Autograph Authentication Report
2024 Topps Garbage Pail Kids: Kids at Play - Joe Simko Artist Auto - Fool's Gold (28/50) · #58
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 | Rapid 'Joe Simko' with a tall looping J dominating the left. 'oe' is small, the S is tall, 'imk' is compressed into a few peaks, and it ends in an open 'o'. | R5 and R7 show the same compressed card-auto form with the same proportions. R1, R3 and R2 are larger and more legible on slick surfaces. R4 (2014) is more fully formed. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Moderate right slant, baseline rising slightly left to right across the label box | R5 has a near-identical slant and baseline. R1, R3 and R4 have a similar right slant and a flatter baseline. | Match |
| Letter construction | J built from a long upstroke into a top loop, then a sweeping descending stroke that forms the lower hook. The S is a tall single sweep. The k has a tall ascender. The final o is an open loop. | The J construction (upstroke, top loop, long descender hooking left) repeats in R1, R3, R4 and R5. The tall S and k ascender appear in all of them. The R5 and R7 letter forms are essentially the same. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | J connects into 'oe', with a lift before the S. 'imk' runs continuously in one movement. | The same break between 'Joe' and 'Simko' appears in all references, and 'imk' is run together in R5 and R7. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Strokes appear to start and end with tapers. The final 'o' finishes with a light flick. | Tapered entries and exits appear in R1, R3, R4 and R5. R5 has the same terminal 'o'. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Fluid and confident, with no visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution | The references show a comparable fast writing speed. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Some width variation is visible on the J descender and the S. Light thinning appears on the upstrokes. | R4 and R5 show similar modest variation consistent with a felt-tip marker. | Natural variation |
| Spacing | Tight 'oe' with a clear gap before the S. 'Simko' is compressed. | R5 and R7 match. The slab-surface references R1 and R3 are spaced more widely. | Natural variation |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline. The only flourish is the oversized J loop. | None of the references uses an underline. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed across the printed 'Joe Simko Artist Autograph' label box. The J extends well above the box into the art. | R5 and R7 show the same placement over the label box with the J rising above it. That is typical of the manufacturer-format signing. | Match |
| Ink/reproduction indicators | Blue marker that appears to sit on the surface. No obvious halftone pattern at this resolution. Density varies along the strokes. | R5 is in a similar blue ink on the same card stock. | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
Ours is on a 2024 Topps GPK Kids at Play Artist Auto, so it was likely signed around 2023–2024 for pack insertion. The closest references are R5 and R7, both from the same 2024 Kids at Play set, signed in the same label-box format and at the same speed. R1 and R3 (Funko Pop #08 boxes) and R2 (Super7 blister) are probably late-2010s to early-2020s convention or private signings on slick plastic, where letters come out larger and more legible. R4 (2014 Series 1 artist auto) is early-career and the most legible version. R6 and R8 are vintage cards with an unknown signing date. Simko's high-volume card autos show a compressed, abbreviated 'Simko'. That simplification is expected and is not a red flag.
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.
