Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #34a
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 signature. A zigzag 'M' sits low and a tall looped 'P' rises above it, with a short terminal flourish. The whole is abbreviated. | Every reference shows the same pattern: a low zigzag 'M' with an extended entry, a tall 'P' and a trailing squiggle with a horizontal cross. Length varies from full (R1, R7) to abbreviated (R4, R5, R3). | Match |
| Slant and baseline | The signature runs vertically up the right side of the artwork. Relative to its own baseline it shows a rightward slant, and the 'P' stem rises steeply. | Horizontal placement with a moderate right slant and a slightly rising baseline (R1, R7, R2). | Natural variation |
| Letter construction | 'M' is made as an angular N/zigzag with a long lead-in. 'P' has a tall stem and an open bowl that loops back. | Same zigzag 'M' with angular peaks (R1, R2, R6, R7) and the same tall-stem 'P' with a bowl (R1, R7, R2). | Match |
| Connecting strokes | Pen lift between 'M' and 'P'. The 'P' bowl flows into the terminal stroke. | A lift between 'M' and 'P' is consistent across R1-R7. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | The entry stroke of the 'M' appears tapered. The ending is a short loop and looks less extended than the horizontal cross in R1/R7. | Tapered entry. The terminal ranges from a long crossbar (R1, R7) to a truncated squiggle (R4, R5). | Natural variation |
| Line quality and speed | Strokes look fluid and confident with tapering, with no visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. | Fast, fluid marker-style strokes throughout. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Some density variation, darker in turns and lighter on the upstrokes. This is limited by the resolution of the image. | Variable density, heavier in turns (R7, R2). | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Tight spacing between the 'M' and 'P' groups. | Similar tight spacing in the abbreviated examples (R3, R4). | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. Only a small terminal flourish. | No underlines. Terminal flourish only. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed over the artwork on the right side, oriented vertically, at moderate size. Blue ink. | Signed directly over the artwork, mostly horizontally. Blue in R1, R3, R7 and R8; black in the others. | Natural variation |
Examiner notes
Our card is a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Open Edition sticker from Pingitore's own Magic Marker Art line. All eight references are from the same contemporary period (circa 2023-2024) and the same family of products: Nintendopes, Horrorible Kids Series 9 and Slop Culture Kids. No era gap needs explaining. Differences mainly reflect surface (glossy sticker stock), pen colour (blue vs black) and signing orientation.
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.
