Autograph Authentication Report
2025 Topps Garbage Pail Kids - Roxanne Toser Tribute - Auto · #3
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 'Smokin Joe'. A large angular opening S is followed by a compact, low 'mokin' and a taller 'Joe' with a capped J. | R1, R2 and R4 show the same layout: a dominant zig-zag S, a small low middle zone and an enlarged J. Height-to-width ratio is the same as R1, R2 and R4 (0.0 normal spreads from their average). | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Mild leftward slant of uprights (-6.6°). The baseline runs fairly straight along the card edge. | Reference uprights run -10.8° to -5.1°. Baselines vary from flat (R1, R2) to rising (R3). | Match |
| Letter construction | S is built as a sharp back-and-forth zig-zag. The m and o are rounded humps, the k has a small loop, the i is dotted, and the J has a top crossbar with a curved descender. The 'oe' are small and joined. | R1, R2 and R4 use the same zig-zag S, looped k and crossbar J. The 'oe' ending is joined in R1 and R2. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | 'mokin' runs as one connected sequence. There is a break before 'Joe' and the J is lifted separately. | R1 and R2 show the same connection pattern: a continuous 'mokin' with a separate J. Our 20 separate strokes sits inside the reference range of 16 to 22. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | The S starts with a quick entry stroke and the e ends with a short open exit. No blunt starts or stops are visible. | The references show similar quick entries and a short open e ending (R1, R2, R6). | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Strokes look fluid and confident with smooth curves. No visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. | Fast, fluid marker strokes throughout R1, R2 and R4. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Fairly even blue marker line with modest thick/thin variation. | Slightly more thick/thin variation in R1, R2 and R4 (borderline 2.2 spreads on the measurement). Likely a different marker tip or the scan. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Compact letter spacing within 'Smokin' and a modest gap before 'Joe'. | Comparable spacing in R1 and R2. R4 is more compressed. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline or paraph. The apostrophe/i-dot is present. | No underlines in any reference. The apostrophe appears in R2, R5 and R6. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed vertically along the left border over the magenta background, with no designated signing area. | Placement varies: across the art (R1, R2, R4), at the edge (R3), or inside a printed nameplate oval (R5, R6). Placement is clearly not fixed across this signer's autos. | Natural variation |
| Reproduction indicators | Ink appears to sit on top of the printed design. No halftone dot pattern is visible in the strokes at this resolution. | n/a | Not assessable |
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 | -6.6° | -10.8–-5.1° | In range | |
| Overall writing angle | -2.7° | -4.7–4.9° | In range | |
| Height to width | 0.225 | 0.187–0.281 | In range | |
| Ink travel per unit width | 3.41× | 3.61–4.49× | In range | |
| Stroke thickness variation | 0.399 | 0.475–0.499 | Edge of range | |
| Closed loops | 5 | 18.0–51.0 | In range | |
| Separate strokes | 20 | 16.0–22.0 | In range |
Our software traced the ink and compared it with three of the clearer reference signatures (R1, R2 and R4). The features used in the call all fall well within the range Smokin' Joe's own signatures show: the slant of the upright strokes, the overall writing angle and the height-to-width shape are all very close to his average. Two of the photo-sensitive extras are also normal: the number of separate strokes and how much ink is laid down across the signature's width. The number of closed loops is lower than in the references, but still within his normal spread. One photo-sensitive extra, how much the line thickness varies, is a bit lower than his references. That usually comes down to a different marker or scan rather than a different hand, so it is a reason to look closely, not a warning sign. Overall the numbers support the signature being consistent with Smokin' Joe's known autographs.
Examiner notes
Ours is on a 2025 Topps Garbage Pail Kids tribute card, so it is a current-era signature. The references are recent Topps GPK artist autos: Kids at Play (R1, R2, R4, R6) and Book Worms (R3). All are the same modern era, so no era-driven change is expected. Remaining differences are best explained by marker type, card surface 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.
