SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - All In The Family

I saw an auto today at the card show that made me do not just a double take...but a triple.

It's rare that a signature from one of today's young stars gets any sort of positive look.  Most are just careless pen strokes with little or no effort.  Rushed and sloppy.  I'll leave it at that.

Here's a fantastic example of one such card...

Zack Kassian

SCRIBBLE

Yes, I can make out the Z and K and I bet he wears the number 9.  But boy oh boy is that ever an example of minimalism.

Teach 'em young right?

Nick Foligno

SCRIBE

Now that's how it's done.  A full signature with both style and focus.

I just hope his autograph deteriorates with time (much as it is the norm with stars today).

In fact, I really liked Nick's signature, I decided to check out his younger brother's cards.

Wow.  Not too bad at all.  A little sloppier, but you can definitely make out the name.  It's better than 90% of the gunk out there today.

They must really take after their dad - right?

I'd say so.

You can definitely see where Nick and Marcus get their inspiration from.

All three Folignos get thumbs up for their penmanship.


Zack...take notice!

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - Some Playoff Excitement

I haven't commented too much about the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs....mainly because I'm going to get killed in both my playoff pools.  Pittsburgh, Vancouver final.......not so fast.

It's been a bit of a frustrating watch for other reasons too.  While the plethora of shenanigans have slowly subsided, I've been drifting further away from what I was anticipating to be a very exciting playoff year.

Here's hoping round two and beyond is a better watch than the first 10 days.

That said, there has been some exciting hockey out there.  I think the Florida-New Jersey series has been a sleeper pick for exciting hockey.  Back and forth, good speed, good stories and good hard working teams.  No need for the goonery.

So for that reason, I've decided to showcase a scribe from that series.

But first.....we need to show off a scribble.

Alex Pietrangelo

SCRIBBLE

Speaking of solid playoff starts, the Blues now have a real good chance of getting to the finals.  If Phoenix pulls off the victory, we'll have St. Louis, Nashville, Phoenix and Los Angeles.  Who'd have thunk it.

Alex, by the way, has decided to go the route of numerous young stars in the league.  Leaving you to decipher his signature.

A true scribble.

Zach Parise

SCRIBE

Taking a page from his dad J.P., Zach has a well structured autograph.  Both purpose and patience are needed to pull this off (something lacking in todays game....both on and off the ice).

As for the Devils, they've got their hands full with the Panthers.  They'll need Zach to be at his very best just to get out of the first round.

Have you come across an autograph worthy of being a 'scribe'?  Now of course, the veterans of the league and those who have come and gone from their playing days are easy pickings.  I'm talking about guys in the league today.

Hit me with something that'll make me say "Wow....I had no idea."

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - Prized Prospects

"Prized Prospects"? Plural? Possibly.

If you're talking about on-ice talent that is.

But when you're talking about signatures, there's only one in this pair that is worthy of the distinction.

It's never tough to find a scribble when it comes to the chicken scratches that are laid out by hockey players these days (especially the new crop of talent). The limit of posts for this subject comes from the lack of quality signatures to choose from when you're talking about today's fresh-faced NHLers.

But I search them out......and I'm determined to find them.

Lukas Kaspar
SCRIBBLE

I chose Lukas' signature because it's a little different than most scribbles out there. This one has a sort of 'method to the madness' feeling to it. It certainly is a busy bunch of pen strokes.

I start to make something out of it (or at feel that I do) only to drift off and get lost in the maze of blue ink.

I gave up and deemed it a solid choice for this post.

Matt Carle
SCRIBE

Matt (or should I say...Matthew) has a very legible signature. So much so that I would almost not categorize this as a signature. Rather, a printing of his mane.

I'd be curious as to how he just writes or prints on a regular basis. Filling out forms, doing paperwork, etc. I bet it's pretty similar.

That said, it's rare to find something as crisp, clean and purposeful as Carle's offering is.

Normally, a rookie to the league hasn't been inundated with requests or bombarded with card company contracts. Often, this means that a slower, more refined signature is prevalent. Remember Carey Price's drift into Scribbledom.

Happens often.

This Prized Prospects signature comes from Matt's rookie season. Now take a look at how it's deteriorated once he's been in the NHL limelight for a bit.


Thought so.

Thanks for solidifying my stance that most players today just don't have the time to give fans a solid, quality signature.

Looking forward to seeing what we'll get from you in the future.

