Bound books

[The Mighty Drew]

He's smart to list them seperately, but if it were me, I would not be able to stand the thought of potentialy breaking up these volumes and sending them to different homes. I'm not typically obsessive-compulsive, but the idea simply can not reconcile itself in my head.

[The Mighty Drew]

By the way, I seperated some series to send off to be bound after the holidays. Unfortunately, there are no Valiants among them. As I stated earlier, as nice as the bound volumes are, the ads in that format would bug me.

Can anyone think of any ad-free Valiant issues? Maybe I'll send an assortment of those to make an ad-free harcover Valiant "mix tape".

Anyway, what I am sending:

Who's Who in the DC Universe #1-26 for two volumes.
Watchmen #1-12
V for Vendetta #1-10
The Marvel Saga #1-25 for two volumes
Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-12 - Yes, I know this has ads, but I have three copies of this series, and I thought I would send one off and it might change my mind about the ad thing.

Also, why send series that are readily available in trade paperback? I bought these when they first came out over 20 years ago, and believe me, they've experienced a good amount of handling and love. It will be nice to see them revitalized in this very cool format.

I think I'll start a seperate thread regarding ad-free Valiants.

[tarheelmarine]

So what do we need to do to have this Library Binding create a Logo for VALIANTs??

Yes, how do they create a die with the old Valiant compass logo, and the Magnus logo?

[Draco]

OMG

I saw some bound Valiant volumes on ebay the other day.

Didn't really make a note of which titles/issues however. They might still be running.

Hardbound Solar 1-60

These prices were a steal

[ncameron]

So what do we need to do to have this Library Binding create a Logo for VALIANTs??

Yes, how do they create a die with the old Valiant compass logo, and the Magnus logo?

viewtopic.php?t=18748

You basically take an image convert it to black and white, the black being the area the metallic ink will color. I am creating a bloodshot die that you can see in the link.

-Neil

[tarheelmarine]

So what do we need to do to have this Library Binding create a Logo for VALIANTs??

Yes, how do they create a die with the old Valiant compass logo, and the Magnus logo?

viewtopic.php?t=18748

You basically take an image convert it to black and white, the black being the area the metallic ink will color. I am creating a bloodshot die that you can see in the link.

-Neil

Does the bindery keep this on file, or do you have to send it to them everytime?

[Steve Topper]

They will keep them on file for your use only. However, if you tell them when you send them in that you are effectively donating them to any other binder, they have been known to discount the price of the die. And then anybody else can use the dies as well.

[IanAlexavier]

Im thinking that this topic should be given its own section. Im so geeked about getting my comics bound.


Maybe we should put together a plan as far as sharing the costs for having dies made after we design them together.. then we can ship all of our books at about the same time. Maybe save some cash from whoever binds them?

I want to make sure this gets done the right way I want to be able to show them to friends and not be ashamed LOL

[Steve Topper]

I received my latest set of books back from binding on Thursday. I had four more volumes made:

Turok Book 1: Turok Dinosaur Hunter 0-15, Turok Yearbook, and Turok 16-23

Turok Book 2: Turok Dinosaur Hunter 24-47

Turok Book 3: Turok the Hunted 1-2, Turok/Timewalker 1-2, Empty Souls, Spring Break in the Lost Land, Redpath, Child of Blood, Tales from the Lost Land, Turok 1-4, Turok/Shadowman, Turok 3 Shadow of Oblivion, and Turok Evolution

Troublemakers: Troublemakers 1-19

I finally got around to finishing the dust jacket for my previously bound Visitor book and I've made the Turok dust jackets (just need to print them out.) And I still need to make the Troublemakers dust jacket.



Here are pictures of what I have completed so far:








A total of 25 bound Valiant books and still more on the horizon -- X-O manowar, Solar, Magnus, Rai, and the various miscellany. As I get them bound, I'll post more pictures.

[MoonChild]

Damn, that's clean Toop I'm about to bound UNITY Bloodshot 2 and Shadowman 2 gotta figure out what else, TPB's & Quarter bins will come in handy for sure!

[SnotDrip]

You know this is such an awesome thread it should be made a sticky somewhere, maybe under Registered Members.

