Clark Dissmeyer Comix and Small Press Collection

Clark Dissmeyer Comix and Small Press Collection, 1977-2002

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Dissmeyer, Clark Alan, 1963-
Title: Clark Dissmeyer Comix and Small Press Collection
Dates: 1977-2002 (inclusive)
19772002
Quantity: 2.5 linear feet of shelf space, (4 boxes)
Collection Number: SC 003.5 (collection)
Summary: This collection consists of small press literature and comic books collected by underground cartoonist Clark Dissmeyer. It includes holdings of unique and rare comics and homemade zines spanning two decades in the small press/underground genre. Much of the subject matter is controversial, and contains violent and/or sexual themes.
Repository: Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions: This collection is open and available for research use.
Languages: English, German, Finnish, and Portuguese., , ,

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Underground/Newave comix cartoonist Clark Allen Dissmeyer (CAD) was born and raised in Nebraska. Little is known about his life except that he has lived almost exclusively in Nebraska and currently resides in Kearney, Nebraska. In addition to collecting small press and alternative comics, Dissmeyer is cited as one of the progenitors of the small press explosion of the 1980's and of the minicomix format, comix drawn on 8.5 x 11 paper and then photocopied, folded into quarters, cut, and bound. Out of this movement also came microcomix, an even smaller format used by a smaller number of cartoonists. Willis and other small press cartoonists exchanged their creations with fans and other cartoonists though the mail in the United States and worldwide. Some of Dissmeyer's notable works include Dadman and Sonboy, Giant-Sized Mini Comix, Babyfat, and Anal Retentive Horror.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

These underground comix and small press materials were collected by Clark Dissmeyer and were published circa 1977 to 2002. The collection consists of approximately 130 folders of individual titles, and some folders contain sequential issues of comix, newsletters, and zines. Standard and digest size comix make up one-fifth of the collection and while many are underground comix they are of a more professional quality than other formats. Among the standard comix include Rip Off Comix, The Weirdo, and Cool Cheese Comic. Minicomix consist of approximately 60 percent of the collection, a significant number given both the small size of the items and the rarity of minicomix. While many of the minicomix authors represented in this collection are not highly known, many of the titles were published in the early to mid-1980s and thus document the beginning of the minicomix genre. There are three microcomix folders in the collection.

Approximately 30 percent of the collection is non-comix related, consisting of advertising and promotional materials, catalogs, newsletters, and zines (from magazine, and self-published via photocopier). Of these, zines are the majority (about 15 percent of the collection) and are notable for their representations of the American music underground, counterculture, anti-television and anti-procreation movements, LGBT rights, and graphic poetry.

The Dissmeyer collection, along with the much-larger Willis Collection (SC 3.5) offers a significant snapshot of the American underground and counterculture in the 1980s and 1990s and many of the materials coincide with the birth of the underground comix scene (referred to by many cartoonists as "Newave").

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]

Clark Dissmeyer Comix and Small Press Collection, 1977-2002 (SC 003.5)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into nine series. Material in each series is arranged alphabetically by title.

Series 1: Advertising and Promotional Material, 1991-1992. This series contains materials related to the advertising and promoting of comix, zines, comic books, and promotional comix-related events.

Series 2: Bibliographic Correspondence and Documentation, 1999. This series contains transmittal lists and collection documentation by Clark Dissmeyer.

Series 3: Catalogs, 1986-1998. This series consists of catalogs for comix, comic books, anime, art supplies, and other unrelated materials.

Series 4: Comix, 1977-2002. This series contains three subseries: 4.1 Regular and Digest Comix, 1977-1999; 4.2: Microcomix, 1984-2002; and 4.3: Minicomix, 1979-1999. Microcomix are generally smaller versions of minicomix, where the 8.5 x 11 in sheet is folded into eights or sixteenths and then cut and bound.

Series 5: Newsletters, 1988-1997. This series consists of newsletters of small press, library, and environmental groups and organizations.

Series 6: Comix Related Materials, 1992-1997. This series contains a variety of materials relating to comix and comix creators.

