Why I Revived Troubador Press: A Love for Books, History, and Storytelling

Science Fiction Anthology

Science Fiction Anthology, 1974, by Mark Savee

My love for history and physical media is a big part of why I started Troubador Press. I’ve always been drawn to old books. As a kid, I cherished Troubador Press books so much I didn’t even color them, wanting to preserve the illustrations as they were. I loved that had amazing pictures but also told me about the books. Obviously I didn’t realize it at the time but these coloring books were more than than just simple activity books to color in. They were drawn by very talented and passionate artists and Malcom Whyte the original founder and owner wanted to make sure that kids learned as they colored.

While I originally hoped to republish some of these beloved books, I’ve since learned that many are still under copyright. Instead, I’m focusing on preserving the spirit of Troubador Press—by archiving, celebrating, and sharing the kinds of art, stories, and zines that first inspired me. Whenever possible, I hope to collaborate with estates or rights holders to bring certain out-of-print books back to life.

For now, my goal is to shine a light on forgotten works, support new creators, and ensure the art and stories I love remain accessible for everyone.

My archival station

List of Equipment/Tools I Use:

Here’s a quick look at the equipment and tools I use for preserving books, comics, and zines:

• Plustek OpticPro A320E Flatbed Scanner – Great for comics and artwork.

• ThinkPad P15 Gen 1 – Dedicated solely to my archival work.

• CZUR ET MAX Document Scanner – My current scanner, though I started with a DIY Cosmo Mini 700 stand and a basic Amazon digital camera.

• Heat gun or hair dryer – For loosening glue on book spines.

• Flat head staple remover + needle nose pliers – For removing stubborn, rusted staples without damaging pages.

• Bostitch Long Reach Stapler – For reassembling books once scanned, using the right staples for each project.

• Book binding kits – Affordable and easy to find on Amazon, Etsy, and other sites.

  If you’re new to book repair, I recommend checking out this YouTube channel www.youtube.com/@SaveYourBooks, Sophia Bogle’s channel is a really great way t learn to repair old, vintage, modern, or antique books with expert help. Sophia offers book repair tutorials to repair broken books, their bindings, spines, hinges, and more.

My Mission

My hope with Troubador Press is not just to preserve, but to celebrate the art, stories, and creativity of the past—giving them a new life for modern audiences. I aim to keep my books priced as close to cost as possible while maintaining the original quality that Troubador was known for.

For printing, I use Mixam—I love the quality of their books, their paper options, and their customer service. I looked at a lot of various printing companies and in my next blog post I will go over why I’ve chose them as the printer!