This may have been asked already but what would be the ideal quantity bound within a volume? Is there there an ideal number 9/10/15?? I would presume it to be dependent on the type of binding (stitch vs glue/perfect bound)

[IanAlexavier]

Dang Steve!! I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I am with those dust jackets. Those are professional grade!!! Is this what you do for a living? Graphic arts?

[Steve Topper]

For me, the "perfect size" is around 20 issues, but I break that rule depending on the runs themselves. I try to avoid anything over 25 issues, but I break that one as well.

Library Binding uses sewn binding and I've found some very minor gutter loss on my larger books. So I've been trying to keep my break points at 20 issues. For A&A, I decided to bind the entire run in one book because a 20 issue bok would leave me with only 7 books for a second volume. Didn't make sense, so it became my behemoth book.

My main criteria is I try to keep storylines intact and break my books up at logical break points. I also add extra issues that are crossovers. So my Secret Weapons books has the Bloodshot issues included that crossover in the Rampage storyline; the Bloodshot book has the Secret Weapons issues for Rampage as well. Eternal Warrior has the appropraite A&A issues and the A&A book has the appropriate Eternal Warrior issues as well. So some books have duplicated issues.

Below is a chart of the volumes I've had bound with their page counts and issue counts. I still quite a few more to bind and eventually will have the Complete Valiant/Acclaim runs in hardcovers on my shelves.


Book Vol Pages Issues
Archer & Armstrong 1 1032 28
Armorines 1 596 17
Bloodshot 1 684 19
Bloodshot 2 684 19
Bloodshot 3 824 18
Bloodshot 4 576 16
Chaos Effect 1 712 20
Eternal Warrior 1 800 22
Eternal Warrior 2 812 22
Eternal Warrior 3 780 19
Harbinger 1 932 26
Harbinger 2 700 19
Quantum & Woody 1 812 23
Sec Life of Dr Mirage 1 684 19
Secret Weapons 1 864 24
Shadowman 1 864 24
Shadowman 2 808 22
Shadowman 3 936 26
Timewalker 1 792 17
Troublemakers 1 684 19
Turok Dino Hunter 1 916 25
Turok Dino Hunter 2 864 24
Turok Dino Hunter 3 688 16
Unity 1 616 18
Visitor 1 648 15
------------------------------------------------------
19308 517

[SnotDrip]

Thanks Steve

[Steve Topper]

Dang Steve!! I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I am with those dust jackets. Those are professional grade!!! Is this what you do for a living? Graphic arts?

No, this is purely a hobby and I'm self-taught in working with Photoshop. I'm a retired military officer and current defense contractor, so I don't get to play with graphics much for work (other than PowerPoint). But thanks for the compliment.

[BloodOfHeroes]

Harbinger 1 932 26

Niiice place to make the "break".

Steve, are the "Rampage" storylines the only "crossovers" in your Bloodshot set? I'd like to do a comprehensive series, startting with Rai #0, including the EW appearances, etc.

I'd probably also include (as an "appendix") MASTER DARQUE and the SHADOWMAN issues with Raymond Garrison in the V2 volume. But I've been told I have a sickness.



BoH

[Daniel Jackson]

I received my latest set of books back from binding on Thursday. I had four more volumes made:

Turok Book 1: Turok Dinosaur Hunter 0-15, Turok Yearbook, and Turok 16-23

Turok Book 2: Turok Dinosaur Hunter 24-47

Turok Book 3: Turok the Hunted 1-2, Turok/Timewalker 1-2, Empty Souls, Spring Break in the Lost Land, Redpath, Child of Blood, Tales from the Lost Land, Turok 1-4, Turok/Shadowman, Turok 3 Shadow of Oblivion, and Turok Evolution

Troublemakers: Troublemakers 1-19

I finally got around to finishing the dust jacket for my previously bound Visitor book and I've made the Turok dust jackets (just need to print them out.) And I still need to make the Troublemakers dust jacket.



Here are pictures of what I have completed so far:








A total of 25 bound Valiant books and still more on the horizon -- X-O manowar, Solar, Magnus, Rai, and the various miscellany. As I get them bound, I'll post more pictures.

Wow, nicely done.

