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Comic Art and Culture Collection, 1969-2019

Overview of the Collection

Title
Comic Art and Culture Collection
Dates
1969-2019 (inclusive)
Quantity
21.5 Linear feet of shelf space, (39 Boxes)
Collection Number
SC 003.8 (collection)
Summary
The collection includes underground comics, zines, artist prints and posters, and comics-related media, games, and collectibles.
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.
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Historical Note

The underground newave/comix scene is a small but vibrant one, and much of the work produced is amateur in production value, if not in style, and is often photocopied, uncolored, and in alternative formats such as minicomix and microcomics.

This is one of several related comics/comix collections held in Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections at the Washington State University Libraries, dating back to the mid to late-1980s. Former WSU catalog librarian and newave/comix (hereafter referred to as comix) creator Steve Willis cataloged the first of these collections (SC 3.1, Steve Willis Comix Collection). Several of Willis's friends and fellow comix artists donated their personal collections, including Lynn Hansen (SC 3.2), Clark Dissmeyer (SC 3.5), Joseph M. Shea (SC 3.6), and Jeff Zenick (SC 3.7). Willis later donated a second collection (SC 3.4) of comix and small press materials, and continues to donate material as of 2015. For some of the items in this collection, the provenance is undocumented.

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Content Description

The Comic Art and Culture Collection includes materials from the American small press comix scene of the 1980s forward. It consists of underground comics, zines, artist prints and posters, and comics-related media, games, and collectibles. Many of the materials coincide with the growth of the underground comix scene (referred to by many cartoonists as "Newave" or "new wave").

In contrast to other collections in the SC 3.x series, this collection was established in 2015 as open-ended, comprising multiple accessions and accommodating future acquisitions. As established in 2015, the collection consists of items acquired from multiple sources, processed separately from other collections that are collector/creator-specific. Materials relate mainly to alternative comics and the underground comics scene, including oversize items such as artist prints and portfolios. Other materials included are various types of media, newspapers, and realia.

There is some complexity to determining whether comix and zines are best classified as “digest”, “micro” or “mini” size. For example, “mini” denotes small press or personal press production. It also refers to a physical size with no universal parameters, but which is generally smaller than “digest” or “standard” size materials. With that in mind, this collection is organized primarily around the distinction between small press and large press publication, with general attention to variations in physical size.

The collection includes items with sexually explicit content.

Series 1: Comics/Comix. This series includes items that are circulated by traditional, large press publishers.

Series 2: Small Press Comix/Comics and Zines, Standard/Digest. Includes items that are self-published or circulated by smaller presses in limited series.

Series 3: Small Press Comix/Comics and Zines, Additional Formats. Includes items that are self-published or circulated by smaller presses in limited series.

Subseries 3.1:Mini

Subseries 3.2: Micro

Subseries 3.3: Small Press Oversize

Series 4: Cards/Postcards - Art and Comics

Series 5: Comix/Comics-related educational, promotional and advertising material

Series 6: Newspapers, newsletters, and other periodicals

Subseries 6.1: Assorted comix/comics ephemera

Subseries 6.2: Pins

Series 7: Comix/Comics-related ephemera

Series 8: Artist prints and portfolios

Series 9: Posters

Series 10: Non-comics collectibles

Series 11: Media (audiovisual and other)

Subseries 11.1: Cassette

Subseries 11.2: CD-Rom

Subseries 11.3: LP

Subseries 11.4: VHS

Series 12: Games

Series 13: Realia

Series 14: Books/Encyclopedias. This series includes both small press and large press publications. These were collected/annotated by the Comic Art and Culture Collection’s primary donors or pertain to the main themes of the collection itself.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions apply.

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]

Comic Art and Culture Collection (SC 3.8)

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

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in 14 series, by type of material. Some series are further divided into subseries. Within each series or subseries, materials are arranged alphabetically (by title or description).

Location of Collection

(MASC staff use) 1:35 and map case.

Acquisition Information

This collection was established in 2015, comprising materials separated from multiple accessions. Additions are expected.

Future Additions

The repository expects to add materials to this collection.

Processing Note

This collection was processed by Robert Franklin. Revised and reprocessed by Kathryn Manis in 2018. The container list was updated in 2024 by Jean Baker.

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)

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)

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Finding aid prepared by Robert Franklin. Revised and editied by Kathryn Manis and Jean Baker.
2016

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

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