Autographed cels?

[JWR]

I have seen a lot of cels for sale lately that have been autographed by various Voice actors/actresses, Character designers & Directors.

Maybe it's me but having that done seems to spoil artwork of the cel.

This has actually kept me from buying some otherwise nice cels.


How do the rest of you feel?

[kittens]

I think it depends on scenes, whose autographes, etc....

But I think autographes are really personalized.... So I would loooooooooooooove to have watsuki's autographes on my kenshin cels with "dear kittens" on it and I will feel that this enchance all cel values to "me" but I do not think it is necessary to others.

[duotrouble]

If people want to get their cels signed, that's fine. I personally don't because I'd rather the talent sign something else. I don't like VAs signing cels because they had nothing to do with the cels themselves. All they did was bring that cel to life. Amazing jobs, yes! But they didn't draw the beautiful artwork. That's just my preference.

However, if I were to get cels signed, those would never leave my collection. It doesn't mean anything to me that say Yuu Watase signed a cel in 2004 when I know I've never met her. When I look at sigs, I remember when I was there and what I was doing. Happy memories! But buying a cel from someone else who got it signed, just doesn't sit right with me. (I know this isn't coming out right. Sorry!)

[Keropi]

Since I was an older movie star autograph collector in my previous hobby life I tend to look at YJ items in both a "artwork collecting" and an "autograph collecting" sort of way. I have several different seiyuu autographed items that I purchased (not on cels though).

The way I look at it...if the autograph is very desirable to me, but it's on a low grade, common inexpensive item then the item detracts from the autograph's value. But if the item is very desirable to me and the autograph is not, then the autograph detracts from the items value. One balances out the other.

Even forgetting about autographs smudging, fading or sticking to the bag/plastic I would never get my favorite quality-type cels signed by anyone. I would have the person sign something more indelible. I'm not into having cels signed because of the problems in maintaining them long term (10-30 years), but if I was I'd only have mid-grade cels with a lot of blank space on them signed.

[Japoro]

To me I have to agree with what some others have said in saying that getting something autographed is kind of a personal experience. Having something signed does make it interesting, but rarely adds something special to a cel, unless you know more about the cel and signature. And in the worse cases, an ugly signature makes a cel less attracting. So in short no, I would probably never buy a signed cel, unless it was "cheap," or I knew that the signature was authentic, and of someone I admire greatly.

[vapalla]

I have never collected a signature, but if I wanted to have a signature with a cel, I would bring the cel with an acid free paper of the same size as the cel and ask them to sign the paper where the signature would show. That way, if you want to display them together you can.

[Baakay]

It's odd, because as usual I could have voted either way.

The signature clearly detracts from the physical piece of art. That signature wasn't there to begin with, and has nothing specific to do with that scene.

Autographs are usually pretty personal things, but not always... (you couldn't bloodly well have a personal signature of, say, JFK, or Elvis, or, um, Tezuka, but you'd probably be mighty happy to have one just because it was his handwriting).

Soooo.... even though I agree with most everything that was said up above, I jumped like a fangirl all over the chance to buy a cel of Tamahome with Midorikawa Hikaru's signature on it It's not dated or directed to anyone in particular, the image itself was way over on half of the cel in the first place, so it doesn't do anything to the picture ... and .... well ...

I voted it enhances. Maybe there should have been a third category: "It Depends." Because that's what I really feel.

[zerospace]

I would have to agree with Baakay--it depends. For instance, if I saw a cel of Heero from GW signed by Midorikawa Hikaru, I'd be all over it for sure But, I don't really think I'd want a cel signed by an english dub voice actor...

[Katrina]

I have seen a lot of cels for sale lately that have been autographed by various Voice actors/actresses, Character designers & Directors.

Maybe it's me but having that done seems to spoil artwork of the cel.

This has actually kept me from buying some otherwise nice cels.


How do the rest of you feel?

Um, if you've been looking at my cels for sale or my gallery in general, then you've probably noticed I like getting cels signed.

However, I only have the cel signed if it's someone who was important to the production (ie Voice actor, creator, character designer) and I will only get cels signed that actually have blank space for a signature. Besides, I'm not a big collector of artbooks or anything, and you can't display a signature in the front cover of an artbook anyway.

I don't think it spoils the artwork at all. I love the two cels I've gotten sketches on; it looks like the character is looking down at themselves. ^_^

NA voice actors I wouldn't have sign a cel, just because they had nothing to do with the original production. Granted the Japanese voice actor may not have drawn the artwork, but they did give voice to the character, which is equally important.

[crackpot27]

I don't feel it detracts from the artwork, but I don't tend to have cels signed personally. I have many, many other items to be signed, and to be honest, me taking any of my favorite cels along for the ride, is almost certain to end in disaster

[JWR]

Um, if you've been looking at my cels for sale or my gallery in general, then you've probably noticed I like getting cels signed.

No Katrina I did not direct this question towards you or any other gallery in perticular. I agree with a lot of the comments that having a cel autographed can be a personal experience that has value to person recieving it.
The question comes from those who choose to then sell those autographed cels. I have seen a lot of great cels on YJ & Ebay some with important scenes that have large elaborate autographs in the open space of the cel but would cover important parts of the background or interfere with another cel layer.

[ReiTheJelly]

Personally, I think that it detracts from the cel. The best way I've seen this dilemma resolved is when people get the VA to sign a blank sheet of acetate to lay over the cel. That way the cel itself isn't signed, but the signature is still there...(very similar to what Vapalla was saying).

[kymaera]

I doubt I would have any of my cels signed. For example, I could've gotten
my Chichiri cel signed by Seki Tomokazu when he appeared at A-X, but
instead, I brought a pencilboard. Likewise, for Yoshitoshi Abe, I brought a
copy of the Niea_7 Scrap book instead of my Lain cel.

Why? Well, regardless of what I get them to sign for me, I have an item
that is meaningful to me because I got to meet the guy. But in the case of
the cel, it meant taking a chance that a one of a kind piece of artwork might
be damaged by various means...pen leaks, he presses too hard and rips it
with the pen, he has a large signature and covers up the artwork with it...
perhaps, he's just cranky from sitting and signing so long that he writes
"Go away, you stupid gaijin" instead of his signature since..well, I'm too
Japanese illiterate to know the difference.

In the case of buying, I'm not sure. In general, I think it detracts. For an
important Japanese talent, I might make an exception. For an English
voice actor, there are no exceptions.

[Wolfgirl917]

I'm in between. I have a few prod cels that I've had signed. A couple are personaized to me, couple are not. But there those that I own that I would NEVER have signed cause, I agree, would ruin them.

Another option is that if you have an opportunity to get a signature, have a fancel made and have that signed. Fancels are already very personal and don't fetch much of a price if sold anyway. That's exactly what I just did. But I will say that if my Ed and Sojiro cels were actual prod cel, I wouldn't have had them signed.

For me, its the best having that perfect moment of my fav character and then having made that much more special by having someone associated with the character (even if it is only the VA) personalize it.

For the sake of arguement, what about douga and genga sketches? What's the feeling out there about getting those signed?

[duotrouble]

I'd probably get a genga or douga signed and not even think twice about it.

BTW, welcome to beta Wolfgirl917!