What the hate site says about Todd

[David Atkatz]

This was posted in the "help with an authenticator" thread.
(It might have been nice if you actually saw this before commenting, cubsfan.)


Here's the FDC:



And here's the catalog page:



Note that the Karloff is identical. The Frye is almost identical--there are two differences. On the cover the inscription is to Saul (on the RR piece it's to Sam), and the character name "Igor" has been added to the FDC. My interpretation is that in order to match the Karloff--mentioning his most famous character--the forger had Frye mention his character in the movie. Now, most people think of Dr. Frankenstein's hunchbacked assistant as "Igor," but in actuality, the character Frye played was called "Fritz." Frye would certainly have known that!

The kicker, though, is the date of cancellation on the FDC--Halloween, 1944. Frye died on November 7, 1943.

When I saw this piece in Mueller's auction catalog, I noticed the disparity in dates immediately. I called Mueller, and he told me a cock-and-bull story about the cover being signed well in advance of the cancellation date.

I fell for it, and ignored the "Igor" discrepancy as well. Why? It was the usual collector's malady. I wanted the piece to be real.

So, about a year later, after posting the cover on the net, I was contacted by a fellow horror collector who sent me the RR page. I presented this to Mueller. He assured me the cover was real, and told me he would refund my money, and cut the autographs apart (to obviate the postmark problem), and sell them.

A few years later, I noticed the Frye signature being offered on eBay. I contacted the seller, presented all the information, except where I had obtained the cover. I asked him where he got the autograph. Yep, that's right.

(He got his money back from Mueller, too.)

[Runscott]

.........exiting