The Ultimate Guide to Comic Book Conservation
Comic books are more than just collectibles—they are cultural artifacts, each with a story to tell. Comic Book Conservation: Materials and Methods is the definitive handbook for preserving these pieces of history, ensuring they survive for future generations.
Unlike restoration, which alters a comic to improve its appearance, conservation focuses on stabilizing and preserving comics in their original state. This book dives deep into the critical differences between conservation and restoration, breaking down the impact on grading from third-party graders like CGC and CBCS. You’ll gain expert insight into which conservation techniques qualify for a Universal (blue) label versus a Conserved (gray) or Restored (purple) label, helping you make informed decisions about your collection.
Packed with over 250 high-resolution images and 268 pages of expert knowledge, this guide covers:
✔️ Cleaning Techniques – Dry and wet cleaning, stain removal, and safe cleaning solutions
✔️ Humidification & Pressing – Reducing spine ticks, creases, and structural distortion
✔️ Tear Seals & Reinforcement – How to repair without damaging integrity
✔️ Leaf Casting – Filling in missing paper and stabilizing fragile comics
✔️ Disassembly & Reassembly – Safely working on comics without causing harm
✔️ Restoration Removal – Undoing past work to restore authenticity
This book is built on over 50 peer-reviewed studies and accomplishments from the comic conservation community, making it the most comprehensive resource on traditional conservation techniques available today.
Whether you’re a collector, dealer, or preservationist, this guide will equip you with the knowledge to save, stabilize, and safeguard comic book history.
Shelby Thompson has been a dedicated comic book collector for nearly 50 years, with a primary focus on Silver Age comics. In recent years, he passion for collecting has expanded into the Golden Age, where he has applied conservation techniques to preserve historically significant books. With over five years of experience in comic book cleaning and pressing-and two years actively engaged in conservation-he has developed expertise in maintaining and stabilizing fragile comic book paper. Along with his co-author Paul Konik, their conservation approach is grounded in extensive research and analysis of paper conservation literature, applying traditional methods to the unique challenges of comic book preservation. This meticulous, research-based approach is supported by their professional backgrounds as a researchers and scientists. Shelby holds a Ph.D. in Human Factors Psychology and has spent over 20 years in the field, specializing in research methodologies, problem-solving, and user-centered analysis-skills that translate seamlessly into the precision and care required for comic book conservation. Through their work, the goal is to bridge the gap between traditional conservation practices and the comic book collecting community, providing collectors with the knowledge and techniques necessary to preserve their collections.
Paul Kosnik has been a comic book collector, investor, and conservator since before it was cool. He has a PhD from the University of Michigan in Biomedical Engineering and spends his professional time developing novel cell therapies for underserved patient populations. He spends a significant part of his hobby time studying and adapting the peer-reviewed paper conservation literature to comic book conservation. This led him to content creation on YouTube with his channel Liberty Hill Comics and hosting a weekly live show to discuss comic book conservation with the growing community of comic book conservators. He co-authored the definitive book on the subject, Comic Book Conservation, with Dr. Shelby Thompson. His current collecting interests lie in golden age comic books, especially those that are in need of preservation from the ravages of time. When he's not studying the conservation literature or reading comic books, he can be found in the weight room, under the hood of a classic car, or in the field observing the natural world.
President of Certified Guaranty Company (CGC)
