Dr. Shelby G Thompson

Shelby Thompson has been a dedicated comic book collector for nearly 50 years, with a primary focus on Silver Age comics. In recent years, he passion for collecting has expanded into the Golden Age, where he has applied conservation techniques to preserve historically significant books. With over five years of experience in comic book cleaning and pressing—and two years actively engaged in conservation—he has developed expertise in maintaining and stabilizing fragile comic book paper. Along with his co-author Paul Kosnik, their conservation approach is grounded in extensive research and analysis of paper conservation literature, applying traditional methods to the unique challenges of comic book preservation. This meticulous, research-based approach is supported by their professional backgrounds as a researchers and scientists. Shelby holds a Ph.D. in Human Factors Psychology and has spent over 20 years in the field, specializing in research methodologies, problem-solving, and user-centered analysis—skills that translate seamlessly into the precision and care required for comic book conservation. Through their work, the goal is to bridge the gap between traditional conservation practices and the comic book collecting community, providing collectors with the knowledge and techniques necessary to preserve their collections.