Printing

Author: Colvin Dole

Field of Study: Arts and Humanities

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Bridget Whearty, Jeremy Dibbell

Easel: 44

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: Most discussions of comic books focus on their value as works of literature or art. For a book like “Sinister Tales” #115, the stories within this anthology comic are not the most interesting part. That is because those stories were removed from their original contexts and repurposed. Instead of reproducing entire comics from American companies, Alan Class took individual stories from many different companies and repackaged them under his own titles. Class also used unconventional methods to print his comics, notably printing them with spines. The Binghamton copy of this book is accompanied by the printing plates used for the cover which help reveal the printing process. This project examines the choices and interesting circumstances of Alan Class Comics. By placing the focus of this project on Alan Class Comics, the contributions of the printers and publishers who are rarely given attention in comics spaces are brought to light.