Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #43b
Findings
Signature comparison
This card. The signature as cropped from the slab photo (front).
Below, the known examples Crown compared it with. Examples with stronger proof (signed in front of staff, or certified by an independent authenticator) carry the most weight.
Feature by feature
| Feature | This card | Known examples | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall form and proportions | Compact two-part abbreviated signature: a large zigzag 'M' unit followed by a 'P' with a tall stem and loop, then a flattened 'gt'/'tore' ending with a long crossbar. The whole is long and low. | R1, R2, R3, R6 and R8 show the same two-unit structure: a zigzag 'M', then 'P' plus a compressed trailing ending with a crossbar. Proportions are long and low. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright uprights with a slight leftward lean. Baseline is roughly level relative to the signature, which is written vertically along the right edge of the card. | Uprights range from upright to moderately left-leaning (R1 and R8 more upright, others lean more). Baselines are generally level. | Match |
| Letter construction | The 'M' is built from rapid angular peaks with a hooked entry. The 'P' has a long downstroke and a loop at the top. The terminal letters collapse into small humps and a crossing stroke. | The same angular-peak 'M' and long-stem 'P' with top loop appear in R1, R2 and R8. R3, R4 and R6 show the same collapsed ending. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | There is a gap between the 'M' and 'P' units. The letters within each unit are joined in fluid runs. | References also show a lift between the 'M' and 'P' units, with connected runs inside each unit. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Tapered entry on the 'M'. The final crossbar is a long horizontal stroke that tapers out. | R1, R2 and R8 have the same tapered 'M' entry and a long finishing crossbar extending right. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident strokes with tapered terminals. No visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. | Fast, fluid line quality throughout the measurable references. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Thickness varies naturally with direction changes in black marker. Measured stroke-thickness variation is normal. | Comparable variation in R1, R6 and R8. R5 shows dry, skipping paint-pen ink, which is natural for that surface. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Moderate gap between the units, with tight internal spacing. | Same pattern across the references. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The long terminal crossbar is the only flourish. | No underlines. The terminal crossbar flourish is present in R1, R2, R3, R4 and R8. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed vertically along the right side over the orange background, beside the character art. | The reference crops do not show placement on the whole card, so placement cannot be compared directly. Size relative to the stroke structure is comparable. | Not assessable |
Measurements
Software traced the ink and measured it against the known examples. The shaded band is the signer's normal range across those examples; the gold marker is this card.
| Feature | This card | Known examples | Normal range | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slant of upright strokes | -2.8° | -13.1–-2.1° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -1.7° | -2.7–2.0° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.171 | 0.17–0.233 | In range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 3.45× | 2.48–4.34× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.494 | 0.427–0.584 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 21 | 18.0–53.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 15 | 9.0–16.0 | In range |
The code measured seven features of the ink trace and compared them with three clean reference signatures (R1, R6, R8). Every feature fell within the normal range of how Pingitore's own signatures vary. The three that decide the call are slant (-2.8° against an average of -6.0°), overall writing angle (-1.7° against 0.43°) and height-to-width ratio (0.171 against 0.19), and all three are well under one normal spread from his average. The photo-sensitive features (ink travel, stroke thickness variation, loop count, stroke count) also landed in range. In plain terms, the shape and rhythm of this signature measure like his genuine ones. This supports authentication, though it cannot replace a physical check that the ink is real.
Examiner notes
Ours is on a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids open-edition sticker (No. 43b). The references are Pingitore's own Magic Marker Art releases from about the same period: Nintendopes and Slop Culture Kids open-edition stickers, plus the Horrorible Kids Series 9 numbered card. All are likely 2023–2024 and signed in the same quick convention or in-studio style. No meaningful era drift is expected, and pen differences (blue paint or gel marker versus black marker) explain the colour and line-width variation.
How Crown authenticates autographs: the signature is compared with known examples gathered from Crown's own authenticated cards, independent authenticators and public listings, measured by software, examined by an AI forensic model, and signed off by Crown Grading staff. The decision above is Crown's.
