signed 8x10 photo of Amber Benson as Tara Maclay

Who is this? Actress and author Amber Benson
What is this? A signed 8x10 photo of Benson as Tara from the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
Where'd I get it? The unsigned photo was purchased from an eBay seller last month. Benson signed it for me yesterday at a book signing at Midtown Comics in New York.
How much did it cost? The photo was around $8 shipped, but the autograph was free.


Why is this so special? "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" remains one of my favorite television series even though it's been almost 8 years since the series finale aired. Despite the silly premise, the stories were (generally) well-written and the actors made the characters seem very real.

Since Buffy wrapped up, Benson has produced, directed and appeared in several independent films and has guest-starred in other television shows. She's also written several novels and some comic book stories. The Midtown Comics appearance was to promote "Serpent's Storm," the latest Calliope Reaper-Jones novel. The urban fantasy series is about Death's daughter, who would prefer to be a regular girl but finds herself drawn into all sorts of supernatural stuff.

Given the number of autographs she's signed over the years, it's hardly a surprise that Benson's signature is little more than a smiley face and the letter "A". What is a pleasant surprise is that she still takes the time to talk to her fans and personalize the autographs.

Autographed photo of James Marsters as Spike and Juliet Landau as Drusilla

Who is this? Actors James Marsters and Juliet Landau
What is this? An autographed 8x10 photo of James Marsters as Spike and Juliet Landau as Drusilla from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Where'd I get it? Landau signed it for me at a Chiller Theatre show in 2006; Marsters signed at at New York Comic Con last Sunday
How much did it cost? $60-$70


Why is this so special? This is the month for finishing Buffy the Vampire Slayer multi-signed pieces. Earlier this month, I was able to get Doug Jones to sign a photo of the Gentlemen from "Hush", and last weekend I was able to get Marsters to sign this photo of Spike and Drew.

There was a sizable, steady line for Marsters all weekend whenever he was at his booth, even though he was charging $40 for an autograph. I put it off until Sunday, and I still ended up waiting for close to an hour before I got through his line. He had sold out of all of his photos except for a few copies of a general shot and a small pile of Torchwood pics.

Marsters did take the time to shake hands with everyone and talk with them. He mentioned how much he enjoyed working with Juliet Landau. Since I was wearing a Serenity t-shirt, he couldn't resist pointing out that Firefly was a great show, but "Serenity" had to be the most boring movie title ever. It's hard to disagree. :)

This was the final autograph I got at New York Comic Con. Tomorrow, I'll get back to posting baseball cards of players that you may or may not have heard of. :)

Clare Kramer signed photo

Who is this? Actress Clare Kramer, portraying the character "Glory" in the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
What is this? An autographed 8x10 photo
Where'd I get it? I got it signed at the Big Apple Comic Con last night
How much did it cost? $25.

Why is this so special? Glory didn't have the best storyline of the Buffy villains, but she was the most fun to watch. Kramer said that it was a lot of fun to play Glory, calling it a "once in a lifetime" role.

Kramer has been in a number of films and television series, but is probably best known for her roles in Bring It On and Buffy.

I would not care to decipher her autograph, but at least the inscription is easy enough to read. :)

Camden Toy & Doug Jones signed photo

Who is this? actors Camden Toy and Doug Jones
What is this? An autographed 8x10 photo of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's "Gentlemen"
Where'd I get it? Camden Toy signed it at a Chiller Theatre show several years ago; Doug Jones signed it at Big Apple Comic Con tonight.
How much did it cost? $40

Why is this so special? Buffy the Vampire Slayer was one of my favorite television shows when it was running... and "Hush" was one of the best episodes of the series. The episode is largely devoid of dialogue, as a group of demons referred to as the Gentlemen arrive in Sunnydale and steal everyones' voices.

Jones and Toy created two of the more memorable (and more unsettling) demons in the series even though they didn't have a single line in the episode. In contrast to their on-screen personas, both Toy and Jones were very friendly when I met them.

Jones was late arriving to the comic con tonight because his flight was delayed by the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole. Yet when he got there, you never would have known. He chatted with fans, entertained kids and posed for photos.

If you're not a big Buffy fan, you'd probably consider Pan (Pan's Labyrinth) or Abe Sapien (Hellboy & sequels) to be Jones' most notable role. He also played the Silver Surfer in the 2007 Fantastic Four movie, and was Mac in the McDonald's "Mac Tonight" television spots in the late 80s and mid 90s.

Toy probably is best known for his Buffy roles, though he has appeared in a number of other films and television shows.

Both men have clear, legible signatures.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Dalton (Eric Saiet)

Who is this? Actor Eric Saiet, portraying the vampire Dalton in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
What is this? An autographed card from the short-lived Buffy the Vampire Slayer collectible card game, produced by Score.
Where'd I get it? I wrote to Saiet's agent and asked for an autograph a couple of years ago; I got it back today.
How much did it cost? Postage, basically - the card was a duplicate pulled from a pack.

Why is this so special? Buffy the Vampire Slayer was one of my favorite television shows. A few years ago, I decided to try to find addresses and mail out some extra cards to collect autographs from the guest cast members. I didn't have a lot of luck with the initial attempt, so I didn't continue the project.

In January 2009, I was cleaning out my desk and I found the letter I had written to Saiet. I'd never gotten around to mailing it. I figured I'd attach a couple more cents' postage and see what would happen. Today, I got my card back, signed, along with a short note apologizing for the delay. If he only knew. :)

Saiet is a character actor who has appeared in a number of prime-time shows, ranging from the various Law & Order series, to ER and WB classics like Felicity and Roswell. One of his first credited roles was in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Saiet played the bookish vampire Dalton in two second-season episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He fell victim to a nasty demon called the Judge, who could burn the humanity out of people, because he retained just a little too much human feeling.

Thankfully, Saiet has a clear, legible signature -- otherwise I would have been left to research exactly who's autograph I had gotten. :)