Susan Cicconi

[trmoore54]

This will be my longest post in a while...so sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

 

The first big resto job I ever saw was a Whiz #1 that was completely rebuilt by Bill Sarill in the late '70s. It was originally found in an attic and the spine was totally gone. It looked great from a distance, but up close it was fairly obvious where the original ended and the additions began. Still, it was quit a revelation that a comic that was basically uncollectible could be improved to a state that was both collectible and aesthetically pleasing.

 

In the early 80s a friend of mine (and former co-worker at Camelot) named David Hargis took Sarill's resto class. This is the same class that both Susan and Matt took (though I am sure that Susan spent many more hours working as Sarill's understudy). For a fee Sarill would spend two weeks or more of one-on-one time with a student and teach them all of the basics. Then the student was sent off to perfect those procedures on their own. David tried to make a living out of restoration work but it was a hard job at the time. Part of the problem was that, no matter how hard he tried (and he was a perfectionist), he could never "hide" the restoration work. So much of what makes a restoration job "good" to a client is having the restored item not look restored upon the job's completion. It is a difficult trick to walk to line between conserving a book and keeping it aesthetically pleasing. It proved too difficult for David and he gave up on it.

 

Around 1990 a few things happened. I opened my first store and really started seriously dealing in old comics. Through buying and selling I continually ran across books that had been worked on by Susan. I also talked to many collectors who had books worked on by her. I have seen a ton of her restoration work. At that time her work was definitely the most professional. It always had a consistency to it. And she was far and away the best at matching color. To put it simply, her work most closely approached that of Sarill. But the one negative about Susan's work was that she was also a perfectionist. Because of this she took a very long time completing work. In some cases a job lasted much longer than a year. Time consuming and costly, her comic resto work eventually took a back burner to other, more cost effective pursuits.

 

In 1992 I was elected president of the AACC. Working with that organization gave me the opportunity to meet and talk to Tracey Heft. Tracey approached resto from an entirely different perspective than any other restoration professional I had ever met. His main concern was that aesthetic restoration was corrupting paper conservation. Basically he always took into consideration whether an item's historical intergrity was compromised in the pursuit of aesthetics. I thought that was a cool concept and had Tracey perform the bulk of the resto work I had done at that time. But Tracey too was, and still is, a perfectionist. The type of work that his principles allowed him to perform appealed to a relatively small portion of potential clients. He therefore had a hard time having his voice heard and garnering business.

 

Also in 1992 I met Bill Ponseti of More Fun Comics in New Orleans. Behind the counter of Bill's store was geeky Matt Nelson. We have been friends since day one. I have had the pleasure of watching Matt progress from a gung-ho fan of old comics into the professional comic book expert he is today. His early restoration work was passable, but not always great. But he has improved over the last fifteen years to the point that his restoration work is really unsurpassed. And the reason Matt is where he is now is not only because he has worked very hard to perfect and advance the craft. Matt has also worked very hard to understand the business realities of our hobby. In doing so he has figured out how to integrate and rationalize the perfectionism needed to do quality work.

 

I bring this all up because the original poster hinted at something that I don't think has been addressed. At one time Susan was the standard upon which all resto work was measured. But restorsation at its core is both a science and an art. Unfortunately the economics of the time didn't allow Susan to continue and improve upon her work. I don't think one can stop riding that bicycle for a long period of time and then just pick it back up. While I am sure she still does quality work she is still going to be hamstrung by the work model she has always used.

 

I tip my hat to you, sir.

 

WOW! That was a great post! Seriously, thx for that, very informative to put what has been discussed in perspective...

[Hero Restoration]

This will be my longest post in a while...so sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

 

The first big resto job I ever saw was a Whiz #1 that was completely rebuilt by Bill Sarill in the late '70s. It was originally found in an attic and the spine was totally gone. It looked great from a distance, but up close it was fairly obvious where the original ended and the additions began. Still, it was quit a revelation that a comic that was basically uncollectible could be improved to a state that was both collectible and aesthetically pleasing.

 

In the early 80s a friend of mine (and former co-worker at Camelot) named David Hargis took Sarill's resto class. This is the same class that both Susan and Matt took (though I am sure that Susan spent many more hours working as Sarill's understudy). For a fee Sarill would spend two weeks or more of one-on-one time with a student and teach them all of the basics. Then the student was sent off to perfect those procedures on their own. David tried to make a living out of restoration work but it was a hard job at the time. Part of the problem was that, no matter how hard he tried (and he was a perfectionist), he could never "hide" the restoration work. So much of what makes a restoration job "good" to a client is having the restored item not look restored upon the job's completion. It is a difficult trick to walk to line between conserving a book and keeping it aesthetically pleasing. It proved too difficult for David and he gave up on it.

