STORING COMIC BOOKS
| FROM EPHEMERA TO COLLECTIBLES |
| The average comic book reader today is many things he or she was not twenty or thirty years ago. Perhaps most importantly, the average age has shifted from early teen to late twenties - and rising. This has not only resulted in a markedly changed content of many comic book titles but also in a markedly different attitude towards individual comic books. In the 1970s, the average comic book reader would at best keep his comics stacked in a simple pile somewhere until eventually dumping most or all of them at a later age with a notion of having outlived comics. Today, the average comic book reader is also an accidental comic book collector who handles and stores his individual comics with at least a certain amount of care. |
| For
many, the question therefore is not whether to think
about storing comic books or not, but rather how
to store them. The extent of this change is so pronounced
that it may even alter the traditional view of comic
books as a prime example of ephemera - transitory
printed matter which, as the Greek noun describes, lasts
no more than a day and is not intended to be retained or
preserved. It once applied to newspapers as well as comics, a parallel underscored by the use of the cheapest grade of paper for both, but whilst the concept is still visible in the fact that today's news will be tomorrow's packaging, the change which happened to comics can even be seen in the better quality paper used for printing. Once considered to be a disposable commodity, they are now seen more and more as items worth storing with care, i.e. collectibles. |
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| STORAGE AND MAINTENANCE VERSUS CONSERVATION |
| Having undergone the magic
transformation from disposables to collectibles, comic
books have also become the focus of attention of the
collectibles market, which is a highly artificial and
constructed entity (cf. for example the specific case of
the comic book collector's market). One of the most important elements which
operates any collectibles market is the condition of an
object (usually referred to as "grade") in
conjunction with scarcity. In other words: collectors
will usually prefer items in excellent condition to items
of a lesser grade, and the fewer well-preserved objects
available the higher the price which a collector can be
expected to pay for it. The fact that the world wide web is a marketplace as much (or more) as it is an information hub thus explains why so much information to be found on the internet today on comic book storage is actually concerned with long term comic book conservation. The difference may appear subtle at first sight, but in reality the two concepts are fundamentally different. Whereas storing comic books is an attempt to prevent major damage and degradation and thus preserve them as comic books in the best shape possible (i.e. accepting a few minor tell-tale signs of its actual age), conservation is aimed at preserving a comic book in its current material state, or in other words "freezing" the current condition for posterity. In practical life, this difference draws the line between a collector and an archival museum - unless, that is, conservation is seen as a means of safeguarding and possibly raising a collectible's monetary value for future sales (ultimately, this approach to conservation may even bleed into restoration of comic books, which if used in conjunction with the intention to sell is frowned upon by most, and rightly so). |
| The speculative nature of the collectible's market has permeated information on storage and maintenance of comic books to the point where the differing priorities of collectors and speculators often become blurred and confused. In some cases, this can take on humorous forms such as the advertisement shown here, but the resulting advice given to "collectors" is more often than not over the top, simply because most collectors with no speculative investment interest will accept some minor degradation occuring after 30+ years, whereas a perfect grade conservation guarantee up to the year 2100 only makes sense if later generations are taken into account. |
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| However, even the idea of leaving
behind a profitable inheritance - again planted by the
forces which drive the speculative collectibles market -
is made questionable by the simple fact that almost any
comic book published since 1990 will be in excellent
supply both in terms of numbers and grade for decades to
come. Safeguarding comic books as cultural heritage can thus be left to institutions entrusted with this task - even more so as a leaflet issued in 2005 by UNESCO's International Centre for Conservation (ICCROM) asking Are you an archive? results in a clear "no" for individual comic book collectors. |
| A COLLECTOR'S CHECKLIST FOR COMIC BOOK STORAGE |
| Virtually all information on
storing comic books kicks off with the bad news that any
pre-1990s comic book is in a process of deterioration
since the moment it went into circulation, due to the
acidity of the low-grade paper (known as newsprint)
used to print comic books prior to the early 1990s.
