Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Joseph M. Shea Comix and Small Press Collection, 1962-2010
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Shea, Joseph M.
- Title
- Joseph M. Shea Comix and Small Press Collection
- Dates
- 1962-2010 (inclusive)19622010
- Quantity
- 4.75 linear feet of shelf space, (9 boxes)
- Collection Number
- SC 003.6 (collection)
- Summary
- This collection consists of small press literature and comic books donated by underground writer and illustrator Joseph M. Shea. The collection includes holdings of unique and rare comics and homemade zines, along with popular underground comics spanning four 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
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Born in 1943, Joseph M. Shea graduated from American University in 1966 with a degree in history. In 1970, after serving in Vietnam, he went to work for the United States Department of Agriculture and moved to the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC. Shea began drawing and writing in Vietnam, becoming a prolific short storyteller whose work has been published in the United States, Canada, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Russia (translated into Russian, and Poland (translated into Polish).
His story "Tribute" was a second prize winner in the 1982 Fandom Directory writers' contest. In 1985, his story "Fever Dream" won the United Fanzine Organization (UFO) Award for Best Fiction. In 1986, he was nominated for the SPCE Award for Favorite Writer. His script "Viet Nam Was A Girl," illustrated by Finnish artist Pekka A. Manninen, won the UFO Award for Best Single Strip of 1989. His poem "The Maiden and the Magician" was a 1993 Rhysling Award nominee. In the year 2000, his story "Books in Hell" won the Blue Plaque Publications (BPP) Quality Award for Best Fiction Piece. He also received in the year 2000 the BPP Quality Award for Best Fiction Writer. Examples of Shea's artwork can be seen in publications such as Friends of American Living, Out Of The Blue, 365 Women, Scavenger's Newsletter, The Vinyl Elephant, The Catbird Seat, and Lunatic Chameleon.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection consists of small press literature and comic books collected by underground writer and illustrator Joseph M. Shea. It includes holdings of unique and rare comics and homemade zines, along with popular underground comics spanning four decades in the small press/underground genre. Much of the subject matter is controversial, and contains violent and/or sexual themes. The Shea Collection, along with the much larger Willis Collection (SC 3.4) and similar sized Dissmeyer Collection (SC 3.5) offers a viewpoint into artistic expressions within the American underground and counterculture in the 1960s through 2000s, and many of the materials coincide with the birth of the underground comix scene (referred to by many cartoonists as "Newave").
The collection consists of several hundred items, including 121 unique titles, with sequential issues of many comix, newsletters, and zines. Standard and digest size comix make up about 40 percent of the collection, and many are popular cult underground comix with professional production, drawn/illustrated by many now-famous names in the industry. Notably, the standard comix include Blazing Combat, Eerie, and Vampirella. Minicomix are approximately 10 percent of the collection.
Approximately 50 percent of the collection is non-comix related, consisting of advertising and promotional materials, catalogs, newsletters, and zines (a term derived from "magazine," and self-published via photocopier). Of these, zines are the majority (about 20 percent of the collection), with extensive representation of the American music underground, counterculture, horror and fantasy writing, and several works by Joseph M. Shea.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright restrictions apply.
Preferred Citation
[Item Description]
Joseph M. Shea Comix and Small Press Collection, 1962-2010 (SC 003.6)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in eight series. All material in each series is arranged alphabetically by title.
Series 1: Advertising, Promotional Material, and Bibliographic Correspondence and Documentation, 1999-2010. This series contains materials related to the advertising and promoting of comix, zines, comic books, comix-related events, as well as collection documentation (donation lists by Joseph M. Shea).
Series 2: Books and Catalogs, 1981-2003. This series contains published collections of comix or comix-related material with ISBN numbers, and catalogs for comix, comic books, anime, art supplies, and other related materials.
Series 3: Comics/Comix, 1965-2007. This series is consists of comix organized by format in two subseries: Subseries 3.1: Standard and Digest Comics, and Subseries 3.2: Minicomix.
Series 4: Magazines, 1962-2004. This series contains professional-quality published material in magazine format.
Series 5: Newsletters, 1998-1999 and undated. This series consists of newsletters of small press, library, and environmental groups and organizations.
Series 6: Comix Related Materials and Reference Materials, 1997 and undated. This series contains a variety of materials relating to comix and comix creators.
Series 7: Zines, 1987-2009. This series consists of small press zines written by one or multiple authors.
Series 8: Oversize Materials, 1982-1999. This series consists of large items stored separately. Separation sheets are filed for these materials in their respective series.
Location of Collection
(MASC Staff Use) 1:35Acquisition Information
Joseph M. Shea donated this collection to the Washington State University Libraries in 2009 and 2010 (MS.2009.19, MS.2010.01).
Processing Note
Robert Franklin processed this collection in 2014 and 2015.
