Ghost Rider (Vol 3) #15 Blazes A Bright Path for Future Variants

The 1990s are known for the great comic bubble, caused in part by the use of gimmicks for the covers. One such gimmick, which continues to this day, are glow-in-the-dark (aka GITD) covers. Admittedly, glow-in-the-dark covers are fascinating, even cool. Sometimes we are not even aware that such-and-such comic glows in the dark: for example, Cyberspace 3000 #1, Deadman (Vol 5) #1 and The Spectre (Vol 3) #8.

Ghost Rider (Vol 3) #15 launched glow-in-the-dark variants in July 1991. A deluge using the new gimmick soon followed. A practice which continues well into the 21st century.

Glow-in-the-dark products – such as comics – contain phosphors which radiate visible light after being energized. Chemists have created thousands of chemical substances which glow in the dark.

To make a glow-in-the-dark comic, a phosphor which is energized by normal light must be selected, such as Zinc Sulfide or Strontium Aluminate. Zinc Sulfide seems to be the preferred phospher, as comics do not glow for very long when compared to Strontium Aluminate. Zinc Sulfide is mixed into appropriate ink and printed on the cover of the comic, resulting in the glow effect.

The most valuable glow-in-the-dark comic is…

Glow-in-the-dark covers are not typically photographed as they are glowing, only as they appear “on the shelf” in standard light. We feel this is a discredit to readers, Particularly those who like GITD covers. So as much as possible, we try to display the comic as it appears in the light, as it appears in partial darkness and as it appears in total darkness. We want interested readers to be able to see how the glow affect is applied to the covers of comics.

Starting with the gallery below.

Sources: How Stuff Works