Popular due to its low cost and high absorbency (which
was well suited to high-speed presses) the production
process of newsprint pulp paper results in very short
fibres and high levels of lignin, which rapidly
discolours and oxidises and sets free acids which degrade
the paper material even further. This factual information usually serves as the starting point for advocating the application of numerous conservation materials (before your comic books turn to dust, so to speak), but they commonly fail to point out two important elements. First of all, this degradation process requires photosynthesis, i.e. exposure to light (and, to a lesser degree, heat) in order to really wreak havoc (Teygeler 2004), and secondly, it is of little concern to post-1995 comic books which are either printed on acid free paper (in line with a 1989 commitment by major US print publishers to utilizing ISO 9706 certified permanent durable paper) or on high quality glossy paper which has been chemically de-pulped and coated with an alkaline buffer to better protect against environmental pollutants that cause acid hydrolysis (Teygeler 2004). However, even if the degradation of paper is often exaggerated wildly out of proportion, the process does take place with all paper products over time, and because comic books consist of paper, adequate storage for a collector's need must take into account the key external factors which cause degradation, namely light, temperature, humidity, pollutants and handling. |
| PROTECTING INDIVIDUAL COMIC BOOKS |
| In spite of today's awareness with regard to the chemical problems of paper conservation, the main threat to comic books still is what it always used to be: physical damage. Paper is a vulnerable material which provides very little resistance and is thus easily deformed or even torn, and the covers and interior pages of a comic book will soon suffer if they are exposed to excessive handling. Unlike damage which is triggered by chemical processes, physical damage is usually instant, and the major element making comic books so prone to physical damage is their relative instability: they are usually thin (which offers little or no resistance to disformation) and held together only by two staples. |
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It is clear that in
order to minimise the risk of physical damage, individual
comic books should therefore be strengthened in terms of
material stability and protected from physical impact as
well as dirt. This can easily be achieved by using the
now standard method of storing each indidviual comic in a
protective see-through sleeve into which a cardboard
backing board is inserted which will rest behind the
comic book to prevent it from bending. The variety of products offered for sale is enormous, but the most commonly used materials are polyethylene and polypropylene. Again, however, some will point out - correctly - that both of these materials are manufactured with solvents and additives which break down over time and therefore advocate the use of uncoated polyester film (known as Mylar[R]) which will remain stable for a few hundred years. |
| The sense or nonsense of such
ponderings is really up to personal taste (in any case,
all three of the mentioned materials have accepted photo
activity test ratings which certifies that they are safe
for long-term storage [Teygeler 2004]), but it is
certainly more important to choose acid-free backboards,
as a failure to do so will result in much more serious
problems as the acidity of the backboard will be
virtually sealed in with the comic book inside the
protective bag. Possibly the most effective method of maintaining a comic book collection, however, are regular checks, which ultiamtely are more important than chosing the best archival-safe materials. Looking through the collection on a regular basis will reveal any possible problem in its beginning stages before substantial damage has occured. In the same vein, a private collection should display a reasonable balance between storage costs and preservation needs. Many archival institutions simply have no choice other than to use state of the art preservation techniques, but no average collector is under any similar obligation, and it is a fact that many comic books from the 1960s and 1970s (a decade during which the newsprint paper quality sunk to its all-time low due to necessary economies made by the publishers) which were not protected in any specific way but simply stored without maximum exposure to light (possibly including spending twenty or so years packed loosely in a cardboard box somewhere) have stood the test of time without too much yellowing or other forms of degradation. |
| PROTECTING COMIC BOOK COLLECTIONS |
| Polybags and backboards will protect comic books against physical damage, but not against chemical degradation. The most important element to shy away from, as mentioned before, is light. |
| This concerns sunlight
most of all - the bleaching qualities of which are
commonly known - but includes all sources of light unless
UV and infrared lightwaves are filtered out. Obviously,
this concerns extended exposure over a longer period of
time, which also makes it a logical conclusion that comic
