Autographs, Box 4416, Bennington, Vermont 05201. Visit our online auction at: http://drewtotten. auctionhosting.com. (802) 442-2776 FREE CATALOG, Historical Autographs. Bargain Prices. Political, WWII, WWI, Civil War, Actors, Music, etc. Monetary Ltd. P.O. Box 670202, Dallas, TX 75367.mltd@peoplepc.com. 972-380-2798.

Since 1981.

IN-PERSON ORIGINAL SIGNED PHOTOS FROM L.A. CHECKS & DOCUMENTS. Huge Selection. Many Unique Items. Reasonable Prices. 19 Year Full-Time Dealer. Everything Online: www. goldenstateautographs.com. 505-856-3453.

VINTAGE HOLLYWOOD....FABULOUS COLLECTION FOR SALE. Over 500 items...signed photos, documents, checks, & more. Hard to find character actors, directors, producers, moguls, screenwriters, etc. Send large SASE with 2 stamps for complete list. P.O. Box 281, Wynnewood, Pa. 19096

Miscellaneous WANTED, HISTORICAL AUTOGRAPHS, Political, Military, Actors, Sports, etc. Immediate Payment. Seeking, letters, signed photos, documents, and signatures. Monetary Ltd. P.O. Box 670202, Dallas, TX 75367. mltd@peoplepc.com. 972-380-2798. Since 1981.

SALE: 400,000 MOVIE PHOTOS, 40,000 MOVIE POSTERS. Auction: September 27, 2008 HollywoodPosterAuction.com. Consignments Spring 2009. Last Moving Picture Company, 10535 Chillicothe, Kirtland, Ohio 44094.

440-256-3660. Email Lastmo@aol.com.

Advertise in

AUTOGRAPH Autograph offers a wide variety of advertising to fit your needs.

Including display ads in the following sizes, available in color or black and white: Full Page Half Page Third Page Square Third Page Vertical Sixth Page Twelfth Page

We can also run your banner ad on our website and post your classified in the Market Place.

Classified ads start as low as $25.

For more rates, specs and all advertising inquires: nicole@autographmagazine.com Toll Free: 800.996.3977 International: 714.263.3560x108

AM0904_Marketplace.indd 78

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Astronaut Scholarship Foundation .....2 www.AstronautScholarship.org

Elmer’s Nostalgia...............................70 www.Elmers.net

Kerry, Margaret..................................66 www.TinkerBellTalks.com

Sanders Price Guide ............................9 www.AutographMagazine.com

Autograph Pros ..................................18 www.AutographPros.com

German Autograph Society (AdA) .....70 www.Autograph-Club.org

LCG Signatures ..................................68 www.LCGSignatures.com

Signed, Sealed, Delivered..................39 www.SignedSealedDel.com

Autograph Subscriptions...................53 www.AutographMagazine.com

Green, Brian & Maria .........................65 www.BMGCivilWar.com

Legendary Auctions ...........................33 www.MastroAuctions.com

Starbrite Autographs ................ 21, IBC www.StarbriteAutographs.com

Bags Unlimited...................................39 www.BagsUnlimited.com

Heritage Auction Galleries...................7 www.HA.com

Memory Lane .....................................15 www.MemoryLaneInc.com

Star-Shots ..........................................70 www.Star-Shots.com

Celebrity Authentics ..........................19 www.CelebrityAuthentics.com

Historical Collections.........................14 www.HistoricalCollections.net

Muns, J.B. ..........................................70 www.uacc.org/dealers/jbmuns.html

VIP Address Book ..............................14 www.VIPaddress.com

Celebrity Black Book ...........................5 www.ContactAnyCelebrity.com

Huggins and Scott Auctions ..............23 www.HugginsandScott.com

Patton Militaria...................................68 www.Patton-Militaria.com

Charles Irion.......................................19 Charles@IrionBooks.com

Iconic Memorabilia ............................35 www.IconicMemorabilia.com

Profiles in History ...............Back Cover www.ProfilesInHistory.com

Elliott, A. Lovell Autographs ..............25 www.ElliottAutographs.com

Julien’s Auctions .................................1 www.JuliensAuctions.com

PSA & PSA/DNA Authentication Serv ..3 www.psadna.com

19

ISSUES AUTOGRAPH BACK ORDER FORM

$6.95 each - 3 or more $5.95 each YES! Please send me the following issues:

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AM0904_AdGuide--BkIssues.indd 71

AUTOGRAPH

BACK ISSUES For a full listing of back issues available, visit us online!

www.AutographMagazine.com March ’09 – Collecting Vintage Hollywood Photos. 17 Perfect Game Pitchers. Astronaut Autograph Show. Return to Forbidden Planet. Harlan Ellison Gives a Class Lesson. Loni Anderson.