 

Around 1990 a few things happened. I opened my first store and really started seriously dealing in old comics. Through buying and selling I continually ran across books that had been worked on by Susan. I also talked to many collectors who had books worked on by her. I have seen a ton of her restoration work. At that time her work was definitely the most professional. It always had a consistency to it. And she was far and away the best at matching color. To put it simply, her work most closely approached that of Sarill. But the one negative about Susan's work was that she was also a perfectionist. Because of this she took a very long time completing work. In some cases a job lasted much longer than a year. Time consuming and costly, her comic resto work eventually took a back burner to other, more cost effective pursuits.

 

In 1992 I was elected president of the AACC. Working with that organization gave me the opportunity to meet and talk to Tracey Heft. Tracey approached resto from an entirely different perspective than any other restoration professional I had ever met. His main concern was that aesthetic restoration was corrupting paper conservation. Basically he always took into consideration whether an item's historical intergrity was compromised in the pursuit of aesthetics. I thought that was a cool concept and had Tracey perform the bulk of the resto work I had done at that time. But Tracey too was, and still is, a perfectionist. The type of work that his principles allowed him to perform appealed to a relatively small portion of potential clients. He therefore had a hard time having his voice heard and garnering business.

 

Also in 1992 I met Bill Ponseti of More Fun Comics in New Orleans. Behind the counter of Bill's store was geeky Matt Nelson. We have been friends since day one. I have had the pleasure of watching Matt progress from a gung-ho fan of old comics into the professional comic book expert he is today. His early restoration work was passable, but not always great. But he has improved over the last fifteen years to the point that his restoration work is really unsurpassed. And the reason Matt is where he is now is not only because he has worked very hard to perfect and advance the craft. Matt has also worked very hard to understand the business realities of our hobby. In doing so he has figured out how to integrate and rationalize the perfectionism needed to do quality work.

 

I bring this all up because the original poster hinted at something that I don't think has been addressed. At one time Susan was the standard upon which all resto work was measured. But restorsation at its core is both a science and an art. Unfortunately the economics of the time didn't allow Susan to continue and improve upon her work. I don't think one can stop riding that bicycle for a long period of time and then just pick it back up. While I am sure she still does quality work she is still going to be hamstrung by the work model she has always used.

 

I tip my hat to you, sir.

 

WOW! That was a great post! Seriously, thx for that, very informative to put what has been discussed in perspective...

+1 (thumbs u

[Cimm]

This will be my longest post in a while...so sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

 

The first big resto job I ever saw was a Whiz #1 that was completely rebuilt by Bill Sarill in the late '70s. It was originally found in an attic and the spine was totally gone. It looked great from a distance, but up close it was fairly obvious where the original ended and the additions began. Still, it was quit a revelation that a comic that was basically uncollectible could be improved to a state that was both collectible and aesthetically pleasing.

 

In the early 80s a friend of mine (and former co-worker at Camelot) named David Hargis took Sarill's resto class. This is the same class that both Susan and Matt took (though I am sure that Susan spent many more hours working as Sarill's understudy). For a fee Sarill would spend two weeks or more of one-on-one time with a student and teach them all of the basics. Then the student was sent off to perfect those procedures on their own. David tried to make a living out of restoration work but it was a hard job at the time. Part of the problem was that, no matter how hard he tried (and he was a perfectionist), he could never "hide" the restoration work. So much of what makes a restoration job "good" to a client is having the restored item not look restored upon the job's completion. It is a difficult trick to walk to line between conserving a book and keeping it aesthetically pleasing. It proved too difficult for David and he gave up on it.

 

Around 1990 a few things happened. I opened my first store and really started seriously dealing in old comics. Through buying and selling I continually ran across books that had been worked on by Susan. I also talked to many collectors who had books worked on by her. I have seen a ton of her restoration work. At that time her work was definitely the most professional. It always had a consistency to it. And she was far and away the best at matching color. To put it simply, her work most closely approached that of Sarill. But the one negative about Susan's work was that she was also a perfectionist. Because of this she took a very long time completing work. In some cases a job lasted much longer than a year. Time consuming and costly, her comic resto work eventually took a back burner to other, more cost effective pursuits.

 

In 1992 I was elected president of the AACC. Working with that organization gave me the opportunity to meet and talk to Tracey Heft. Tracey approached resto from an entirely different perspective than any other restoration professional I had ever met. His main concern was that aesthetic restoration was corrupting paper conservation. Basically he always took into consideration whether an item's historical intergrity was compromised in the pursuit of aesthetics. I thought that was a cool concept and had Tracey perform the bulk of the resto work I had done at that time. But Tracey too was, and still is, a perfectionist. The type of work that his principles allowed him to perform appealed to a relatively small portion of potential clients. He therefore had a hard time having his voice heard and garnering business.

