(Making this a separate thread to facilitate future searches.)
I have tried many types of corner clamp, parallel clamp, jig, etc to clamp picture frame miter joints. Nearly all of them were a pain to use, didn't get the joint square, or slipped too much. In another thread, several people recommended the Collins to me, so I ordered a set and they arrived today. LINK.
They are a bit pricey, but to me, they are worth every penny. The pliers are lightweight aluminum, but they should hold up just fine. The clamps do a great job closing and holding the miter joint tight and they are easy to use. With these clamps, it's an easy job to securely clamp the joint. They do leave a couple dimples in soft wood, but there are easy ways to address that.
Thanks again for the tip guys!
Fred