1977 Sparta Press Tour Film Footage. Get a glimpse how comic books were made. 0

[VintageComics]

What blows me away is the department that created all the printing plates was comprised of 17 people using what I think he said was a "brand new process"

 

17 people responsible for plating EVERY comic that came through Sparta?

 

How many covers a year is that between DC and Marvel?

 

 

Printing plates.

 

 

Pffft...newsstand drek...

 

 

Mike Zeck junk.

[RockMyAmadeus]

What blows me away is the department that created all the printing plates was comprised of 17 people using what I think he said was a "brand new process"

 

17 people responsible for plating EVERY comic that came through Sparta?

 

How many covers a year is that between DC and Marvel?

 

 

Printing plates.

 

 

Pffft...newsstand drek...

 

 

Mike Zeck junk.

 

X-Men trash.

[VintageComics]

What blows me away is the department that created all the printing plates was comprised of 17 people using what I think he said was a "brand new process"

 

17 people responsible for plating EVERY comic that came through Sparta?

 

How many covers a year is that between DC and Marvel?

 

 

Printing plates.

 

 

Pffft...newsstand drek...

 

 

Mike Zeck junk.

 

X-Men trash.

 

I'm using it as an ashtray for that very reason.

[kaylab]

For two summers during college I worked at a large press shop in Ohio ("Press of Ohio"), 4 color and B/W printing commercial printing. Mostly we made grade school workbooks (B/W), school textbooks and lots of magazines (even the occasional skin mag, ) , but we also did a far share of Graphic novels. As was mentioned, all/mostly all of the plates were scrapped/recycled/reprocessed after use, unless one of the guys who changed out the plates (which I did) wanted it when that run was completed. We had a big cardboard dump box where all plates for the day would go after a run was completed, never thought much about them after they went in the box.

 

I do not remember any regular comic issues going through our line (there were several large Heidelberg press lines, I worked on just one), but this was early nineties and I was burnt out on comics at the time, so I guess we could have printed some? Probably should have kept some of this stuff, but this was height of the Marvel/DC crapfest (special diecut, reflective, 3d, gem laddened covers, ), all I wanted was to earn beer money for college that fall... But I do vividly recall pallets of some Avengers graphic novel sitting at the end of the litho station, waiting to be moved to the bindery, I have never been able to remember what book that was...

[DiceX]

This was from World Color Press day in Sparta in 1977.

I worked with the man that organized and orchestrated this event for 10 years in Oklahoma, and he's the source of most of my knowledge on printing from back in the old days.

I didn't see him on the video, but I guarantee that man knows everyone that was pictured in it.

 

They printed a comic for the occasion called "Magazineland USA" and it featured characters from all the publishers (Marvel, DC, Harvey, etc.) and it's probably the only time they were ever all in the same comic. The comic was illustrated by Joe Kubert and students at his comic school back in the '70s. It gives a tour of the Sparta plant and incorporates the various comic characters throughout the issue. It's a wealth of knowledge without a doubt. It's pretty hard to find and I used to have a copy somewhere.

 

I can remember throwing out probably 400-500 or so video tapes of training footage from the Sparta plant. I wish I'd thought they might contain some worthy information, but at the time I just wanted the things out of my way.

 

Anyway, I'll see if I can get that video to the guy I mentioned. He'll love it.

He still has a BUNCH of the printing plates. He didn't keep one here or there, everything he has is a complete set with all four colors for whatever cover it printed. He has a ton of stuff from the old days. He said they used to have samples in the plant lobby, and that Carmine Infantino came to visit one day and made him take a bunch of the older comics out because they were too valuable to be sitting in the lobby where anyone could just walk in and take them. The people that printed them were clueless as to what they were worth.

 

 

[cosmic-spider-man]

Wow this is just too Cool! I have a copy of "Magazineland USA" myself and to see a video of the day they were handed out back in 1977 is something I would have never thought I would get to see. I am sure I will be watching this video over many times thanks for posting it. (thumbs u (thumbs u

[FFB]

It would be interesting if one of those printers kept the original plates of a famous book

and had a stack of old paper started making copies how would that effect our hobby?