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - My Name Is TJ

When things 'show up', they tend to do so in bunches. After a huge drought in finding some current players in the NHL with nice signatures, I've noticed a good half dozen or so in the last month.

That makes these 'Scribble & Scribe' posts pop up a little more often.

When I found the 'Scribe' that I'm using in this matchup, I knew who I wanted to put him up against. I had just never seen his signature before.

A quick search on ebay though left me perfectly content. He's definitely got a 'Scribble'.

TJ Brodie
SCRIBBLE

TJ Brodie....or as I like to call him "7366". Simple does not always equal good.

What I found interesting (and even a little cocky) is that Brodie donned the number 66 to start his NHL career (you can see it even clearer on his Upper Deck Young Guns RC).

To me, '66' is on the same level as '99' when it comes to the 'do not wear this jersey number' list.

Fortunately, TJ got the memo and is now wearing the number 7. That would now make his name "737". I like that. It's his new nickname from now on.

TJ Oshie
SCRIBE

Oshie is riding a fine line, but his auto sits in the nice pile on my desk right now.

I like that there's more than just a few abbreviated letters and a number. This autograph has the look of a full name. As well, the use of space with his capital letters and lower case really merge well. Distinct and with purpose. You can say that about anyone with a strong signature.

And the other thing I like is that it's not written all over the card. I appreciate the players who take the time (and understand the concept) of writing along an imaginary straight line.

Thanks TJ......"737", you take note.

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - Mistaken Identity?

It never ceases to amaze me. The level of laziness, sloppy work, lack of caring or all of the them combined when it comes to some of (actually....make that MOST OF) the signed hockey cards out on the market.

This card was briefly in my grasps (as I moved it on to a player collector) and the sight of his signature inspired this post.

Alexandre Burrows
SCRIBBLE

Now, upon initial viewing, you might say "Hey, I've seen worse". And you'd be right.....if his name was Mason Raymond! This is Alex Burrows' autograph. Initials - A.B.

I guess there's a bit of fun it trying to decipher the reasoning of these scribbles out there, but that's not what an autograph should be about.

Drayson Bowman
SCRIBE

Now on the other hand, here's a signature that offers up zero guessing in determining the penstrokes.

With effort and purpose, Drayson has laid down a great looking autograph. You'd immediately think that he's somehow related to the legendary Scotty Bowman.

But no......they are not.

The looping D and B really give off a cool look. And the Bowman is very controlled and legible.

Thanks Drayson. You prospects take note.

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - I'm Back!

It has been a mighty long time since I've posted a 'Scribbles & Scribes' entry, but who am I to deny longtime reader Michael over at Collecting For Kicks from enjoying one of his favorite topics.

So I did some hunting and searching and digging.....scouring the Internets for scribble goodness (actually, it was the scribe that naturally took a while to track down - BUT I FOUND ONE!).

And believe it or not, he still plays in the NHL. So it's a rare one.

Enjoy.

Nathan Horton
SCRIBBLE

More like a lazy attempt than random sharpie swirls, this 'signature' from Nathan fits the bill just fine.

For those of you who were unaware, Horton sports the number 16 on his jersey. Thanks for letting us know Nate.

It never ceases to amaze me just how ugly looking a bad autograph can be.

It almost makes me want to start a new side project - Ugly Autos.

Almost.

And now, the B-side to this terrible single, the clean side of the crumb filled cushion......
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Ray Whitney
SCRIBE

Hey? Yeah? I think we have a winner!

I see some legibility (is that a word? it doesn't have a squiggly line under it....so it must be good). I see both capital letters and lower case. I see a first name and a last. And I see it all along one straight line.

It meets the checklist of scribe.

If it looks like a duck and smells like a duck.......(that's how the saying goes right?).

Granted, Ray is on the tail end of his career (can you even name the team he's playing for?). I can.....I took him in one of my pools.

Thanks for the blog post suggestion Michael. Hope you liked it.

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - Not Heroes, But Prospects

Holy cow! It's the return of Scribbles & Scribes! Why you might ask? Well, I tripped on a nice looking signature from a prospect looking to make waves in the NHL.

SCRIBBLE
Nino Niederreiter

But first, we have to take a look at a not-so-nice autograph. And this one disappoints on multiple levels. First (and foremost) it's lame. A weak attempt at spelling his name. Second, I had high hopes for a sweet looking sig from this guy. He has a cool name and some cool moves, so it would only make sense that he has a cool auto. Two out of three.....well, it's still bad.

