The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Winkfan on April 14, 2014, 07:00:39 PM
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Here's something for you to ponder: Who was the first game show personality (host, model, celeb player, etc.) you ever got an autograph from; either in person or through fan mail?
For me, it was Jim Perry back when he was hosting Card Sharks. In 1980, I wrote to him and got an autographed photo of him; which I still have. My first "in person" one was Jim Lange during my now-famous (among us fans, that is) appearance on Name That Tune four years later. I still have that one, as well.
Cordially,
Tammy
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Christian Carrion signed a Christmas card for me once.
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I have a Christmas card from Matt O. after we traded Jeopardy value tabs for the old MB box games. He signed off with "Enjoy" just like he does on his program.
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I wrote Barry-Enright with my concerns about the content of the movie "Private Lessons" as well as a few comments about their games, and I got a letter with Jack Barry's signature. It appears to be gone now, but you can still see the signed letter I got from E. Roger Muir on my Spin-Off site. Also, in 1991, I saw Vanna White in person at an Omaha mall opening and she signed a photo.
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Bob Eubanks, after a Wheel of Fortune live show at the Indiana State Fair, late-'90s.
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Bob Barker, in person, at a Borders Bookstore in NY in 2008. He wasn't as talkative as he was on Price... he was nice enough, but said barely anything to anyone.
I also have a couple autographed pics of Bob from TPIR visits, one from Geoff Edwards, and one from Betty White, when she used to have her own website.
In terms of E-bay autographs, I have Johnny Olson, Bob Eubanks, Chuck Woolery, Allen Ludden, and Bill Cullen.
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Mine was Marc Summers autographing a card at a GSN Get Schooled Tour event in Kennesaw, GA back in '03. The whole experience was awesome. Marc was impressed with my knowledge of game shows (stumped him regarding Press Your Luck's predecessor, Second Chance, and won a t-shirt -- he acted like he didn't believe me and that I was making it up but gave me a Whammy t-shirt anyway). Wound up with a nice haul of small prizes that day....triple-digits worth after researching IIRC.
Don't know what I've done with that card, though (or the pictures taken that day).
/Now that I think about it.....this was when I was a junior in high school.....and my craziness over the event (and game shows in general) may have been along the lines of "fanboy-ish"....
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Neat question, Tammy.
Mine was Bob Clayton, in person when I followed him out onto the street after a Pyramid taping. I was 14. That was also my only one for more than twenty years, until I started making regular trips to California.
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My first was Wink Martindale, for winning one of his contests a few weeks ago. He sent me an 8-by-10 photo, a copy of Winking at Life and a board game.
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I got autographs from Peter Sagal and Bill Kurtis at a taping of Wait Wait last year.
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Betty White, in 2003 or 2004, as an early teen who sent her a letter and an autograph request. Still have it and cherish it.
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Back when I was running pop culture-based quiz bowl tournaments, I came up with a "random" award where someone would win an autographed celebrity photo for any random reason I could come up with. I figured that since quiz bowl tournaments always honored the best teams and players, why not give an award to someone who's in the middle or back of the pack just as a "thank you" for playing?
I would write to 4-5 celebs a year, hoping that one would honor my unusual request and provide an autographed photo as a prize. In 2003 or 2004, Richard Dawson sent me an autographed pic, and it was the "random" award that year.
A few years later, I tried the same with Bob Eubanks. He sent me a photo, but no signature. I opted to sign it myself (along with a few other cohorts) and present it to the player with the most incorrect answers.
Dawson was the first GS autograph I obtained. In recent months, my wife surprised me with autographed pics of Peter Marshall, Tom Kennedy, Monty Hall and Wink Martindale.
JD
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This has a multi-part answer so please allow me to do a bit of a monologue...
I think the strictly speaking answer to this question would be Alan Alda, who personally autographed his second book, "Things I Overheard While Talking To Myself" to me at a signing in Toronto. However... now in my collection is a copy of the book "On Set" which is a book of photos taken by Arlene Alda, on the set of Alan Alda's film "The Four Seasons." My father and I saw it in the bargain books pile (!) at a WaldenBooks. Only after I picked it up did I see that it was autographed by BOTH Alan and Arlene Alda! But that wasn't in person or via fan mail so it doesn't really count.
And then there's the autographed copy of "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" by Chuck Barris. I called down to the bookstore in Jersey for that so I would also disqualify that one based on the OP's question. His is the only Game Show host I have.