 

 

That video is only 3 years after Hulk 181...

 

 

 

 

 

 

You mean like these?

 

 

 

[Kevin76]

Very cool. Man how the printing industry has changed with technology. How many people who worked in this plant were made obsolete by computers?

 

It's not that automatic...when the guy talks about the "negatives" being film,that has been replaced by a computer,since it's computer to plate now,still need someone there to operate it though.

[Kevin76]

$150-500 per roll of paper? lmao Try $2-5K per roll now.

[DiceX]

Wow this is just too Cool! I have a copy of "Magazineland USA" myself and to see a video of the day they were handed out back in 1977 is something I would have never thought I would get to see. I am sure I will be watching this video over many times thanks for posting it. (thumbs u (thumbs u

 

Can you post the interior pages so everyone can read it? It's good stuff. (thumbs u

 

 

[Ogami]

bookmarking

[Rich_Henn]

Ah good times.

I shelpped that job/business in my 17 years printing....first 3 weeks is a blast, after the 3rd week it's just another shnitty job.

[DiceX]

Ah good times.

I shelpped that job/business in my 17 years printing....first 3 weeks is a blast, after the 3rd week it's just another shnitty job.

 

I'm still doing it after 22 years.

 

 

[Johncan]

This was from World Color Press day in Sparta in 1977.

I worked with the man that organized and orchestrated this event for 10 years in Oklahoma, and he's the source of most of my knowledge on printing from back in the old days.

I didn't see him on the video, but I guarantee that man knows everyone that was pictured in it.

 

They printed a comic for the occasion called "Magazineland USA" and it featured characters from all the publishers (Marvel, DC, Harvey, etc.) and it's probably the only time they were ever all in the same comic. The comic was illustrated by Joe Kubert and students at his comic school back in the '70s. It gives a tour of the Sparta plant and incorporates the various comic characters throughout the issue. It's a wealth of knowledge without a doubt. It's pretty hard to find and I used to have a copy somewhere.

 

I can remember throwing out probably 400-500 or so video tapes of training footage from the Sparta plant. I wish I'd thought they might contain some worthy information, but at the time I just wanted the things out of my way.

 

Anyway, I'll see if I can get that video to the guy I mentioned. He'll love it.

He still has a BUNCH of the printing plates. He didn't keep one here or there, everything he has is a complete set with all four colors for whatever cover it printed. He has a ton of stuff from the old days. He said they used to have samples in the plant lobby, and that Carmine Infantino came to visit one day and made him take a bunch of the older comics out because they were too valuable to be sitting in the lobby where anyone could just walk in and take them. The people that printed them were clueless as to what they were worth.

 

 

I was there. I was 10 years old and lived in Sparta in 1977. That was a very big day for our small town. I still have a few copies of Magazineland USA. I should scan the cover and upload it here. I wish I could see the youtube video, but it has been taken down.

 

Yes, we were clueless as to what comics could be worth.

[cosmic-spider-man]

This was from World Color Press day in Sparta in 1977.

I worked with the man that organized and orchestrated this event for 10 years in Oklahoma, and he's the source of most of my knowledge on printing from back in the old days.

I didn't see him on the video, but I guarantee that man knows everyone that was pictured in it.

 

They printed a comic for the occasion called "Magazineland USA" and it featured characters from all the publishers (Marvel, DC, Harvey, etc.) and it's probably the only time they were ever all in the same comic. The comic was illustrated by Joe Kubert and students at his comic school back in the '70s. It gives a tour of the Sparta plant and incorporates the various comic characters throughout the issue. It's a wealth of knowledge without a doubt. It's pretty hard to find and I used to have a copy somewhere.

 

I can remember throwing out probably 400-500 or so video tapes of training footage from the Sparta plant. I wish I'd thought they might contain some worthy information, but at the time I just wanted the things out of my way.

