Comic Book Binding

[Tupiaz]

Is Hollingworth and Moss still the best option in Europe? On their web page they advertise for binding comics. However I can't find any specific information as to how they do it. I would like the options Houchen provides.

[Ajax100]

The omnibus has it 360-Balder 1-361-362-Balder 2-4.

Thank you.

[Judge Dredd]

A few more books from the Grayson bind.

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[World1]

Hey Gecko! Thanks!

Yep, I have a little side thing called ComicBindingPro that helps get folks into binding. You'd provide the content and I do the prep, art, etc. Though I've had folks just paypal me to buy lots on ebay or mycomicshop if they don't already have the content. But generally people bind stuff they already have so they send it to me. My site is comicbindingpro.com or facebook.com/comicbindingpro - feel free to email me comicbindingpro@gmail.com so we don't clutter up the thread too much. I don't want it to just be me advertising

I've bound a ton of stuff - it was enjoying binding so much that got me into helping other folks out. I've done a crazy amount of stuff between binds for myself and for others. Here is an outdated pic of one of my shelves:



And here is a recent batch I got in:

I'll be emailing you later today!

[Oeternalis]

I don't want to detract attention from the awesome work Dick Grayson is doing, but for some reason I find myself more drawn to the simpler style shown in the very first post of this thread, they almost look like old law books.

I've only recently started reading comics and I mostly have collected editions so portability and readability on those isn't a problem. I do have ALL the Titan Comic Doctor Who as floppies and I think they'd be a great candidate to try binding, I just need a few answers.

Do you guys prefer Houchen or Herring & Robinson? What kind of binding do you use (DFBA with the bigger gutter loss but the option of removing any unwanted pages of Smyth / hand sewn for the smaller gutter but now you have to keep the issues as is)? How big do you make your books? The ungoing series have "years" of 16 issue (or at least year 1 was 16 issues) so I might go for that even though it looks a bit on the small size compared to other binding jobs posted here. What about limited series (5 issues), the Free Comic Book Day specials and the SDCC one off?

Any pointers on those issues and on anything else I might have missed would be greatly appreciated.

[Dick Grayson]

I don't want to detract attention from the awesome work Dick Grayson is doing, but for some reason I find myself more drawn to the simpler style shown in the very first post of this thread, they almost look like old law books.

I've only recently started reading comics and I mostly have collected editions so portability and readability on those isn't a problem. I do have ALL the Titan Comic Doctor Who as floppies and I think they'd be a great candidate to try binding, I just need a few answers.

Do you guys prefer Houchen or Herring & Robinson? What kind of binding do you use (DFBA with the bigger gutter loss but the option of removing any unwanted pages of Smyth / hand sewn for the smaller gutter but now you have to keep the issues as is)? How big do you make your books? The ungoing series have "years" of 16 issue (or at least year 1 was 16 issues) so I might go for that even though it looks a bit on the small size compared to other binding jobs posted here. What about limited series (5 issues), the Free Comic Book Day specials and the SDCC one off?

Any pointers on those issues and on anything else I might have missed would be greatly appreciated.

Absolutely nothing wrong with the cloth covers! I just liked the art-on-cover as they look more like comics to me, and sit nicely next to official releases. But the cloth covers can look really nice and regal. The nice thing about binding is that you can do what you want.

As for H&R versus Houchen, I think H&R's lettering is nicer looking on the cloth covers, and I think they might have more die-stamps. But Houchen can do art on cover and dust jackets and do a great job. Binding-wise, I think you'd be happy with either bindery.

I end up using DFAB most of the time, since I remove ads, use trades, etc. The gutter loss has never been a problem for me, though if I were binding something like JH Williams Batwoman with tons of double-page spreads, I'd look at smyth. Smyth is great for smaller binds or if you're wanting to or okay with leaving in non-story pages, but the size limitations, not being able to use anything square-bound (lots of DC annuals from the 80s and 90s are squarebound, plus those prestige format books), and having to leave ads in keeps me using DFAB much of the time.

As far as size, it's up to you, you can go as small as 1 issue if you really wanted. I've bound books that are under 10 issues for folks, the smallest being the three uncollected Batwoman issues someone wanted done. As far as the maximum, it can vary by bindery. At Houchen, it's 18 issues or so for smyth, and around 2.5 inches for DFAB but I've had some folks go bigger in some cases. H&R say 1.5 inches for smyth or DFAB. The size of my binds vary depending on the series, but I usually like to have at least 10 or 15 issues, which is generally not a problem, since most the stuff I bind is DC and ends up being larger than that (and multiple volumes...)

[Batmil]

Dick Grayson, I have been loving your work ever since I first joined this forum.. it's amazing! However, for us living in Europe, what do you guys think is the best option for binding? Any particular companies that do a great job?

