Mr. Zipper

Nice looking book. I've always maintained that they should only PLOD books when the "restoration" improves the apparent grade. For instance, you would not plod a low grade book with a small marker color hit. In the lower grades, marker hits and glue would be just part of the accumulation of flaws acceptable in that range. This is a perfect example of that. The color touch did nothing to improve the grade and it was PLOD. Removing the color touch and the book is the same grade.

You're not wrong. But we're human and it's annoying that TATs are what they are and some of it has to be because people are submitting junk like this. These are $3 books. And these are not isolated incidents. It's freaking moronic.

As long as a large number of collectors believe "every book benefits from pressing" and "every comic must be graded," pressers and grading companies will be backed up. Just look at the grading forum here... in almost every single thread, someone suggests cleaning and pressing, even when it's obvious the book has significant flaws that will not be corrected by pressing and will limit the grade. Meanwhile, the graders and pressers are laughing all the way to the bank. Admittedly, I am envious. To have a job where people mindlessly throw tons of money at you.

Assuming the back is consistent with front, 4.5 / 5.0

In video I mention possibly submitting to another company, but they were submitted to CGC. Thoughts?

I’m in. Thanks.

5.0 and pressing won’t raise grade.

4.0

I think 4.5 is optimistic given the long cover crease, multiple corner creases and at least three tears on the back cover along with an accumulation of spine wear. Pressing is not going to raise the grade one iota given the limiting nature of the aforementioned issues. I’d give it 3.5… maybe 4.0.

RE: "To Paul Best Wishes"... I do not believe Jack signed this. Likely a response to a mail request in my opinion.

As of late, James Spence Authentication (JSA) has been solid on Kirby authentication. They have a consultant who knows Kirby fairly well. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help you though if you want it slabbed.

6.0 +/- .5

5.5

Often, if a modern marker hits 50+ year old news print, it may bleed/feather. Not conclusive, but no signs of that. Also, a photo of the inside of the front cover may be telling. The markers from the 70s - 90s would often "halo" over time. If there is a halo-ing effect, you know the sig is at least a few decades old, which would weigh in its favor.

4.5

Presents very nice, but the folded/creased bottom right corner + the soft rounding to the spine corners puts it around 6.5 ... maybe 7.0.

I believe the heavy color breaking spine creases in the middle of the spine will be an issue that keeps it down. 8.0 at best.

Agree. The fact of the matter is, it’s only in the last five or six years that malicious Kirby forgeries have appeared. Prior to that it was a $25 signature that was not on the radar of forgers. (Not counting the proxy/secretary signatures of course.) I’ve been studying and collecting Kirby signatures for sometime now. “Back in the day“ forgeries were not a concern at all.

I believe that writing on cover would fall in the range of acceptable defects for a book in the good range. Thus, blue 2.0-2.5 Green label should only apply to a high grade book with an outlier defect.

Undoubtedly authentic.

This Kirby is absolutely authentic. Exactly what you’d expect to see from the late 80s.

Kirby had his regular signature and then this stylized version you'd see on posters and some art, etc. And as others noted, he rarely signed on the cover. But, it's possible someone requested a cover signature and he obliged. It looks as if it was signed quickly and with confidence, and a red marker on a cover would be an odd choice for a forger to make. The jury is still out IMO, but I think it may be good. The pressing made a big aesthetic difference, but I'm not sure it improved the technical grade. I'd say around 2.0 before and after. With the long creases, spine wear and tape, I'm not sure it can surpass 2.0. Maybe 2.5 if you get real lucky.

Looks production related.... likely dull blades caused this Marvel Chipping like effect. I'd think it probably would not factor at all except for possibly in very high grades.