We have been busy with a lot of different projects (like usual), and I apologize for not reporting fairly! The whole world doesn’t revolve around the sun, maybe, but sometimes for me, I feel like it does.
Beau has been busy finishing up and publishing his latest Dr. Dumb comic, called “Dr. Dumb’s Christmas at New Year’s”. This time the issue is a larger-than-tabloid size, mostly because Beau was more comfortable drawing that way in the beginning, and by the time we realized how it would look in the digest size, he had gone too far. So we ran with it and switched from a digest-sized book to a full-size. The story is also a third longer than his usual one, and the drawings are a lot more detailed. We all thought it looked better in a larger format, anyway.
The big problem, of course, when you are publishing from home, is the pesky issue of how to bind the pages together. We considered “perfect” binding (gluing the spine) and spiral binding, but weren’t too excited about the way those look. So for the first few issues, I sewed the binding on my sewing machine, and then we covered the “seam” with a paper binding.
I worried about the health of my sewing machine, though, so after the first few, we tried something different. We pulled in our local bookbinding consultant, Tony, and asked for suggestions.
Tony has been making books off and on for about ten years. I guess it’s natural for someone who loves old books to be interested in the process of restoring them, and so he spent some time learning the ancient craft of bookbinding. After watching videos and reading up on it, he made a jig for himself and began to experiment. He has made some beautiful journals over the years, and each one feels like a keepsake.
Tony thought about the best way to bind Beau’s comic, and advised us. We have both watched Tony make books in the past, but it’s one thing to watch, and another thing to do! We were excited at the thought of binding our own book, though, so we kept the end result in our minds as a goal, and dove into the process.
The first problem was how to make the holes in the paper. First, Tony made a jig (template) for the spacing of the holes. He used upholstery tacks to hold the jig in place on a piece of wood, and then it was easy to punch the holes in the right places. Tony showed us how to clamp the pages on the other side, and then those clamps would continue to hold the pages in place after the punch template was removed, so we could sew through the punched holes.
The last part was to cover the binding. Tony had a formula for the glue because of all his experimenting in the past, and so he did that job for us. (He also designed the stylish backing, and I think he did a great job!)
These small images are all taken from Dr. Dumb’s many adventures.
I am sharing all of this about our process to encourage anyone else out there who is interested in making a book: You can do it! Many of us have things that we want to remember. Maybe you would love a handmade journal, or a recipe book, a collection of the lyrics of your favorite songs, or even poems you have written to someone you love. Anyone with a desire, and the least resources can make a book.
If you don’t have a printer, you can write it in your own hand. These kind of handmade books are as unique as it gets. What a wonderful way to preserve a precious memory!
A book will never be erased by a magnet or have a software compatibility problem. It will always be readable, and when you pick up that book, you are touching the same pages as the person who made it. I remember when I touched the book that held the signature of my great grandfather–I felt connected to this man whose blood flowed in my veins, but whom I had never met. Books are physical things, but they join our minds.
The process of bookmaking really isn’t hard, so if you have ever wanted to try, I urge you to go for it. There are tutorials out there if you want someone to show you step-by-step how to do it, but it’s not rocket science; it’s putting pages together. And it can be a lot simpler than what we are doing here, or it can be much more complicated. That is up to you.
All this talk about bookbinding reminds me that I haven’t said anything about the actual book! Beau has been working on this one for over a year, and when you look at the drawings, it becomes obvious how much time went into it.
The story is a little different, too. Instead of small stories woven into one bigger one, this one is one longer story. The old familiar favorites are there, but there are also new inventions, and new primary characters. Who knew Dr. Dumb had a sister?
We realize that Christmas is behind us, but don’t worry, Beau has lots of new ideas cooking. Expect a new title in the Beau’s Shorts line this spring! And if you have any questions or want to order a copy of any of his previously-published comics, you can email Beau at thefullersfour@protonmail.com.
The Fullers Four 