Fantastic Four Annual #2 - Manufacturing Process Glue or Whiteout fluid? 0

[dcollett]

Hi, All

 

I have a FF Ann #2 and am trying to find out if anyone has experienced the phenomena shown in the photos before. I am hoping that this is manufacturing glue, used to bind the book cover to the spine, which has seeped out the join. I am hoping that this is NOT whiteout fluid added in an attempt to strengthen the join

 

On close inspection, it appears that the white is the gloss from the opposite side of the inside back cover, as if clear glue in manufacturing process was used, but too much was used, it spilled out of the crack, and glued the inside of the back cover, then when the back cover was opened to read, the glue stripped the surface of the inside back cover off, leaving the whiteness from the paper stripped off on top of the glue

 

Many thanks from Darren Collett at www.splatcomics.com

[marvelmaniac]

Welcome To The Boards!!!

I have never seen that before, it is possible that this book was pressed and not correctly causing the glue to melt.

Do you have pics of the outside of the front and rear covers?

[James J Johnson]

On 5/13/2022 at 11:58 AM, dcollett said:

Hi, All

 

I have a FF Ann #2 and am trying to find out if anyone has experienced the phenomena shown in the photos before. I am hoping that this is manufacturing glue, used to bind the book cover to the spine, which has seeped out the join. I am hoping that this is NOT whiteout fluid added in an attempt to strengthen the join

 

On close inspection, it appears that the white is the gloss from the opposite side of the inside back cover, as if clear glue in manufacturing process was used, but too much was used, it spilled out of the crack, and glued the inside of the back cover, then when the back cover was opened to read, the glue stripped the surface of the inside back cover off, leaving the whiteness from the paper stripped off on top of the glue

 

Many thanks from Darren Collett at www.splatcomics.com

I've never seen anything even remotely like that before, unless an annual cover was very sloppily and overly Elmer-glued back on, which this appears to be. Also, I see tell-tale signs that this was at one time in a graded slab. 

There's no external image of the comic to match up to images of past slabbed green and purple label Annual 2s, but my feeling is that if you run an extensive search, chances favor your being able to find an online image of this book in its likely previously slabbed state. 

[Mr. Zipper]

I believe this is glue that was added after printing, i.e., restoration. 

[buttock]

It's glue that's pulling the superficial layer of the inside cover off with it.  Impossible to say if it's manufacturing or not without seeing it in hand.  

[James J Johnson]

On 5/15/2022 at 12:22 PM, buttock said:

It's glue that's pulling the superficial layer of the inside cover off with it.  Impossible to say if it's manufacturing or not without seeing it in hand.  

This cover looks to me like it was completely separated from the pages prior to the glue/epoxy/paste job. The book was not manufactured with adherent that would look like that, even if overly and sloppily applied. This sealant is unlike any other I've ever seen used during the 1960s in the assembly/production of these annuals. 

We might as well be discussing a book held together with nuts, bolts, washers, and debating whether or not being manufactured with nuts, bolts, and washers holding it all together is possible. 

This is completely atypical of manufacturing norms and is obviously the byproduct of after-production manipulation. 

Edited May 15, 2022 by James J Johnson

[theCapraAegagrus]

Looks unrelated to manufacturing, to me.

[comicginger1789]

On 5/14/2022 at 5:17 PM, James J Johnson said:

I've never seen anything even remotely like that before, unless an annual cover was very sloppily and overly Elmer-glued back on, which this appears to be. Also, I see tell-tale signs that this was at one time in a graded slab. 

 

Can you elaborate? I am curious how you can tell this book was once slabbed...only thing I can think of that you are alluding to is the indentations on the back cover from the staples, perhaps suggesting that the books was sandwiched between an inner well, causing such marks.

If that IS what you are referring to, well my copies of thicker bound books also all have this due to storage in boxes for a long time...I know with certainty they have never been slabbed. But if there is something else you are referring to I would love to know

[comicginger1789]

As for the original post, totally appears sketchy to me. I would lean way more to restored than factory defect.

