r/comiccon • u/Oheyitsfenton • Aug 07 '25
LA Comic Con What am I actually paying for?
Never paid for the photo ops/autographs the past couple years except for walking up to booths. This year, I'm getting my kid the chance to meet David Tennet, but not sure what the experiences are actually like.
Can someone break down the photo ops/8x10 autograph/premium autograph?
Edit: I get the basics of what each means, but wondering what the experience is like for each. How long is the interaction?
Another edit: Thank you to those who described their experiences and helped me decide what was best for me and my teen. Seems like it will always be a luck of the draw, how busy or tired the stars will be. Feel free to share more experiences. I enjoyed reading those. :)
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u/middleageyoda Aug 07 '25
8x10 autograph means he signs an 8x10 photo you choose from. Premium autograph generally means he signs something else that you bring, like a prop replica or a funko pop. Photo op is a posed picture with him.
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u/Oheyitsfenton Aug 07 '25
Which one let's you actually have an interaction with him? Or do all just conveyor belt style you along?
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u/pizzapat650 Aug 07 '25
Autograph would give you slightly more interaction than the posed photo - but only by a bit considering he’s a big name.
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u/middleageyoda Aug 07 '25
Yes agreed. They really move you along. You generally only have time to say hello and thank you. You may be able to get a sentence out with an autograph but they will definitely be trying to move you along quickly because lines will be long for him.
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u/grimacingmoon Aug 07 '25
You have about 30-60 seconds to speak to him during a autograph. The actor can decide to talk to you longer, but it's understood by all that you're 1/1000 people that day and youre being hurried along.
This was my experience with Hayden Christiansen.
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u/cyberaug Aug 07 '25
Autograph, might be quick but you’ll get a chance to say more than hello. Photo op will be 10-15 seconds max, no chat, a hello, photo taken, out.
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u/Jazzkidscoins Aug 07 '25
If the point is to meet the star, the photo-op is not the way to do it. The one any only photo op I have ever done was with David Tennant and I hated it. If I could get my money back I would. They give you all of 5 seconds to get in place before they take the photo. My wife has a weird look on her face because the photographer kept saying something to her about her glasses then just gave up and took the photo.
The autograph session is better. Depending on the size of the line you might have a small amount of time with him. When I did my autograph with him I spent maybe 15-20 seconds with him. He was very nice, we had a couple of quick words then that was it, but that is pretty much how I work. Other people talked to him for maybe a minute or so. It depends on what you are talking about, how long the line is, and what kind of mood he is in. The younger the person the more time he is willing to spend with you.
I've personally met every doctor from John Pertwee to Matt Smith. Both Tennant and Smith were the worst when it came to the autograph lines. Very quick and impersonal. I get it, they had big lines and a lot of people to get through. I just met Christopher Eccleston at Miami Supercon. his line was just as bad as Smith and Tennant, but he made a point of talking to each person and listening to what they had to say. It was a completely different interaction.
In all my 40 years of going to cons I've met a lot of stars. Almost every member of the original cast of Star Trek and Star Trek:TNG, many Doctors and Companions, a lot of voice actors, some of the actors from the Marvel movies, and some random actors in general.
Other than William Shatner, who is famously an ass when meeting fans, the 2 worst experiences I ever had were at Megacon Orlando this year meeting Matt Smith and Tampa Comic Convention this year meeting Cary Elwes. In both those cases meeting fans seemed to be a chore. The best 2 interactions were meeting James Doohan (just after The Search for Spock came out) and meeting Tom Baker at an embassy dinner in DC
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u/Oheyitsfenton Aug 08 '25
Wow. That is an impressive collection of experiences. Did you notice the stars were nicer earlier in the day/cons? Thank you for sharing your experiences.
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u/Motorhead9999 Aug 10 '25
In Matt smiths defense (and I’m not sure what day you met him) but I believe he had a security incident at Megacon, so he might have been understandably on edge.
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u/Jazzkidscoins Aug 10 '25
I was having this conversation with a friend at dinner tonight. I realize I didn’t say it here but I fully admit he just might have been having an off day. It happens to everyone. I’ve heard from so many other people that he is usually really nice and this was just a one off sort of situation but it was my experience.
