Pink Stain Mystery (A legitimate comic book question) 1 1

[KryptoMayor]

These may be dumb questions that gets answered quickly, but I can’t figure this out and I really want to know the answers. What are these pink stain-like marks, what caused it, and does it affect the grade? 

I bought a Conan 58 recently and noticed these pink stain-like marks on the cover. I found one on eBay with the same stains so I figured it was production related. I thought it was artwork from the back of the front cover showing through But after I got the book, the inside cover showed something different. 

Here’s some pictures: 

The copy I bought (stain can be seen upper, right of “C” and left and right of Belit). 

[KryptoMayor]

These are from the eBay book.  At first I thought it might be the same book but if you look at the edges you can tell it’s not (especially the comic code).

[KryptoMayor]

Here’s my book again and there’s heavy pink inside the front cover. It matches up with the reds in the front cover art. But what caused the front cover stains? 

[KryptoMayor]

And here’s the splash page just for reference. I don’t think the reds on this page matches up w cover 

[ADAMANTIUM]

looks like the pinks of the characters... possible bleed... possible early printing defect that they fixed later ....idk

[The Lions Den]

I have seen this type of thing before. This does appear to be a printing/manufacturing flaw...time to call in the paper experts. (James J. Johnson, come on down!)  

[buttock]

It's bleed through from the inside front cover.  Look at the tip of the wing.  Pretty common with reds on white cover books.  

[KryptoMayor]

16 minutes ago, buttock said:

It's bleed through from the inside front cover.  Look at the tip of the wing.  Pretty common with reds on white cover books.  

I see it now. The Cox logo is also on the cover’s stairs. Don’t know why I had a hard time seeing that. Awkward how almost all other Conan 58 books on eBay doesn’t do that. Thanks for the help 

[BlowUpTheMoon]

Yeah, ink transfer.

[VintageComics]

2 hours ago, buttock said:

It's bleed through from the inside front cover.  Look at the tip of the wing.  Pretty common with reds on white cover books.  

Mostly on BA books where the cover stock is thin and the red (actually magenta) ink seem to bleed easiest under the right conditions.

I've also seen it on mid 50's GA with paper covers (no gloss).

 

[James J Johnson]

3 hours ago, The Lions Den said:

I have seen this type of thing before. This does appear to be a printing/manufacturing flaw...time to call in the paper experts. (James J. Johnson, come on down!)  

They got it, Lion. The paper of many comics, even from the Golden age, seem susceptible to whatever component of the ink causes this "bleed-though". I think it's akin to transparency, only in reverse. That is, when off-gassing from the gradual, natural breakdown of the pulpy inside pages causes the covers to adopt an oily, "see-through" look except for the margins where there aren't inks from the splash pages, front and back to exacerbate the process. The red inks appear to have the caustic effect on the paper to seep (sponge) their way through, probably over a period of indeterminate duration.

[James J Johnson]

1 minute ago, VintageComics said:

Mostly on BA books where the cover stock is thin and the red (actually magenta) ink seem to bleed easiest under the right conditions.

I've also seen it on mid 50's GA with paper covers (no gloss).

 

Great minds think alike. I posted my above opinion at almost the same time you did yours, in essence, the same thing. +1

[Jaylam]

I’ve seen a lot of this red ink bleed through on Iron Man #5 and Sub-Mariner #5 from 1968 also.

[James J Johnson]

1 hour ago, Jaylam said:

I’ve seen a lot of this red ink bleed through on Iron Man #5 and Sub-Mariner #5 from 1968 also.

Historically, when you see this seepage through the paper, from the covers to the inside on books from any age, it's the reds or related colors amalgamated with red inks that caused it.

Edited May 11, 2019 by James J Johnson

[TupennyConan]

On 5/11/2019 at 11:47 AM, KryptoMayor said:

And here’s the splash page just for reference. I don’t think the reds on this page matches up w cover 

Please post a clean, hi-res scan of this splash. It is gorgeous and I wish to save it to my phone, hard drive, thumb drive, cloud, email folder, and endless variety of online accounts where Tupenny is someone else [not this undead version of Tupenny typing into the Boards today].   

Edited May 12, 2019 by TupennyConan
was going to correct the strange strike through coding thingy but like it and will allow it to remain. It evokes the living dead.

[TupennyConan]

Pink stains. 

[KryptoMayor]