CELEBRATE THE MANUFACTURING ERRORS 10 10

[Jesse-Lee]

Not really sure what is going on with this one - if anyone has any insights, I'd love to hear them! The blue color is missing from the bottom of the "N" in "Batman." It's not removed in any way, it definitely looks like it was printed this way. It just seems really weird that it just stops the way it does.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 6/7/2022 at 7:34 PM, Jesse-Lee said:

Not really sure what is going on with this one - if anyone has any insights, I'd love to hear them! The blue color is missing from the bottom of the "N" in "Batman." It's not removed in any way, it definitely looks like it was printed this way. It just seems really weird that it just stops the way it does.

It's quite a clean line, so perhaps an obstruction on the printing plate?

  

 

[Jesse-Lee]

On 6/7/2022 at 2:17 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

It's quite a clean line, so perhaps an obstruction on the printing plate?

  

Thanks - is it weird that the rest of the blues seem to have come through just fine? Is it possible for a small obstruction to get on the plate that would only affect a specific area like that? I'm not well-versed in the printing process (shameful since I used to work for a daily newspaper 20 years ago...).

[Get Marwood & I]

On 6/7/2022 at 8:26 PM, Jesse-Lee said:

Thanks - is it weird that the rest of the blues seem to have come through just fine? Is it possible for a small obstruction to get on the plate that would only affect a specific area like that? 

I'd imagine so, yes. I'm not an expert but I would imagine the potential causes of this effect are finite and few, and an obstruction seems a reasonable guess to me. And the fact that it seems to be fairly uncommon - yours is the only copy I can see online currently - indicates that whatever it was, it was spotted early (or manifested late) in the print run.

Someone with experience will surely chime in to contradict all that any minute now....

[L.E. Gill]

Adamantium suggest I post this here from another thread. Would love to hear if anyone has thoughts on this misprinted DCU variant, with a partially visible direct sales UPC under the DCU logo and then the entire cover was overprinted (what is this type of error called?) with the back cover upside down on the front and vice versa.

It's a little hard to see some of the details, but for example you can see a bit of Batman's leg and cape etching and a DCU logo on the back cover. Some of the photos show a comparison to a normal version. I put the rest under the cut since it's a bit image heavy.

Spoiler

I pulled this out of an open Batman Troika Collector's Set that came in a mixed lot a few months back off eBay. At first I thought it was some kind of acid burn transfer like you get sometimes on old comic boards but then I realized the writing from the back cover would be backwards and not just upside down if that was the case. And the direct sales upc plus the faint imprint of the dcu upc on the back suggests it ran thru the printing press at least three times.

My current theory is that either whoever was working that day was either "Well I forgot we were supposed to print for these collector sets now," or maybe they were demoing how to change out the plates for an intern and it slipped thru quality control. 

I collect DCUs so this was a pretty cool find for me. Would love any insight boardies could share.

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 6/14/2022 at 6:15 PM, L.E. Gill said:

Adamantium suggest I post this here from another thread. Would love to hear if anyone has thoughts on this misprinted DCU variant, with a partially visible direct sales UPC under the DCU logo and then the entire cover was overprinted (what is this type of error called?) with the back cover upside down on the front and vice versa.

It's a little hard to see some of the details, but for example you can see a bit of Batman's leg and cape etching and a DCU logo on the back cover. Some of the photos show a comparison to a normal version. I put the rest under the cut since it's a bit image heavy.

  Reveal hidden contents

I pulled this out of an open Batman Troika Collector's Set that came in a mixed lot a few months back off eBay. At first I thought it was some kind of acid burn transfer like you get sometimes on old comic boards but then I realized the writing from the back cover would be backwards and not just upside down if that was the case. And the direct sales upc plus the faint imprint of the dcu upc on the back suggests it ran thru the printing press at least three times.

My current theory is that either whoever was working that day was either "Well I forgot we were supposed to print for these collector sets now," or maybe they were demoing how to change out the plates for an intern and it slipped thru quality control. 

