Do You Think This Todd McFarlane Signature Is Legit?

[Dollarbill]

I have watched todd signed hundreds of books on many occasions. and not once did his signature look like this. Not at the beginning or very end of a signing not even when it is stack upon stack of books.

There you have it,The Collector has spoken.Case closed

[Detroit MIke]

it's hard to really see, but it looks like the signer hesitated during the process. a closer scan of the signature would be helpful.

[Mac Man]

I have watched todd signed hundreds of books on many occasions. and not once did his signature look like this. Not at the beginning or very end of a signing not even when it is stack upon stack of books.

There you have it,The Collector has spoken.Case closed

 

I was sort of hoping to get Kris' perspective on this one considering he's the McFarlane go-to-guy on the boards. And there you have it.

 

Do I get junior scout credits for spotting a fake?-)

[Unknownworlds]

Say it isn't so. Chris is the McFarlane go to guy? I don't know Chris, think I'll have to consult Kevin & Paul on this one.

[Celestial Comics]

See that just goes to justify the need for witnesses such as ourselves. I tell talent that we are there to PROTECT them from fraud like this. ... climbing off my soap box....

 

 

Chandler Rice

Desert Wind Comics

[Stronguy]

That's bogus. And McFarlane usually signs Spider-Man #1 on Spidey's crotch.

[avenging_son]

It should be good. When the book first came out Mcfarlane signed something like 2000 of them in one day at one store in the US (I can't remember the name now) and as you can imagine, any signature after that many repetitions would get a little crazy. I've seen probably 50-100 different SM1 variants with the same looking signature and the same Red Spidey Stamp on the back with the COA.

[Issa]

I totally respect thecollector/Chris and I've had the privilege of meeting him and Chandler in person. Really cool guys. :thumbsup:

 

However, I'm fairly sure this signature is LEGIT. The subtle differences between this signature and an SS McFarlane book agree with each other. Take a look at 10 random SS Stan Lee books. The "bubble"-a in St(A)n Lee is always drawn in different sizes with respect to the S, t, n, L, ,e etc etc. Take a look at the strokes and long lines of the T/M. They agree with other signatures, i.e. relative length, size of the letters, curves, etc.

[Celestial Comics]

Now just to clearify something. I never said if I felt this signature was real or not. I simply said this is a key reason that Signature Witness even exists. I know from years in the business world that a signature can change from one day to the next. Heck, my signature changes all the time. Things that can cause a change in a signature are the amount of items signed in a period of time, environment or location of where the signature takes place, the mood of the person signing, etc. I think that best thing I can say to anyone buying any type of item signed that has not been authenticated by a recognized organization is "BUYER BEWARE". Once again I think it is a case such as this that validates the whole purpose of the CGC Sgnature Series Program. I now step off my soap box again. See you all in Baltimore and Mid-Ohio.

 

Chandler & Sharon Rice

Desert Wind Comics

 

[somewhereintexas]

I was going through some of my older books the other day and ran across these. The Todd McFarlane signatures sure didn't look like any I've seen on a SS book, and it reminded me of this thread and how we all jumped on the seller for trying to pawn off such an obvious forgery. Now I'm not so sure. Based upon how I got the books, if the signatures aren't authentic, then McFarlane himself helped put unauthentic signatures into the marketplace.

 

Just before Spider-Man #1 came out, the Comics Buyer's Guide had an article about a fundraiser that the Spider's Web, a comic shop in Puyallup, Washington (I think that is where McFarlane lived at the time), had for the local high school. For something like $10 + shipping, they were offering autographed copies of either the regular cover or the silver cover of Spider-Man #1. As you will see in the letter below, these copies were authenticated by a red spider web stamp on the back cover. The copies pictured below are ones that I received directly from that fund raiser. You'll notice that the McFarlane signatures are strikingly familiar to the one that we all piled on and said was a fake.

 

Not that I've had a lot of interaction with McFarlane, but my impression is that he is very particular about things, and he would not allow anyone else to sign on his behalf, even if it would save him from having to sign literally thousands of comic books (I seem to recall that over 5,000, maybe 10,000 copies were sold in this fundraiser). And given that the fundraiser was promoted through the Comics Buyer's Guide, I have no doubt that the fundraiser was legit.

 

Maybe it was simply the case that with so many copies to sign, McFarlane decided to use a signature that was more conducive to signing quickly. Or maybe that was just the autograph that he used back then, and the block letter autograph he uses now was limited to original art.

 

Who knows? But that "fake" McFarlane signature may just be real after all.

 

 

 

[supapimp]

it looks like his chicken scratch.

[DarkKnightReturns]

I don't think its looks legit but who knows. The stamp and letter make it seem somewhat legit.

 

I've got a McFarlane sig that he did in the 90's and it doesn't look like that but whatever.

[Mac Man]

But even that COA would be really, really easy to replicate. I dunno. I'm not saying they aren't legit, but this would easily be one of those things that someone would want to verify with the actual artist before putting any real stock in it.

 

[DarkKnightReturns]

But even that COA would be really, really easy to replicate. I dunno. I'm not saying they aren't legit, but this would easily be one of those things that someone would want to verify with the actual artist before putting any real stock in it.

 

 

Early 90's would be a hot time to make forged McFarlane sigs

[somewhereintexas]

But even that COA would be really, really easy to replicate. I dunno. I'm not saying they aren't legit, but this would easily be one of those things that someone would want to verify with the actual artist before putting any real stock in it.

 

 

Early 90's would be a hot time to make forged McFarlane sigs

 

As I stated in my post, I received the pictured comics directly from the fundraiser. I did not purchase them second hand. And while the Comics Buyer's Guide is probably before most of your times, it was THE industry publication back then. If the signatures are not legit, it would have been the result of a fraud at the highest levels. And sure, the COA would be easy to replicate, but again, I received it directly from a fundraiser promoted by the leading publication in the industry.

[lscomics]

I have copies of these from that signing as well. If I had to guess I'd say that since he was signing so many copies at once most of the sigs were rushed and very likely came out sloppier than what you normally see.

[Mac Man]

But even that COA would be really, really easy to replicate. I dunno. I'm not saying they aren't legit, but this would easily be one of those things that someone would want to verify with the actual artist before putting any real stock in it.

 

 

Early 90's would be a hot time to make forged McFarlane sigs

 

As I stated in my post, I received the pictured comics directly from the fundraiser. I did not purchase them second hand. And while the Comics Buyer's Guide is probably before most of your times, it was THE industry publication back then. If the signatures are not legit, it would have been the result of a fraud at the highest levels. And sure, the COA would be easy to replicate, but again, I received it directly from a fundraiser promoted by the leading publication in the industry.

 

I remember CBG just fine. But as someone who collects a lot of signatures, it's also important to keep in mind that COAs are easily forged. I'm not saying your signatures aren't legitimate, but it does not look like a standard McFarlane signature and should naturally cause any knowledgeable signature collector to raise an eye brow and ask some questions. Failing to do that creates more customers for con artists to sucker.

 

Obviously, if Todd was signing four-figures worth of comics in one sitting, then he probably chose an easier and faster way of signing it like the one I originally posted and seen in the fundraiser copy.

[A-DONIS]

Another reason why WE need CGC Witnesses.. PERIOD

[Marvelfangirl]

Another reason why WE need CGC Witnesses.. PERIOD