When Leerhsen published his biography of Cobb in 2015, however, he concluded that Stump concocted stories about Cobb in order to boost sales. The autobiography of Cobb had failed to sell. Leehrsen concluded that Stump invented stories about Cobb for his subsequent articles and books in order to make money. Because Stump's forgeries had not yet become public, his stories were accepted by a public enamored of the fictional Cobb created by Stump. Stump had, however, been banned from publication in multiple newspapers and magazines for making things up.