I don't think any of the autographs I got at the "Chiller Theatre" event in New Jersey last year count, unless you're willing to give me Weird Al Yankovic for Rock N Roll Jeopardy and maybe Kent McCord for his appearances on Hollywood Squares. (OT but probably of interest to this group: this month's "Chiller Theatre" event will feature a WKRP Reunion, with Loni Anderson, Howard Hesseman, Tim Reid AND Jan Smithers.)
Here's the strangest one: I wandered into a bookstore one day in 1996 in Tallahassee, Florida, and came upon a local author named Don Parker. Parker was a local law enforcement official who told of his many misadventures in two books, "You're Under Arrest-I'm Not Kidding" and "Officer Needs Assistance... Again." Parker seemed to be a great storyteller so I purchased both of his books, which he signed. Those of you here who have forgotten more about game shows than I'll ever know probably already know the GS connection, but I didn't. Not until several years later, when I was flying cross- country and passing the time watching Game Show Network. (Yes, that long ago, pre "GSN".) And who should appear on a rerun of To Tell The Truth... but the very same Don Parker, along with two imposters.
Should I count Jean Shepherd given his appearance on I've Got A Secret? (He played his head.) If he counts, that's my first one. I had just gotten my driver's license, he was appearing at the Clinton Book Store in Jersey, and I was NOT going to miss my chance to meet him. He remains my all-time favorite author.
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My answer befits my username - Kevin Shinick's autograph from the Where In Time Is Carmen Sandiego live tour around 1997. I must have been eight years old...anybody else remember this?
My only other game show autograph is Peter Sagal from a Wait Wait Don't Tell Me taping at the Wang Theater in Boston.
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Before he hosted Price, I got Drew Carey to sign a TV Guide at Cleveland's 1996 Thanksgiving parade. He was the Grand Marshal.
Anybody who has attended a GSC with me has likely seen my big binder o' photos and slides. I must have close to two dozen 8x10s signed at the GSCs, ranging from hosts to celebrities impersonating game show celebrities; at WML? Live, Debra Wilson from Mad TV signed a Mad TV press pic of her as Whoopi Goldberg in a Squares spoof.
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Tom Kennedy; when I was still in West Virginia, Matt Ottinger met him and had the presence of mind to ask him for an autograph for me. First one I got face-to-face was from Geoff Edwards, who signed a photo from "The New Treasure Hunt" for me.
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First one I got was when I won a signed copy of Johnny Gilbert's CD Johnny Gilbert sings when he was a guest on Stu’s Show.
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Back in '97 or so I got autographed pictures of Barker, Janice, Kathleen, & Chantal. I also have a letter from Dob but doubt any of these are personally signed. Unless one escapes me this is my entire collection of autographs that are game show related. I do have an autograph of Jerry Springer but it's from his talk show.
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Who was the first game show personality (host, model, celeb player, etc.) you ever got an autograph from; either in person or through fan mail?
My FIRST! was Jim Lange. That was her question and it has been answered.
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Wink Martindale, 1994, first and only so far. I got it after calling the Family Channel, when they were still headquartered in my hometown. Whether or not it was his authentic Herbie Hancock, I'll never know. :-P
/An intern from the channel prolly signed it to shut me up
//I kinda called there regularly
///I was 11 and didn't know any better
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My sister snagged an autographed pic of Betty White for me about ten years ago. It was my first and only.
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Indeed, neat question!
Not necessarily an autograph, but Randy West sent me an email with a photo of him on the Weakest Link set back in 2001 or so. I vaguely remember the occasion; I think it was something having to do with a post I made on ATGS regarding a research assignment for school.
As a result of that same posting, I also had a pleasant phone conversation with Steve Beverly, and an enlightening email exchange with Leszek Pawlowicz.
(I also shook hands with Bill Anderson, backstage at the Opry, once!)
Pretty neat stuff!
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Tom Kennedy; when I was still in West Virginia, Matt Ottinger met him and had the presence of mind to ask him for an autograph for me.
Still one of my favorite "good deeds", and one of my favorite game show experiences ever. This was at Peter Marshall's book signing, and Tom Kennedy was a surprise visitor who was quickly hustled into the autograph line along with a bunch of "Squares" that Marshall had brought along.
Truth is, autographs have never been a big deal to me. For me, it's all about the experience of meeting people, and golly, what a great experience that was. I assume that I got my copy of the book signed along with everybody else, but oddly, I don't have a specific memory of that. My memories are of the look on Peter Marshall's face when I gave him a copy of his MUCH older book to sign, and of the brief conversations I got to have with Jo Anne Worley, Robert Fuller and Kennedy.
