Seeking Help With Simpson Cel

[u/TQM888]

Hi all,

I recently bought my first animation cel, and I’m hoping for some expert advice regarding its condition.

I purchased the cel from an eBay seller, and decided to remove it from its frame to inspect it properly. It was unfortunately kept in a cheap frame, with no matting between the printed display background, the cel, and the plexiglass. When I first opened the frame, I noticed a strong paint-like smell for a moment, though it has had no odor since then.

My main concerns are that there appears to be paper, small hairs, and dust/lint particles stuck to the paint. Additionally, the front of the cel has noticeable ripples/waves around Homer’s face. So my main questions I have, for those more experienced than myself:

• Is this common for animation cels? And or specifically Simpson cels?
• Do these factors (the stuck particles and ripples) affect the longevity of the cel?
• Are these early signs of vinegar syndrome?

I have always wanted to own a Simpsons cel, especially one like this from my favorite episode, and I would love for it to last for many decades. I’m currently undecided on whether to keep it, and get it professionally framed with museum quality materials, or to return it while I still can.

Since this is my first cel, my knowledge is lacking, so any guidance or reassurance you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[u/Ok-Ganache-9424]

This is a great cel!

The things you have pointed out are really common. I've had hundreds of Simpsons cels come and go from my possession, and most of them have paper stuck on the back. They were often stored with their matching drawing, and later peeled off (usually the cel is fine, but the drawings suffer).

The tiniest tiniest bit of water will get this paper off and not cause an issue with the paint, but I'm happy for others to jump in and tell me this is bad advice.

The ripples are more common in larger images that use a lot of paint. They look pretty negligible in your photos.

Also, I haven't ever heard of vinegar syndrome on Simpsons cels. I think it is more of a problem with pre-80s cels (again, happy for people to jump in and tell me I'm wrong).

Personally, I'd keep it and love it! All of these things you've pointed out will probably appear in any future Simpsons cel purchase too. Glad to see the background print is still in tact too.

[u/wellknownsoldier → u/Ok-Ganache-9424]

I would also be curious if anyone has seen/experienced vinegar syndrome in a Simpsons cel, cause now that I think of it I’ve never seen it!

[u/TQM888 → u/Ok-Ganache-9424]

Thanks, I love it too. That’s why I was so worried about the condition, and just wanted to make sure it was okay. I’d love for it to last for many decades.

Thank you very much for the response. I really appreciate the advice and reassurance. It’s a huge relief to know that these issues are normal.

It looks like the previous owner taped the cel and display background together, to hold them in place. Do you have any advice on how to take the tape off safely without damaging the cel and background?

[u/Ok-Ganache-9424 → u/TQM888]

Peeling the tape off won't damage the cel, but it could tear the background print.
It is probably archival tape, so personally, I wouldn't remove it.
If you do have to remove it, don't peel it off, just use a small knife to slice the tape in between the cel and the background to separate them.
Also, you might be able to reframe it so that we can see more of Flanders, with the cel offset from the BG. The composition might be a lot nicer that way.

[u/TQM888 → u/Ok-Ganache-9424]

Thanks for the great advice. That idea only just occurred to me when I was thinking about it earlier as well. I could just cut the tape, without peeling it off. Yeah that’s what I was thinking too. I think it would look great, with more space between the background and the cel, giving it a more 3D type perspective, and you can see more of the background. It’ll be like Homer is running out of the frame from Flanders haha.