That said, he was way overbooked at Megacon. Between the panels and all the various photo ops he had to do each day he really would have been rushing to get it all done. I know he was late for just about everything because of it. It was a really tough schedule. I saw him Sunday morning, so the last day which probably didn’t help.
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u/punkrockyuppie Aug 07 '25
In my experience, it varies wildly depending on the celeb, the con, even the weather and traffic and all sorts of other factors. I've been to multiple cons in WA, OR, and UT over the last 10ish years (usually 3 per year each year, sometimes more) and even with that much experience it can be hard to nail down a very specific baseline.
Typically, I would say you're gonna get more time with the celeb during an autograph than a photo op, especially with bigger name folks. Most cons (save for Creation Cons, ime) will speedrun photo ops in whatever way possible, including enforcing rules like no talking beyond greeting, no doing special poses, no holding props, etc. I get it from a scheduling standpoint and from the celeb standpoint of not wanting to do things that make them uncomfortable, so I'm not really bothered. But I know lots of folks go into photo ops hoping they'll get a chance to say hi, tell someone how much that celeb means to them, share an anecdote, etc. I've seen that happen only a handful of times in my congoing life, the majority of which were at Creation Con which have a much smaller overall attendance and can afford to give that extra time w/o getting too far off schedule.
Autographs generally will net you more time with the celeb, but not always. And sometimes, even if you get ample time with them, they're just not...great. I try not to think the worst of celebs where that happens and usually try to chalk it up to them just having a bad day, but you never really know what you'll get! I've had celebs or celeb handlers at their table rush us through the interaction, especially when the line is longer/overflowing. They'll start cutting options like having the autograph personalized to your name, or having a short quote written on it, they'll cut the option of at-the-table selfies, sometimes even banning hugs so that the guest doesn't have to get out from behind the table at all to save on time.
I've been at a con w/ Tennant twice; my mom met him both times, I met him the 2nd time. Both experiences were pretty good! His line is always going to be absolutely bananas long, because of how beloved and famous he is, so be ready for that. If you opt to meet him later in the day at a con, or at a later day (i.e., Sunday versus Saturday) your time is probably more likely to be cut short or otherwise trimmed. That said, I do think Tennant works very hard to make each interaction special and give you at least a bit of time.
When my mom met him (for an autograph), it was definitely a bit more of a rushed experience because they were so overcrowded, but she had enough time to get her print signed and tell him how much she adores him as The Doctor. He recognized her cosplay and complimented her, and that was it! All in all, probably no more than a minute max of conversation, but she was delighted.
When I met him the 2nd time, it was still pretty short but we crammed a lot in there! We showed up to his autograph line pretty early and ended up quite close to the front, which I highly recommend if you don't mind the waiting around. We got up there and I had him sign my Funko and we spoke for maybe 30 seconds about how the Ducktales reboot is one of my fave cartoons; my mom reiterated how much she loved his work and especially Good Omens (another 30 seconds or so), I told him how I'd recently gotten to see The Amazing Maurice at Sundance and how much I loved his performance in that. He was really pleased that someone had seen it and we talked for maybe 30-45 seconds extra about it. Our other friend also threw in a "love your work you're awesome" type comment, and Tennant shook all our hands and thanked us profusely for the chat.
All in all, couldn't have been more than 2-3 minutes of face time, but he really made it a lovely experience!
I think the biggest, most important thing when meeting celebs at cons in any context is to keep your expectations reasonable. Everyone wants that big memorable holy shit moment, and a lot of guests will deliver that--the number of wonderful experiences I've had meeting celebs far outweighs the bad ones, for sure--but if I go into something too hyped up or hoping for too much, it's just logical that I'm gonna come away a little let down. Think about what you want to say to them in advance; you don't have to have a whole speech rehearsed, but having a good idea of key points you wanna hit is great. Be okay with not talking about everything, or even most things you want to say to them. If you get the extra time, awesome! But be prepared not to have it. Have fun!
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u/Oheyitsfenton Aug 08 '25
Thank you! I worry about my kid hyping it up too much. Some have said Tennet was a let down but sounds like you had good experiences. We normally go on Saturdays, but this year we are going on Sunday. A bit nervous about that too 😬
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u/punkrockyuppie Aug 08 '25
You're welcome! It really is so hard to predict. My mom met Nathan Fillion and he was a total asshole--but we know plenty of folks who met him and said he was wonderful; we met Vincent D'Onofrio and it was a bit lackluster (I am convinced he was stoned, haha) but I'm sure other folks have great stories with him. It really all is a game of chance.
