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Q&A Comic Production Flaws
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674 posts in this topic

How about those 100 page giants which seem to have an inch or longer cut on the BC that is straight. It looks like it was from the trimming but why? confused-smiley-013.gif

 

Do you mean shaped like this?

 

508695-greggyskew.jpg

508695-greggyskew.jpg.84d86ac91e880abfe5d01df886c68105.jpg

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I have seen quite a number of not-90 degree cuts! Yet the spine is nice and aligned. Just the top/bottom that is not so nicely aligned!

 

Yep. Very common flaw in almost every comic era.

It's just a misaligned blade/blades during trimming.

893applaud-thumb.gif

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How about those 100 page giants which seem to have an inch or longer cut on the BC that is straight. It looks like it was from the trimming but why? confused-smiley-013.gif

 

Do you mean shaped like this?

 

508695-greggyskew.jpg

confused.gif No, it's just a straight vertical cut on the BC usually around an inch long from the bottom and around an inch away from the spine.
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Yup...exactly. I know that it must be from the production because I've seen it on the BC of many 100 pagers and never the front. Plus, it's always straight so it must be from a blade. 893frustrated.gif

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Yup...exactly. I know that it must be from the production because I've seen it on the BC of many 100 pagers and never the front. Plus, it's always straight so it must be from a blade. 893frustrated.gif

 

I don't know for sure, but I'll see if I can find out.

flowerred.gif

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Yup...exactly. I know that it must be from the production because I've seen it on the BC of many 100 pagers and never the front. Plus, it's always straight so it must be from a blade. 893frustrated.gif

 

I don't know for sure, but I'll see if I can find out.

flowerred.gif

You go do that! sumo.gifflowerred.gif
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It doesn't set up hard like nail polish.

 

Dice, that is an interesting observation. I know a LOT of, especially, Atlas books from the 50's, often exhibit absolutely blinding richness of the inks. I tend to attribute this to an ink combination that had some VERY dense coverage (like a 100M/100C) etc. But adding the potentail for the inks to setup "hard like nail polish" makes me think back to my gem cutting days. The harder the stone, the brighter the polish. A soft stone never could really produce a mirror finish. Turquoise, for example, can be on the flat side. But the turquoise from tibet, where the mineral was impregnated with silicone, resulting in a very hard stone, took an amazing polish.

 

I have to wonder if this aspect of the ink's setup qualities, in combination with dense coverage, could have produced those incredibly deep and highly REFLECTIVE qualities?

 

Thoughts?

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Dice, that is an interesting observation. I know a LOT of, especially, Atlas books from the 50's, often exhibit absolutely blinding richness of the inks. I tend to attribute this to an ink combination that had some VERY dense coverage (like a 100M/100C) etc. But adding the potentail for the inks to setup "hard like nail polish" makes me think back to my gem cutting days. The harder the stone, the brighter the polish. A soft stone never could really produce a mirror finish. Turquoise, for example, can be on the flat side. But the turquoise from tibet, where the mineral was impregnated with silicone, resulting in a very hard stone, took an amazing polish.

 

I have to wonder if this aspect of the ink's setup qualities, in combination with dense coverage, could have produced those incredibly deep and highly REFLECTIVE qualities?

 

Thoughts?

 

Your post got me thinking about a way to solve this riddle.

And I have...

Anyone ever seen a book with *TRUE* Marvel Chipping that has a white background?

Like this one?

13102001103o.jpg

 

I think it may not be the ink.

893scratchchin-thumb.gif

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Dice, that is an interesting observation. I know a LOT of, especially, Atlas books from the 50's, often exhibit absolutely blinding richness of the inks. I tend to attribute this to an ink combination that had some VERY dense coverage (like a 100M/100C) etc. But adding the potentail for the inks to setup "hard like nail polish" makes me think back to my gem cutting days. The harder the stone, the brighter the polish. A soft stone never could really produce a mirror finish. Turquoise, for example, can be on the flat side. But the turquoise from tibet, where the mineral was impregnated with silicone, resulting in a very hard stone, took an amazing polish.

 

I have to wonder if this aspect of the ink's setup qualities, in combination with dense coverage, could have produced those incredibly deep and highly REFLECTIVE qualities?

 

Thoughts?

 

Your post got me thinking about a way to solve this riddle.

And I have...

Anyone ever seen a book with *TRUE* Marvel Chipping that has a white background?

Like this one?

13102001103o.jpg

 

I think it may not be the ink.

893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

OK for that but what about the incredible reflectivity shown on those Atlas books from the 50's? It really IS a puzle to me. I am talking dense inks that you could almost measure the depth of. (Have you seen any of them?)

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OK for that but what about the incredible reflectivity shown on those Atlas books from the 50's? It really IS a puzle to me. I am talking dense inks that you could almost measure the depth of. (Have you seen any of them?)

