Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #36b
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 scrawl: angular zigzag 'M' unit, a gap, then an abbreviated 'P' looped into a 't'-like terminal with a horizontal cross. Roughly 2:1 width-to-height. | R1, R3, R4, R6 and R8 show the same two-unit structure: a zigzag M group followed by an abbreviated P/'gt' group ending in a cross-bar. R2, R5 and R7 are the same pattern in black ink. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Moderate right slant. The baseline rises slightly, measured relative to the vertical signing orientation. | Right slant with a roughly level-to-rising baseline across R1–R8. R7 is more compressed and uneven. | Natural variation |
| Letter construction | 'M' formed as rapid sharp-peaked zigzag with a tall first upstroke. 'P' is a tall stem with a small upper loop flowing into a looped descender-like form. Ends in a 't' with a cross-stroke. | R1 and R6 show the near-identical tall first stroke and peaked M, and a P built from stem plus small loop. R3 and R4 show the same simplified 't' and cross ending. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | Short connector after the M zigzag. A lift between the first-name and surname units. | Same lift between the units in R1, R3, R4, R6 and R8. Internal connectors are similar. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts with a fast upstroke into the M. Ends with a horizontal cross that tapers to the right. | R1 has a long tapered terminal cross. R3, R4 and R6 have shorter tapered cross terminals. No blunt starts are visible in the references. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Appears fluid with tapered terminals. No visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution, though the crop is low-resolution and compressed. | Fast, fluid strokes throughout the references. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Heavier on the downstrokes of the M and the P stem, lighter on the connectors. Ink density varies somewhat. | Similar variable-pressure pattern, most visible in R1 and R6. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Moderate gap between the M unit and the surname unit. | Comparable gaps. R5 and R7 are more compressed. | Natural variation |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The terminal cross-bar is the only flourish. | No underlines in any reference. R1 has an extended cross terminal. | Match |
| Placement and size | Blue marker, signed vertically on the right side over the art and red background. Moderate size, not centered. | Reference crops do not show full placement. Sizes are similar, and blue ink appears in R1, R3, R6 and R8. | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
Our signature is on a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids open-edition artist sticker (No. 36b). All eight references are contemporary artist-signed sticker or card issues from Magic Marker Art (Nintendopes Open Edition and Horrorible Kids Series 9), so they fall in the same signing era and on similar glossy sticker stock with felt-tip or marker pens. Era drift is not a factor. Differences between our signature and the references are best explained by surface (glossy colored backgrounds), pen color (blue vs. black), and orientation (ours is signed vertically along the right edge).
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.
