Binding Comics

[rod2402]

What do people think about binding comics into books?

I bought some 1950's Eagle comics that had been non-professionally bound into volumes but then the covers removed. As the comics are still all bound together I'm looking at getting them rebound as separating them will, I think, make them look worse. Prior to this I had never considered binding comics. I've now wondered if some of my older poorer condition comics would be better bound.

I've got a price on having it done professionally and it's not cheap. I've also collected some info from the net and the library on doing it myself. While it doesn't look that hard to do I can see that doing it well will be difficult.

Has anyone tried binding comics into books themselves?
Do you think binding is a good or bad idea?

[Magnet]

No way! Binding comics is a bad idea. You ruin them, they should be kept in great condition not punched holes in them. No, you really shouldn't.

[Lew Stringer]

Do you think binding is a good or bad idea?

Seems a bit pointless to me. Comics aren't designed to be bound, so it becomes difficult to read the edge of the page that virtually disappears into the spine.

Just keep 'em in a pile. In a box.

Lew

[presterjohn]

Who punches holes in them to bind them? that would be madness. I know some well heeled fans (and one or two artists such as John Byrne) have a lot stuff superbly bound. Take a gander at these books to see what I mean:-

http://www.dpbanks.com/owens.html

[rod2402]

Thanks presterjohn,

A lot of information on that site you listed, I'm going to have a good look there. The examples look so good I may think again about getting mine done professionally.

[Shaqui]

Obviously if you collect them yourself, keep them as individual issues, but if - like the British Library - these are being keep for public posterity, then binding seems the best option. Even the old Fleet Street publishers (possibly others) used to bind their file copies for safe keeping.

Anyone know if they still do, or is it all digital now?

[Pensky]

I?ve seen bound copies of titles such as Monster Fun recently on eBay and it struck me as odd, something I?d not be interested in at all.

However, back in the late 1970s and early 80s I used to collect the British version of Mad Magazine and I bought several of their purpose made binders. They worked by clipping a thin metal rod (provided) down the centre spine of the magazine, and then clicking it into the place in the binder.

The folders were designed to hold 12 (1 year) and it worked very well. They could be removed very easily without any damage to the magazine. I still have them in fact, red binders with the Mad logo in gold lettering along the spine. They still look nice.

I?m aware that Private Eye offers similar binders to this day.

[Shaqui]

I?ve seen bound copies of titles such as Monster Fun recently on eBay and it struck me as odd, something I?d not be interested in at all.

These tend to be old file binders from older publishers, most of whom seem to have gone to the wall or been merged into large companies. Apparently IPC have the rights to Look-In reprints, having bought the title in 1992, but have no file copies as they were either junked or half-inched...

However, back in the late 1970s and early 80s I used to collect the British version of Mad Magazine and I bought several of their purpose made binders. They worked by clipping a thin metal rod (provided) down the centre spine of the magazine, and then clicking it into the place in the binder.

The folders were designed to hold 12 (1 year) and it worked very well. They could be removed very easily without any damage to the magazine. I still have them in fact, red binders with the Mad logo in gold lettering along the spine. They still look nice.

Yes, they're quite handy for private collectors - i bought the first year of 'Hammer House of Horror' mag, and a few years woth of 'Starlog' bound this way. Doesn't damage the issues, as you say.

But this would be useless for a publically used archive like the British Library, where you only have to see people have already cut out pages, or entire issues, to see why proper binding and security tables are in effect. If bound using the rod system, the whole lot would quickly disappear...