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)
Clark Dissmeyer Comix and Small Press Collection, 1977-2002 (SC 003.5)
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, Promotional Material, and Bibliographic Correspondence and Documentation, 1999-2010Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 1 | Brave New Fringe |
1999 |
| 1 | 2 | Corky's Ads |
1999 |
| 1 | 3 | Comic Society: Reflections |
2010 |
| 1 | 4 | Shea Transmittal
Correspondence |
2009-2010 |
Series 2: Books and Catalogs, 1981-2003Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 5 | The Apex Treasury of Underground
Comics |
1981 |
| 1 | 6 | The Great Challenge |
1998 |
| 1 | 7 | Ikinokoru |
1987 |
| 1 | 8 | Ultra Klutz |
1996 |
| 1 | 9 | Unshelved Volume 1 |
2003 |
| 1 | 10 | Work Is Hell |
1986 |
| 1 | 11 | Squid Works Quarterly |
2002 |
Series 3: Comics/Comix, 1965-2007Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
Subseries 3.1: Standard and Digest
Comics |
|||
| Box | Folder | ||
| 1 | 12 | [Untitled] |
1999 |
| 1 | 13 | 365 Women issues 5, 7, 8 |
1999-2000 |
| 1 | 14 | The 2001 BPP Quality Awards
Strip! |
2001 |
| 1 | 15 | Billy the Kid number 109 |
1974 |
| 2 | 1 | Blazing Combat numbers 1-4 |
1965-1966 |
| 2 | 2 | Blue Beetle number 3 |
1967 |
| 2 | 3 | The Bruno Cult |
2000 |
| 2 | 4 | Buzzizyk numbers 20, 22, and
unknown |
2002 |
| 2 | 5 | Captain Atom number 83 |
1966 |
| 2 | 6 | Charlie Chong |
2003 |
| 2 | 7 | Classical Punks versus Superiorman and
Environmental Man |
2001 |
| 2 | 8 | Colonia issue 2 |
1999 |
| 2 | 9 | Comico Primer numbers 1 and
6 |
1982-1984 |
| 2 | 10 | Condorman numbers 1 and 2 |
1981 |
| 2 | 11 | Creepy number 9 |
1966 |
| 2 | 12 | Eerie numbers 38, 42-46 |
1971-1972 |
| 2 | 13 | Eerie numbers 47-51 |
1973 |
| 2 | 14 | Flaming Couch number 10 |
2000 |
| 2 | 15 | Flash Gordon number 8 |
1967 |
| 2 | 16 | Flooby Comics number 16 |
undated |
| 2 | 17 | Flying Colors |
1998 |
| 2 | 18 | The Guard number 2 |
2005 |
| 2 | 19 | Heroic number 2 |
1987 |
| 2 | 20 | Jonny Quest numbers 7-18 |
1986-1987 |
| 3 | 1 | Legion of Stupid Heroes number
1 |
1997 |
| 3 | 2 | Midnight Tales number 17 |
1975 |
| 3 | 3 | Nut number 2 |
2005 |
| 3 | 4 | Outlaws of the West number
64 |
1969 |
| 3 | 5 | Patriot number 1 |
1987 |
| 3 | 6 | Pizzazz and Frog Boy numbers 1 and
2 |
1987-1988 |
| 3 | 7 | Six-Guns and Saddles number
2 |
2007 |
| 3 | 8 | Skinned Alive Boy Comix number
13 |
1998 |
| 3 | 9 | The Spirit numbers 1-7 |
1974-1975 |
| 3 | 10 | The Spirit number 20 |
1979 |
| 3 | 11 | Startstream numbers 1-4 |
1976 |
| 3 | 12 | Supermonster issues 4 and
7 |
1997 |
| 3 | 13 | Tales from the Seventh
Galaxy |
2002 |
| 3 | 14 | Texas Rangers in Action number
76 |
1969 |
| 3 | 15 | Tim Corrigan's Comics and Stories
number 2 |
2008 |
| 3 | 16 | The Tree and the Fortress
(Shea) |
undated |
| 3 | 17 | Twilight Samurais numbers 2 and
3 |
2006-2007 |
| 3 | 18 | Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction
numbers 4 and 6 |
1975 |
| 3 | 19 | Vampirella numbers 1-7 |
1969-1970 |
| 4 | 1 | Vampirella numbers 8-14 |
1970-1971 |
| 4 | 2 | Vampirella numbers 15-21 |
1972 |
| 4 | 3 | Vampirella numbers 27-33 |
1973-1974 |
| 4 | 4 | Vampirella numbers 34-38 |
1974 |
| 4 | 5 | Vengeance Squad number 5 |
1975 |
| 4 | 6 | Zoomkranx number 16 |
1999 |
Subseries 3.2: Minicomix |
|||
| Box | Folder | ||
| 5 | 1 | [untitled] |
undated |
| 5 | 2 | As I Recall the Sixties |
1999 |
| 5 | 3 | Dante's Coat |
1999 |
| 5 | 4 | The Girl Who Trod on an
Oaf |
1997 |
| 5 | 5 | Morty Comix number 2173 |
1999 |
| 5 | 6 | Musical Chairs |
1999 |
| 5 | 7 | Naugacomics number 57 |
undated |
| 5 | 8 | Sketchbook Drawings From June and July
2000 |
2000 |
| 5 | 9 | The Women Without a Moth |
undated |
| 5 | 10 | Write-in Morty the Dog for McCleary
Mayor! |
undated |
Series 4: Magazines, 1962-2004Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 5 | 11 | Amazing Heroes numbers 1-4,
6-8 |
1981 |
| 5 | 12 | The Comics Journal numbers 200 and
210 |
1997-1999 |
| 5 | 13 | Jack and Jill volume 24, number
9 |
1962 |
| 5 | 14 | Morbid Curiosity number 7 |
2003 |
| 5 | 15 | Riverwurst number 4 |
2004 |
Series 5: Newsletters, 1998-1999 and undatedReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 5 | 16 | Busted! Numbers 3 and 4 |
1998-1999 |
| 5 | 17 | ForEvergreen |
1999 |
| 5 | 18 | Penstuff |
1999 |
| 5 | 19 | Quicklist number 8 |
undated |
| 5 | 20 | Small Press Creative Explosion numbers 14,
17, 19 |
undated |
Series 6: Comix Related Materials and Reference Materials, 1997 and undatedReturn to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 5 | 21 | The Love Joys (sticker) |
undated |
| 5 | 22 | Comic Book Index Update |
1997 |
Series 7: Zines, 1987-2009Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 5 | 23 | Alien Worlds numbers 21 and 22 |
2001-2002 |
| 5 | 24 | An Experience of War by Joseph M.
