Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Topps Garbage Pail Kids: Kids-At-Play - Smokin' Joe McWilliams Auto · #92
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 | Signed 'Smokin' Joe' in two word groups. Oversized initial S, compressed lowercase 'mokin'', apostrophe, then a separate 'Joe'. The signature fills most of the box width. | R1: the same two-group 'Smokin' Joe' structure, an oversized S, a compressed 'mokin'' and a separate 'Joe', with a trailing period. Proportions are similar. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Mild rightward slant. The baseline is roughly level and rises slightly toward 'Joe'. | R1: mild rightward slant with a roughly level baseline. | Match |
| Letter construction | The S is built from a large sweeping lead-in loop that runs into the m. The k has a looped upper stroke. 'Joe' has a J with a descending curve, a small o and an open e. | R1: the S is also a broad sweeping hooked form running into the m, and the J descends with a curve. The o and e are formed similarly. The exact loop shapes differ slightly. | Natural variation |
| Connecting strokes | S, m, o and k are linked in a mostly connected run, with a break before 'in'. The apostrophe is a separate stroke and 'Joe' is a separate unit. | R1: a similar connected run through 'Smok', a separate apostrophe and a separate 'Joe'. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts with a wide looping entry stroke on the S and ends with an outward tail on the e. No clear terminal period is visible. | R1: a sweeping entry on the S and a terminal period after 'Joe'. | Natural variation |
| Line quality and speed | Strokes look fluid with rounded curves. No visible tremor, hesitation or blunt starts at this resolution. | R1: fluid, rapid-looking strokes. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Ink density varies, with thinner sections in curves and heavier sections in downstrokes. This is not overly uniform. | R1: similar variation in a blue marker-type line. | Match |
| Spacing | Clear gap between 'Smokin'' and 'Joe'. Letters within each word are tightly spaced. | R1: comparable spacing. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The only flourish is the oversized S loop. | R1: no underline, with an S flourish and a period. | Match |
| Placement and size | Inside the printed blue autograph box. It overlaps the printed caption text and fills the box, which fits a hand-signed manufacturer artist auto rather than a fixed facsimile position. | R1: signed within the same style of blue box, at a similar scale. | Match |
| Reproduction indicators | No halftone or dot pattern is visible at this resolution. The ink appears to sit over the printed caption. Gloss layering cannot be judged from the photo. | N/A | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
Ours is a 2024 Topps Garbage Pail Kids: Kids-At-Play artist autograph (#92), signed in the printed 'SMOKIN' JOE ARTIST AUTOGRAPH' box, so it is current-era (c. 2024). R1 shows the same blue rounded signature box on a green background, so it is probably the same or a closely related 2024-era Topps GPK artist-auto format. No era gap is expected. However, R1's date and source are unverified.
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.