Series 7: Review Zines, 1992-1993. This series consists of small press zines that review other small press zines.

Series 8: Zines, 1982-1999. This series consists of small press zines written by one or multiple authors.

Series 9: Oversize Materials. This series consists of materials too large for storage in the comix collection. Separation sheets are filed for these materials in their respective series.

Acquisition Information

Clark Dissmeyer donated this collection to the Washington State University Libraries in multiple installments in 1999 (MS.2009.18).

Processing Note

Robert Franklin processed this collection in 2014.

Related Materials

Steve Willis Underground Comics Collection, 1966-1997 (SC 003.1)

Lynn R. Hansen Underground Comics Collection, 1899-1994 (SC 003.2)

Paul Brians Comics Collection, 1950-2004 (SC 003.3)

Steve Willis Comix and Small Press Collection, 1968-2004 (SC 003.4)

Joseph M. Shea Comix and Small Press Collection, 1967-2010 (SC 003.6)

Jeff Zenick Comix and Small Press Collection, 1984-2003 (SC 003.7)

Comic Art and Culture Collection 1969-2009 (SC 003.8)

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series 1: Advertisements and Promotional Material, 1991-1992Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	1	Fraudeville	1992
1	2	Premios Simao/Simao Prix	1993
1	3	This is Don Public Theatre	1991
1	4	Who Are the Virtual Gods?	1992

Series 2: Bibliographic Correspondence and Documentation, 1999Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	5	Dissmeyer Transmittals	1999

Series 3: Catalogs, 1986-1998Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	6	Baby Sue Products	undated
1	7	Feh! Press Catalog	1991-1992
1	8	Mumbles Publications Catalog Fall-Winter 1986	1986
1	9	The New City Limits Catalogue of Groovy Stuff Issue number 1	undated
1	10	Ten Thousand Things Catalog	1998

Series 4: Comix Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
		Subseries 4.1: Regular and Digest Comix, 1977-199
Box	Folder
1	11	11/12 Dave	1995
1	12	Arnie Arnolds Space Cadet!	1980
1	13	Automatics	undated
1	14	Baby Sue Vol. 2 numbers 1-4, Vol. 3 numbers 1-2	1988-1998
1	15	Bat Comix	1982
1	16	Betta Bob, The Siamese Fighting Fish!	1999
1	17	Big Dog's Goat Farm Dispatch number 2	1992
1	18	Bigger	1996
1	19	Buddah on the Road number 2	undated
1	20	The Collected Charles Charles	1985
1	21	Cool Cheese Comic	undated
1	22	Deep Girl number 4	1994
1	23	Doubts and Visions	1991
1	24	Highbrow	1991
1	25	Houdini the World's Handcuff King and Prison Breaker	1991
1	26	Juice City	1997
1	27	Karkus Ratus numbers 1 and 2	1998
1	28	Laugh Clown Laugh	undated
1	29	The Local Comics Compilation numbers 1 through 10	1998
1	30	Mumbles numbers 1 through 5	1983-1985
1	31	The Rain's Falling on Hard Nose Harry	1979
1	32	Real Hep! 1 and 2	1983
1	33	Real Scream Comics	1992
1	34	Rip Off Comix	1977
1	35	Simao number 3	1993
1	36	Shitty Comix	undated
1	37	The Weirdo numbers 2 through 3	1979-1980
1	38	Welcome to 1991	undated
		Subseries 4.2: Microcomix, 1984-2002
Box	Folder
1	39	Dead Soldiers	1984
1	40	The Just Say No to Tuna Book number 2	1990
1	41	Ricko Comix	2002
		Subseries 4.3: Minicomix, 1979-1999
Box	Folder
1	42	[Untitled]	1990
1	43	5 O'Clock Shadow	1989-1992
1	44	A Finkster. A Rose.	1979
1	45	A Romp with Burns and Allen	1990
1	46	Alex Tamsula's The Thing's In Town	1980
2	1	The Baby Sue Book	1985
2	2	Baby Sue's Philosophy Book	undated
2	3	Baby Sue's Recipe Book	undated
2	4	Babylon Mystery	1987
2	5	Bagman #one	1999
2	6	Bend Over number 1	undated
2	7	La Camara Desmayada	1982
2	8	Christian's Birthday Comix	undated
2	9	Clavicle Book	1998
2	10	Cold Comfort	1999
2	11	Cool Maps	1992
2	12	Dilation Comix	1982
2	13	Doodles 1	1995
2	14	Doppelganger	1981
2	15	Eggo-Man number 1	undated
2	16	Farmboy Funnies	1992-1993
2	17	Friendly Garbage! number 1	1981
2	18	Garbanzo Comix number 1	1980
2	19	Garden Comics number 5	1986
2	20	Hallowman	1995
2	21	How Do I Do My Wicked! Comics	1994
2	22	Insect Man	1990
2	23	Insufficient Dada Mini	1991
2	24	King of Palms	1995
2	25	Lust Ratio	1982
2	26	Meat Signals	1982-1986
2	27	Modern Depression Magazine	1981
2	28	Mr. Mike	undated
2	29	Mr. Whipple!	1981
2	30	Near Fiction	1991
2	31	Notary Sojac	1980
2	32	One (1) Day Close to Hell	undated
2	33	Rare Mini Comix	1988
2	34	The Rise and Fall of Mr. Fuck You Man	undated
2	35	Sheep Shots, Sheep Tricks and Sheep Thrills	1989
2	36	Shoes	1998
2	37	Scenes From the Election Year: 1980	1980
2	38	Snap Happie!	1989
2	39	Star Face number 3	1985
2	40	Suburban Mojo	undated
2	41	They Were In Love	1986
2	42	Treed Phoofee	1994
2	43	Trippincat Artist Works: Bump	1992
2	44	TV: Modern Man, Primitive Man	1984
2	45	Wedgehead	1991
2	46	Weird Secretary 1983	undated
2	47	WHY?!?	1995