 

Anyway, I'll see if I can get that video to the guy I mentioned. He'll love it.

He still has a BUNCH of the printing plates. He didn't keep one here or there, everything he has is a complete set with all four colors for whatever cover it printed. He has a ton of stuff from the old days. He said they used to have samples in the plant lobby, and that Carmine Infantino came to visit one day and made him take a bunch of the older comics out because they were too valuable to be sitting in the lobby where anyone could just walk in and take them. The people that printed them were clueless as to what they were worth.

 

 

I was there. I was 10 years old and lived in Sparta in 1977. That was a very big day for our small town. I still have a few copies of Magazineland USA. I should scan the cover and upload it here. I wish I could see the youtube video, but it has been taken down.

 

Yes, we were clueless as to what comics could be worth.

 

 

You were there that is very cool. I saved the Video on my computer if you want pm me your email and I will see if I can email it to you. (thumbs u

[Johncan]

Thanks for reposting it to Youtube. Sadly, I am not in the video

 

I did spend most of the day in the gym selling comics to the dealers. I got $.10 a book for the thousands of books I had hoarded from my neighbors who worked at the plant. I got to meet Colonel Sanders that day. He was a guest of honor for one of the events.

 

 

[Ze-man]

 

I was there. I was 10 years old and lived in Sparta in 1977. That was a very big day for our small town. I still have a few copies of Magazineland USA. I should scan the cover and upload it here. I wish I could see the youtube video, but it has been taken down.

 

Yes, we were clueless as to what comics could be worth.

 

That would be fantastic to see the Mags.

 

And is the video up again? I lost it when my old hard drive got burnt.

 

Post it again if you have it.

 

It really was amazing to see just how much material went through that plant a week.

 

 

[cosmic-spider-man]

(thumbs u here is the new Link:

[markseifert]

How long did you live in Sparta?

 

This was from World Color Press day in Sparta in 1977.

I worked with the man that organized and orchestrated this event for 10 years in Oklahoma, and he's the source of most of my knowledge on printing from back in the old days.

I didn't see him on the video, but I guarantee that man knows everyone that was pictured in it.

 

They printed a comic for the occasion called "Magazineland USA" and it featured characters from all the publishers (Marvel, DC, Harvey, etc.) and it's probably the only time they were ever all in the same comic. The comic was illustrated by Joe Kubert and students at his comic school back in the '70s. It gives a tour of the Sparta plant and incorporates the various comic characters throughout the issue. It's a wealth of knowledge without a doubt. It's pretty hard to find and I used to have a copy somewhere.

 

I can remember throwing out probably 400-500 or so video tapes of training footage from the Sparta plant. I wish I'd thought they might contain some worthy information, but at the time I just wanted the things out of my way.

 

Anyway, I'll see if I can get that video to the guy I mentioned. He'll love it.

He still has a BUNCH of the printing plates. He didn't keep one here or there, everything he has is a complete set with all four colors for whatever cover it printed. He has a ton of stuff from the old days. He said they used to have samples in the plant lobby, and that Carmine Infantino came to visit one day and made him take a bunch of the older comics out because they were too valuable to be sitting in the lobby where anyone could just walk in and take them. The people that printed them were clueless as to what they were worth.

 

 

I was there. I was 10 years old and lived in Sparta in 1977. That was a very big day for our small town. I still have a few copies of Magazineland USA. I should scan the cover and upload it here. I wish I could see the youtube video, but it has been taken down.

 

Yes, we were clueless as to what comics could be worth.

[Johncan]

I lived there for 4 or 5 years, but I kept in touch with friends who had family who worked in the plant. I got comics from there until 1980 when we moved to central Illinois and then suburban Chicago. I had to start actually buying the new comics in 1980 and that was rough. I think I saw almost every super-hero comics published from 1972 to 1980 with the exception of the Charlton line which was not published in Sparta.