[James J Johnson]

On 5/16/2022 at 6:18 AM, comicginger1789 said:

only thing I can think of that you are alluding to is the indentations on the back cover from the staples, perhaps suggesting that the books was sandwiched between an inner well, causing such marks.

No. That is unaffected by both the slabbing process, transit, and storage, unless possibly a weight was substantial enough to compress it was placed atop it. It's something else, and fairly obvious in this case. 

It's also one of several tells that can positively identify previously slabbed raw books and their images. 

[comicginger1789]

On 5/16/2022 at 10:58 AM, James J Johnson said:

No. That is unaffected by both the slabbing process, transit, and storage, unless possibly a weight was substantial enough to compress it was placed atop it. It's something else, and fairly obvious in this case. 

It's also one of several tells that can positively identify previously slabbed raw books and their images. 

Okay...I'm waiting to be educated

[James J Johnson]

On 5/16/2022 at 10:26 AM, Whoa!! said:

If that dude gave away all his secrets he'd be in jail 

[comicginger1789]

On 5/16/2022 at 1:26 PM, Whoa!! said:

If that dude gave away all his secrets he'd be in jail 

He could hint...just a little. Which picture to examine more? A cryptic clue? Is there a reason to hide such a thing? Is knowing a raw book was once slabbed a power that helps? 

Really though I just want to learn is all. 

[James J Johnson]

On 5/16/2022 at 10:29 AM, comicginger1789 said:

He could hint...just a little. Which picture to examine more? A cryptic clue? Is there a reason to hide such a thing? Is knowing a raw book was once slabbed a power that helps? 

Really though I just want to learn is all. 

I understand. The dilemma being that type of intel will also benefit those who wish to use it not for the greater good. 

[comicginger1789]

On 5/16/2022 at 1:49 PM, James J Johnson said:

I understand. The dilemma being that type of intel will also benefit those who wish to use it not for the greater good. 

Ok. As someone who has only ever cracked ASM 22 from a slab to read, I cannot say I have ever tried to distinguish it from raw copies. I kept the label too for my own sake.

Also, am I missing some sort of inside joke somewhere? This message from a fellow boardie just confused me more

[comicginger1789]

On 5/16/2022 at 2:13 PM, Whoa!! said:

Everything I told you is true  but CGCMike said they can't prove it so everybody had to stop harassing him.

Thanks....the block feature is super helpful to use and I shall be doing so!

[James J Johnson]

On 5/16/2022 at 11:14 AM, Whoa!! said:

Irony + infinity .

Why would someone willingly wish to do harm to a hobby? My presence here in this thread is to answer a fellow forum member's question about what the heck he was seeing on his Annual 2. I gave a concise answer to that. Nobody else appeared to be certain of what it is, however, I am sure of what it is thus answered his questions. To go into greater detail than I did would serve to instruct others on how the things I can readily identify can be remedied. 

That's a thing that would serve no one's best interests other than someone trying to cover tracks being given instructions by proxy on how to do it. Being able to identify raw books that were previously slabbed can come in handy when investigating provenance of a particular book. Giving away that tool and how to defeat it would be foolish and not in the spirit of serving the hobby's best interests, a strong hobby state being of paramount significance to all. 

[Axe Elf]

The superpower of detecting previously-slabbed comics may not immediately vault JJJ into a worldwide spotlight of gratitude, but it sounds like he is content to keep his powers hidden until the world is ready...

Watching...

...and waiting...

[James J Johnson]

On 5/16/2022 at 11:14 AM, Whoa!! said:

Irony + infinity .

Are you a good guesser? Take a wild guess about when the next time will be when I offer assistance to anyone asking a question. Then take that guess and multiply it by irony X infinity. 

[The Lions Den]

On 5/16/2022 at 1:29 PM, comicginger1789 said:

He could hint...just a little. Which picture to examine more? A cryptic clue? Is there a reason to hide such a thing? Is knowing a raw book was once slabbed a power that helps? 

Really though I just want to learn is all. 

Since there's only a very small portion of the book visible in the photos, it certainly narrows down the possible clues. I suspect he's referring to a telltale sign that's very common with slabbed books that have moved around in the holder...but he loves to play the cat and mouse game, so it's unlikely he'll reveal any of his secrets.