Series 5: Newsletters, 1988-1997Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
2	48	The Desert Leafy Green number 8	undated
2	49	News and Notes From All Over/S.E.T. Free: The Newsletter Against Television	1989-1997
2	50	Twisted Image numbers 11, 17-23, 25, 27-29, 31-37	1988-1992
2	51	These Exit Times numbers 1, 2, 4	undated

Series 6: Comix Related Materials, 1992-1997Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
2	52	Franklin's Tower Sticker	1995
2	53	Memo Pads With A Message	1992-1997
2	54	Postcards	1993

Series 7: Review Zines, 1992-1993Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
2	55	City Limits Gazette	1992-1993

Series 8: Zines, 1982-1999Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
3	1	Aquarium Town number 2	1995
3	2	Brass Tacks numbers 1-4, 7	1995-1999
3	3	Cancer is Your Friend	1984
3	4	Challenger 6-7	1997-1998
3	5	Comix Viruz number 1	undated
3	6	Communique After Dark 0	1993
3	7	Cult Comix number 4	undated
3	8	Damn number 1	undated
3	9	Derogatory Reference 92	1999
3	10	Edna's Edibles Issue 3-5	1995
3	11	The Epistle of Christopher John Jedidiah Manzanedo Patron Saint of Palms	1995
3	12	FEH! numbers 5, 13-19 1988-1995	undated
3	13	The Freethinker numbers 5 and 6	1996-1997
3	14	Hungry Maggot number 9	1996
3	15	Instant Karma number 1, Vol. 1	1991
3	16	King Sex	1986
3	17	Listen Up! number 2	1993
3	18	Meshggah number 15	1998
3	19	Puddle Dream	1998
3	20	Snuff It	undated
3	21	Tele Times Vol. 3, number 29	1982
3	22	Ten Thousand Things numbers 23-27, 30-34	undated
3	23	Weird City	undated
3	24	Yearbook 2	1988-1990

Series 9: Oversize Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
4	1	Twisted Image	undated

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Comic books, strips, etc.
Erotic comic books, strips, etc.
Graphic novels
New wave comics
Underground comic books, strips, etc.
Underground press publications

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