OtherEric Posted May 28, 2020 Share Posted May 28, 2020 2 hours ago, Silver said: One of the best covers! It's a beauty, that's for sure. I thought CGC had started labeling it as a classic cover? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Silver Posted May 29, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted May 29, 2020 Here is another one on it’s way to me. Getting kind of addicted... Spoiler OtherEric, 29dukedog, KirbyJack and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robot Man Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 Got lucky today and bought a little pile of GA from a local guy. In the pile was a copy of this EC. I already had one but the price way way right. Got home and pulled mine out and this is what I saw. I wasn’t aware there was a color variation. Why? A later run? Did the ink run dry or did someone change their mind? The change mostly appears in the title. Did the magenta plate gain? Is one version scarcer than the other? OtherEric, Raze and Larryw7 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifties Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 Interesting, RM. Here's my copy. The Lions Den, Larryw7 and Raze 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29dukedog Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 5 minutes ago, Robot Man said: Got home and pulled mine out and this is what I saw. I wasn’t aware there was a color variation. Why? A later run? Did the ink run dry or did someone change their mind? The change mostly appears in the title. Did the magenta plate gain? Is one version scarcer than the other? Could be the way the blue ink has aged. My first copy of Weird Science #11, typically navy blue behind the logo, had become a light grayish lavender. (For years I didn't know the true color was supposed to be much darker!) Extended exposure to light will turn those early EC blues to various shades of purple or violet, even grey. The Lions Den, KirbyJack and Raze 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OtherEric Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 12 minutes ago, Robot Man said: Got lucky today and bought a little pile of GA from a local guy. In the pile was a copy of this EC. I already had one but the price way way right. Got home and pulled mine out and this is what I saw. I wasn’t aware there was a color variation. Why? A later run? Did the ink run dry or did someone change their mind? The change mostly appears in the title. Did the magenta plate gain? Is one version scarcer than the other? I think that's just fading, but not 100% sure. One could also be late in the print run so ink was low. If you decide to get rid of one of those, PM me and let me know what you want, by the way... ThothAmon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robot Man Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 1 minute ago, 29dukedog said: Could be the way the blue ink has aged. My first copy of Weird Science #11, typically navy blue behind the logo, had become a light grayish lavender. (For years I didn't know the true color was supposed to be much darker!) Extended exposure to light will turn those early EC blues to various shades of purple or violet, even grey. It actually looks to me like the magenta plate “gained” on the top one. Neither look faded or aged. Would love to see everybody else’s copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifties Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 If you compare the green and blue "ladder" around them, the Magenta copy has a much lighter green, and what is blue in the other copy is grey. Either their entire ink was low during printing, or the cover colors all faded. I tend to think the latter. ThothAmon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post jpepx78 Posted May 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted May 30, 2020 I don’t think the colors are faded. Here are 2 Gaines Files copies of Weird Fantasy 15 from the Heritage archive that shows a purple cover and a blue cover. If we assume there has not been any fading in these GF copies, I believe the difference is due to the slight variation in the mixing of the printing inks. Since comics were printed using a 4 color CMYK process (cyan, magenta, yellow & black), a slight variation in the ratio in one of the inks will make a visible difference in the color. I tried to duplicate the cover colors using a CMYK blender. For example if the ratio of the cyan ink is changed (by mixing up ratios), purplish color can turn into bluish color. So less rigorous print quality control might explain the prevalent cover color variations in Fiction House books and other comics that people have discussed previously. The Lions Den, Kevin.J, OtherEric and 4 others 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29dukedog Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 1 hour ago, jpepx78 said: I don’t think the colors are faded. Here are 2 Gaines Files copies of Weird Fantasy 15 from the Heritage archive that shows a purple cover and a blue cover. If we assume there has not been any fading in these GF copies, I believe the difference is due to the slight variation in the mixing of the printing inks. Since comics were printed using a 4 color CMYK process (cyan, magenta, yellow & black), a slight variation in the ratio in one of the inks will make a visible difference in the color. I tried to duplicate the cover colors using a CMYK blender. For example if the ratio of the cyan ink is changed (by mixing up ratios), purplish color can turn into bluish color. So less rigorous print quality control might explain the prevalent cover color variations in Fiction House books and other comics that people have discussed