How does a GA comic get a pulp-like overhang? 0

[SOTIcollector]

This one is new to me.

I just got this book today, from a reputable seller, and it has a pretty significant overhang on the back cover.I am accustomed to seeing large overhang on pulps, which I have always assumed was the result of the covers and the magazines being printed separately.  Comics, I thought, were produced by printing the interior pages on a large sheet, folding it down to the correct number of pages (32, 48, 64) stapling with the cover, and then trimming the entire right edge.  It does not seem as though this book could have being produced that way, though, because of the significant overhang on the back cover. There is no corresponding overhang or underhang, if that’s a word) on the front cover.  Have you seen this before? Can you tell me anything about the production process that would explain how a comic ends up with a significant back cover overhang?

to be clear, this is not one of those “I don’t like this book. Can I send it back?“ Type of posts. I still like the book. I’m just trying to figure out how it got this overhang.

 

[Dr. Love]

I forget the order of the process, but if trimming the entire edge was the last step after stapling then how could the wedge shaped pattern of the interior pages be present?  The pattern you look for to make sure there's no post-production trimming by amateurs?

[AJD]

I don't know the mechanics of the problem but it did happen from time to time. Much (all?) of the run of Uncle Scrooge #6 had an overhang that makes it hard to find really high grade copies today. It wasn't as pronounced as your book though.

[Robot Man]

Hard to say for sure. It could have just shifted in the trimming process. Canada was not known for quality printing and binding of comics. A while ago, I got a book on the bay that had overhang on both sides. One look at the staples told me it was married. The book appeared and was sold as high grade but no photo of the incriminating parts. I doubt this is the case with this one though.

[SOTIcollector]

2 hours ago, Dr. Love said:

I forget the order of the process, but if trimming the entire edge was the last step after stapling then how could the wedge shaped pattern of the interior pages be present?  The pattern you look for to make sure there's no post-production trimming by amateurs?

Good point.  It seems that one can infer from the wedge of the pages that the outer edges are trimmed before the spine fold. 

I'm realizing that after decades of collecting, most of what I know about the actual printing of comic books is based on my guesswork. 

I do recall reading about how Max Gaines decided to put unused presses to work by printing comic books, the interiors of which were made by folding down larger sheets of paper.

The existence on some books of conjoined pages leads me to believe that at least some folding of the interior takes place before the folded sheet is cut. 

The fact that most comic books seem to have a cover that is cut on three sides to the exact size of the first wrap has led me to believe that the cover was stapled before the final trimming.

Of course, I could be totally wrong about any of these things.  My best guess now is that the process looks something like this (but bullets 4/5 could occur in the sequence 5/4).

1) Fold the interior down to the appropriate size, but without the last (spine) fold.

2) Attach the cover, giving the appearance of a comic book that is open at the spine.

3) Trim the outer edges.  

4) Trim the top & bottom edges.

5) Fold at the spine.

6) PRESS to make sure the fold at the spine stays there.

I like the explanation that the cover of the book I posted (and the cover of Uncle Scrooge #6) could have shifted during the trimming process.  That's certainly a plausible explanation that fits with what I have inferred about comic book production.  Any other thoughts, theories, or even actual knowledge of the comic production process that could shed some light?

[sacentaur]

As RobotMan notes, I have seen several books with overhang due to undisclosed married parts (Metropolis, I’m looking at you). 

Also as noted, some printing could be notoriously low quality.

[circumstances]

I have pulp-like overhang.

[catman76]

I was just reading a timely comedy comic the other night where the entire comic was folded wrong so the top half the comic is a half inch wider overhang than the bottom half and then the cover was stapled on crooked so it has a quarter inch overhang on an angle. Comics were printing very badly and cheaply and quality control was almost non existent. it was some problem in the binding of it or they had a problem with something and just threw in some already trimmed covers in there and bound them on not caring they weren't trimmed properly. No one cared

[kazoo]

I have seen significant cover overhang on a number of the Canadian-printed Superior Comics from the pre-code era.