Radio Man, Autograph King
nytimes.com
nytimes.com
Why don't the actors sell exclusive access to autographs to a more organized cartel that can better control the supply and provide the actors a bigger cut of the profits?
Each film industry profession has a powerful guild to maximize the value they can extract. I think it's reasonable to understand why this cartel-like behavior doesn't apply to restricting the supply of autographs?
This is not doing one or two autographs for an actual fan. This is giving away hundreds of autographs to charismatic middle-men.
Seems like an opportunity for a more organized group (eg, Screen Actors Guild) to corner the supply that underpins the autograph market and better compensate the actors themselves based on the market value of their autographs.
These folks deal with exploitive, unproductive people involved in big deals all the time.
They don’t care what or how someone is exploiting Radio Man so long as Radio is able to keep going.
Another possibility is that focusing on autograph money is leaning toward the refuge of celebrities unable to book lucrative roles and endorsement deals.
See comic book conventions etc.
According to IMDB, Radio Man / Craig Costaldo had a part on 30 Rock. I'm pretty it was a speaking role, with him shouting "Give me your fingernails!"