Mark Hamill Shows Fans His Dark Side for Star Wars Celebration V
The big news yesterday was that Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker from the Star Wars franchise, will be appearing at the Star Wars Celebration V convention in Orlando. This got everyone super excited… temporarily. You see, Mark Hamill has one of the most outlandish autograph fees in all of fandom. If you want to get it at Star Wars Celebration V, you’ll have to pony up $125.00. That’s more than double the price that Sir Patrick Stewart (Star Trek, X-Men) charges, by the way, and he has two major franchises and he’s a knight!
But yes, you read that right. The man wants $125.00 to sign his name to a glossy 8×10 photo for fans who ensure he continues to get royalty checks from now until the day he dies. Fans that made him what he is today. Fans who clearly are willing to pay that much or he wouldn’t get away with charging it. Sadly, this isn’t really breaking news. Fans have been complaining about Hamill’s prices for a while now, but apparently not loudly enough.
Seriously people, it’s time to follow this guy’s example and just say “NO” to Mark Hamill. This has gotten out of control. It was bad enough when he was charging $100, but to up it to $125 just a year later? I know the economy is bad and everyone could use some extra cash, but for cryin’ out loud, it’s bad for fans too.
And I’d like to point out that Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Anthony Daniels (C3PO) are charging $50, which is peanuts by comparison (but still pricey really, in the grand scheme of things).
If you’d like to go to Star Wars Celebration V and take out a mortgage on your house to pay Mark Hamill, you can still get a full weekend pass for $128. You’ll then need to buy the separate $125 autograph ticket from Official Pix, who is handling that for the convention. Star Wars Celebration V is happening August 12 – 15, 2010, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.
Visit www.starwarscelebration.com for more information.
Technically, Mark Hamill is a knight too…a jedi knight.
But yeah, that’s ridiculous.
Yeah, I agree, that’s ridiculous. Kudos to Carrie and Anthony for only charging $50 (though that is a bit much, I agree as well). Geeze, Mark. You’ve only made HOW MUCH from the royalties you’re getting?
Not cool, Mark.
Even if I had any chance of getting down there for the celebration (unless I win that SPIKE trivia contest they had, which there are no chances of, really), I don’t have $125.00 to spend on an autograph, especially after having to pay for airfare and a hotel. 
Mark, thanks for finding the time to attend at least one Star Wars convention in the US within the last 10 years! Seriously, $125 an autograph is a slap in the face to all us fans that made you a household name for the last 30 years. Really? $125? Really?
I’d rather kiss a wookie!
That’s so lame. I’d rather spend my money on the new Star Wars MMO. It’s much less likely to disappoint.
Actually the royalties he (and Carrie Fisher) get are pretty small compared to other actors in famous rolls.
He signed in as an unknown and was paid like one.
SLAP IN THE FACE TO THE FANS!!1
Regarding the fee, I actually can’t say I’m particularly bothered by it. I wouldn’t pay it (despite Star Wars being one of the defining obsessions of my life) and nobody else should either. Either he’ll lower his price in the future after Carrie Fisher ears 20x what he does, or, fans will fork over the dough, and good for him for getting paid.
It’s not very friendly of him, but Star Wars is big enough that I can understand his frustration with still being Luke Skywalker after 30 years. I wonder if he’d charge as much for signing a picture of The Joker?
I’m attending SW Celebration but can not afford $125.00 for one person’s autograph. It’s sad and disappointing that he would consider charging that much for an autograph. He would probably make more money if he charged less, more of his fans could afford and actually want to pay for an autograph. Just goes to show you that money really is the root of all evil.
“That’s more than double the price that Sir Patrick Stewart (Star Trek, X-Men) charges, by the way, and he has two major franchises”
Hamill also was in two major franchises : SW and Batman
Well, the problem is supply and demand. If you go to the comments section of celebration V you would see people saying AND CRYING OUT LOUD like little girls at a Justin Bieber concert “i would pay anything for his autograph!” These people are the problem. If people would stop that, im sure by day 2, it will be at 75 bucks and by the third day at 50. The problem here is not him. I mean i dont think he gets the royalties you think he gets, Lucas keeps most of them, so he needs to provide for his family. I mean, if you could get an extra 40K a year from your employer just by asking wouldnt you? I blame the fans on this… not him or lucas… everything has a price equilibrium if people pay for a high price it is not gonna be reduced. Anyways, to a funny story. I went to a Con down here in florida not too long ago. The Iron Sheik was there. I tried sneaking a picture of him in the table and his “security guard” stopped me…. saying i had to pay for that. When i looked at the prices it was 20 bucks…… nobody was getting his signature… i passed down 2 hours later and the 20 bucks was scratched off and it said 10 bucks…..im sure if i had waited long enough I could have gotten a photo op and an autograph for a sandwich and a ride home……. food for thought regarding the the hamill situation
Stop crying, you babies! No one said YOU had to buy HIS autograph. But stop pissing in other people’s Wheaties. When was the last time MH even went to a convention and signed? Hmm…oh, yeah…JAPAN. He can charge what he wants and it’s up to the fans if they want to pay it or not. Obviously they did or his lines wouldn’t have been so friggin’ long. Also, there was a lot more interaction with MH when he was signing than I’ve ever had with any other celeb..like “Sir” Patrick who doesn’t bother to look at you!
Has anyone wondered if the $125 even goes to Mark Hamill? Just curious because I know he does do signings for free. The last two years I have gone to Comic-Con here in LA and just walked up to him after a panel and asked and have gotten a photo and an autograph for free both times. It was the same for everyone at both panels. My suggestion to anyone poor like me but wanting his autograph: Go to Comic-Con and ask nicely
People turn around and sell “free” autographs from stars on eBay for big money, so why can the stars themselves make some money?
The way the cons can afford to get the BIG stars is to pay travel and expenses, and then the stars sell their autographs.
Trust me, if a con could get Hugh Jackman, Harrison Ford,or Sean Connery how much do you think THEIR autograph would be?
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