Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Mutagen Canister Kids Stickers Open Edition - Artist Mark Pingitore Auto · #3a
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: angular 'M' zigzag, then a looped 'P' run into a crossed 't'-like terminal. It is noticeably more compact and taller relative to its width. | Same two-part abbreviated form in R1–R5, R7 and R8. These are typically long and flat (measured height/width about 0.17–0.23). | Natural variation |
| Slant and baseline | Near-upright downstrokes (-0.8°). The baseline is tilted about -4° relative to the crop. The signature was written vertically along the card's right edge. | Upright to mildly back-slanted downstrokes (-13.5° to -1.2°) and roughly level baselines. | Match |
| Letter construction | The 'M' is built as sharp connected peaks with a short leading hook. The 'P' has a tall stem with a closed bowl. The terminal has a long horizontal crossbar. | Identical construction pattern in R1, R2, R5 and R8: hooked entry, angular M peaks, P stem plus bowl, and an extended crossbar finish. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | The M is written in one continuous movement. A gap separates the M from the P group, and the P runs into the terminal. | Same break between the first and second groups, with continuous movement within each group. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Tapered entry on the M. The crossbar ends in a quick taper to the right. | Tapered entries and a long right-trailing crossbar finish (R1, R5 and R7 especially). | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluent and confident, with no visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. Ink density is somewhat heavy, consistent with a marker on gloss. | Fast, fluid marker strokes throughout. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Moderate thickness variation with heavier downstrokes. | Similar marker pressure variation (measured stroke-thickness variation 0.425–0.585 vs ours 0.552). | Match |
| Spacing | Tighter spacing between the M and P groups. | Generally wider, more spread-out spacing. | Natural variation |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The extended crossbar serves as the finishing flourish. | No underline. The extended crossbar finish is common. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed vertically in the narrow right-side margin over the art, so the signature is relatively small. | Usually signed horizontally across the lower art area with more room available. | Natural variation |
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 | -0.8° | -13.5–-1.2° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -4.1° | -2.1–2.0° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.524 | 0.169–0.225 | Outside range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 6.82× | 2.46–5.25× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.552 | 0.425–0.585 | In range | |
| Closed loops | 31 | 22.0–82.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 5 | 9.0–22.0 | In range |
Software measured ink traces from our signature and three clean Pingitore references. Six of the seven measured features fall within his normal range: upright slant, writing angle, ink travel, stroke-thickness variation, loop count and number of separate strokes. That supports the signature being written the way he normally signs. The one outlier is height-to-width: ours is much taller relative to its width than his usual long, flat signatures. This was signed sideways in a tight margin next to the artwork, which naturally squeezes a signature, so we read this as a placement effect rather than a sign of forgery. Overall the numbers lean toward supporting authenticity, with that one item noted for closer review.
Examiner notes
Our card is from the 2024 Mutagen Canister Kids open-edition sticker set. The references are mostly contemporaneous Magic Marker Art parody sticker and card issues (Nintendopes, Horrorible Kids Series 9, Slop Culture Kids) plus one JSA-certified print, all from roughly 2023–2024. Era drift should be minimal, and every reference shows the same abbreviated 'M' plus 'P'/'t' working signature.
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.
