Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #31b
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 | Two-part abbreviated signature: angular zigzag 'M' (reads like 'Nl') followed by a gap, then a looped 'P' and a compressed terminal group that trails right. Roughly equal visual weight between the two halves. | R1–R8 all show the same two-part structure: zigzag 'M'/'Nl' unit, then 'P' plus a compressed 'gt'/'st' ending, with similar proportions. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Strong rightward slant on the 'M' uprights. Baseline is fairly level relative to the signing direction. Signed rotated 90° along the card's right edge. | Strong right slant on the 'M' strokes and a level-to-slightly-rising baseline in R1, R3, R4, R7 and R8. | Match |
| Letter construction | 'M' is built as a sharp up-down-up zigzag with a separate tall upright. 'P' has a tall stem with a closed bowl. The ending is a looped, abbreviated form resembling 'b'/'t'. | The 'M' zigzag-plus-upright construction is identical across R1–R8. 'P' stem with bowl appears in R1, R3, R7 and R8. The endings vary from a fuller 'gt' with crossbar (R1, R4) to a looped, abbreviated finish (R7, R5). | Natural variation |
| Connecting strokes | The zigzag of the 'M' is continuous. There is a pen lift between the first-name and surname units. The 'P' flows into the terminal group. | Same pattern in references: a continuous 'M' unit, a lift, then a connected surname unit. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts with a quick upstroke into the zigzag with no visible blunt start. The finish is a tapered rightward trail. | Tapered entry and a rightward exit or crossbar extension in R1, R4 and R8. Some references (R1) carry a long horizontal terminal stroke that ours shortens. | Natural variation |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid, confident strokes with natural width variation. No visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. | Fast, fluid execution throughout R1–R8. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Blue ink with heavier, darker downstrokes and lighter connecting and upstrokes. Some density variation is visible. | R1 (blue) shows comparable shading. The marker references on other colours show similar heavy downstrokes. | Match |
| Spacing | Clear gap between the 'M' unit and the 'P' unit. The surname group is compressed. | Same spacing habit in all references. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The terminal is a short trailing extension. | No underlines. Terminal extension length varies (long in R1 and R8, short in R5 and R7). | Natural variation |
| Placement and size | Placed vertically in the open right margin of the artwork, beside the character. Medium size, in blue ink. | Reference crops don't show full-card placement. Artist autos on these sticker lines are typically placed in open art space. Size appears comparable. | Not assessable |
| Reproduction indicators | Ink appears to sit on the surface with tonal variation. No halftone or dot pattern is discernible at the provided resolution, and nothing suggests a printed facsimile. | N/A | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
Our card is a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids open-edition sticker signed by its artist, so the signature is almost certainly contemporaneous (2024-era). All eight references are also recent (2020s) Magic Marker Art / Nintendopes / Horrorible Kids / Slop Culture Kids artist autos, so they share the same era. None of the references are witnessed or third-party authenticated; all are Crown-reviewed.
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.