 

Also in 1992 I met Bill Ponseti of More Fun Comics in New Orleans. Behind the counter of Bill's store was geeky Matt Nelson. We have been friends since day one. I have had the pleasure of watching Matt progress from a gung-ho fan of old comics into the professional comic book expert he is today. His early restoration work was passable, but not always great. But he has improved over the last fifteen years to the point that his restoration work is really unsurpassed. And the reason Matt is where he is now is not only because he has worked very hard to perfect and advance the craft. Matt has also worked very hard to understand the business realities of our hobby. In doing so he has figured out how to integrate and rationalize the perfectionism needed to do quality work.

 

I bring this all up because the original poster hinted at something that I don't think has been addressed. At one time Susan was the standard upon which all resto work was measured. But restorsation at its core is both a science and an art. Unfortunately the economics of the time didn't allow Susan to continue and improve upon her work. I don't think one can stop riding that bicycle for a long period of time and then just pick it back up. While I am sure she still does quality work she is still going to be hamstrung by the work model she has always used.

 

I tip my hat to you, sir.

 

WOW! That was a great post! Seriously, thx for that, very informative to put what has been discussed in perspective...

+1 (thumbs u

 

Thanks for that, MrBedrock! I remember that back in the eighties, if restoration was mentioned, it was either about Sarill or Susan... or some poor piker that didn't measure up to Sarill or Susan... I took a break from comics during the nineties, and didn't really get back into it until late 2003, early 2004... And then, if restoration was mentioned, it was Matt Nelson this and Matt Nelson that (all very positive stuff!)...

 

It is really cool to hear that restoration has progressed to the point that it has thanks to his efforts and dedication... and now there is this new kid, Kenny... It gives me hope that these four colour wonders will last as works of art, and be taken care of for generations to come

[Sal]

This will be my longest post in a while...so sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

 

The first big resto job I ever saw was a Whiz #1 that was completely rebuilt by Bill Sarill in the late '70s. It was originally found in an attic and the spine was totally gone. It looked great from a distance, but up close it was fairly obvious where the original ended and the additions began. Still, it was quit a revelation that a comic that was basically uncollectible could be improved to a state that was both collectible and aesthetically pleasing.

 

In the early 80s a friend of mine (and former co-worker at Camelot) named David Hargis took Sarill's resto class. This is the same class that both Susan and Matt took (though I am sure that Susan spent many more hours working as Sarill's understudy). For a fee Sarill would spend two weeks or more of one-on-one time with a student and teach them all of the basics. Then the student was sent off to perfect those procedures on their own. David tried to make a living out of restoration work but it was a hard job at the time. Part of the problem was that, no matter how hard he tried (and he was a perfectionist), he could never "hide" the restoration work. So much of what makes a restoration job "good" to a client is having the restored item not look restored upon the job's completion. It is a difficult trick to walk to line between conserving a book and keeping it aesthetically pleasing. It proved too difficult for David and he gave up on it.

 

Around 1990 a few things happened. I opened my first store and really started seriously dealing in old comics. Through buying and selling I continually ran across books that had been worked on by Susan. I also talked to many collectors who had books worked on by her. I have seen a ton of her restoration work. At that time her work was definitely the most professional. It always had a consistency to it. And she was far and away the best at matching color. To put it simply, her work most closely approached that of Sarill. But the one negative about Susan's work was that she was also a perfectionist. Because of this she took a very long time completing work. In some cases a job lasted much longer than a year. Time consuming and costly, her comic resto work eventually took a back burner to other, more cost effective pursuits.

 

In 1992 I was elected president of the AACC. Working with that organization gave me the opportunity to meet and talk to Tracey Heft. Tracey approached resto from an entirely different perspective than any other restoration professional I had ever met. His main concern was that aesthetic restoration was corrupting paper conservation. Basically he always took into consideration whether an item's historical intergrity was compromised in the pursuit of aesthetics. I thought that was a cool concept and had Tracey perform the bulk of the resto work I had done at that time. But Tracey too was, and still is, a perfectionist. The type of work that his principles allowed him to perform appealed to a relatively small portion of potential clients. He therefore had a hard time having his voice heard and garnering business.

 

Also in 1992 I met Bill Ponseti of More Fun Comics in New Orleans. Behind the counter of Bill's store was geeky Matt Nelson. We have been friends since day one. I have had the pleasure of watching Matt progress from a gung-ho fan of old comics into the professional comic book expert he is today. His early restoration work was passable, but not always great. But he has improved over the last fifteen years to the point that his restoration work is really unsurpassed. And the reason Matt is where he is now is not only because he has worked very hard to perfect and advance the craft. Matt has also worked very hard to understand the business realities of our hobby. In doing so he has figured out how to integrate and rationalize the perfectionism needed to do quality work.