 

More investigation needed.

Some of you Timely collectors help us out.

Show some examples of marvel chipping on books with heavy ink coverage, and some with no ink (white bg).

893applaud-thumb.gif

I would dig a few out of the Dice Pedigree, but it does not go back that far. gossip.gif

 

But first... I get some sleeping.gif

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Show some examples of marvel chipping on books with heavy ink coverage, and some with no ink (white bg).

 

I think I am losing ya, Dice old pal! My comments are not about chipping (I tend to agree that the qualioty of the ink may well contribute to a now and future chip) BUT - I am really intriqued by the simple idea of what you said earlier about hard-setting inks and if that, in conjunction with heavy inking, may have caused the incredibly deep, brilliant glossiness of those colors.

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Ok, how about the color variations seen on many Silver Age books?

 

Some have suggested there are 'variants' that exist, others believe it has something to do with the printing method used in those days. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

The most common example that comes to mind is FF #48 where some copies display a red cover and others are brown.

 

Printing problem? If so, please explain. confused-smiley-013.gif

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Yup...exactly. I know that it must be from the production because I've seen it on the BC of many 100 pagers and never the front. Plus, it's always straight so it must be from a blade. 893frustrated.gif

 

Wow, my HoM 227 is 9.4 all around except for this defect. I don't have many of the later ones, and I've never really noticed it on the earlier 100 pagers?

 

I'll try to put up a scan, but as I recall the cut is so clean/straight and in the white border area so it may not show up. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

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What about those pesky bindery chips on the spines of golden age Timely's (others?) where there can be a good 1/8" x 1/8" triangle missing from the tips of the spine? confused-smiley-013.gif

 

On a related note, how about those little bindery tears on the bottom open edge of bronze age books where there's often "extra paper" on the cover and interior pages, but the piece is still attached? confused-smiley-013.gif

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Ok, how about the color variations seen on many Silver Age books?

 

Some have suggested there are 'variants' that exist, others believe it has something to do with the printing method used in those days. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

The most common example that comes to mind is FF #48 where some copies display a red cover and others are brown.

 

Printing problem? If so, please explain. confused-smiley-013.gif

 

Printing variance.

While printing, the color has to be set and will drift through the run.

Meaning: Ink is applied to the plate during the run. The Pressman can controll the density of the ink to have the most visual appeal.

 

When the press starts the run, the ink densities across the plate may be quite different from what it should be. As the run progresses, a Pressman is constantly checking and adjusting the ink to get the closest match to the color proof.

This is much tougher to do than it sounds.

 

There are times where there can be areas on the plate where it is starved for ink, and others where the ink can be flooded causing the print to look very saturated or even muddy.

This variance can happen in a single color, or all four.

 

For comparison sake, on your home printer, there are crude color controlls.

You can set the printer to run color very light, or you can set it to flood the page with ink.

The settings you use can have a very drastic effect on the look of a picture you print. By changing them, you can print the exact same picture multiple times and make them look very different.

 

This is one of the most comon production variances and can occur on virtually everything printed.

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What about those pesky bindery chips on the spines of golden age Timely's (others?) where there can be a good 1/8" x 1/8" triangle missing from the tips of the spine? confused-smiley-013.gif

 

On a related note, how about those little bindery tears on the bottom open edge of bronze age books where there's often "extra paper" on the cover and interior pages, but the piece is still attached? confused-smiley-013.gif

 

I'll have to do some investigating on the missing triangles before I answer.

 

Bindery tears are easy.

It's just that...a tear, usually on the folded corner, when the book is cut.

The spine is harder to cut than the other area of the page, due to the fact that is where the paper is folded.

 

When the blade cuts, the book has a tendancy to pull away from the blade in the spine.

Because of this, the paper will often tear at that point.

Sometimes the book will pull away enough to cause extra paper to appear at the tips.

Other times the blade just isn't set to cut deep enough and will fall just short of cutting all the way through the book in the spine. The book will tear to separate from the sliver that was trimmed away.

 

A sharp blade, set at the proper cut depth, solves the problem.

The tolerance is tight, and will often drift during the run.

 

I'll work on the first part of your question.

It would help if you could post a few pics to keep me from trying to find some.

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What about those pesky bindery chips on the spines of golden age Timely's (others?) where there can be a good 1/8" x 1/8" triangle missing from the tips of the spine? confused-smiley-013.gif

 

I'll have to do some investigating on the missing triangles before I answer.

It would help if you could post a few pics to keep me from trying to find some.

 

Thanks for the other info above, and here's a pic of this defect. Sounds like it could be an extreme case of the bindery tear phenom you describe, where the cutting process actually rips off a piece of the book:

 

509707-cap41_spine.jpg

509707-cap41_spine.jpg.e2b1250b367f33dd75a9779777f49802.jpg

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