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DC Comics Library/Vault

Started by Cosmic Boy,

7 posts in this topic

Cosmic Boy

Cosmic Boy

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So I was watching DC All Access a few weeks back, and was shocked to discover that DC Comics own library/vault is missing quite a few issues.

 

I also believe their 'Tec #27 is coverless, and their Action #1 is from a bound volume missing its back cover.

 

Now maybe it's just me being naive, but you'd think they'd get on that. Being owned by Warner Bros., they must certainly have the resources to acquire these pieces. Heck, you'd almost think there would be some collector out there willing to donate them when he/she departs the hobby.

 

The bottom line, as I saw it, was that DC's own library is surprisingly, sadly incomplete.

 

Also, when is that curator position opening up? lol Literally my dream job.

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50YrsCollctngCmcs

50YrsCollctngCmcs

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If you think about how comics were considered such a low form of entertainment when things started its amazing they have anything at all from back then. I visited the offices in the early seventies and it was a pretty unimpressive place; crammed full of filing cabinets and people. Today it is much nicer and things seem well organized. I wonder if the archives will be making the move west?

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Cosmic Boy

Cosmic Boy

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If you think about how comics were considered such a low form of entertainment when things started its amazing they have anything at all from back then. I visited the offices in the early seventies and it was a pretty unimpressive place; crammed full of filing cabinets and people. Today it is much nicer and things seem well organized. I wonder if the archives will be making the move west?

 

Indeed. I just can't believe they don't put a little more effort into their own collection now. After all, it's their own history.

 

Still, I want more than anything to visit it. :cloud9:

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pmpknface

pmpknface

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I've actually been to both Marvel and DC comics offices. Both are a lot of fun, of course. The stuff floating around them is fantastic. I even went to Wizard back in the day, and I've never seen so many action figures in one place! Gareb's office had so much original art he couldn't even hang it all.

 

That said, I didn't visit either "vault" but I knew they existed. Marvel's is mostly HC collections, like the ones you find on Heritage: 1st printings that are bound into HC books. If you need them for "reference" you have to sign them out like an old-school library. Occasionally some go missing, which is usually discovered when someone goes to check it out and discover that it's been missing for 10 years. :P

 

I don't know how it works at DC. However my guess is that more and more of this is being moved digitally. Sure there will always be a vault of sorts, but it'll be easier to just give a new writer a link where they can read all of Shang-Chi's adventures before starting a new Master of Kung-Fu series instead of mailing them a box of HC's.

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adamstrange

adamstrange

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DC is a for-profit corporation and unless they think of a way for copies of the comics to actually make money they are unlikely to get approval from the finance department. Collectors will be wary of donating anything to them. You won't get a tax break and there's no certainty what will happen to anything you give them.

 

Film studios are notorious for having thrown out, damaged or lost track of thousands of film negatives. If that has happened to movies that they can make money off of, it doesn't give one confidence that they will take care of comic books in a reference library.

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joecgcmaniac

joecgcmaniac

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DC is a for-profit corporation and unless they think of a way for copies of the comics to actually make money they are unlikely to get approval from the finance department. Collectors will be wary of donating anything to them. You won't get a tax break and there's no certainty what will happen to anything you give them.

 

Film studios are notorious for having thrown out, damaged or lost track of thousands of film negatives. If that has happened to movies that they can make money off of, it doesn't give one confidence that they will take care of comic books in a reference library.

 

+1

 

Besides, DC knows that if they ever need a copy any of their comics, they just need to contact Ian. lol They've done it before, they'll do it again.

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OtherEric

OtherEric

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Besides, DC knows that if they ever need a copy any of their comics, they just need to contact Ian. lol They've done it before, they'll do it again.

 

That was actually what I was thinking. They do need to figure out a backup plan to the backup plan at some point, though!

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