Verification for Mark Hamill | Item # 1788
Title: Autograph Authentication – Mark Hamill
Confidence Grade: C
Overview
This forensic analysis evaluates a signature attributed to Mark Hamill on the cover of the comic The Black Pearl (#1 of 5, Dark Horse Comics). The overall visual composition includes two autographs — a bold black-ink signature above the title, and a gold-colored signature beneath — suggesting a multi-signer situation. The claimed authorial context is important as Hamill is credited as the creator of the comic, yet the grading must be based exclusively on physical and stylistic signature data.
Forensic Ink and Substrate Evaluation
Black Ink Signature (Top of Cover):
- Ink characteristics suggest handwritten origin: observable ink pooling at starting height and terminal strokes, with slight tapering visible.
- No signs of mechanical reproduction (autopen patterning, mechanical micro-jitter, or inkjet/toner textures).
- Applied atop the glossy printed surface; ink sits slightly on the substrate, a behavior normal for felt-tip or Sharpie-style markers on magazine covers.
- No signs of bleeding, feathering, or photocopying artifacts.
Gold Ink Signature (Lower):
- Metallic marker appearance, surface-sitting properties in line with standard metallic Sharpies.
- Consistent stroke weight and return pressure; lacks outlining or hesitation indicating overlay reproduction.
- No signs of duplication, copying, or graphic overprint.
Conclusion: No reproduction or mechanization indicators detected in either signature.
Individual Signature Analysis
Gold Signature (Evaluated for Claim to be Mark Hamill):
- Macro-structure and flow suggest fluency in movement.
- However, substantial departure from known proportions and formation logic widely associated with authentic Mark Hamill signatures.
- Predominant hallmark in Hamill’s genuine autographs includes:
- A dynamic, looped “M” with rhythm-driven architecture
- A tall, concisely formed “H” with distinctive break
- Segmented baseline or tilted overall registration
- In this specimen:
- The initial letter is ambiguous, appearing closer to an abstract symbol or stylized flourish, lacking a definable “M.”
- The follow-through strokes appear more suggestive of a short rising stroke and a loop resembling an Arabic script or stylized glyph rather than linear Latin cursive.
- Letter-to-letter passes are semi-blocked, lacking natural entry/exit stroke consistency.
- Fluency is evident, but fluency alone does not equate to authenticity if structure is incompatible (see Core Truths—Wrong Hand).
Collective Signature Analysis
- Black Ink Signature: Appears to spell “Eric” or “Erik” (likely another contributor or signer for this comic), unrelated to Mark Hamill and not evaluated further.
- Gold Signature (purported Hamill): Despite flair and fluency, lacks specifics of Hamill’s verified signature patterns even across his varied historic exemplars.
- Entire signature appears to mimic the stroke comfort of practiced handwriting — potentially from an admirer or confident emulator — but the overall muscle-memory arc, stroke sequence, and distinctive character traits conflict with known Hamill samples.
Red Flags
Class A – Structural Identity Failures
- Initial Stroke Incongruity:
- The opening character lacks identifiable “M” structure, either modern or early-career variants. Appears more like a graphical glyph than a character.
- Hallmark Feature Deviation:
- Absence of a segmented or tilted “H” form; follows non-characteristic loop and baseline flattening behavior inconsistent across Hamill’s authentic phase ranges.
(Per Independence Rule: These affect separate aspects — character introduction and hallmark fidelity — and count as two distinct Class A failures.)
Class B – Contextual / Qualitative Concerns
- Decorative flourish dominates letterform logic.
- No visible authentication label or third-party provenance.
- Possibly signed at conventions (an environment with both authentic and frequently forged items).
- Subject is from a niche cult comic — limited mainstream visibility may encourage novelty personalization or recreation efforts.
Market Comparison and Similar Item Sales
🔒 Limitation: NO verified exemplars or authenticated Hamill signatures from The Black Pearl comic context are provided in the session.
This limits ability to benchmark calligraphic deviation against matched-medium known samples.
However, multiple authenticated Hamill autographs available publicly from official signings (Star Wars and beyond) consistently show distinct “M” and “H” construction divergences that are absent here.
Final Determination
The analyzed signature, though likely genuinely handwritten, demonstrates macro-level inconsistencies in structure and stroke logic incompatible with known Hamill hand traits.
Combined with multiple independent Class A failures and no reproduction markers, this obliges downgrade under the Wrong-Hand Veto rule.
Confidence Grade: C
Conclusion: Likely NOT Authentic – Written by a Different Hand
Submitted Image:
