Autograph Authentication Report
2019 Topps Garbage Pail Kids: Revenge of Oh, the Horror-ible! - Auto · #ø
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-word 'Joe Simko'. A tall, open J dominates the first name; 'oe' is small. A large S starts the surname, followed by compact 'imko'. | Same scheme in R1, R2, R3, R7 and R8: large J and S capitals with low, compressed lowercase. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Moderate rightward slant; the baseline rises slightly toward 'ko'. | R1 and R7 show the same right slant and slight rise. R3 and R8 are more upright and level on their flat or vinyl surfaces. | Natural variation |
| Letter construction – J | Starts low-left, sweeps up into a high top bar or loop, then drops in a long descender. This gives the 'F'-like look also seen in R1. | R1 and R7 share the same 'F'-like J with the top bar crossing to the right. R2, R3 and R8 show the same J with a looped base. | Match |
| Letter construction – S, i, m, k, o | Tall, angular S. The i is dotted with a small circle or tick. 'm' is reduced to humps; the k has a looped upper arm. The terminal 'o' is open and slightly enlarged. | R1 shows a circular i-dot, a looped k and an enlarged final o. R7 and R8 match, with the k loop and final o especially consistent. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | 'oe' joined; S detached from 'imko'; 'mko' run together. | Same connection pattern in R1, R7 and R8. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Tapered entry on the J. The final 'o' closes or flicks without a blunt stop. | Tapered entries and exits in R1, R7 and R8. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid and confident at this resolution. No visible tremor, hesitation or patching. Curves are smooth, with slight width variation consistent with a paint/gel marker. | R1 and R7 show comparable fast, fluid lines. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Slight darkening on downstrokes of the J and S, lighter on upstrokes. Not perfectly uniform. | R1 and R7 show similar mild modulation. The Funko references use a thicker black marker. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Clear gap between 'Joe' and 'Simko'; tight lowercase spacing. | Consistent across references. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | None. | None in any reference. | Match |
| Placement and size | Across the lower art just above the yellow nameplate, partly overlapping it. Blue ink. No printed 'Joe Simko Artist Autograph' caption is visible on the nameplate. | R1 and R7 are signed over a printed 'Joe Simko Artist Autograph' panel. R5 and R6 also carry printed artist-auto captions or panels. | Not assessable |
| Reproduction indicators | No halftone or dot pattern is visible in the crop. Placement is irregular and overlaps both art and nameplate, which argues against a printed facsimile. Ink-on-gloss cannot be confirmed from the photo. | N/A | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
Ours is on a 2019 Topps GPK Revenge of Oh, the Horror-ible card, so it was signed in 2019 or later. The closest references are R1 and R7, both 2024 Kids at Play manufacturer autos in blue ink on similar glossy stock, which makes them the best like-for-like comparisons. R3 and R5 are 2014 Series 1 cards. R6 is 2022 Book Worms. R2 and R8 are Funko Pop signings, likely early 2020s, on vinyl and box surfaces. R4 is a vintage card signed at an unknown date. Simko's signature looks stable from 2014 to 2024, and the remaining differences track surface and pen.
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.
