Blagojevich: Comic-Con Not that Profitable, but it's a Living

WASHINGTON - Superman is faster than a speeding bullet, the Hulk has his superhuman strength when he gets fired up, Spiderman can race though crowded city streets on his webs. Former ex-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich can take embarrassing federal corruption charges and turn them into a money making scheme at Chicago's Comic-Con.

"It's important to earn a living when you're facing these kinds of situations," said Blagojevich to "Fox News Sunday's" Chris Wallace in an exclusive interview Sunday morning.

Blagojevich did not receive an appearance fee for the convention but he did charge fans $50 for autographs and $80 for photos, although he claims it wasn't that lucrative.

"I didn't really get any money from any of the photos I took, because I took probably hundreds of them and couldn't bother to ask anybody for any money for that.  Those were free.    I did sign some signatures.  I was there because I was invited at the last minute by the promoters, and it was an opportunity to get out there among the people," he added.

Blagojevich climbed into the Batmobile while at the show and even joked when picking up the Batphone that he was calling his lawyer. He said at the convention in suburban Chicago that the superheroes inspire him with his own battles. He told Wallace he has to fight these battles and do what he can for his family.

"When the federal government comes down on you and these prosecutors are determined to get you when they target you, among the things they do that doesn't make headlines is they squeeze you financially. They squeeze you and your family to keep you from being able to earn a living and to force you and compel you to basically surrender and give up and admit to things that you didn't do.  And so part of this battle that I'm in, this war that I'm in, is also one where I have to make a living for my little girls, my daughters and for my wife."

On a lighter note, he told Wallace that it was also an opportunity to relive his childhood.

"It was a way to get out among the people and a chance, frankly, to meet some of the heroes that some of us had when we were kids, like, you know, the guy that played Batman, Burt Ward, and the guy that played Robin, Adam West  -- I flipped them around. It's the other way around."

A federal jury convicted Blagojevich this week of lying to the FBI but deadlocked on 23 other charges. Prosecutors plan to retry him.

"It wasn't exactly, you know, some tremendous way to earn a living, ...we're trying to... you know, keep our head above water."