Recolouring: which of these do you prefer?

[MatthewP]

I prefer the original. The colors may be a bit wild, but hey - it's the sixties, baby! It pops and it's interesting. The re-color is perfectly nice, but a bit bland.

I'm surprised they allow such liberties in the re-color to completely change the character of the work. If I'm buying a reprint, I'd prefer that the colors keep reasonably close to the original.

[CrazyOldHermit]

I prefer the original. The colors may be a bit wild, but hey - it's the sixties, baby! It pops and it's interesting. The re-color is perfectly nice, but a bit bland.

I'm surprised they allow such liberties in the re-color to completely change the character of the work. If I'm buying a reprint, I'd prefer that the colors keep reasonably close to the original.

They (well at least Marvel, can't speak for DC) generally don't allow those changes anymore. The first editions of the Marvel Masterworks had this sort of colouring. I haven't seen any of it first hand but the general consensus is it pointlessly deviates from the original material in both the colours used and garish gradients. In 2003 the Masterworks program came under new management in the form of Cory Sedlmeier and from this point onwards all books stuck to the original colouring. Check out this example from Silver Surfer:




Look at that. Just try and say that isn't a huge improvement. Betcha can't do it with a straight face.

[BDiogenes]

^From where did you get the original? Is it sure it would've looked as such off the newsstand? Hard to believe. But when one becomes habituated one wouldn't notice unless someone pops in with "better". The former is perfectly acceptable. Newsprint is what it is. CrazyOldHermit, what issue is that? I know I've read it and if memory serves SS lasted only nine issues. I'll bet the FF don't appear even though they would not have need be paid for a cameo!

[Johnny P. Sartre]

Both, yeah, I know.

Usually, I dislike recolors, the palettes they use for recoloring at times make the drawings look flat, limited and plastic or lifeless. But for those two, they both work very well and have their own individual charms, the old bring attentions to Sue and the strong colors they use adds a nice touch to the overall scene. The new just brings attention to the entire scene and has a nice retro, kinda ligne claire coloring to it.

I am LOVING that recoloring of Silver Surfer, perfect.

[MatthewP]

That Silver Surfer recolor is a great example of the way it should be done. Its cleaner and brighter than the original thanks to the better printing, but stays true to the original intent. Very nice.

But am I weird for still thinking the old newsprint still has a certain charm? Something about the paper grain giving it an interesting texture. I think I'm just used to expecting comic books to look like that.

[destro]

But am I weird for still thinking the old newsprint still has a certain charm? Something about the paper grain giving it an interesting texture. I think I'm just used to expecting comic books to look like that.

Not at all, I agree with you. Re: the Sue Storm pic. The original coloring is what I'd prefer to see in the actual comic book. The newer version works better as a poster.

[Johnny P. Sartre]

The old coloring is a hit or miss with me.

[benday-dot]

They (well at least Marvel, can't speak for DC) generally don't allow those changes anymore. The first editions of the Marvel Masterworks had this sort of colouring. I haven't seen any of it first hand but the general consensus is it pointlessly deviates from the original material in both the colours used and garish gradients. In 2003 the Masterworks program came under new management in the form of Cory Sedlmeier and from this point onwards all books stuck to the original colouring. Check out this example from Silver Surfer:

That's a good illustration of the much improved and more rigorously faithful colouring of the newer Masterworks volumes. I wouldn't touch a Masterworks reprint at one time because of the highly ill-considered and artificial palette employed. The computer colouring was lifeless and garish all at once; airbrushed looking as Prince Hal put it. It really insulted the "honesty" of the original printing.

These days, the colouring, as you demonstrate is much improved, very true to the original. And yes I still hold out the original as the benchmark; your newsprint scan is lovely to me.

This raises the matter of the the "silent voice" colouring your panels no less than do the pigments and hues. The main remaining difference between your old and new examples is no longer the colour choices, but the type of paper employed. In the original we see the texture of the newsprint altering the tone of the colours to a less vibrant, but very evocative and classic look. I like it indeed. The absence of this texture in the reprint version, even with a faithful colouring, adds its own accent. If the reprinted version is of the Kings Speech, and lacking the warmth of the working class pulp, it is yet strikingly incisive and powerful.