[evilomar]

Grayson, I've said it before and I'll say it again: Dayuummm! You are truly the man when it comes to these bindings. And so close to me too I may have to come see these collections for myself one day.

[Dick Grayson]

Grayson, I've said it before and I'll say it again: Dayuummm! You are truly the man when it comes to these bindings. And so close to me too I may have to come see these collections for myself one day.

Ha, thanks! Next time you're in town let me know

Dick Grayson, I have been loving your work ever since I first joined this forum.. it's amazing! However, for us living in Europe, what do you guys think is the best option for binding? Any particular companies that do a great job?

Thank you! Not sure about binderies in Europe unfortunately, wish I could help.

[Oeternalis]

I've just bought my first DC monthly (Detective Comics 934 because I wanted to see what they were doing with Batwoman) and holy molly half the pages are adds! I understand why Dick Grayson binds trades. It's super annoying to read and I can't see myself dealing with them in my custom collected editions.

I've decided to try Herring & Robinson, probably hand sewn because the adds in Titan Comics are minimal and at the end of the issues. I'm still designing how I want the spines and then it's off to the post office. I'll post pictures when I eventually get them (shipping to and from Canada is going to delay the whole endeavor).

[Dick Grayson]

I've just bought my first DC monthly (Detective Comics 934 because I wanted to see what they were doing with Batwoman) and holy molly half the pages are adds! I understand why Dick Grayson binds trades. It's super annoying to read and I can't see myself dealing with them in my custom collected editions.

I've decided to try Herring & Robinson, probably hand sewn because the adds in Titan Comics are minimal and at the end of the issues. I'm still designing how I want the spines and then it's off to the post office. I'll post pictures when I eventually get them (shipping to and from Canada is going to delay the whole endeavor).

Yeah, though at least with the first spate of Rebirth issues like Tec 934 you can maybe remove the chunk in the middle, since it's like a big insert. So from the Superman: Rebirth ad through the Overwatch ad (8 pages total) can all come out and the book can still be smyth/handsewn since it doesn't affect the signature of any other pages. Though even with that it's still a lot of ads, but I don't know if it's much more than most modern Marvel/DC comics, is it (even if it's not, I agree it's still a lot!)

While lack of ads is a big reason I use trades for more modern stuff, the other reason is I just already had trades for a lot of stuff already I bind lots of floppies too, or a combo of the two. I initially got into binding to bind uncollected stuff, so floppies are my only option in lots of cases. With older DC stuff (80s-90s) there are tons of ads you can remove, thankfully. Marvel, at least in my experience, rarely has double-sided ads though.

There are tons of Image comics I love but they seem to always end up with OHCs so I've not really had to bind any, though I'll eventually do a Sex Criminals bind so I have all the letter columns and because it's mine and my wife's favorite series (I proposed to her at a panel at HeroesCon a couple years back with the help of Chip and Matt). But I digress...

Excited to see your first bind - H&R does great work! Welcome to the obsession

[Ajax100]

Hi All. I want to bind the Silvestri and Lee era Uncanny Xmen. My dilemma is including 266, since it is fairly valuable right now. Would you include it or leave it out for an incomplete run? Thanks for your thoughts

[krisis]

Hi All. I want to bind the Silvestri and Lee era Uncanny Xmen. My dilemma is including 266, since it is fairly valuable right now. Would you include it or leave it out for an incomplete run? Thanks for your thoughts

I'd be hesitant to bind such a key issue (and I do have that) simply because I know it could probably pay for the whole project!

I believe the issue is reprinted in full in Gambit & Bishop: Sons of the Atom (2001) Genesis, which is a $2 comic at best, but because it also has other issues in it you can't have it sewn through the sig.

There are tons of Image comics I love but they seem to always end up with OHCs so I've not really had to bind any, though I'll eventually do a Sex Criminals bind so I have all the letter columns and because it's mine and my wife's favorite series (I proposed to her at a panel at HeroesCon a couple years back with the help of Chip and Matt). But I digress...

First of all, that is adorable

Secondly, I didn't realize just how many Image books have awesome backmatter that I've been missing in trade! Some books are including them in the deluxe editions, but especially for Alex Kot books and Bitch Planet I really want all the essays! Might lead to binding

[Dark-Flux]

My latest, curtesy of Hollingworth & Moss;

American Century and Ten Grand binds.

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[JussD50]

I am so loving this thread. I am feeling very inspired. Probably going to bind New Universe and CrossGen books.
I have a couple questions though:
1) Does anyone remove single page ads? Often there are two singles that could be glued back to back to make a better reading experience. Does anyone do this? if so what glue do you recommend?
2) Is the "Signature" the crease in the middle of the book?
3) If I want to remove all the ads from the back of a book but still want to sew it, do I cut just above the crease "keeping the signature" or will that create a weird bunch of niblits at the end of each book?