February ’09 – Elizabeth Taylor’s 66 Love Letters. Collect Rock without Getting Rolled. NASCAR’s Kevin Harvick. Virginia Davis: Disney’s First Star. Interview with Linda Hamilton. Paper Fairs.

January ’09 – Obama-Graph Fever! African-American Leaders. Elmore Leonard. Edward R. Murrow. Drew Friedman. Byron Nelson.

Autographs... & Relationships. Robert Forster.

December ’08 – 10 Best & 10 Worst Hollywood Signers. 30 Gifts Under $30. Paul Newman. John Newton. Charlie Watts. Astronaut Insurance Covers. Christopher Paolini Secretly Signs Books.

November ’08 – Mary Pickford’s Autograph Albums on the Block.

Mae West. The Masters of Golf. Comic-Con. Vampires

that Bite and Sign. The Decline of Penmanship. Pigskin Prime Time.

October ’08 – Rare Abe Lincoln on the Block. The Munsters. MMA Fighters. The National Sports Convention. Rock Star Meet and Greets. Gene Hackman on Book Tour. Battling Forgeries.

September ’08 – Left-Handed Presidents, Jesse “The Mouth” Ventura, Ray Harryhausen, Handwriting Analysis, PGA Legends, 10 Tips to Appraising, Meeting ’80s Bands on Tour.

August ’08 – Humphrey Bogart, Signed $2 bills from space, Night of the Living Dead, Rap ’Graphs, Gene Simmons.

July ’08 – Charlton Heston. Baseball Hall of Fame Collection.

Blind Melon. President’s Principal Remembers. Mara Corday.

June ’08 – Judy Garland. 1960s Batman. Sci-fi Artists. Gene Wilder. Ava Gardner.

Autograph Catalogs. InPerson Experiences.

May ’08 – Jodie Foster.

Buddy Guy. World War II Stars. Autographs on the Campaign Trail. Corinne Calvet. Record-Breaking Sports Stars.

3/12/2009 10:17:55 PM

provided by PSA/DNA authentication services

Christa McAuliffe

D.B. Sweeney Michael Jordan

Neil Armstrong Chuck Berry

Daniel Radcliffe

Jason Isaacs

MC Hammer

Orlando Bloom

Neil Peart Johnny Cash

Nicolas Cage 72 april 2009

AM0904_CelebSigs.indd 72

Wolf Kahler

Jeff Cohen

AUTOGRAPH

3/12/2009 9:59:09 PM

Danny DeVito $50

Faye Dunaway $50

Drew Carey $55

Ashlee Simpson $50

Efren Ramirez $45

Carla Gugino $40

John Cleese $60

Christine Taylor $40

Clea Duvall $40

Don Cheadle $45

William Baldwin $45

Daryl Hannah $55

Ellen Page $55

Jon Voight

Kiefer Sutherland $70

Meredith Monroe $40

Matt Dillon $50

Ray Liotta $50

Michelle Johnson $45

Damon Wayans $50

Natasha G. Wagner $55

Peter Fonda $50

Natasha Melnick $40

Charlton Heston $95

Adam Carolla $50

Tia Carrere $40

Please add $6 for shipping and handling.

California residents add 7.75% sales tax.

All autographs come with a Photographic Certificate of Authenticity. We’ll gladly send anything you buy from us to PSA/DNA for authentication ($20 for most modern autographs). It passes or we pay the fee!

Steven L Cyrkin RD194

AM0904_StarbriteIBC.indd 9

800.380.1777 3629 W. MacArthur Blvd. Ste 212, Santa Ana, CA 92704 Phone: 714.263.3563 Fax: 714.557.2105 Email: ACM@StarbriteAutographs.com

3/3/2009 9:37:21 AM

A Profiles in History Auction April 30 - May 1, 2009

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1931 Frankenstein

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History • 26901 Agoura Road • Suite 150 • Calabasas Hills • California 91301