Shea |
2004 |
| 6 | 1 | Bad Year Zeppelin volumes 6-9 |
undated |
| 6 | 2 | Black Petals |
2001 |
| 6 | 3 | Capitol Hill, the Neighborhood, Not the
Congress |
undated |
| 6 | 4 | The Catbird Seat numbers 4 and
7 |
1998-1999 |
| 6 | 5 | Classic Pulp Fiction Stories numbers 77,
78, 80 |
2001-2002 |
| 6 | 6 | Coffeeroom numbers 3 and 4 |
2001 |
| 6 | 7 | Cyrano De Bergerac Was A Real Person and
He Wrote Science Fiction |
2001 |
| 6 | 8 | Dark Corridor number 1 |
2007 |
| 6 | 9 | Dark Corridors issue 4 |
undated |
| 6 | 10 | Dark Eyes 2 |
undated |
| 6 | 11 | Facsimile of the Published Works of Joseph
M. Shea volumes 6-9 |
undated |
| 6 | 12 | Fandom Gazette |
undated |
| 6 | 13 | Freezerburn Magazine issue 1 |
1995 |
| 6 | 14 | JOMP Jr. (Journal of Mind Pollution)
numbers 20, 23, 26, 31, 34 |
2001-2009 |
| 6 | 15 | Lunatic Chameleon numbers 1 and
2 |
2002-2003 |
| 6 | 16 | Mantra number 10 |
2006 |
| 6 | 17 | The Monthly Independent Tribune Times
Journal Post Gazette News Chronicle Bulletin number 55 |
1987 |
| 6 | 18 | N.O.T.A. Issue 3 |
undated |
| 7 | 1 | Nomadic Underground issue 5 |
undated |
| 7 | 2 | Out of the Blue numbers 1,2,5-8, 10 and
11 |
2001-2002 |
| 7 | 3 | Out of the Blue numbers 12-16 |
undated |
| 7 | 4 | Palm's Red |
2004 |
| 7 | 5 | The Plague Doctor |
1987 |
| 7 | 6 | Ppfszt! number 24 |
2000 |
| 7 | 7 | Scavenger's numbers 201, 208, 210, 213,
217, 219, 221, 223, 225, 227 |
2000-2003 |
| 7 | 8 | The Shadow of Dracula number 2 |
2005 |
| 7 | 9 | Story Rules issue 3 |
1996 |
| 7 | 10 | Sunwing number 3 |
undated |
| 7 | 11 | Supplement Containing English Language
Approximations of Russian Language Material Found in Volume 6 of
Facsimile of the Published Works of Joseph M. Shea |
undated |
| 7 | 12 | Topical Studies numbers 11 and
13 |
1994-1996 |
| 7 | 13 | Twenty-eight Pages Lovingly Bound with
Twine numbers 10 and 11 |
undated |
| 7 | 14 | Typical Studies numbers 2 and
4 |
2002-2004 |
| 7 | 15 | Up Dare? Autumn 1998 |
1998 |
| 7 | 16 | White Buffalo Gazette |
1999-2002 |
| 8 | 1-3 | White Buffalo Gazette
(continued) |
1999-2001 |
Series 8: Oversize Materials, 1982-Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box | Folder | ||
| 9 | 1 | The Comic Co-op Classifieds volume 1,
number 7 |
1997 |
| 9 | 2 | December 1967 Vietnam Calendar |
1967 |
| 9 | 3 | Pulp Fandom number 2 |
1998 |
| 9 | 4 | The Evergrateful |
undated |
| 9 | 5 | The Bear Delux numbers 11 and
12 |
1998-1999 |
| 9 | 6 | Too Busy Fighting To Do PM? |
undated |
| 9 | 7 | Twisted Image |
1982-1987 |
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
Finding aid prepared by Robert Franklin.
2015
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