Sunday can be tough, but definitely has some benefits. Usually there's less people overall at a con on the last day, which is great. Sometimes that can mean shorter lines, and shorter lines are always nice. I do feel like often by the last day of a con, the celebs are more tired than they are at the start (understandably) so sometimes it can make them crabbier, not as engaging, etc. But not always! I think the best plan is to set a checklist with your kid about what they wanna mention, warn them ahead of time that Tennant might be tired or busy to measure expectations, and unless he's an outright dickhead, just keep your own energy up cuz your kid will feed off that I'm sure!
I hope it's an amazing experience for y'all and that your kiddo has a great time! My fingers are crossed!!
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u/ubutterscotchpine Aug 08 '25
This is the best response OP could get. Everyone is giving such wildly inaccurate information because OP didn’t mention which convention they are going to.
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u/Oheyitsfenton Aug 08 '25
I thought choosing the flair would be sufficient, but next time I can specify it in my description.
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u/harlequinn823 Aug 07 '25
Get your kid the object that would mean the most to them (photo or autograph) and don't look at it as meeting David Tennant. The panel is the experience. Money-wise, even if it is ticketed, a panel is the best value and in general the best way to see a big name guest imo.
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u/Lazy_Drag6625 Aug 07 '25
Photo ops are VERY quick for popular guests. You will literally not see them until 2-3 people before you walk in behind the curtain, no selfies/phones allowed, you pose, take the pic, and must immediately walk out. No time to chat or linger. I’ve never done autographs yet but my understanding is you typically get a minute or two to talk to the guest. Some allow selfies, some don’t. I’m thinking of going the autograph route next time I’m at a con
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u/rubafig Aug 08 '25 edited Aug 08 '25
For the photo op, especially at LA comic con it’s really quick. Like 10 secs max sometimes you can get a quick word or two out but they’re already rushing in the next person before the words are out of your mouth. Autographs are a lot more chill, in my experience it depends on the celeb. Some will just sign and be like thanks for being a fan some will actually have a conversation with you even if the line is long. It really just depends on the person sometimes they’ll even do selfies or videos at the autograph table but it again depends on the person. If your goal is actually talk to someone then autograph all the way. If you are one of the first people in line you almost definitely will get to have a conversation of some sort with him. I know he’s doing a lot at comic con from the panel to autographs to several different photo ops so it’d be best to get there in line early if you choose autographs. I’ve never met him but from all the fan vids I’ve seen it seems like he genuinely cares about the fan base and is just an overall nice person
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u/davidjam1007 Aug 07 '25
There is really rarely any interaction. People think photo ops are meet and greet style. They are not. You get a could seconds to say hi and hope that doesn't come out in the pic. I made them do a pic over cause my mouth looked weird cause I was in the middle of simply saying hi one time.
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u/ubutterscotchpine Aug 08 '25
How long the interaction is will depend on a lot of things, like the celebrity and the convention you’re going to. Do you have more info so people can share experiences?
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u/Oheyitsfenton Aug 08 '25
Most likely, David Tennet. And we go to the LA Comic Con. Luckily, I got a couple of responses with detailed experiences, so I feel like I got my answer. I would love to hear more people's experiences just for fun, though!
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u/ubutterscotchpine Aug 08 '25
Glad you got good information! A lot of the information I sifted through was inaccurate (like no selfie option being offered if there’s a photo op). But the con and talent are the biggest factors. I hope you enjoy the experience! It seems like he’s a decent guy!
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u/Soft-Shoulder6135 Aug 11 '25
You're paying for overrated "" celebrities to have nice hotel rooms while you stand in line and get nothing
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u/Asleep_Management900 Aug 11 '25
I went to GalaxyCon in Richmond, VA to get my custom built Half-Scale TRON arcade autographed by Tron himself, Bruce Boxleitner. I was unsure the best way to go about it but in the end I got BOTH the autograph at the table, AND the photo op.
Now the signature at the table, he, being a bit of a stud for his lady followers, was VERY much interested in flirting with the Groupies and that's totally cool he seemed a bit aloof and maybe even a little mad (as he kind of knew this was eventually going up for sale/auction). But he was gracious and kind all the same and I appreciate him for his grace.
