Custom Comic Book Storage help

Thwip!

hey guys, I'm looking to create a different style of storage for my comic collection. I was thinking of finding old leatherbound and hardcover books that are missing pages or damaged internally, ripping out the pages and soldifiying the cover with a base plate of some sort in order to make a custom holder for my comics that would look better on a shelf than just the white wall that emerges from putting them all along the shelves. The end game then is to make custom labels for the spine that look old and look like they are a part of the book saying stuff like "All New X-Men 1-15" etc

Now my question is, what's the best way of converting the book into a more solid, rigid structure and what should i use for the base?

Also if anyone knows of any way to make leatherbound effect book covers that save me ripping apart old books then that would be a lifesaver

looksee

If you got hardback books you would not need any further support as they are quite strong. The main concern would be how you would fix the comics in place without damaging them.

I wonder though if leather bound books really are the most appropriate for comics? The whole character of comics is colourful, naive and fleeting, rather than the gravitas of leather bound books, unless you are looking to be ironic.

Would you consider something like box files - the clip inside could come down onto a square of rigid card so not to damage the comics, but still hold them in place. The outside of the file could be decorated with decoupage (stuck on paper) using either non-valuable copies of the comics, or get laser copies of special editions made (inkjet will smudge) and use those.

Thwip!

looksee wrote: »

If you got hardback books you would not need any further support as they are quite strong. The main concern would be how you would fix the comics in place without damaging them.

True, but base plate wise so I can pull out the book and the comics in one go. I dont want the comics bound to the book though

looksee wrote: »

I wonder though if leather bound books really are the most appropriate for comics? The whole character of comics is colourful, naive and fleeting, rather than the gravitas of leather bound books, unless you are looking to be ironic.

Not looking to be ironic, it's just seeing as I store them with their spines facing outward then all I get is a white wall of comic spines and bags (a problem that doesnt occur with trades or GNs obviously). I take my comics quite seriously and seeing as i have a book collection as well as a comic book collection then I thought the leatherbound book look would fit in well with the rest of the books and a bit of gravitas

looksee wrote: »

Would you consider something like box files - the clip inside could come down onto a square of rigid card so not to damage the comics, but still hold them in place. The outside of the file could be decorated with decoupage (stuck on paper) using either non-valuable copies of the comics, or get laser copies of special editions made (inkjet will smudge) and use those.

Never liked Box files plus the only ones i could find are too tall to fit on my shelf

looksee

Thwip! wrote: »

True, but base plate wise so I can pull out the book and the comics in one go. I dont want the comics bound to the book though

Oh right! see what you mean. I think you would have to make a four sided (top, back edge, bottom and front edge ) strip of sturdy card, the same depth as the thickness of the book and fix it in place onto the inside back cover of the book using a papier mache process (torn strips of thin paper pasted over and onto the backboard, once dry it will be very strong and can be decorated or painted.

If you remove all the pages the spine of the book is going to be very weak and will need something glued to it to strengthen it and reinforce the points at which it joins the front and back covers.

The frame should be just the size to support the comics, or they will sag and be damaged.

fergal.b

How about something like this.



Another idea would be to make a door and coat in a poster like this http://fineartamerica.com/products/old-books-on-a-bookshelf-paul-edmondson-poster.html or this wallpaper http://www.lancashirewallpaper.co.uk/wallpaper/1467/bookshelf







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