Autographs

Kumoricon 2023 will be continuing a hybrid model for autographs where some Guests of Honor (guests) offer one free autograph, and some autographs will need to be purchased. Additionally, as we have a seiyuu attending, there will be new policies specific to their signings. We have listed below which model each guest will be following; asking a guest to give you a free autograph or additional free autographs above the one already offered may have you removed from the autograph line entirely.

Free autographs

All free autographs will be available for reservation prior to the autograph session through a text message reservation system. All reservations are first-come, first-served. Some of the available reservation slots will be open at the start of the convention, and a portion of available reservation slots for each session will become available starting the day of each session. Visit our event reservations page for full details. For a guest's scheduled signing, attendees without a reservation may line up after the first 30 minutes as long as that guest's line has room to stand. After non-reserved attendees have been able to join a line, if other attendees with a reservation arrive late, they may use the VIP line in order to guarantee timely access to their reserved spot.

Each attendee is limited to one free autograph per guest who offers free autographs. Please note that only personal items brought by an attendee will be free; while guests may have prints, shikishi, or other merchandise at their booth, those will have costs associated with them which will be communicated at the guest's booth (and may be communicated online if timing allows). If a guest allows an attendee to obtain more than one autograph at a session, any additional autographs after the first one must be purchased using the prices listed at each guest's booth. See the General Q&A for more information.

Note: Kana Ueda will only sign convention materials, shikishi, or officially licensed art or merchandise. All of her autographs will be personalized.

The following guests are offering free autographs:

ACME
Amber May
banvox
Caleb Hyles
Creep-P
Crusher
darkbluecat
Jonathan Young
Kana Ueda
Karen Strassman
Michelle Marie

Attending a free guest autograph session

To enter a guest's signing line, you must have reserved a spot in line for that guest, date, and session time using our reservation system.
We apologize, but members of your group who have not reserved spots in line for that session cannot stand in line with you, except for parents/guardians accompanying minors, or persons providing disabilities assistance.
If you have reserved a spot, you may arrive at the signing session line up to 30 minutes early, but early arrival is not required.
Attendees with reservations must arrive no later than 30 minutes into the autograph session to receive priority.
We apologize, but if you miss the signing session for your autograph, it cannot be transferred to a later session. You may make a reservation for a later session if spots remain available.
Free autographs are only available during scheduled signing sessions. If a guest is signing at their booth outside of a scheduled session (see "Ad-hoc autograph sessions" below), all autographs will be paid autographs.
Due to the possibility of unforeseen circumstances or guest emergencies, no autographs are guaranteed.

Paid autographs

Some guests will only have paid autographs. For all guests with paid autographs, we will not be pre-selling them on our website this year. They will only be available for purchase at the convention.

The following guests will offer only paid autographs:

Alejandro Saab
Brandon McInnis
Brittney Karbowski
Dani Chambers
Griffin Burns
Howard Wang
J. Michael Tatum
Jason Liebrecht
Jeannie Tirado
Keith Silverstein
Lauren Landa
Lollia
Patrick Pedraza

Attending a paid guest autograph session

All guests who offer only paid autographs will still have autograph sessions listed in the schedule, however attending these will not require a reservation through the reservation system. Autographs may only be purchased when you or your group reach the front of the line at the guest's booth.
We apologize, but only one member of your group who will not be purchasing autographs for that session can stand in line with you, except for parents/guardians accompanying minors, or persons providing accessibility assistance.
Please purchase your autograph through the guest's liaison prior to meeting the guest.

Ad-hoc autograph sessions

An ad-hoc autograph session is any time where a guest is signing at their booth outside of times listed explicitly on the schedule. All ad-hoc sessions follow the paid autograph session rules.

Autograph rules

All autographs are at the guest's discretion. Guests have the right to refuse to autograph anything or for anyone at their individual discretion. Some guests may have special requests, such as: no photos, requiring masks, only allowing one item to be signed, etc. All limitation requests from the guest and Autograph Staff must be followed.
Paid autographs are limited to a maximum of 1 autograph per autograph purchased. Free autographs are limited to a maximum of 1 free autograph per person, and only on a personal item unless otherwise specified by a guest. Items for guests to sign must be official, licensed products (no bootlegs). Fan art is acceptable for some guests, but may be refused on a case-by-case basis; please confirm with Autograph Staff or the guest's liaison before you reach the guest. Guests may have merchandise or prints available for purchase while at the session, at their discretion. Please have items ready for signing, or payment ready for making a purchase when you are near the front of the guest's line. Check with the Autograph Manager or the guest's liaison to find out if the guest accepts cash, card, Google/Apple Pay, or some combination thereof.
Guests may refuse gifts, photos, or recordings individually or entirely at their discretion. Always ask a guest's liaison prior to offering a gift to a guest.
To provide a fair signing opportunity to all attendees, please limit your time with a guest to one minute or less.
No touching guests without permission. Ask first for hugs, handshakes, etc., and respect that a guest may be sick, tired, or have some other reason for not wanting to give hugs. “No” is a complete sentence, and do not ask a guest to explain why they do not consent to physical touch. Please be aware that some guests may require masks at their signings. Signage will be posted at the beginning of the guest line indicating this if this is the case. Please make sure to have a mask on you, just in case.
The following gifts are prohibited: gifts of homemade food, gifts of pre-packaged consumables that have been opened, or gifts of pre-packaged consumables with tampered packaging. All consumable gifts must be pre-packaged with visible seals intact, without exception. If you have a consumable gift, you must present your gift to the guest's liaison for approval prior to presenting the gift to a guest.
Please remember that items to be signed or gifts must follow Kumoricon policies, such as props and weapons. Please review our Code of Conduct if you have questions about if your item would be allowed.

