I have been a comic book enthusiast for well over 35 years. I have been pressing comics professionally since 2013. I hold an honours bachelor of fine arts degree and bachelor of education degree from the University of Toronto. While at U of T, I focused primarily on painting, drawing, sculpting and art history. My first foray into preservation and restoration was refinishing antique furniture. I quickly learned how to work with old wood and metal, and I particularly enjoyed saving vintage phonographs and gramophones. I continued to refine my skills throughout the 1990s, and still enjoy restoring antiques to this day.
I suppose it is only natural that my interest in refinishing fine furniture and collectibles would eventually lead me to the preservation of comic books as well. I began to investigate the methods and tools used in comic book pressing and cleaning quite some time ago, and began experimenting. Through much trial and error and discussing the process with professional conservators and art restorers, I have developed, in my opinion, a safe and effective method to press and gently clean comic books.
I encourage you to investigate the art of comic book pressing, and discover for yourself if it is right for you. I am always available to answer any questions or discuss comics from your own collection that you are considering having pressed.
If you have a comic that requires extensive restoration, I am afraid I cannot help you. I have focused my efforts solely on pressing and minor cleaning. A quick Google search will reveal many others who do full-on restoration work.
Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing from you.
Kevin Polidano
The Comic Doctor is located 30 minutes east of Toronto in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
