Catman #20 question 1 1

[rjpb]

I have a low grade copy of this where the second leaf ( a half wrap) is neatly glued in to the margin of an adjacent page, instead of the usual stapled in with a slight overlap one routinely finds in these wartime books with half wraps. There is no residue and it seems Continental, the publisher, was known to use glue to attach pages in at least one other comic ( Suspense #3). I had another copy years ago, but it was glued at the staple and the centerfold, clearly as an amateur repair job. I don't recall if the 2nd leaf was glued in. Does anyone have a raw copy they can check to see if their 2nd leaf is glued or stapled?

[jimbo_7071]

I don't own a raw copy, but it's an intriguing topic. If publishers were willing to take the time to glue half-wraps into ten-cent books in order to save one fourth of a sheet of newsprint, then labor must have been incredibly cheap.

Are you certain that the gluing was a factory job? Is the page count correct? Is there a second half-wrap glued or stapled in?

[Point Five]

I hope someday I will own a raw copy and can give you an answer. :-)

 

[Tsp99]

12 hours ago, rjpb said:

I have a low grade copy of this where the second leaf ( a half wrap) is neatly glued in to the margin of an adjacent page, instead of the usual stapled in with a slight overlap one routinely finds in these wartime books with half wraps. There is no residue and it seems Continental, the publisher, was known to use glue to attach pages in at least one other comic ( Suspense #3). I had another copy years ago, but it was glued at the staple and the centerfold, clearly as an amateur repair job. I don't recall if the 2nd leaf was glued in. Does anyone have a raw copy they can check to see if their 2nd leaf is glued or stapled?

I've got a raw I'll dig up and check for you.  Be back soon....

[rjpb]

4 hours ago, jimbo_7071 said:

I don't own a raw copy, but it's an intriguing topic. If publishers were willing to take the time to glue half-wraps into ten-cent books in order to save one fourth of a sheet of newsprint, then labor must have been incredibly cheap.

Are you certain that the gluing was a factory job? Is the page count correct? Is there a second half-wrap glued or stapled in?

I should actually have checked them all before posting, but yes, all four half wraps are glued in. It's hard to tell without completely opening up the book, as they are all cut right next to the spine and glued in right along the spine edge. It's only when you leaf the pages with the book laying flat, and see the next page pulling up near the spine that you can tell. Pages are all there. 

It would seem to be a bit more labor involved even using an additional mechanical binding step, but the only reason I think it might have been part of the process is that they are all so professionally glued in. No ripples, no staining, no crooked pages, all as if done by a machine.

[Tsp99]

Found the raw copy.  Its page count is 60, with 16 physical pages to the centerfold and 12 in the back.  As typical with WW 2 era Continentals, there are 4 glued in pages in the front.  This should be the 2nd page in the book (and 1st glued in page)....

Hope this helps.

[rjpb]

Cool, so as I suspected this was part of the manufacturing process. 

[jimbo_7071]

18 hours ago, rjpb said:

Cool, so as I suspected this was part of the manufacturing process. 

I'd be curious to know what other issues have that feature. I'd like to see the factory-glued half-wraps for myself, but I'd have to stick to something a little less expensive than a Catman 20 or a Suspense 3.