Q&A

General Q&A

How many items can I have signed?

For paid autographs, one purchased autograph equals one item signed, though if the guest allows for multiple purchases, you may buy more at the guest's booth, which then can also be signed (see next question). Free autograph sessions allow 1 free personal item to be signed. You may bring items with you to be signed, purchase items from the guest to get signed, or have your Kumoricon badge or pocket guide signed. Seiyuu autograph sessions will only allow for one autograph per attendee. Please remember that the guest can choose to not sign a particular item at their own discretion.

Can I pay for extra items to be signed?

If the guest allows for it, yes. Some guests will have the ability to sell additional autographs at their booths. Guests may also have merchandise for sale during their autograph sessions which can be purchased. While some may accept credit cards, it is recommended you bring cash just in case. Some guests may have limitations on the number of items to be signed; if such limitations exist, Kumoricon will communicate those limitations as soon as is practicable after we are made aware.

Will guests have posters, prints, or other items for me to purchase?

Guests are welcome to have their own merchandise for sale at their booths and will have prices listed at their booths should any merchandise be available. Not all guests will have merchandise or prints at their table, so be prepared with a backup just in case. For clarification, seiyuu will only have shikishi boards at their table. If you want something other than a blank shikishi board signed, please bring that item with you.

Will artists and cosplay guests have signings? What about sketch sessions or photo ops?

Each guest is different. Please keep an eye on schedule announcements for any special guest events. Some cosplay guests may have a booth; if they do, they will also be in KumoriMarket. Please see the KumoriMarket map to see where all guest signing booths will be.

How many autographs will be allowed?

Each guest is different; the number of autographs allowed is based on how quickly autograph lines move, how fast a guest is at signing, demand, the length of the session, etc. Seiyuu autograph sessions will only allow for one autograph per attendee.

Are accessibility accommodations available when purchasing autographs?

All guest signing booths have a VIP/accessible line. If you require accessibility accommodations during autograph signings, you may utilize the VIP line, even without a VIP badge. If you need specific assistance, please see the Accessibility Booth in Registration, or reach out to an Autograph Staff to ask for assistance.

How early can I line up for a session?

You can line up at any time, however if a guest's taped line area is full, consider that line capped until the guest returns and starts signing, or until the line moves enough that there is space within their taped line area.

If some people with free autograph reservations don't show up, will the staff let more people into the autograph line?

All attendees will use the same line. After 30 minutes into the guest's scheduled free autograph session, if there is space in the line then you can stand in line. Please note that if the guest does not have time to sign all items before a session ends, they may need to cap a line in order to leave for breaks or for other scheduled content.

Photograph Q&A

Can I get my picture taken with the guest?

Some guests allow for pictures to be taken, and some do not. Please ask that guest's liaison to make sure that guest allows photos. If they do, the liaison can take pictures for you if you don't have someone to take the picture for you.

What about photo ops?

Kumoricon does not offer comic con-style photo ops with guests at this time.

VIP Q&A

Will all VIPs get autographs from all guests?

No. All VIP members will get no-cost coupons to two (2) paid guest autograph signings (member's choice, subject to availability). Please contact vip@kumoricon.org for more information on your VIP membership.

How will I receive my VIP autograph coupon?

By email. You'll receive a link to a form about 2 weeks before the convention to select your autograph reservations.

Accessibility accommodation Q&A

What if I have a disability that prevents me from standing for long periods of time? Do I still need to wait in the autograph line?

To accommodate accessibility needs, Kumoricon now has a VIP/accessible line at all guest signing booths. If you have accessibility needs that prevent you from standing for long periods of time, please utilize this line. If the VIP/accessible line is still too long for you and you need additional accommodations, please find an Autograph Staff to assist you and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.