previously. Wow, you really took the ball and ran with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin.J Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 I looked at my listings to see if I had WF 15 to compare it to Robot mans, I did have it but when I looked for it I find its not even the same book, so I have missing a book I thought I had Why were there two WF 15s ? As a side note I looked at my 90s reprint of RMs 15 and it is Blue Raze and Larryw7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post telerites Posted May 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted May 30, 2020 42 minutes ago, Kevin.J said: I looked at my listings to see if I had WF 15 to compare it to Robot mans, I did have it but when I looked for it I find its not even the same book, so I have missing a book I thought I had Why were there two WF 15s ? As a side note I looked at my 90s reprint of RMs 15 and it is Blue I bought a copy of the one you posted to have Feldstein sign it at a show he was scheduled to attend but he passed away. He carried so much of the load at EC. This is from Wiki: The bi-monthly science-fiction comic, published by Bill Gaines and edited by Al Feldstein, replaced romance comic A Moon, A Girl... Romance with the May/June 1950 issue.[1] Although the title and format change took effect with issue 13, Gaines and Feldstein decided not to restart the numbering in order to save money on second class postage. The Post Office took note, and starting with issue #6, all the issues were numbered correctly. Because of this, "Weird Fantasy #13" could refer to either the May/June 1950 issue or the actual 13th issue of the title, published in 1952. The same confusion exists for issues #14–17, #17 being the last issue published before EC reset the numbering. Larryw7, Raze, fifties and 2 others 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin.J Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 1 hour ago, telerites said: I bought a copy of the one you posted to have Feldstein sign it at a show he was scheduled to attend but he passed away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telerites Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Kevin.J said: I wish I could have met him. I heard he was very nice to fans and would share stories. Here is my copy. Edited May 30, 2020 by telerites Raze, ThothAmon and Larryw7 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin.J Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 1 minute ago, telerites said: I wish I could have met him. I heard he was very nice to fans and would shares stories. Here is my copy. Yeah its a shame, thats a lovely book too telerites 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin.J Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 (edited) The only Feldstien sig I have is on this and its hardly the same thing Edited May 30, 2020 by Kevin.J Larryw7 and Raze 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ThothAmon Posted May 30, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted May 30, 2020 These are some pretty cool portfolios that reprint all the covers. telerites, Larryw7, vheflin and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telerites Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 20 minutes ago, Kevin.J said: The only Feldstien sig I have is on this and its hardly the same thing That is cool, Kev. Kevin.J 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hap Hazard Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 11 hours ago, OtherEric said: I think that's just fading, but not 100% sure. One could also be late in the print run so ink was low. If you decide to get rid of one of those, PM me and let me know what you want, by the way... Well if your looking at the top book it has fading by the D, you can see where a price sticker on the bag was located and its darker. 29dukedog 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robot Man Posted May 30, 2020 Share Posted May 30, 2020 (edited) 10 hours ago, jpepx78 said: I don’t think the colors are faded. Here are 2 Gaines Files copies of Weird Fantasy 15 from the Heritage archive that shows a purple cover and a blue cover. If we assume there has not been any fading in these GF copies, I believe the difference is due to the slight variation in the mixing of the printing inks. Since comics were printed using a 4 color CMYK process (cyan, magenta, yellow & black), a slight variation in the ratio in one of the inks will make a visible difference in the color. I tried to duplicate the cover colors using a CMYK blender. For example if the ratio of the cyan ink is changed (by mixing up ratios), purplish color can turn into bluish color. So less rigorous print quality control might explain the prevalent cover color variations in Fiction House books and other comics that people have discussed previously. A very good explanation. I’ve worked in graphic design/advertising and printing my whole life. I know how printing presses and bindery work. Magenta (red) is a very dominant color. It tends to gain quickly on press if not watched. Comic books were printed on large web presses that move very quickly. Unless you watch them very closely, color can change fast. I think it was intended to be more cyan (Blue). In retrospect, I suspect the magenta gained before they got it back under control. Just wondered how many copies are out there with the magenta dominate. Apparently not many. Also interesting is that both the Gaines file copies you posted have this variation. The handful that was pulled off the saddle stitcher and sealed away had this variation. Edited May 30, 2020 by Robot Man Raze and KirbyJack 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