books should be stored in a dark place. The traditional storing method addressing this need is the "long box" or the "short box", a standard strong cardboard box which holds comic books in an upright position. Using these boxes, comic books can be stored in the dark, which counteracts the main degradation source. If possible, acid-free cardboard boxes (widely available today) should be used. Container devices used to store individual comic books in one place should not only provide an environment which is protective of light, they should also have a certain stability and be able to withstand a few undeliberate knocks. Although the stability of long or short boxes is probably underestimated by many, cardboard does have its limitations over time, especially when several boxes need to be stacked. Outward appearance, although completely irrelevant with regard to storage quality, also plays a part in many collectors looking for and turning to other solutions with more durable materials. |
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| Various approaches are feasible. Based directly on the cardboard long or short box, similar containers made of more durable material such as e.g wood are today manufactured by specialist companies serving the collectors community. Taking the cue from such ready-made solutions in terms of material, some collectors adapt bookshelf elements or entire pieces of furniture to store their comic books. Another approach which is becoming increasingly popular is based on legal file cabinets made of metal. |
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Providing excellent
stability and a near optimal ratio of container size to
storage space, regular legal file cabinets are an
expensive choice which might tilt the balance for many
with regard to sensible storage costs. There are,
however, cheaper options available. Personally, I use Helmer drawer cabinets (article number 40107872) from the range sold by IKEA. Featuring six pull-out drawers, one unit measures 11" (28 cm) in width, 16 3/4 " (43 cm) in depth and 27 1/8 " (69 cm) in height, providing an unobtrusive and lightweight (29lb / 13,2 kg) yet sturdy and cost-efficient way to store comic books. Casters are included but I have not fitted these as I prefer to be able to stack two units on top of each other. As an added bonus, special slots for labels are provided on each drawer, helping to keep contents organized and easy to find. The cabinets are made entirely of steel with pigmented epoxy/polyester powder coating, which is the most common procedure used for metal office furniture, meaning that this will not set the Helmer cabinet apart from more expensive file cabinets (2010 prices for these units are $ 39.99 in the US, £ 21.99 in the UK, EUR 25.00 in Germany or CHF 39.95 in Switzerland). However, they do require self-assembly from a set of several components with the minor use of a screwdriver, but the instructions included are straightforward and assembly becomes a quick routine once you have assembled your second unit. |
| An issue to watch with IKEA is
their approach to availability and possible (virtually
overnight) changes to specific items or an entire range,
and the Helmer cabinet is a prime example.
Originally the units were available pre-assembled with
black frames and coloured drawers. As a next step, the
cabinets lost their black frames and became one-colour
only (at which point my colour of choice, i.e. blue, was
phased out) before being replaced by the current model
which requires self-assembly. Three colours are currently
avaible (red, silver, white), but don't count on these
being available for years to come. For a majority of comic book collectors, however, this will not be their major concern with regard to using Helmer cabinets. For large scale collectors, the storage capacity of one six-drawer unit (approximately totalling 150 comic books) will - understandably - be too low. But even many average collectors will not even consider taking this option into account due to the fact that the overall height of the Helmer cabinets and the resulting height of each individual drawer requires you to store the individual comic books stacked flat as opposed to the orthodox long/short box method of having them placed in an upright position. Just where exactly the belief originated that comic books are subject to less stress when stored upright and will inevitably show spine rolling if kept flat is hard to tell, but in all probability this point of view goes back to the era of pre-conservation consciousness when comic books were kept in the loose stacks mentioned at the outset. |
| In such circumstances
(for instance with large piles or comics of different
sizes and weight) the fact that the spine side is thicker
(accentuated by the two staples used to hold the comic
book together) can create a lopsided U which will
eventually roll the indivdiual comics into the same shape
(hence the term "spine rolling"). There is,
however, ample and informed information available which
dispells the myth of the absolute imperative for vertical