 

I bring this all up because the original poster hinted at something that I don't think has been addressed. At one time Susan was the standard upon which all resto work was measured. But restorsation at its core is both a science and an art. Unfortunately the economics of the time didn't allow Susan to continue and improve upon her work. I don't think one can stop riding that bicycle for a long period of time and then just pick it back up. While I am sure she still does quality work she is still going to be hamstrung by the work model she has always used.

 

i'm not reading all that.

[PovertyRow]

 

i'm not reading all that.

 

Too wordy

[Theagenes]

This will be my longest post in a while...so sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

 

The first big resto job I ever saw was a Whiz #1 that was completely rebuilt by Bill Sarill in the late '70s. It was originally found in an attic and the spine was totally gone. It looked great from a distance, but up close it was fairly obvious where the original ended and the additions began. Still, it was quit a revelation that a comic that was basically uncollectible could be improved to a state that was both collectible and aesthetically pleasing.

 

In the early 80s a friend of mine (and former co-worker at Camelot) named David Hargis took Sarill's resto class. This is the same class that both Susan and Matt took (though I am sure that Susan spent many more hours working as Sarill's understudy). For a fee Sarill would spend two weeks or more of one-on-one time with a student and teach them all of the basics. Then the student was sent off to perfect those procedures on their own. David tried to make a living out of restoration work but it was a hard job at the time. Part of the problem was that, no matter how hard he tried (and he was a perfectionist), he could never "hide" the restoration work. So much of what makes a restoration job "good" to a client is having the restored item not look restored upon the job's completion. It is a difficult trick to walk to line between conserving a book and keeping it aesthetically pleasing. It proved too difficult for David and he gave up on it.

 

Around 1990 a few things happened. I opened my first store and really started seriously dealing in old comics. Through buying and selling I continually ran across books that had been worked on by Susan. I also talked to many collectors who had books worked on by her. I have seen a ton of her restoration work. At that time her work was definitely the most professional. It always had a consistency to it. And she was far and away the best at matching color. To put it simply, her work most closely approached that of Sarill. But the one negative about Susan's work was that she was also a perfectionist. Because of this she took a very long time completing work. In some cases a job lasted much longer than a year. Time consuming and costly, her comic resto work eventually took a back burner to other, more cost effective pursuits.

 

In 1992 I was elected president of the AACC. Working with that organization gave me the opportunity to meet and talk to Tracey Heft. Tracey approached resto from an entirely different perspective than any other restoration professional I had ever met. His main concern was that aesthetic restoration was corrupting paper conservation. Basically he always took into consideration whether an item's historical intergrity was compromised in the pursuit of aesthetics. I thought that was a cool concept and had Tracey perform the bulk of the resto work I had done at that time. But Tracey too was, and still is, a perfectionist. The type of work that his principles allowed him to perform appealed to a relatively small portion of potential clients. He therefore had a hard time having his voice heard and garnering business.

 

Also in 1992 I met Bill Ponseti of More Fun Comics in New Orleans. Behind the counter of Bill's store was geeky Matt Nelson. We have been friends since day one. I have had the pleasure of watching Matt progress from a gung-ho fan of old comics into the professional comic book expert he is today. His early restoration work was passable, but not always great. But he has improved over the last fifteen years to the point that his restoration work is really unsurpassed. And the reason Matt is where he is now is not only because he has worked very hard to perfect and advance the craft. Matt has also worked very hard to understand the business realities of our hobby. In doing so he has figured out how to integrate and rationalize the perfectionism needed to do quality work.

 

I bring this all up because the original poster hinted at something that I don't think has been addressed. At one time Susan was the standard upon which all resto work was measured. But restorsation at its core is both a science and an art. Unfortunately the economics of the time didn't allow Susan to continue and improve upon her work. I don't think one can stop riding that bicycle for a long period of time and then just pick it back up. While I am sure she still does quality work she is still going to be hamstrung by the work model she has always used.

 

Outstanding post, Richard! I think that really helps put things in perspective.

 

I've only had one book restored (tape removal and staple reinforcement), and Matt did the work. I think it was right before Kenny started workign for him. Anyway, I was very pleased with the result. I've been following Kenny's progress that he has shared with us and I'm very impressed. If I need any work done in the future I will go to them without a second thought.

 

The conservation of historic artifacts is a large part of what I do for a living (though not so much with paper and ephemera) and I'm very happy to see comic book restoration finally starting to reach the same level of standards as conservation in other areas. Matt and Kenny are at the forefront of that trend and I heartily applaud both their efforts.