The Photo OP he was way more approachable as the Con photographer asked me to go LAST so I could have more time with him. He took a few minutes and attempted to talk to me and connect with me. I was dealing with Pneumonia and a fever at the time and had like zero sleep and was on death's door so it was kind of touch and go. I will say though that I really appreciate him. I hear he has some dementia/alzheimers and I hope Calista or his care givers help. He was a stand up guy in the photo booth area.
So let's break down my experience line by line. At GalaxyCon Richmond there are two lines. VIP and Regular. I was 3rd in line for Regular Line and still waited about an hour and a half. VIP's get to jump the line and it took some time for the handler to figure out how to charge people. I was kind of .. frustrated it took 90 minutes and I was 3rd but there's always a bit of disorganization the first day. Totally normal. I met the groupies and they were awesome.
The Photo Op I was last. You wait in line with your stuff or put it on a rack and when it is your turn, you grab your stuff, run into the shot, pose, smile, take a photo, and the Actor will say a few words, and out you go. Bruce took a few extra minutes with me because it was the first day of the con, and not too many people booked the Photo Op the first day. It was really cool. I wish I wasn't dying of Pneumonia at the time. I would really have liked to become Bruce's "Comicon Friend/Groupie" but still it was really nice. I realized how out of touch I am with celebrities. Their world is so different. Still it was great. Go the first day (Thursday) If you can. It's just better and more relaxed but there are no Cosplayers.
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u/VisitSolid2330 Aug 11 '25
I'd say do it... Back in the 1970's, I saw Jack Kirby at a table, comic show we called them back then, Jack Tar hotel on Van Ness in SF. I was probably 14 years old... I think signatures on comics were $20 bucks.... That was beyond what I had... But I remember just looking at him in awe from about 15 feet away....
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u/A_Dick_inTime_6aves9 Aug 12 '25
The memory and photographic proof that you literally rubbed elbows with celebrity.
I have a collection of Comic-Con photos up on my wall that never fail to bring a smile to my face or conjure up a memory or two of that particular con.
If you're planning on starting a collection, one thing that makes it especially memorable is if you have a particular pose or theme throughout the photos.
Probably won't be as applicable in your situation with your kid, but my favorite technique was to surreptitiously bury a hit from a weed vape pen deep into my lungs right before the picture, then I exhale while subtly displaying my vape for posterity.
The look on the celebrities faces is priceless, got one of Michael Rooker just scowling at me, but my favorite is the one with Charlie Sheen grinning even more naturally than he usually does.
Probably worth noting (before I get a bunch of angry anti-drug responses) that I never blew my hit towards the celebrity, just exhaled in their presence and made sure to have a couple spare joints to send their way in case I felt a positive vibe. Probably helps that I'm a quadriplegic in a power wheelchair who finds medical MJ to help with spasticity more than any prescription drug, not just a random person with questionably sourced bud.
Feels good to know that there is a decent chance that Cheech and Chong, Charlie Sheen, and even Snoop Dogg have had a chance to taste the fruits of my humble green thumb , even if I didn't personally share in the rotation.
(In Snoop's case, had the foresight to roll up an excellent cone out of one of those 24K gold shine papers!)
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u/Cthulu_for_Prez Aug 12 '25
My daughters met, hugged and got a peck on the cheek from Norman Reedus and a signed 8x10 in Orlando 2011. $160. Memory of a lifetime for them and well worth it. He was friendly, apparently well rested, and gracious.
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u/Utot_Mo007 Aug 07 '25
Comic con sucks! Hope they move it out of San Diego!
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u/Oheyitsfenton Aug 07 '25
Nice. Posting that in a comic con sub reddit. You are definitely fun. Also, not even talking about San Diego as the flair says..
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u/Dissinyaflygirl Aug 09 '25
Met him in Chicago for a picture. He was very friendly but because there were so many people, we were rushed through and didn't really get to spend much time with him.
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u/chernygal Aug 07 '25
You get what you pay for. A photo op is just that-a photo opportunity with the celeb. You stand, pose, picture is snapped, and you move on. An autograph is when the celeb will sign an item for you-either an 8x10 or another item (thus being premium). Tennant is incredibly popular so his autographs also move fast but it provides a couple more seconds of interaction than a photo op does.