Evan Dorkin

80s Comics Artifact: The Comico Color Grid

Added 2022-11-26 22:50:14 +0000 UTC

Stumbled upon this while moving some comp comics and zines around. This was a pretty ubiquitous item back in the pre-digital day, dating back to 1987 (the same year Pirate Corp$1 was published). Most of us bumming around in the industry had never worked for Comico, but it seemed like everyone you knew had one of these. I can't remember where I got a hold of the guide. I never used it, myself, but Sarah got some use out of it after she moved up to NY. I have never had a real grip on the coloring process, four color, blue line, whatever. I can't color anything digitally, production-wise I have always been a dunderhead.

I forgot that Murphy Anderson's Visual Concepts outfit had a hand in this, that same year Visual Concepts did the color separations for Pirate Corp$! # 1, which led to my getting into an argument over the phone with Murphy Anderson over the phone. Maybe I'll tell that story soon, remind me. It was a bummer, but he was in the wrong.

The guide unfolds to 7" x 22" (too large for my scanner to capture in one shot). Folds down to 4" x 7". It's taped in three places on the back and there's a doodle of Milk doing something with a box that I didn't scan because I'm afraid this thing is going to disintegrate.

I feel so old looking at this.