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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)
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., , ,
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Biographical Note

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.

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Content Description

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").

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions apply.

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.

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Administrative Information

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)

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Finding aid prepared by Robert Franklin.
2014

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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