Autograph Authentication Report
2019 Topps Garbage Pail Kids: Revenge of Oh, The Horror-ible! - Joe Simko Artist Auto (08/25) · #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 | 'Joe Simko' in one rightward-moving line. The tall J and the 'mk' block dominate, and 'oe' and the final 'o' are small. | R1, R7 and R8 show the same layout: a dominant J, a small 'oe', a tall 'mk' and a small terminal 'o'. R2 has the same proportions on a different surface. | Match |
| Slant and baseline | Moderate right slant. The baseline rises slightly left to right across the plate. | R4 and R8 (Topps plate cards) show a similar right slant and mild upward drift. R7 is somewhat flatter. | Natural variation |
| Letter construction – J | Starts high with a stroke sweeping down-left into a long descender with a left-opening loop at the base, which leads into the 'oe'. | Same construction in R2, R7 and R8 (high start, long diagonal descender, base loop). R1 shows the same J at the crop edge. | Match |
| Letter construction – S / i / mk / o | Angular S, then a short i with a small looped dot placed high. The 'mk' is a tall connected peak-and-loop block, followed by a separate open 'o'. | The raised i-dot and the tall 'mk' block appear in R2, R7 and R8. The final open 'o' appears in R2, R3, R7 and R8. | Match |
| Connecting strokes | J connects into 'oe'. There is a break before S, S runs into i, and 'mk' connects with a lift before the 'o'. | R2, R7 and R8 show the same connection and break pattern. | Match |
| Starting and ending strokes | Starts look tapered and in motion, especially the J entry stroke. The final 'o' closes loosely with no blunt stop visible. | R2, R7 and R8 show tapered starts and a loose final 'o'. | Match |
| Line quality and speed | Strokes look fluid, with smooth curves and no visible tremor or hesitation at this resolution. | R7 and R8 show similar fast, confident lines. | Match |
| Pen pressure pattern | Ink density varies, heavier in the J and 'mk' and lighter on connecting strokes. This is consistent with a felt or marker pen. | R1, R3 and R8 show similar variation with blue or black marker. | Match |
| Spacing | Clear gap between 'Joe' and 'Simko'. 'mk' is tight and the 'o' is slightly separated. | Same spacing habit in R2, R7 and R8. | Match |
| Flourishes and underlines | No underline or paraph. | No underlines in any reference. | Match |
| Placement and size | Signed across the blue 'JOE SIMKO ARTIST AUTOGRAPH' plate. The J top and 'mk' extend past the plate edges, with ink crossing over the printed label text. | R4 and R8 (Topps plate cards) show the same overrun past the plate borders and ink over the printed label. R1 is the same 2019 set format. | Match |
| Reproduction indicators | Placement varies relative to the plate, and the strokes run over the printed text. No halftone or dot pattern is visible at this scan resolution, but resolution is limited. | Placement varies naturally between the plate cards (R4, R5, R8), which argues against a fixed facsimile. | Not assessable |
Examiner notes
Ours is a 2019 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Revenge of Oh, the Horror-ible! artist autograph. The references run from about 2014 (R6, Bukimi Kun) through 2022–2023 (R5, R8), with R1 from the same 2019 set. Simko's signature looks stable across this span: same J entry, compact 'oe', S with a raised i-dot, a combined 'mk', and an open final 'o'. No era-driven differences need explaining.
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.
