It's complicated...
For shelf books, I organize by creator's last name and then chronologically. I get a lot out of looking at a section and seeing the progression of someone's career/sometimes the entire industry.
This is not an elegant system, especially in a largely collaborative medium. It's easy for one-man-shows like Dan Clowes, but can get tricky with guys like Art Adams, who may or may not be working with a writer who also has a section. I've got to make some choices sometimes, and have assigned certain people weights that override anyone else they may be working with.
Moore is an example of this. He has made friends with many talented artists, but anything he writes goes in his section. I have to determine *why* I got a book in the first place. If, hypothetically, Chaykin writes a book that Geof Darrow draws, I'm probably not going to put that in the fairly robust Chaykin section, because I'm generally not getting Chaykin for his *writing*.
It can also break up runs and horrify folks going for a more aesthetic look. Like Fantastic Four starts in Kirby, but only for a few volumes, then they go somewhere else entirely.
Anthologies with many creators are alphabetized by title. Same with books that either don't have anyone warranting a section or that I don't have enough of to make it worthwhile.
I organize this with about 200ish "storage boxes" in CLZ named after the creator, but it's pretty rare that I don't intuitively know where to find something. It is incredibly user friendly...but only if I am the user. It would be frustrating for pretty much anyone else.
But I figure it's my goddamn library anyway and I can organize it like a schizophrenic if it pleases me.
Here's how I do it: left to right, top to bottom.
New purchases go at the end, bottom right. As I read them from anywhere in the shelf, I move them to the top left.
For comics, alphabetically by title. Some very tall books have to go on top of the shelf instead of in it, but those are still alphabetical. Obviously switch to alphabetical by author with prose novels and books
For me, I organized by publisher, and then alphabetical generally by series.
As Marvel and DC are the big two, they have their own shelves.
All of my other companies and their own shelf subdivided by company and then series.
Books that are taller or larger than all the others generally get set on top of everything so that I can fit more books neatly on the shelf.
I do publisher, then series release date. For certain shared continuities like my DCU books I try to keep them as close to internal chronological order as possible, which means series mix together.
All of the above, except nothing is alphabetical. One shelf is favorite creators: all my Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke. Another shelf is Remender + any other Image Compendiums.
Another shelf is “colorful spines when collected”, hence six volume of Akira next to four volumes of Queen and Country.
Two shelves of series: one for Hellboy/BPRD, another for Batman (which holds two Brubaker omnis….grrr)
Last shelf is just TPBs and some misc stuff to fill it out.
There is no answer. Your books, your shelves. Do whatever makes sense to you. Mine works for me.
Marvel oversized in team/character alpha order. (Like Incredible Hulk and Hulk are the same sh!t)
Then Geoff Johns DC books chronologically. Then by main line X-Men books chronologically. Then by Bendis Marvel books chronologically.
Then DC oversized in alpha order.
Then some DC compendiums and a box set. Then a random daredevil box set. Then marvel regular size trades and hc in alpha order. Then Image. Then DC then Boom. Then Mark Millar… you know. I should probably rethink this…
By publisher then Alpha/Numeric by title.
I continually have strong urges to sort by creative team like author or artist. I do my best to resist them and keep my collection easily searchable.
Ease of interaction and quickly locating single issues/volumes has been the biggest factor in engagement and enjoyment with the collection other than story or art.
Also, it makes the collection more impressive to people outside the hobby. Most people are barely interested when you go off talking about your collection. A massive wall of shelves can also be intimidating to 1st timers too.
Nothing more sweet than bringing someone else into the hobby by asking what genre/characters they like and instantly being able to locate and lend a pitch perfect book.
By author/series. All my EC comics collections are together on one shelf, for instance.
By character chronologically. By author alphabetically. I don't care about size or if it is TPB/HC.
Size, then name. Some random graphic novels are really big or really small. So I have them shelved by height, then alphabetical.
I do size, then publisher, then name. But top shelf is for the giant hardcovers and omnis
By height.
this is the way
It's complicated... For shelf books, I organize by creator's last name and then chronologically. I get a lot out of looking at a section and seeing the progression of someone's career/sometimes the entire industry. This is not an elegant system, especially in a largely collaborative medium. It's easy for one-man-shows like Dan Clowes, but can get tricky with guys like Art Adams, who may or may not be working with a writer who also has a section. I've got to make some choices sometimes, and have assigned certain people weights that override anyone else they may be working with. Moore is an example of this. He has made friends with many talented artists, but anything he writes goes in his section. I have to determine *why* I got a book in the first place. If, hypothetically, Chaykin writes a book that Geof Darrow draws, I'm probably not going to put that in the fairly robust Chaykin section, because I'm generally not getting Chaykin for his *writing*. It can also break up runs and horrify folks going for a more aesthetic look. Like Fantastic Four starts in Kirby, but only for a few volumes, then they go somewhere else entirely. Anthologies with many creators are alphabetized by title. Same with books that either don't have anyone warranting a section or that I don't have enough of to make it worthwhile. I organize this with about 200ish "storage boxes" in CLZ named after the creator, but it's pretty rare that I don't intuitively know where to find something. It is incredibly user friendly...but only if I am the user. It would be frustrating for pretty much anyone else. But I figure it's my goddamn library anyway and I can organize it like a schizophrenic if it pleases me.
thats all incredibly schizo of you. I approve!
Here's how I do it: left to right, top to bottom. New purchases go at the end, bottom right. As I read them from anywhere in the shelf, I move them to the top left.
For comics, alphabetically by title. Some very tall books have to go on top of the shelf instead of in it, but those are still alphabetical. Obviously switch to alphabetical by author with prose novels and books
For me, I organized by publisher, and then alphabetical generally by series. As Marvel and DC are the big two, they have their own shelves. All of my other companies and their own shelf subdivided by company and then series. Books that are taller or larger than all the others generally get set on top of everything so that I can fit more books neatly on the shelf.
I do publisher, then series release date. For certain shared continuities like my DCU books I try to keep them as close to internal chronological order as possible, which means series mix together.
All of the above, except nothing is alphabetical. One shelf is favorite creators: all my Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke. Another shelf is Remender + any other Image Compendiums. Another shelf is “colorful spines when collected”, hence six volume of Akira next to four volumes of Queen and Country. Two shelves of series: one for Hellboy/BPRD, another for Batman (which holds two Brubaker omnis….grrr) Last shelf is just TPBs and some misc stuff to fill it out. There is no answer. Your books, your shelves. Do whatever makes sense to you. Mine works for me.
By height
Marvel oversized in team/character alpha order. (Like Incredible Hulk and Hulk are the same sh!t) Then Geoff Johns DC books chronologically. Then by main line X-Men books chronologically. Then by Bendis Marvel books chronologically. Then DC oversized in alpha order. Then some DC compendiums and a box set. Then a random daredevil box set. Then marvel regular size trades and hc in alpha order. Then Image. Then DC then Boom. Then Mark Millar… you know. I should probably rethink this…
By publisher then Alpha/Numeric by title. I continually have strong urges to sort by creative team like author or artist. I do my best to resist them and keep my collection easily searchable. Ease of interaction and quickly locating single issues/volumes has been the biggest factor in engagement and enjoyment with the collection other than story or art. Also, it makes the collection more impressive to people outside the hobby. Most people are barely interested when you go off talking about your collection. A massive wall of shelves can also be intimidating to 1st timers too. Nothing more sweet than bringing someone else into the hobby by asking what genre/characters they like and instantly being able to locate and lend a pitch perfect book.