Still, as the difference between original and reprint colouring has greatly been corrected so to has the difference in accent due to paper type now been partially smoothed away. We will likely never go back to newsprint, but high gloss paper in the early Masterworks has at least given way to a more matte type stock which allows for the capturing of more of the originals warmth than was previously possible.

[CrazyOldHermit]

^From where did you get the original? Is it sure it would've looked as such off the newsstand? Hard to believe. But when one becomes habituated one wouldn't notice unless someone pops in with "better". The former is perfectly acceptable. Newsprint is what it is. CrazyOldHermit, what issue is that? I know I've read it and if memory serves SS lasted only nine issues. I'll bet the FF don't appear even though they would not have need be paid for a cameo!

The original is a scan I found on the internet. It wouldn't have looked that way on the newstand but thats kind of irrelevant since it hit the newstands more than 40 years ago, what matters is how it looks to readers now. The comparison shows the non-archival aspect of newsprint. The Masterworks volume is archival so it will last forever, it won't get brittle and crumbly or turn yellow.

And the issue is Silver Surfer #5. The series went for 18 issues.

[BDiogenes]

^Wow, 18 issues? Without a hiatus? I don't remember that many issues. Let's hope the average com doesn't turn yellow, etc.. Pardon questionable grammar in last sentence above. Not at my best.

[The Confessor]

The comparison shows the non-archival aspect of newsprint. The Masterworks volume is archival so it will last forever, it won't get brittle and crumbly or turn yellow.

Not sure that's actually true. I have a first printing of the Fantastic Four Omnibus from 2005, which was the first Omnibus that Marvel put out (I believe), and I also have the Jack Kirby Captain America Omnibus from 2011. The paper in the former is noticably yellower than in the newer book, due to aging. I assume that the omnibuses use the same paper as the Masterworks...it certainly looks and feels the same. Now, obviously the yellowing is less severe than with newsprint, of course...but the paper in my FF omnibus has clearly aged in the 7 years since I bought it.

[berk]

They (well at least Marvel, can't speak for DC) generally don't allow those changes anymore. The first editions of the Marvel Masterworks had this sort of colouring. I haven't seen any of it first hand but the general consensus is it pointlessly deviates from the original material in both the colours used and garish gradients. In 2003 the Masterworks program came under new management in the form of Cory Sedlmeier and from this point onwards all books stuck to the original colouring. Check out this example from Silver Surfer:

Look at that. Just try and say that isn't a huge improvement. Betcha can't do it with a straight face.

The enw one still looks too bright to me. At least they stuck to the original colour scheme, though. But yes, I prefer the newsprint look for the comics from that era.

[Shawn Hopkins]

I like the original better just because the reds are warmer and that provides a bit of contrast to Sue's outfit. I was really surprised to see those pink highlights on Sue's face, though. Those look like a photoshop effect, like in the early days of computer coloring when the colorist would try to "help" the artist add dimensionality to a face.

I also for some reason like the look of the old-style coloring on newsprint. It's a little more muted, but I think that's in its favor when compared to recolors that look a bit harsh. The only coloring method that really turned me off was when DC started ruining books with that ugly process they used on New Titans. I think it was called flexographic. The colors did pop more, in that they were noticeably uglier.

^Wow, 18 issues? Without a hiatus? I don't remember that many issues. Let's hope the average com doesn't turn yellow, etc.. Pardon questionable grammar in last sentence above. Not at my best.

All newsprint eventually yellows. The example posted is reasonably well-preserved based on its age. I saw some 90s Avengers issues yesterday that looked way worse.

[CrazyOldHermit]

The enw one still looks too bright to me. At least they stuck to the original colour scheme, though. But yes, I prefer the newsprint look for the comics from that era.

Thats actually one of the few complaints people still have about the Masterworks. The original comics were coloured with newsprint in mind and the Masterworks stick so close to the original colouring that they don't compensate for the difference in paper.

[berk]

Thats actually one of the few complaints people still have about the Masterworks. The original comics were coloured with newsprint in mind and the Masterworks stick so close to the original colouring that they don't compensate for the difference in paper.

Yup, that's the problem.