I collect DCUs so this was a pretty cool find for me. Would love any insight boardies could share.

I'm sure @onlyweaknesskryptonite will have some thoughts upon return, @Get Marwood & I is someone who frequently visits this thread

I think it's an oddity. I almost thought it was due to heat or something, with the comic transfer being rubbed on.

Still

That doesn't explain the back cover Haha 

 

[ADAMANTIUM]

I do understand that a few DCU logos had them as stickers on books, hence that would make sense via heat transfer,  but the likelihood of it being from another comic is slim.

Due to the exact spot on the book being so lined up and etc.

Sounds like the printers were a bit jammed and they had to finish out the mes up in printing to un jam it

@L.E. Gill still cool

 

[L.E. Gill]

On 6/14/2022 at 6:18 PM, ADAMANTIUM said:

I think it's an oddity. I almost thought it was due to heat or something, with the comic transfer being rubbed on.

That's what I thought at first too! I figured that maybe it was improperly stored or something but when I asked the seller if they remembered if it came out that way when they opened the package they said they had no idea. I think they were afraid I wanted a return, lol. I set it aside as an oddity to photo later. But then I was reboarding some new acquisitions that had transfer on the backing boards and realized if it was that it would have been a reverse image! 

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 6/14/2022 at 6:25 PM, L.E. Gill said:

That's what I thought at first too! I figured that maybe it was improperly stored or something but when I asked the seller if they remembered if it came out that way when they opened the package they said they had no idea. I think they were afraid I wanted a return, lol. I set it aside as an oddity to photo later. But then I was reboarding some new acquisitions that had transfer on the backing boards and realized if it was that it would have been a reverse image! 

For it to have transferred in that specific location would be difficult to fathom, it would have had to be the right comic, with a sticker or other transferrable media, that somehow didn't make it look backwards

More than likely manufacturing, hence why I mentioned this thread for kicks.

If it were slabbed, it would probably be a green qualified label, as cgc sometimes does that with certain manufacturing oddities. I'm not sure about that, I have a Canadian price variant of a Mark Jewelers Insert that usually is for USA stationed military bases. Anyway, cgc gave it a blue label, but I've seen other divergent comics with green.

Someone will want it eventually

If that's you for now, it's cool as it has several different aspects. Idk how well known the dcu market is, may be worth rehashing in several years.

 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 6/15/2022 at 12:18 AM, ADAMANTIUM said:

I'm sure @onlyweaknesskryptonite will have some thoughts upon return, @Get Marwood & I is someone who frequently visits this thread

I think it's an oddity. I almost thought it was due to heat or something, with the comic transfer being rubbed on.

Still

That doesn't explain the back cover Haha 

 

Cor, that's cool @L.E. Gill

I can feel everyone rushing to eBay now, looking for another copy. Love it 

@Cpt Kirk will too. 

[Cpt Kirk]

On 6/15/2022 at 6:49 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

Cor, that's cool @L.E. Gill

I can feel everyone rushing to eBay now, looking for another copy. Love it 

@Cpt Kirk will too. 

What a great topic for the boards.... but I'm going to hate myself for replying to this topic, because now I'm going to get constant reminders of manufacturing errors that I'm going to want to buy...  

[Get Marwood & I]

On 6/19/2022 at 3:04 AM, Cpt Kirk said:

What a great topic for the boards.... but I'm going to hate myself for replying to this topic, because now I'm going to get constant reminders of manufacturing errors that I'm going to want to buy...  

Sorry!

[Cpt Kirk]

On 6/19/2022 at 3:06 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

Sorry!

I just went through my database and could provide several error examples in Batman and Superman titles not already mentioned about if you would like to see them.   Examples include extra cover in centerfold, front cover attached inside out, printing errors (some rather notorious golden age and silver age examples that are essentially variants because more than one exists).   