[IanAlexavier]

Steve, now that you have the A&A book in your hands, would you recommend it be done in 2 volumes or stick with just 1? Im concerned with breaking the binding after a while.. what do you think?

[Steve Topper]

Steve, are the "Rampage" storylines the only "crossovers" in your Bloodshot set? I'd like to do a comprehensive series, startting with Rai #0, including the EW appearances, etc.

For my Bloodshot books, yes. What I didn't want to do was put together a set of books where it became a collection of appearances. If an issue was a literal crossover (i.e., it continued into another series), I included it. Or if the issue was clearly related to the book (i.e., Valiant Era Companion and Eternal Warrior).

Another example was the Unity Lost Chapter. Upon reading it, I felt it did not belong in the Unity volume as it was really an X-O Manowar story (and it was published some time after Unity completed. So it will get bound in my X-O volumes.

I'd probably also include (as an "appendix") MASTER DARQUE and the SHADOWMAN issues with Raymond Garrison in the V2 volume.

And that is exactly why I really enjoy binding my books. When I bind a set, it is how I think the set should be; no one else but me. Is it "correct" ? is it "official" To somebody else, the answer might be No, but for me, the answer is always Yes, because these are MY sets and they are exactly how I want them So, for you add MASTER DARQUE and SHADOWMAN. If their inclusion makes your books "better" for you, then go ahead.

[Steve Topper]

Steve, now that you have the A&A book in your hands, would you recommend it be done in 2 volumes or stick with just 1? Im concerned with breaking the binding after a while.. what do you think?

I'd leave it as one volume. It's just over 2" thick and seems to be very sturdy. And fortunately, A&A was at the beginning of the Valiant runs som there isn't a while lot of full-bleed artwork and minimal gutter loss.

Plus, a nice thick book looks appealing to me. Personal preference of course, but I think 200 page hardcovers that Marvel and DC put out look skimpy. A $20 1000-page book just makes me smile!

[IanAlexavier]

A question about Solar... I dont think youve had that title bound yet. My question is this: What do you plan on doing in regards to the Alph and Omega inserts. Im thinking it would be better to pull them out, but in issue #1 there is part of the issue that is on the same page as the first part of Alpha and Omega. What to do about that? Unless we sacrifice a Solar #1 to get that page...

[BloodOfHeroes]

A question about Solar... I dont think youve had that title bound yet. My question is this: What do you plan on doing in regards to the Alph and Omega inserts. Im thinking it would be better to pull them out, but in issue #1 there is part of the issue that is on the same page as the first part of Alpha and Omega. What to do about that? Unless we sacrifice a Solar #1 to get that page...

I'm still leaning towards using my extra trades for the (Pre-)Unity stuff. I think I could live with that.

BoH

[Steve Topper]

A question about Solar... I dont think youve had that title bound yet. My question is this: What do you plan on doing in regards to the Alph and Omega inserts. Im thinking it would be better to pull them out, but in issue #1 there is part of the issue that is on the same page as the first part of Alpha and Omega. What to do about that? Unless we sacrifice a Solar #1 to get that page...

I really haven't decided yet. I have Alpha and Omega but it's the HC, not the TPB. If I had the TPB I thin I would remove the inserts (except the one page) and bind the TPB with the first couple of issues. I'm going to have to think about the logistics on Solar and maybe delay those volumes until the very end.

[Steve Topper]

I received my latest set of bound Valiants from Library Binding late last week (early Christmas present ) and printed out the dust jackets today. Below is my shelf of bound Valiants as well as the first six volumes of the Silver Age Superman I'm having bound as well.



Latest package of books went out today to Library, although none of the seven sets were any Valiants this time. I want to get further along in my Superman bindings so I sent out:

Action Book 1 (Action Comics 300-320)
Action Book 2 (Action Comics 321-340)
Superman Book 8 (Superman 281-300)
Superman Book 9 (Superman 301-320)
Superman Book 10 (Superman 321-340)
Superman Book 11 (Superman 341-360)
Mad Archives (Tales Calculated to Drive You Mad 1-8 -- reprinting Mad 1-23)

[BloodOfHeroes]

Wow, does that ever look sweet. Steve--thank you for sharing so much with all of us. It's definitely appreciated.

BoH