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I'm not a big fan of autographs, and I'm lucky enough to have a few game show hosts as personal friends...but after interviewing him for a story, I did ask Trebek to autograph a photo of him from High Rollers , and he kindly obliged with a "To Matthew, who remembers the good ol days!".
And I had the opportunity to host a charity event in front of Alan Kalter, and he, knowing i was a big game show fan, sent me a nice letter, with a t-shirt from a pilot he hosted. I have that framed on my wall. Super nice guy.
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I'm not sure that I ever have gotten one (maybe I had Todd Newton autograph my ticket after I first saw The Price Is Right Live in Kansas City many years ago). I know my mom has an autograph from Gene Rayburn, which is pretty neat.
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Through correspondence with several companies, I did pick up signatures of Monty Hall, Larry Hovis, Ron Greenberg, Bob Noah and perhaps a few others, along with plenty of letters from Barry & Enright (also including one about Private Lessons). Jack autographed my copy of the JOKER home game when we visited the show (which might be, in keeping with the question, the first true autograph), kept along with some other handwritten correspondence. Got Bob Eubanks' autograph on the photo from seeing his "Greatest Game Shows" event, his new book, and a first edition copy of The Newlywed Game. Also got Steve Allen's autograph on a VHS copy of clips from his Tonight Show and a book based on one of his old routines, "The Question Man." And an autographed picture of Ray Combs a friend got me during a Family Feud Grand Rapids promotional trip.
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Todd Newton autographed a T-shirt that I had made (and wore) to TPIR: Live! when it was here in Toronto last year.
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Not a huge autograph collector either--I'm more into the handshake/fistbump thing.
But I attended a book signing for Chuck Barris in 2004 (for his Bad Grass Never Dies book), so he would be my first in the world of game shows (what a lucky quirk of scheduling--I scheduled the trip to L.A. for the purpose of seeing TPiR, and Barris' book signing happened to be the next day). I've met or talked with quite a few hosts/panelists since, but for the most part never bothered to get autographs from them except at book signings (where just getting a handshake kinda defeats the purpose).
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First and only: In 1986, Vicki Lawrence made a series of personal appearances promoting union membership. At that time, I was compiling my version of a book of top-40 hits. She autographed the page that had her lone entry. (I'm not sure I have it any more.)
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I have a signed credit card receipt from Peter Marshall when he went to a store where my buddy worked in the 90s. My buddy got a picture from Ebay and placed the photo, the receipt, and another signed piece of paper that my buddy asked for and placed it all in a nice frame and gave it to me as a gift. I still have it.
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Neat question, Tammy.
Mine was Bob Clayton, in person when I followed him out onto the street after a Pyramid taping. I was 14. That was also my only one for more than twenty years, until I started making regular trips to California.
Oooooh...this is the first I've heard about our dear Mr. Ottinger being a teen stalker and chasing down a poor defenseless Clayton-meister after a Pyramid taping! For shame, Matt...for SHAME!
(Now maybe I won't be accused of being a kiss-ass when praising you in the future...heheheh)
JakeT
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Betty White, in 2003 or 2004, as an early teen who sent her a letter and an autograph request. Still have it and cherish it.
I wholeheartedly agree that anything with Ms. White's signature on it is as good as gold! I have one of her books that was personally autographed to me years ago that I love dearly and will hold onto no matter how much of my overall collection that I eventually part with...
JakeT
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I used to collect autographs back in the 70s when I attended game shows in NYC as a teenager. Like Matt, I also went to Pyramid. IIRC the very first autograph was either Dick Clark or Bill Cullen. Not sure which. I'm going to have to look for those books. There's a lot of people who are no longer with us. I also had the foresight to print the name of each celeb on the bottom of the page in case my memory got fuzzy. The autograph books were cheap enough to get at Woolworth's. A buck or two I think.
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I met Ray Combs at a department store promotion in Toledo. He signed an 8x10 for me with a nice personal message.
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Monty Hall through the mail.
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My freshman year in college, I skipped a mandatory class function (*cough*feigned a doctor's appointment*cough*) to go to Peter Marshall's book signing in NYC. Brought along a few other things (including a stereo LP of the "Skyscraper" original cast album with CNR), and he was nothing but a pure gentleman. Something I'll always remember.
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How could I have forgotten that I got two autographed books from Ken Jennings? One was for submitting a puzzle for Parade magazine and the other was for taking part in an "ask me anything".