I can make out the 'N' in Nino, and I'm assuming his number is 22. But that's about it. Once again, it's just 'up down up down up down up'. Did I mention that's lame.

SCRIBE
Tomas Jurco

I have no idea who this kid is, I've never heard of him, I have no idea if he's been drafted or will be, but he has one nice looking autograph.

A throwback to the legends of penmanship, this sig has the class and style of some of the great names to sign their name.

Hold it up against the Beliveau's and the Perreault's. The Mahovlich's and the Richard's. Seriously, this auto fits right in.

Great job Tomas. Now all you need to remember is don't let the bazillion autograph requests once you reach the pros taint that sweet sig.

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - Legendary Signatures...Literally

I'll admit, it's been tough...real tough finding a signature of one of today's players that isn't a dud of an autograph.

It really is a sign of the times when you take a close look at some of the atrocious renderings out there.

So, it's time to appreciate some autographs from an era gone by.

SCRIBBLE
Wayne Babych

I can sort of make out a name....not HIS name, but a name.

It doesn't look like the signature is rushed. There's just too much 'pen to paper' time to justify that. In fact, his scribble looks somewhat premeditated - as if he meant to do it. Yikes!

SCRIBE
Harold Snepsts

Now this is how it is done! I really like this autograph from one of the most memorable Canucks of all-time. Legible and with authority!

The 'H' and 'S' are so unique, so fluid and dare I say graceful, it's hard to believe that this signature comes from a hard-nosed defenceman.

His autograph actually looks like it would be fun to write. C'mon, try it! Try to write that 'H'.

Yup. Fun!

You know, now that I take a closer look, I do see what that 'name' is in Babych's auto. It's Snepsts! Correct me if I am wrong, but I can see Harold's name in there easier than I can Wayne's.

That's not what you want in an autograph. I suggest going back to Snepsts.

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - New Jersey Devils

A recent card show inspired this post. I couldn't believe my eyes when I was flipping through some singles boxes and came across these cards.

Alex Brooks
SCRIBBLE

Now apparently, the names Alex and Brooks are spelled with the exact same letters. Either that, or Mr. Brooks just created his own brand new way of spelling.

"Around the block twice, a loop-dee-loop and home".

These scribbles just never will go away will they.

Hold on.....wait a minute. What's this?

Frank Doyle
SCRIBE

I can't believe it! An NHLer that is younger than 25 and has a legible signature. Do my eyes deceive me?

Funny thing is, this is one heck of a boring signature. Yes, it's one I can make out and he does have good penmanship. But there is just no flare in his autograph. Maybe that 'F' but there is just not much more than that.

Still, I applaud you Frank Doyle. Thank you for giving me hope that there are be players out there who can sign their names with some level of competency.

Now if you could just break into the NHL.

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - New & Old

Well, here's an interesting episode of Scribbles & Scribes. It makes me want to do some hunting to see if I can find some others.

I have found it far too easy to find scribbles from current NHLers. I find it quite sad actually that there are just a handful of decent autographs out there and only a select full that would be worthy of a scribe moniker.

That said, I found an interesting match for this card...

SCRIBBLE
Carey Price

Ho hum. No surprise here. Another rushed couple of pen strokes. You can kind of make out his name, but by no means is this any sort of signature to write home about.

Now, I've always thought that these poor signatures are a result of too many requests, poor penmanship skills to begin with or both. What surprised me is the scribe that follows...

SCRIBE
Carey Price

Interesting. Carey actually knew how to sign his name at one point.

I'm sure this was one of his first signed cards and so he was just being extra careful to be legible. Too bad he's so inconsistent (and his signature looks like crap too - HEY-OH!!!!!).

Like I said, I'd like to see if there are other examples of sheer signature deterioration out there. If you come across any....be sure to let me know.

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - Sign Of The Times

Another episode of 'Scribbles & Scribes' and yet another appearance by a Sutter.

For the life of me I can't understand why this family can't scratch out a solid signature. My best guess would be that they just have other things on their mind.

Darryl Sutter
SCRIBBLE

On top of not 'staying inside the lines', this autograph just swirls around. I'm a little dizzy looking at this one. Thanks at least for crossing the T's (or whatever letters they are).

Definitely one of the more low-end sigs from an era of top notch autos.

Brian Leetch
SCRIBE

Thank you Brian. Thank you for having a legible autograph. Thank you for spending some quality time and crafting a unique signature. Thank you for taking your hobby collecting audience into consideration when signing your name.