[scottish]

This will be my longest post in a while...so sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

 

The first big resto job I ever saw was a Whiz #1 that was completely rebuilt by Bill Sarill in the late '70s. It was originally found in an attic and the spine was totally gone. It looked great from a distance, but up close it was fairly obvious where the original ended and the additions began. Still, it was quit a revelation that a comic that was basically uncollectible could be improved to a state that was both collectible and aesthetically pleasing.

 

In the early 80s a friend of mine (and former co-worker at Camelot) named David Hargis took Sarill's resto class. This is the same class that both Susan and Matt took (though I am sure that Susan spent many more hours working as Sarill's understudy). For a fee Sarill would spend two weeks or more of one-on-one time with a student and teach them all of the basics. Then the student was sent off to perfect those procedures on their own. David tried to make a living out of restoration work but it was a hard job at the time. Part of the problem was that, no matter how hard he tried (and he was a perfectionist), he could never "hide" the restoration work. So much of what makes a restoration job "good" to a client is having the restored item not look restored upon the job's completion. It is a difficult trick to walk to line between conserving a book and keeping it aesthetically pleasing. It proved too difficult for David and he gave up on it.

 

Around 1990 a few things happened. I opened my first store and really started seriously dealing in old comics. Through buying and selling I continually ran across books that had been worked on by Susan. I also talked to many collectors who had books worked on by her. I have seen a ton of her restoration work. At that time her work was definitely the most professional. It always had a consistency to it. And she was far and away the best at matching color. To put it simply, her work most closely approached that of Sarill. But the one negative about Susan's work was that she was also a perfectionist. Because of this she took a very long time completing work. In some cases a job lasted much longer than a year. Time consuming and costly, her comic resto work eventually took a back burner to other, more cost effective pursuits.

 

In 1992 I was elected president of the AACC. Working with that organization gave me the opportunity to meet and talk to Tracey Heft. Tracey approached resto from an entirely different perspective than any other restoration professional I had ever met. His main concern was that aesthetic restoration was corrupting paper conservation. Basically he always took into consideration whether an item's historical intergrity was compromised in the pursuit of aesthetics. I thought that was a cool concept and had Tracey perform the bulk of the resto work I had done at that time. But Tracey too was, and still is, a perfectionist. The type of work that his principles allowed him to perform appealed to a relatively small portion of potential clients. He therefore had a hard time having his voice heard and garnering business.

 

Also in 1992 I met Bill Ponseti of More Fun Comics in New Orleans. Behind the counter of Bill's store was geeky Matt Nelson. We have been friends since day one. I have had the pleasure of watching Matt progress from a gung-ho fan of old comics into the professional comic book expert he is today. His early restoration work was passable, but not always great. But he has improved over the last fifteen years to the point that his restoration work is really unsurpassed. And the reason Matt is where he is now is not only because he has worked very hard to perfect and advance the craft. Matt has also worked very hard to understand the business realities of our hobby. In doing so he has figured out how to integrate and rationalize the perfectionism needed to do quality work.

 

I bring this all up because the original poster hinted at something that I don't think has been addressed. At one time Susan was the standard upon which all resto work was measured. But restorsation at its core is both a science and an art. Unfortunately the economics of the time didn't allow Susan to continue and improve upon her work. I don't think one can stop riding that bicycle for a long period of time and then just pick it back up. While I am sure she still does quality work she is still going to be hamstrung by the work model she has always used.

 

[Mike Bray]

I bring this all up because the original poster hinted at something that I don't think has been addressed. At one time Susan was the standard upon which all resto work was measured. But restorsation at its core is both a science and an art. Unfortunately the economics of the time didn't allow Susan to continue and improve upon her work. I don't think one can stop riding that bicycle for a long period of time and then just pick it back up. While I am sure she still does quality work she is still going to be hamstrung by the work model she has always used.

 

just like your dads near mint/mint books 30 years ago are now only 9.0`s or 9.2`s -- things have tightened up in every aspect of the hobby -- great post Richard

[Transplant]

Right ON..Nice post Bedrock

Of course it might still be good if would tell us what the heck you were talking about when you started this thread.

 

And great post Richard.

 

[Hero Restoration]

Right ON..Nice post Bedrock

Of course it might still be good if would tell us what the heck you were talking about when you started this thread.

 

And great post Richard.

 

He said it was because he had been drinking and still is.

[rockman2008]

Right ON..Nice post Bedrock

Of course it might still be good if would tell us what the heck you were talking about when you started this thread.

 

And great post Richard.

 

He said it was because he had been drinking and still is.

 

Maybe he believes the liver is evil, and it must be punished.

 

 

[TrippyMcSkippy-migration]

Exsqueeze me baking powder?

[rockman2008]

Exsqueeze me baking powder?

 

Grow some balls, nancy boy, and tell us why you started this thread.

