Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #26b
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 | Abbreviated two-part signature: an angular zigzag 'M' with a short trailing hook ('Ml'-like), a gap, then a looped 'P' run into a compressed scrawl with a crossing terminal. Compact and wider than tall when read along its baseline. | R1-R8 show the same abbreviated structure: angular 'M' rendered as a zigzag with a small 'l'/'e' hook, a separated 'P' with a large bowl, then a short illegible run ending in a 't'-type crossbar. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Signed vertically along the right side of the art, reading bottom to top. Relative to its own baseline it has a moderate right slant on the 'M' uprights and a fairly straight baseline. | Moderate right slant with a level to slightly rising baseline (R1, R4, R8). Some, like R7, are more compressed and upright. | Natural variation |
| Letter construction | 'M' is built from steep down-up zigzag strokes with a sharp apex, finishing in a small looped hook. 'P' has a tall stem and a closed bowl. | Identical construction of the 'M' zigzag and hook in R1, R3, R4 and R8. The 'P' stem and bowl match R1, R2 and R8 closely. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | Pen lift between the 'M' unit and the 'P' unit; the 'P' flows directly into the following scrawl. | The same lift between 'M' and 'P' appears in all references, with a continuous run after the 'P'. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | The start of the 'M' is a fluid entry with no visible blob. The terminal crossing stroke is partly obscured by the colourful van artwork and appears shorter and more looped than the long horizontal crossbar in R1. | Terminal crossbar length varies a lot: very long in R1, short in R5 and R7, looped or crossed in R4 and R8. | Natural variation |
| Line quality and speed | Strokes look quick and confident, with tapered transitions on the zigzag. No visible tremor or hesitation at scan resolution. | Fast, fluent marker strokes throughout the references. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Blue marker with some density variation: heavier at turns, lighter on the upstrokes. | Similar marker pressure variation in R1, R3 and R8. The black-ink examples (R2, R4, R5) are heavier. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Clear gap between the 'M' and 'P' units, with a tight run after the 'P'. | Same spacing rhythm in R1, R2, R4 and R8. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline or paraph. | No underlines in any reference. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed vertically along the right edge of the art, over the purple sky and grey ground, without crossing the title banner. | The reference crops do not show where the signature sits on the card, so placement cannot be compared. The size relative to the card appears similar. | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
Our card is a 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids sticker (No. 26b), part of the same contemporary Magic Marker Art artist-autograph program as the references: seven Nintendopes sticker autos and one Horrorible Kids Series 9 autograph card. All appear to come from roughly the same 2023-2024 period. Era drift should be minimal; differences are more likely from surface, marker and signing speed.
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.
