Another X-Men "variant"?

[shiverbones]

thinking more about it, it could also be the blue plate prints the black plates info, and vice versa because they were mislabled at the press. THe most extreme example of plates being mislabled is that FF around 108 or whatever where everything is all out of whack, thats a full on plate switch up. If just the black & cyan plate on the 173 and say the Cyan & Magenta were switched on the inferno book, that could also do it.

[BRNebraska]

Great stuff shiverbones! I appreciate your taking the time to post this info.

[worldsbestcomics]

Got ya. We're on the same page then!

 

Although if you held the #173 in your hand, you might say differently. It's not faded, but I can see that it is probably some of the ink changing composition on the more blue background. More of the blue used in the mix was left visible. Like it missed a final coat or something. Anyone know how the colors are mixed for the cover inks? Are they done all in 1 shot or multi-layered? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

My understanding is that at the time these books were printed, the inks were mixed and the printing done in one-shot, not multi-layered. But, the inks need to be replaced after so many books are printed and so a number of different runs took place for each book, creating the possibility of a different ink mix from one run to another. Also, apparently the mix can be affected toward the end of a particular run as one of the colors in the mix begins to run out ahead of some of the other colors.

[shiverbones]

there really isn't a way to mix & print all the colors at once on a traditional printing press. I Can't say for sure about anything after 2004 when I quit the business, but until then, all printing was done with plates. Thats why when you look at a cover its all dots, its all the halftone shots on each color plate. If printing is done differently now, it wouldn't effect how the x-books from the 80's & 90's were printed.

[shiverbones]

Here is an example of a cover that I worked on 10 years ago (Don't laugh, I wasn' so good then... )

 

What happened with this one is the cyan and yellow plates were switched, leading to obvious color differences. This is much more drastic then simply having cyan printed over black. The one on the right is correct color, the left, switched plates.

 

[MutantKeys]

Great info Shiv !!

[worldsbestcomics]

Thanks! That is very helpful.

[shiverbones]

[deathlok]

Here is an example of a cover that I worked on 10 years ago (Don't laugh, I wasn' so good then... )

 

What happened with this one is the cyan and yellow plates were switched, leading to obvious color differences. This is much more drastic then simply having cyan printed over black. The one on the right is correct color, the left, switched plates.

 

Many of the people here would claim they were variants, and CGC would label them light and dark versions exist.

[awe4one]

I agree...calling the X-Men a variant is really stretching reality...

 

You can take any comic produced and given enough time find differences in color variations. That in itself doesn't make it a variant...

 

Jim

[50 Cent #II (1st)]

This thread makes me recall the "How to Draw the TMNT" comic that had a lighter cover variant that was considered scare and worth a lot more in the 80's. I've got both and...

[Paratrooper]

Are you guys trying to say that having a Darker Pigmentation qualifies a "book" to be a variant? That's just discrimination if you ask me.

[shiverbones]