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Stan Lee Will No Longer Do Public Signings
Desert Wind Comics and sister company Celestial Comics currently list Stan Lee as available for signing events through their companies. They state that:
As many of you know, Stan Lee has been getting older and as such signing opportunities are getting more rare. And getting books signed that are eligible for CGC Signature Series Grading is becoming more difficult. The exact date and location of this signings will not be announced for security reasons. So we are simply authorized to announce accepting books early and will accept books up to the deadline, so submit early so you don't get caught by surprise and miss the signing.
And you'll pay for the privilege.
The price to get a modern tier book signed and graded is $180. That price includes grading of a modern tier book, our witnessing and handling fee and Stan's signing fee. Non-graded comic books or raw items like posters and toys are priced beginning at $160 and depend on the size and value of the item.
The submission form deadline is August 18th, 2018.
There was serious concerns expressed by fans, creators, and friends alike during the Silicon Valley Comic Con, where Stan seemed unable to sign his own name, resorting to drawing circles, and had to be told be now-estranged business partner Keya Morgan how to spell his name.
Desert Wind/Celestial Comics were part of that event and graded those comic being signed, and also created the comic variants that were used in the so-called "blood comics". Since that date, Morgan has been charged with elder abuse and is subject to an ongoing court case.
I spoke to Jonathan Bolerjack, who used to work for Stan's ex-business manager Max Anderson, and who is one of the people currently looking after Stan. He told me that Stan Lee will no longer be participating in public signings. But private signings will continue. He said:
To be very clear, Stan is 100% not doing any conventions / public signings. In the last few years his well being had been compromised by people for monetary gain and that practice is over.
His private signings had also been paused for a month while Stan's life gets back to normal and time could be given to review signing deals made by previous people involved in Stan's life.
As of this week Stan is signing a very small amount of items per week at his discretion, some for Desert Wind. This has proven frustrating for some as people are used to Stan signing hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of books a day, however my concern is for Stan's health and wishes so he signs what he wants when he wants, which is as it always should be.
The situation is, naturally, continuing to develop.