I was going to say black with yellow outline as well. The gray stands out more than than the black, but not loving it personally.
Or try white, maybe...I dunno....just keep tinkering. In the end, do what you like!
I like this latest version the cover; it's looking nice.
Just my personal preference here: I would experiment with scaling down the "Brimstone" logo on the spine. The main reason being that it currently seems to be perched right on top of the character's head; giving the spine a crowded appearance. Scaling it down would give the background art a little more breathing room. The spine is such a narrow format when it's viewed isolated and on its own; and it really can be a case of "a little bit goes a long way". You might actually be able to scale down both the DC and Brimstone logos; and yet they would still have a solid presence in the composition.
Pull List: The Black Hammer, Bitch Planet, Copperhead, Hellboy/BPRD, Monstress, Ms. Marvel, Southern Cross
Twitter: @JavasaurusRex
Hey everyone, first time poster here in this thread. I'll try to make this quick: I just purchased a bunch of HC MMWs off ebay, and none of them have dust jackets (but that means no one else wanted them and I scored a pile of books really cheap!).
Ant=Man / Giant-Man vols 1, 2
Iron Man vols 2, 3, 4
Captain Marvel vols 1, 2, 3
X-Men (silver age) vols 3, 4, 5, 6
My question: Is there a central website/repository of silver+black MMW DJ scans/creations somewhere? I don't want to create something from scratch, like the amazing things I see posted here, I just want the actual DJs of the books.
As far as physical printing, I think I have that covered via printer at work (I know getting these printed at a retail shop is difficult due to copyrighted material, etc...)
If anyone has a line on image files of the above MMWs, or at least a blank template of a silver+black MMW jacket that I can 'fill in' the appropriate pieces with digital scans of the books, I would greatly appreciate it!
One more question: What type of paper are dust jackets made of, typically? i.e. if I went to Office Depot or somewhere to get a pack of the right size paper, what kind of paper is it, since it's pseudo glossy, thicker than standard fax/copy paper, etc...?
Thanks again! If there's a place that already lines all this stuff out, please let me know, I don't want to derail your thread. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to take up space here. Thank you all so much.
"Boomerang arrow, Kate... It comes back to you in the end. Boomerang. Respect it." - Clint
"Why the hell do you need an arrow that comes back to you after you shoot it, Clint?" - Kate
"Because... Boomerangs." - Clint.
Try the message boards here: http://www.marvelmasterworks.com/home.html
Things I love: Batman, Superman, AEW, old films, Lovecraft
Grant Morrison: “Adults...struggle desperately with fiction, demanding constantly that it conform to the rules of everyday life. Adults foolishly demand to know how Superman can possibly fly, or how Batman can possibly run a multibillion-dollar business empire during the day and fight crime at night, when the answer is obvious even to the smallest child: because it's not real.”
Keep it simple my man. I played around with your design and came up with something like this.
anT0AFZ.jpg
No PDF file; didn't save it since it was just a quick little mock. But I did upload a larger sized version over at Imgur.
https://i.imgur.com/8GKEAvP.jpg
Last week I received my second Herring & Robinson order!!
I have a few thoughts in case any one is looking to start the process of using book binding services.
Context: I have been a comic book lover since childhood. I have sold off my collection on 3 occasions, the most recent was around 2008/09 as I was preparing to leave the country. Up to that point I was buying, for example, ever DC Absolute Edition and every Marvel Omnibus that they were printing. My trade collection was vast. I promised myself that I would never become a completest again, because, knowing myself, my inclination to collect can easily get out of hand. I am trying to be really prejudicial about what I have bound, specifically titles that I love and intend to read repeatedly.
Having said that, I LOVE comic books. I love going to the comic shop and shooting the breeze with the owner. I love having a subscription box and following titles month to month. I am subscribed to around 16 titles. I'm not willing to give this up; I hope I'm always a comic book reader. I LOVE floppies; their feel, the smell of the ink, how fragile they are, how they lay flat open.
1. I adore the hand-sewn method. As outline above, my adoration of the floppy comic book is best preserved when sewn by hand. The books remain whole, all the original ads are there, the original Editors' and Letters columns, that smell - love it! Since I am attempting to not get carried away with the bindings, the additional $20 per book for the hand-sewn bindings is totally worth it to me.
2. 12-16 issues is ideal. 18 is a hard max. The two books I went to 19 books there is noticeable cracking at the seam. I haven't tried to go under 12, but I would guess that 10 books would still be thick enough to look good. The era/type of paper can really impact this and I think there is only trial and error. Sandman at 16 issues is ideal. Saga did fine with 18 issues. I would guess this could translate to other a recent Image titles.
3. Arrestox is my favorite material. I began with Buckram because it is said to be most durable but I like the linen feel/finish of the Arrestox more. I also prefer the color selections of the Arrestox. I was slightly disappointed with the feel of the Bonded Leather. I expected it to be a little thicker/heftier - almost like an Easton Press edition - but it is not. Bonded Leather has a great finish and aesthetic but it feels less thick/sturdy then the Buckram. Bonded Leather is an additional $6.
4. Clearly contrasting the color of the text to the book really elevates the spine. My first run of binds the text doesn't contrast enough - like the green text against the royal blue Buckram of Ex Machina. I remedied this with the second order and the spines really 'pop.'
5. Be careful with symbol requests on spines. Look at the All*Star Superman spine below. My only minor criticism of all the beautiful books I received in how the * symbol is placed.
6. Having control over what is included, curating your story, is such a boon. For example, my Hawkeye run is only issues that Fraction did with David Aja, leaving out Javier Pulido's side story of Kate Bishop's adventures on the West Coast. There is nothing wrong with that story, but I felt like it was distracting from the primary arc, so now I get the story HOW I WANT IT. Oh the control. So satisfying.
7. Half-binds are gorgeous. An extra $15. For those special books it really makes them look good. Check out the Saga binds below. Stunning.
8. I can't sing the praises of H&R enough. Superlative craftsmanship, quick turnaround, great friendly customer service. Top shelf organization.
Now for a little less telling and more showing:
Bookshelf.jpg Bookshelf 2a.jpg Bookshelf 3a.jpg
the Sandman
6 Volumes
Black Bonded Leather
Silver line text
Black ribbon
Black head/tail bands
I posted the binding map a few pages back on this thread. I gave it a lot of consideration and remain convinced it is the correct map if attempting to go with size limitation with hand-sewn binds. I chose to include McKean on the spine for a few reasons. He was a consistent artistic presence for the entire series, in a series plagues by inconsistent creators. I think very highly of him. I don't think the series' reputation/popularity would have been the same without his iconic covers. I remember seeing those covers on the shelves and being utterly fascinated by how different, esoteric, and beautiful they are.
Sandman 1.jpg Sandman 2.jpg Sandman 3.jpg
Saga
3 Volumes
Half-bind Field Canvas Arrestox with Hickory Arrestox spine
Orange line text
Navy Blue ribbon
Green & Gold head/tail bands
I am speechless at how beautiful these books are. I anticipate having Paper Girls bound the same way but with Yellow line text.
Saga 1.jpg Saga 2.jpg Saga 3.jpg