Thank you for a wonderful career in which you won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year (by the way, Trevor Linden was the runner up). Thank you for being at your best during the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP (by the way, Trevor Linden was on the Vancouver Canucks team that was heartbroken after losing game 7 of the finals).

Thank you Brian Leetch. Thank you.

On second look, maybe it's not that great of an autograph. :)

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - OPC Premier Signings

Wow! April.....the last time I did one of these. My bad.

I was at the first local card show of the season today and was looking for some cards for my various projects. When I crossed by one table, I noticed a box full of autographed cards, prospects, stars, legends, you name it. I thought I'd take some time out to see who had some of the nicest sigs and if I could find some nice looking autographs of current players.

A harder task than expected.

So tough in fact that I ventured back a bit for my 'scribe' this time.

The scribble......well those are easy to find.

Thomas Vanek
SCRIBBLE

Now yes, I understand that your first name starts with a T and your last name starts with a V......but that does not give you permission to zig-zag your way through your signature.

I do believe there is an S, A and E included in your name as well. You know....letters with curves in them.

Lazy.

Steve Yzerman
SCRIBE

A real mixture of the classic signature and 80's flare. For the longest time, his autograph was just not that well seen on cards. Nowadays, his signature is a part of some of the nicest hockey cards out there. It helps when you are a Hall Of Famer and considered one of the greatest of all time.

What I like most about his 'graph is that the signature takes up a good chunk of the card. It's not a tiny penmark or small in writing. His autograph commands attention.

Take a look at the first letters in his names. The S reeks of confidence - bordering on swagger. The Y ties it all together. What I also find very cool about it is the offset in his name. It just.......fits that style so well.

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - UD Masterpieces

Alright! Another installment of a nasty auto and a nice one.

Last weekend's card show introduced me to a great looking autograph of a player you might not think would have a sweet sig.

Now, you may know that the UD Masterpieces release a few years ago have garnered some great cards. The 'Brushstrokes' auto set is a gorgeous build and is the focus of the good and bad.

It took a bit to find a bad auto....but I found one.

SCRIBBLE
Rich Sutter

OK, yes I can sort of make out his name. But it really looks like his pen ran out of ink and he was trying to get it going again.

With all the fantastic veteran signatures out there, this is one that doesn't cut it.

SCRIBE
Marty McSorley

Are you kidding me! This is a fantastic autograph. Unique and with purpose. You'd think with his stone hands that he'd be the one with the nasty graph. Not so.

Well done Marty. I'll remember you for TWO THINGS now.

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - Between The Pipes

Well, the overwhelming popularity of this year's Between The Pipes set has lead to one of the most extensive and desirable autograph sets.

With the huge checklist of goalie greats, heroes and 'up-and-comers', there's sure to be some examples of stud autographs and dud autographs.

I was not disappointed...

Jamie Tucker
SCRIBBLE

I stand corrected...I am disappointed.

Wow! This guy must be popular. How else would reason with his quick, rushed, lazy signature.

I sure hope his jersey number is 33....that's the only thing I could make out on this card.

Brian Hayward
SCRIBE

Thank you Brian for bringing some quality to the show.

A great autograph to go along with one of my all-time favorite goalie masks. It would have been nice though if it was a little more prevalent (the mask that is).

A lesson from the vet in penmanship is in order.

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES - A new feature!

A few months ago, I blogged about the penmanship of some of the NHLers out there - past and present.

The variety of signatures is still a topic that is at the forefront of my mind. Each time I go searching for signatures, I find some gems - on both sides of the fence.

Today was just another one of those instances. These autos however, made me want to create a new feature on my blog...

SCRIBBLES & SCRIBES

In a nutshell, it's the worst and the best of NHL autographs out there. We all know there are some nasty looking signatures coming from a lot of the current NHLers, while the retired gents tend to have some sleek looking autos.

There are always exceptions though. This will be a place for me to showcase some of my finds.

Without further ado - a definite scribble!

John Davidson
SCRIBBLE

Where does the 'J' start and the 'avdison' end?

I know two-year-olds that have better flow with a marker. Wow!

Charlie Simmer
SCRIBE

Now this autograph reeks of the quality and penmanship that I tend to expect from a vet. The only shame is that the autograph is on an angle. Normally, this is because there isn't enough space on the card (not quite the issue here). It just gives the signature a feeling of being squeezed in.

What do you think? Feel free to comment on my opinion. Agree or disagree.

Should be fun.