6 Ways to Display Comic Books on Your Walls

by | Jun 9, 2020 | Collectibles, Comics, Display

Answer: You have a few different options: Mounts, Frames, Toploaders, etc. I’ll go into more detail below.

How to Display Comic Books on The Wall

If you have a large comic book collection, chances are there are a few issues that stand out to you, and you may want to display them. There are a number of reasons why these comics might be special to you. It could be any of the following reasons: the cover art, the fantastic story, the rarity of those issues, or maybe they just have sentimental value to you. Whatever the reason, it seems like a shame to just store them in a bin with the rest of your collection, or just add it to the rows of comics you have on your shelves. No, you want for yourself and others to be able to see it in all its glory. One great way to accomplish this is to hang your comic books on the wall.

 

What Are The Different Methods of Displaying Comics on the Walls?

1. Hang the Bags/Sleeves the Comics Come in on the Walls:

Perhaps one of the simplest solutions to your problem is to just use the plastic bags/sleeves that you’re comic books are likely already in. If you are a comic book collector then you probably have a lot of these already and likely won’t need to purchase any. The things is, the bags your comic books came in are probably not made to be hung up on the wall. They’re made to be stored in bins, so some modifications will be necessary. You may need to use adhesive tabs, Velcro, or magnets to make this work (I’ll include some options for you later on in this post).

Adhesive Tabs:

 

2. Use Bags that Have Tabs for Hanging Your Comics:

What you can also do is buy specific comic book bags that can be used for storage or for hanging. BCW makes these. You can purchase them sized for Modern, Silver, or Golden age comic books.

Bags with tabs for hanging:

Push Pins for hanging:

 

3. Hard Plastic Toploaders, Shells, Cases:

Next up, here are some options if you want something more secure to put your comics in while they’re on display. If you’re looking for a more sturdy, protective option, these might be for you. Think of it as giving your comic an armor suite.

 

4. Mounts for Hanging Your Comics and CGC Graded Comics on the Wall:

Another option is mounts. In the case of mounts, what you would be doing is hanging the mount on your wall, and then securing the comic in the mount. This makes replacing the displayed comic incredibly simple. Mounts will also allow you to put your comics in bags with boards, plastic cases, or whatever you would like without having to deal with any unique methods of hanging since the mount is already hanging in place. This is also a really good option for CGC graded comics.

These comic mounts from Collector Mount are able to be adjusted between 8.75” to 14.25” inches and will hold books up to one inch thick. They can also be used as stands in case you want to display you comics on shelves, desks, or other surfaces.

 

5. Hanging Framed Comic Books on The Wall:

Framing your comic books is much like framings pieces of art or photos. The key thing to remember when framing is thickness. Most of the frames you’re going to find out there are used for framing pictures and artwork, not for multi-page comic books, so be careful about what types of frames you’re trying to fit your comic book into. If its too tight, it could damage the comic. Be sure to look for frames that are made with comic books in mind. Here are some options:

Frames for CBC Graded Comics:

 

6. Displaying Your Comics with Racks:

The final option for displaying your comics on your walls that I’m going to cover is racks. This probably isn’t ideal for most people, and it’s definitely a little unconventional, but it may appeal to certain niche groups who like the way it looks. One of the benefits of this method of display is that its very low maintenance. You don’t have to worry about hanging individual comics, frames, or mounts on your walls—once you get the rack set up, that will cover a number of your comics. The comics will be displayed for people to see, while being very easily accessible at the same time. Here are some options:

Please be aware: these are not made with the intention of displaying comics. Most are made for magazines and newspapers; however, that doesn’t mean they can’t be used to display your comics and tradebacks.

 

What to Use for Hanging Your Comics on The Wall?

Depending on which of the display methods above you choose, you will need to decide how you’re going to get the comic actually hanging on your walls. Your options come down to push pins, nails, or adhesives of some kind.

Adhesive Velcro dots for Hanging Items:

Adhesive Tabs:

Push Pins:

 

Will Hanging Comics Damage My Walls?

Well, you will likely be either putting holes in your walls or using adhesives of some kind. If you consider the small holes you’ll be putting in your walls with either push pins or nails damaging, then, yes, you would be damaging your walls. As for the adhesives, any kind of adhesive is going to have the potential of damaging your walls when you attempt to remove it. It could peal paint.

When removing anything adhesive from your walls, first consider using a blow dryer to heat up the adhesive Velcro dot (or whatever adhesive item you’re trying to remove. After about 15 to 30 seconds, try to remove it. If its still not pealing off easily, try for another 10 seconds or so. Continue to heat up the adhesive as needed. It will get pretty hot eventually so be careful not to burn yourself when trying to remove it.

 

Where Should I Display My Comic Books?

Where you choose to display your comic books is completely up to you, however, there are some things you should take into consideration when selecting where in your home or office you’re going to display your comic books. Some questions you should ask yourself: What are the environmental conditions? Can the humidity be controlled? Will the comic books be exposed to direct sunlight? Can you regulate the temperature? Is there a lot of soot and dust in the air? Take all of these things into consideration.

Ideally, if you’re going to be displaying your comics on the wall, the first thing you want to make sure is that they’re not being exposed to direct sunlight. If they are being exposed to the sun, make sure they are encased in something with UV protection. The UV rays from the sun will fade the comic art over time otherwise. Also, be sure to use LED lights to light the room and not fluorescent. Fluorescent give off more UV rays than other lights and can contribute to fading. LEDs give off much less UV rays than other types of lights.

The next thing to take into account is humidity. Wherever you’re displaying your comics, you want to make sure that the relative humidity is between 40% and 60%. This means that basements, attics, and garages are likely off limits. If the air is too humid, it will cause the paper that your comics are made of to retain more moisture which could lead to warping, wrinkling, and potentially mold. That being said, you probably don’t want it to be too dry in the room either. Again, try to keep things between 40% and 60% RH. Try to avoid extreme temperatures if possible. Put it this way, if the room temperature is comfortable for you, its probably fine for your comics.

 

What You Should Know About UV Protection

I know I sort of mentioned this already, but I feel it needs to be reiterated. When buying a frame or plastic casing to display your comic books in, you’ll notice that a number of them offer UV protection. This means that the casing filters UV light to some degree or another. UV light is mostly produced by the sun (though artificial light will produce it as well, though, at a much lower level). If the display option you select does not offer UV protection, you should try to display your comics somewhere where they will not be exposed to sunlight, which will greatly fade the exposed areas of the comic over time. Also, something to keep in mind is that some of these options only filter a certain percentage of UV rays, so some UV rays are still getting through to your comic. Whether or not your frame or case filters UV rays, you still may want to keep it out of the sun for the protection of you comics.

 

Conclusion:

In the end, however you choose to display your favorite comic books from your collection, whether that be mounted on your walls or otherwise—it’s all up to you. It’s all about what’s most aesthetically pleasing to you. Just be sure to plan out how you’re going to display them before deciding on the method of display.

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