[Davenport]

This will be my longest post in a while...so sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

 

The first big resto job I ever saw was a Whiz #1 that was completely rebuilt by Bill Sarill in the late '70s. It was originally found in an attic and the spine was totally gone. It looked great from a distance, but up close it was fairly obvious where the original ended and the additions began. Still, it was quit a revelation that a comic that was basically uncollectible could be improved to a state that was both collectible and aesthetically pleasing.

 

In the early 80s a friend of mine (and former co-worker at Camelot) named David Hargis took Sarill's resto class. This is the same class that both Susan and Matt took (though I am sure that Susan spent many more hours working as Sarill's understudy). For a fee Sarill would spend two weeks or more of one-on-one time with a student and teach them all of the basics. Then the student was sent off to perfect those procedures on their own. David tried to make a living out of restoration work but it was a hard job at the time. Part of the problem was that, no matter how hard he tried (and he was a perfectionist), he could never "hide" the restoration work. So much of what makes a restoration job "good" to a client is having the restored item not look restored upon the job's completion. It is a difficult trick to walk to line between conserving a book and keeping it aesthetically pleasing. It proved too difficult for David and he gave up on it.

 

Around 1990 a few things happened. I opened my first store and really started seriously dealing in old comics. Through buying and selling I continually ran across books that had been worked on by Susan. I also talked to many collectors who had books worked on by her. I have seen a ton of her restoration work. At that time her work was definitely the most professional. It always had a consistency to it. And she was far and away the best at matching color. To put it simply, her work most closely approached that of Sarill. But the one negative about Susan's work was that she was also a perfectionist. Because of this she took a very long time completing work. In some cases a job lasted much longer than a year. Time consuming and costly, her comic resto work eventually took a back burner to other, more cost effective pursuits.

 

In 1992 I was elected president of the AACC. Working with that organization gave me the opportunity to meet and talk to Tracey Heft. Tracey approached resto from an entirely different perspective than any other restoration professional I had ever met. His main concern was that aesthetic restoration was corrupting paper conservation. Basically he always took into consideration whether an item's historical intergrity was compromised in the pursuit of aesthetics. I thought that was a cool concept and had Tracey perform the bulk of the resto work I had done at that time. But Tracey too was, and still is, a perfectionist. The type of work that his principles allowed him to perform appealed to a relatively small portion of potential clients. He therefore had a hard time having his voice heard and garnering business.

 

Also in 1992 I met Bill Ponseti of More Fun Comics in New Orleans. Behind the counter of Bill's store was geeky Matt Nelson. We have been friends since day one. I have had the pleasure of watching Matt progress from a gung-ho fan of old comics into the professional comic book expert he is today. His early restoration work was passable, but not always great. But he has improved over the last fifteen years to the point that his restoration work is really unsurpassed. And the reason Matt is where he is now is not only because he has worked very hard to perfect and advance the craft. Matt has also worked very hard to understand the business realities of our hobby. In doing so he has figured out how to integrate and rationalize the perfectionism needed to do quality work.

 

I bring this all up because the original poster hinted at something that I don't think has been addressed. At one time Susan was the standard upon which all resto work was measured. But restorsation at its core is both a science and an art. Unfortunately the economics of the time didn't allow Susan to continue and improve upon her work. I don't think one can stop riding that bicycle for a long period of time and then just pick it back up. While I am sure she still does quality work she is still going to be hamstrung by the work model she has always used.

A very interesting read. That part about Heft and historical integrity doesn't seem part of the restoration discussion any more.

Should it still be a consideration, or has aesthetics, grade, and dollars evolved any of those concerns completely out of today's view of comic book conservation?

[FFB]

A very interesting read. That part about Heft and historical integrity doesn't seem part of the restoration discussion any more.

Should it still be a consideration, or has aesthetics, grade, and dollars evolved any of those concerns completely out of today's view of comic book conservation?

 

Don't get too carried away with lionizing Tracey Heft for his views on restoration integrity. He did, after all, have the $20 (now $42) pressing service. Tracey is a nice guy and I am sure is as concerned about artifact integrity as anyone, but I doubt that even his views on the matter would satisfy your dislike of pressing.

 

I think it's fair to say that all of the top restoration professionals in the business (Tracey, Susan, Matt, Kenny) have a healthy respect for artifact integrity. Those views may or may not meet the desired standards of certain collectors such as yourself.

[Ze-man]

A very interesting read. That part about Heft and historical integrity doesn't seem part of the restoration discussion any more.

Should it still be a consideration, or has aesthetics, grade, and dollars evolved any of those concerns completely out of today's view of comic book conservation?

 

I think you need to first define what you mean by compromising Historical integrity. Do you mean any book that undergoes restoration somehow loses it's integrity, or more if a book had things done to it that were done only for aesthetic, and monetary reasons?

