This is one of my favorite autographed records—the radio promo 45 for The Bears’ “Trust." The on-again/off-again power pop band are a bunch of monster players with phenomenal technique and the whole nine yards, but their big claim to fame is that guitar whiz Adrian Belew (King Crimson; David Bowie’s amazing Scary Monsters album; and now Nine Inch Nails) is a member. I went to the NAMM show one year and brought it for him to sign—when I handed it over, Belew kept turning it over and over in his hands, looking at it. Finally, he said, “Wow—even I don’t have one of these. I’ve never actually seen one before." Hearing that, I said he could keep it, but he signed it and handed it back, saying “Nah, enjoy it."

About eight months later, I went to the New York Comic Con in NYC, and read in advance that “the usual gang of idiots" from Mad Magazine would be doing a signing—and among them would be legendary caricaturist Mort Drucker, who had drawn the Bears sleeve. Drucker, too, was a very nice guy and more than happy to autograph it, but he was visibly frustrated at not being able to find a good place to sign—his only options were to write over the band name or his artwork. Every great artist is true to his art, and you can see how Drucker chose: The Bears lost and his drawing won.