storage. The Northeast Document Conservation Center (a non-profit regional conservation center in the United States, founded in 1973 and counting amongst its clients the Boston Public Library and Harvard University) advised that although vertical storage in office files or in upright flip-top archival document storage boxes is acceptable for legal-sized or smaller documents, any objects larger than 15" x 9" should be stored flat. This is due to the pull forces which documents stored in an upright position are subject to, and it is safe to assume that what is best practice for larger size documents works out well for comic books as well. |
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The best practical example,
however, is the comic book collection of Edgar Church,
which later became known as the "Mile High
collection". The most famous and valuable comic book
collection ever known to surface, it was discovered and
bought in 1977 by Chuck Rozanski of Mile High Comics and
consisted of around 20,000 comics, most of which were
found to be in high quality grades and included the
highest quality copies of many Golden Age comic books
ever discovered, including the best known copy of Action
Comics #1. The point to be made here concerns the
way this collection was stored when Rozanski first set
eyes on it:
The question therefore of how to best store comic books is not concerned with vertical or horizontal stacking but rather with the amount of care with which this is done. In any case, horizontal stacking avoids the major problem associated with vertical stacking, where the advocated advantage (less stress on individual comics) only comes into play when a container is full. As most long/short box type of storage lacks a device to keep the contents of a semi-filled container from gradually slipping or falling out of their vertical position, this can actually become a detriment resulting in bends. With flat storage in a drawer, this is no problem as long as sideway movement is controlled. |
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In the case of the Helmer
drawers, this can be achieved by an inlay which prevents
any sideway play and allows indivdiual comic books to fit
in snuggly without force. The material used for this
inlay is flexible polyurethane foam (FPF), which is very
lightweight, easily cut to the contours needed (the brand
used here is even pre-cut) and thus used frequently for
inlays in transportation containers for sensitive
equipment such as cameras. The one big drawback of the material - it is flammable - is of major concern to the largest user of FPF, namely the upholstered furniture industry, but a comic book collection should not come near any source of fire in any case. Polyurethane as a compound material is used in archival safe tape as well as the cover material for archival safe presentation books. |
| File cabinets not only present an excellent method of storing comic book collections out of light's harm, they also provide a certain amount of protection against excessive humidity over a short period of time (the FPF inlay can trap a certain amount of moisture as well). Overall, however, it is important to keep the storage containers of a comic book collection in a dry and clean place. Varying humidity has the worst impact on paper, so a stable environment (including temperature) is the best place to choose. |
| CONCLUSION - DO IT YOUR WAY |
| There obviously are huge
differences between individual comic book collectors, and
these differences spill over into just what kind of comic
book collections these individuals call their own, both
in terms of numbers and age of the individual comic
books. The approaches to storage may therefore also
differ, for reasons easily understood. One thing,
however, remains a constant: the maintenance of any
collection should be done sensibly. Counteracting, for
example, the use of acid-free backboards with the use of
acidic storage boxes not only defies the logic but the
actual goal of the exercise. It may also be that not all
individual comics from a collection merit elaborate
storage, and regrets twenty, thirty years from now for
having picked the wrong titles for "basic"
storage (when all of a sudden the sentimental value of Zapman
issues outweigh those of your Batman
comics, even though it was completely the other way round
at the time) should not be too harsh as any comic book
stored subject to a small set of best practice rules
should remain in more than just acceptable condition. It really is quite basic - simply store individual comic books in a cool, dry and - most importantly - dark environment. Everything else, such as protection from soiling, protection from "acid leaking" from other material containing wood pulp, protection from other pollutants or protection from soiling or insects is really up to the individual collector and his individual storage situation and needs. |
Adrian Wymann, March 2010 |
NOTE |
| References ROZANSKI Chuck (2002) The Original Mile High Collection Part II, available online at www.milehighcomics.com/tales/cbg13.html and accessed 15 March 2010 TEYGELER R. (2004). Preserving paper: Recent advances, in J. Feather (Ed) Managing preservation for libraries and archives: Current practice and future development, Ashgate Publishing |
Content is (c) 2010 Adrian Wymann