 

One can work on a book with an eye towards conserving it.(seal tears/spine splits, even rebuilding a spine, reinforce /re attach centerfolds or staple areas etc..) But at what point does this cross over into full blown unnecessary restoration? To me it is when you add unnecessary paper and CT to make it look "prettier"

 

But this lies at the heart of comic books, and restoration in our hobby, it is all about trying to achieve the best apparent grade possible. This is not always the case, but for the most part if a key book is being restored the owner/seller wants it to look as close to original condition as possible. Why it isn't enough for most collectors to simply appreciate a book being back together again I do not know, I guess it is because we are a cosmetic, eye appeal, money driven hobby. Collectors as a whole have dictated this, not the restorers.

 

So where does the responsibility to preserve "Historical Integrity" belong? With the owner of the book, or the person restoring the book? Sure, if the work is done well it makes it more acceptable but that does not change the fact the book was restored past the point of simply being conserved.

 

Unlike historical one of a kind documents, comics were mass produced so it is hard to compare the two, but I for one would like to see people adopt a more conservative mentality when it comes to what is appealing or even preffered as a collector. Because many books could be reclaimed with leaf casting, but it would not be cost effective to CT all the added material. Time will tell if there is a market for this the more people are exposed to it.

 

But I think for the most part if it is cost effective, people will always want books fully restored. This does not mean the books are any less historical, they just might not appeal to as many collectors.

 

 

 

 

 

[codfish]

 

So where does the responsibility to preserve "Historical Integrity" belong? With the owner of the book, or the person restoring the book? Sure, if the work is done well it makes it more acceptable but that does not change the fact the book was restored past the point of simply being conserved.

 

 

Well I think the onus is mostly on the ones doing the work. They are the ones that should be the most knowledgeable about what restoration is involved, the risks, etc. However, in the end, they are being asked to do a job which fit the ideals of a customer and most of those customers are not going to come in and say "Do only what you feel is necessary to preserve this book."

 

So that leaves us with a bit of a quandary. IMO the entire collecting community needs an education on restoration and conservation, it's origins, history, and how it has been used outside our hobby. Right now professionals pretty much do what is asked of them even they might not believe it is the best thing for the book. These professionals need to stand up for what they believe and make an effort to make us understand that sometimes aspiring to greater things for some books is just not reasonable or wise.

 

We are only in possession of these books for a short time and we should first be concerned about our treasures surviving to the next generation ... and not having the nicest and most valuable collection. My concern with some of the restoration and conservation going on today is that it almost disregards the history of some of the books. Yes, it would be nice to have the highest grade possible and with some coaxing some books can achieve this but is it really necessary? Can we still be in awe of those books the same way as before the "optimizing"? What does it say about us that we are so jaded that we are no longer happy or astonished that a 30-70+ year old book was preserved in a 7.0 or better.

 

"Historical integrity" is something we all seem concerned with but are more willing now to throw it out the window for the best and the brightest. If there is a decline in historical integrity it doesn't fall on the shoulders of our restoration professional alone. We are all responsible. When grade and value are the prime concerns historical integrity is the victim. All of us have fed and continue to feed the monster.

 

The only way to change all the floating around restoration is if we are open and honest with each other and ourselves.

 

[MrBedrock]

A very interesting read. That part about Heft and historical integrity doesn't seem part of the restoration discussion any more.

Should it still be a consideration, or has aesthetics, grade, and dollars evolved any of those concerns completely out of today's view of comic book conservation?

 

I think you need to first define what you mean by compromising Historical integrity. Do you mean any book that undergoes restoration somehow loses it's integrity, or more if a book had things done to it that were done only for aesthetic, and monetary reasons?

 

One can work on a book with an eye towards conserving it.(seal tears/spine splits, even rebuilding a spine, reinforce /re attach centerfolds or staple areas etc..) But at what point does this cross over into full blown unnecessary restoration? To me it is when you add unnecessary paper and CT to make it look "prettier"

 

But this lies at the heart of comic books, and restoration in our hobby, it is all about trying to achieve the best apparent grade possible. This is not always the case, but for the most part if a key book is being restored the owner/seller wants it to look as close to original condition as possible. Why it isn't enough for most collectors to simply appreciate a book being back together again I do not know, I guess it is because we are a cosmetic, eye appeal, money driven hobby. Collectors as a whole have dictated this, not the restorers.

 

So where does the responsibility to preserve "Historical Integrity" belong? With the owner of the book, or the person restoring the book? Sure, if the work is done well it makes it more acceptable but that does not change the fact the book was restored past the point of simply being conserved.

 

Unlike historical one of a kind documents, comics were mass produced so it is hard to compare the two, but I for one would like to see people adopt a more conservative mentality when it comes to what is appealing or even preffered as a collector. Because many books could be reclaimed with leaf casting, but it would not be cost effective to CT all the added material. Time will tell if there is a market for this the more people are exposed to it.

