How long do you think a comic book lifes span is?

[pedigreeking-migration]

Before it totally disintegrates?

[mica]

The questions this forum sees.

[pedigreeking-migration]

For instance, golden age comics. Will they be obsolete lets say 200 years from now?

[goldust40]

Depends on the book, the storage environment, etc.

[ft88]

In the proper storage conditions I could see more than 1000 years.

 

Dead Sea Scrolls, Paper Bibles, other Greek Scrolls.

 

Off White becoming Cream to Off White? Who knows. 100 years.

[pedigreeking-migration]

Let's say it lasts 300 years, why would anyone invest in something that will only disintegrate down the line.

[mica]

Let's say it lasts 300 years, why would anyone invest in something that will only disintegrate down the line.

Hi KK

[nearmint]

I have a few newspapers from the year 1800, and they show no signs of being anywhere close to disintegrating. You can still page through them and read them without causing any damage.

[mica]

How many more threads are you going to start in Comics General?

Theres oodles of questions you haven't yet asked.

"How many colors are used in printing a comic?"

"Do perishable comics do well if you leave them by a window?"

[pedigreeking-migration]

Since when is asking questions your business loser.

[mica]

Hi KK

[TomG]

This depends on a number of factors with one of the key issues being storage. I have seen books that were a few years old and were terrible due to improper storage or you have books like the Edgar Church collection that were well cared for and are in fantastic shape. The type of paper can also be a factor as most were made of cheap pulp paper. If comics had been produced using rag paper there would have been a lot more still in existence today. The oldest book I have is 1845 and it is nicer then some of the 1940s or even 1960s books when it comes to paper quality.

[Timulty]

 

Edit: Darn, mica you beat me to it!!

[OldGuy]

One miiiillion years.

[skybolt]

One miiiillion years.

 

I say one million and 2 days.

[SignatureSelect]

I have a copy of Alice in wonderland from 1868. It has cream pages and a tight binding. There is no brittleness. That book is 137 years old. So potentially 137 years or more.

[nik]

Let's say it lasts 300 years, why would anyone invest in something that will only disintegrate down the line.

 

You wont be around at that time, so does it really matter .

 

We are talking about comics right, and not something else

[Mr. Zipper]

In the proper storage conditions I could see more than 1000 years.

 

Dead Sea Scrolls, Paper Bibles, other Greek Scrolls.

 

Off White becoming Cream to Off White? Who knows. 100 years.

 

Bear in mind that many older documents were printed on a very different paperstock that was closer to cloth than to newsprint.

 

I don't know what the average lifespan would be, but given the lingen filled newsprint used to print comics, comic lifespan has to be among the shortest among different types of books.

[goldust40]

In the proper storage conditions I could see more than 1000 years.

 

Dead Sea Scrolls, Paper Bibles, other Greek Scrolls.

 

Off White becoming Cream to Off White? Who knows. 100 years.

 

Bear in mind that many older documents were printed on a very different paperstock that was closer to cloth than to newsprint.

 

I don't know what the average lifespan would be, but given the lingen filled newsprint used to print comics, comic lifespan has to be among the shortest among different types of books.

 

Comics were printed on the cheapest, most perishable newsprint possible, partly to cut corners in budgets, and partly 'cause comics were considered as disposable and obsolescent as newspapers.

 

Comparing them, as you noted, to any other more durable printed material would be apples and oranges. Not much comes close to comics in terms of fragility, which is why white paged, HG GA is so remarkable.

[Red Hook]

How long do you think a comic book lifes span is?

 

In Jason Ewert's hands? About 14 minutes.