[Get Marwood & I]

On 6/19/2022 at 11:46 AM, Cpt Kirk said:

I just went through my database and could provide several error examples in Batman and Superman titles not already mentioned about if you would like to see them.   Examples include extra cover in centerfold, front cover attached inside out, printing errors (some rather notorious golden age and silver age examples that are essentially variants because more than one exists).   

I'm sure all the regulars in the thread would love to see them Cap'n 

[Cpt Kirk]

 

On 6/19/2022 at 6:57 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

I'm sure all the regulars in the thread would love to see them Cap'n 

Here's just a few of my favorites, and I can post more:

Batman 382 with two covers (one in the regular outside position, and another one in the centerfold)

 

Justice League of America 182 with a cover that was accidentally installed backwards (if that's how you say it).  In other words, in this error copy the inside back cover of a normal copy was installed as the front cover, the normal back cover was installed as the inside front cover, and the front cover of a normal copy was installed as the inside back cover.  I hope that's no too confusing.

 

Action Comics 223 with the correct front cover, Action 223 with the '233' error on the front cover (the ebay seller apologized for sending me a copy with that error on the front cover), and Action 233 with the correct front cover on it.

 

Edited June 19, 2022 by Cpt Kirk

[Get Marwood & I]

On 6/19/2022 at 8:44 PM, Cpt Kirk said:

 

Here's just a few of my favorites, and I can post more:

Batman 382 with two covers (one in the regular outside position, and another one in the centerfold)

 

Justice League of America 182 with a cover that was accidentally installed backwards (if that's how you say it).  In other words, in this error copy the inside back cover of a normal copy was installed as the front cover, the normal back cover was installed as the inside front cover, and the front cover of a normal copy was installed as the inside back cover.  I hope that's no too confusing.

 

Action Comics 223 correct copy, Action 223 with the 233 error on the front cover (the ebay seller apologized for sending me a copy with that error on the front cover), and Action 233 with the correct cover on it.

 

Never seen the misnumbered Action 223 before. That's a cracker 

More please 

[Cpt Kirk]

On 6/19/2022 at 3:48 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

Never seen the misnumbered Action 223 before. That's a cracker 

More please 

Thanks.   Take a look at my post on approximately page 5 (the second to last page) in the following thread.   I will have to keep going on this thread too.  I've got newsstand bar codes that were wrong and were covered over by stickers, Superman (1939 series) misnumbered front cover (74 was on the front cover instead of 75), and many others.

 

[Cpt Kirk]

On 6/19/2022 at 3:48 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

Never seen the misnumbered Action 223 before. That's a cracker 

More please 

Action Comics 759 Newsstand.  The original bar code had an error with the number "10" on it (for October).  It should have been "11" for November.  For some reason, the error was corrected with more than one type of bar code sticker.  I found at least a few of these exact same stickers more than once, so I believe some of the stickers originated with the printer or distributor.

[Cpt Kirk]

Batman 302 with the no blue dot, one blue dot, and double blue dot.  To me, this means the printer was running out of one color in just that particular spot.  Note that I have seen at least 4 Mark Jeweler variants of Batman 302 and all of them have the double blue dot.  That makes me think the Batman 302 Mark Jeweler variants were created at the end of the print run.

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 6/20/2022 at 2:57 PM, Cpt Kirk said:

Batman 302 with the no blue dot, one blue dot, and double blue dot.  To me, this means the printer was running out of one color in just that particular spot.  Note that I have seen at least 4 Mark Jeweler variants of Batman 302 and all of them have the double blue dot.  That makes me think the Batman 302 Mark Jeweler variants were created at the end of the print run.

some of these have to at least be common enough to be able to search for and find? Is that the way the cookie crumbles?

I've lucked into a few that I thought, "how could this be", but of the ones I've found, it never seemed to click that there really could be more. A head scratcher for me, it's fun to hear about though! From that frame of reference, indeed.