 

But I think for the most part if it is cost effective, people will always want books fully restored. This does not mean the books are any less historical, they just might not appeal to as many collectors.

Kenny got exactly what I was refering to with the statement that was bolded by Davenport...

 

Tracey would prefer to do as little as possible to a book to keep as much of it original as possible. As an example...I bought a small batch of comics that included a 1st print Classics Illustrated #1. The cover was detached and completely seperated. There was also some paper loss around the staples. Rather than have a full blown resto job complete with color and infills Tracey suggested (yes, his suggestion) a much cheaper alternative...simply reattach the cover and leave the resto visible.

 

From an integrity standpoint that makes perfect sense. But my post was all about the economics of a decision like that. Anyone who saw that job and wasn't aware of the reasoning behind it would think Tracey was lacking in skills as a restorer. Making a book sound structurally doesn't make it any prettier, and that is what most collectors are programmed for. But Tracey preferred NOT doing aesthetically pleasing resto work. Kinda of the Don Quixote restoration business model.

[MCMiles]

A very interesting read. That part about Heft and historical integrity doesn't seem part of the restoration discussion any more.

Should it still be a consideration, or has aesthetics, grade, and dollars evolved any of those concerns completely out of today's view of comic book conservation?

 

Don't get too carried away with lionizing Tracey Heft for his views on restoration integrity. He did, after all, have the $20 (now $42) pressing service. Tracey is a nice guy and I am sure is as concerned about artifact integrity as anyone, but I doubt that even his views on the matter would satisfy your dislike of pressing.

 

I think it's fair to say that all of the top restoration professionals in the business (Tracey, Susan, Matt, Kenny) have a healthy respect for artifact integrity. Those views may or may not meet the desired standards of certain collectors such as yourself.

 

Well said.

 

This is a good discussion. Thanks for the informative and thoughtful contributors.

 

 

 

[rockman2008]

A very interesting read. That part about Heft and historical integrity doesn't seem part of the restoration discussion any more.

Should it still be a consideration, or has aesthetics, grade, and dollars evolved any of those concerns completely out of today's view of comic book conservation?

 

I think you need to first define what you mean by compromising Historical integrity. Do you mean any book that undergoes restoration somehow loses it's integrity, or more if a book had things done to it that were done only for aesthetic, and monetary reasons?

 

One can work on a book with an eye towards conserving it.(seal tears/spine splits, even rebuilding a spine, reinforce /re attach centerfolds or staple areas etc..) But at what point does this cross over into full blown unnecessary restoration? To me it is when you add unnecessary paper and CT to make it look "prettier"

 

But this lies at the heart of comic books, and restoration in our hobby, it is all about trying to achieve the best apparent grade possible. This is not always the case, but for the most part if a key book is being restored the owner/seller wants it to look as close to original condition as possible. Why it isn't enough for most collectors to simply appreciate a book being back together again I do not know, I guess it is because we are a cosmetic, eye appeal, money driven hobby. Collectors as a whole have dictated this, not the restorers.

 

So where does the responsibility to preserve "Historical Integrity" belong? With the owner of the book, or the person restoring the book? Sure, if the work is done well it makes it more acceptable but that does not change the fact the book was restored past the point of simply being conserved.

 

Both the owner and the person restoring the book are responsible. However I would argue the necessity of preserving “historical integrity” in comic books occurs less often than you think. Personal family copies, creators' copies should be conserved with historical integrity. Copies that were associated with well-known individuals and events. Obviously you wouldn't want a full restoration of Jerry Siegel's beat up Action Comics 7 . It's understood his copy had been used through litigation, with marked pages, court stamps and clipped panels. It would diminish the book’s historical integrity to repair it in a manner that reduced the visual impact of that simple fact. Only a simple stabilization is enough and it shouldn't be beautified in any way. But everything else that can't be justified as having an important historical context, should be fair game for aesthetic restoration.

 

Unlike historical one of a kind documents, comics were mass produced so it is hard to compare the two, but I for one would like to see people adopt a more conservative mentality when it comes to what is appealing or even preffered as a collector. Because many books could be reclaimed with leaf casting, but it would not be cost effective to CT all the added material. Time will tell if there is a market for this the more people are exposed to it.

 

On the other hand, comics are an art form and comic books should be treated as works of art on paper. With that in mind, the conservator should take extraordinary measures in reproducing the original look and feel of the comic book. In the repair of art, as opposed to documents or books, the preserving of aesthetic beauty is most important to maintaining the integrity of the artifact. What good is a work of art if it can not convey today the same experiences, feelings, and observations to an audience, as it did when they were first presented?