Describing Archives: A Content Standard

NTE2sc003_5.xml Guide to the Clark Dissmeyer Comix and Small Press Collection1977-2002 Dissmeyer (Clark) Comix and Small Press Collection Finding aid prepared by Robert Franklin. Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2014

Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 https://libraries.wsu.edu/masc/ mascref@wsu.edu

Finding aid encoded by Doug Lambeth. 2014 Finding aid written in English. English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections

Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 https://libraries.wsu.edu/masc/ mascref@wsu.edu

SC 003.5 Dissmeyer, Clark Alan, 1963- Clark Dissmeyer Comix and Small Press Collection 1977-2002 2.5 linear feet of shelf space 4 boxes 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. Collection materials are in English, German, Finnish, and Portuguese.

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.

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").

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.

This collection is open and available for research use.

[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.

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

Robert Franklin processed this collection in 2014.

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)

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Comic books, strips, etc. Graphic novels Underground press publications Underground comic books, strips, etc. New wave comics Erotic comic books, strips, etc. Publishers and Publishing Series 1: Advertisements and Promotional Material, 1991-1992 1 1 1992 Fraudeville 1 2 1993 Premios Simao/Simao Prix 1 3 1991 This is Don Public Theatre 1 4 1992 Who Are the Virtual Gods? Series 2: Bibliographic Correspondence and Documentation, 1999 1 5 1999 Dissmeyer Transmittals Series 3: Catalogs, 1986-1998 1 6 undated Baby Sue Products 1 7 1991-1992 Feh! Press Catalog 1 8 1986 Mumbles Publications Catalog Fall-Winter 1986 1 9 undated The New City Limits Catalogue of Groovy Stuff Issue number 1 1 10 1998 Ten Thousand Things Catalog Series 4: Comix Subseries 4.1: Regular and Digest Comix, 1977-199 1 11 1995 11/12 Dave 1 12 1980 Arnie Arnolds Space Cadet! 1 13 undated Automatics 1 14 1988-1998 Baby Sue Vol. 2 numbers 1-4, Vol. 3 numbers 1-2 1 15 1982 Bat Comix 1 16 1999 Betta Bob, The Siamese Fighting Fish! 1 17 1992 Big Dog's Goat Farm Dispatch number 2 1 18 1996 Bigger 1 19 undated Buddah on the Road number 2 1 20 1985 The Collected Charles Charles 1 21 undated Cool Cheese Comic 1 22 1994 Deep Girl number 4 1 23 1991 Doubts and Visions 1 24 1991 Highbrow 1 25 1991 Houdini the World's Handcuff King and Prison Breaker 1 26 1997 Juice City 1 27 1998 Karkus Ratus numbers 1 and 2 1 28 undated Laugh Clown Laugh 1 29 1998 The Local Comics Compilation numbers 1 through 10 1 30 1983-1985 Mumbles numbers 1 through 5 1 31 1979 The Rain's Falling on Hard Nose Harry 1 32 1983 Real Hep! 1 and 2 1 33 1992 Real Scream Comics 1 34 1977 Rip Off Comix 1 35 1993 Simao number 3 1 36 undated Shitty Comix 1 37 1979-1980 The Weirdo numbers 2 through 3 1 38 undated Welcome to 1991 Subseries 4.2: Microcomix, 1984-2002 1 39 1984 Dead Soldiers 1 40 1990 The Just Say No to Tuna Book number 2 1 41 2002 Ricko Comix Subseries 4.3: Minicomix, 1979-1999 1 42 1990 [Untitled] 1 43 1989-1992 5 O'Clock Shadow 1 44 1979 A Finkster. A Rose. 1 45 1990 A Romp with Burns and Allen 1 46 1980 Alex Tamsula's The Thing's In Town 2 1 1985 The Baby Sue Book 2 2 undated Baby Sue's Philosophy Book 2 3 undated Baby Sue's Recipe Book 2 4 1987 Babylon Mystery 2 5 1999 Bagman #one 2 6 undated Bend Over number 1 2 7 1982 La Camara Desmayada 2 8 undated Christian's Birthday Comix 2 9 1998 Clavicle Book 2 10 1999 Cold Comfort 2 11 1992 Cool Maps 2 12 1982 Dilation Comix 2 13 1995 Doodles 1 2 14 1981 Doppelganger 2 15 undated Eggo-Man number 1 2 16 1992-1993 Farmboy Funnies 2 17 1981 Friendly Garbage! number 1 2 18 1980 Garbanzo Comix number 1 2 19 1986 Garden Comics number 5 2 20 1995 Hallowman 2 21 1994 How Do I Do My Wicked! Comics 2 22 1990 Insect Man 2 23 1991 Insufficient Dada Mini 2 24 1995 King of Palms 2 25 1982 Lust Ratio 2 26 1982-1986 Meat Signals 2 27 1981 Modern Depression Magazine 2 28 undated Mr. Mike 2 29 1981 Mr. Whipple! 2 30 1991 Near Fiction 2 31 1980 Notary Sojac 2 32 undated One (1) Day Close to Hell 2 33 1988 Rare Mini Comix 2 34 undated The Rise and Fall of Mr. Fuck You Man 2 35 1989 Sheep Shots, Sheep Tricks and Sheep Thrills 2 36 1998 Shoes 2 37 1980 Scenes From the Election Year: 1980 2 38 1989 Snap Happie! 2 39 1985 Star Face number 3 2 40 undated Suburban Mojo 2 41 1986 They Were In Love 2 42 1994 Treed Phoofee 2 43 1992 Trippincat Artist Works: Bump 2 44 1984 TV: Modern Man, Primitive Man 2 45 1991 Wedgehead 2 46 undated Weird Secretary 1983 2 47 1995 WHY?!? Series 5: Newsletters, 1988-1997 2 48 undated The Desert Leafy Green number 8 2 49 1989-1997 News and Notes From All Over/S.E.T. Free: The Newsletter Against Television 2 50 1988-1992 Twisted Image numbers 11, 17-23, 25, 27-29, 31-37 2 51 undated These Exit Times numbers 1, 2, 4 Series 6: Comix Related Materials, 1992-1997 2 52 1995 Franklin's Tower Sticker 2 53 1992-1997 Memo Pads With A Message 2 54 1993 Postcards Series 7: Review Zines, 1992-1993 2 55 1992-1993 City Limits Gazette Series 8: Zines, 1982-1999 3 1 1995 Aquarium Town number 2 3 2 1995-1999 Brass Tacks numbers 1-4, 7 3 3 1984 Cancer is Your Friend 3 4 1997-1998 Challenger 6-7 3 5 undated Comix Viruz number 1 3 6 1993 Communique After Dark 0 3 7 undated Cult Comix number 4 3 8 undated Damn number 1 3 9 1999 Derogatory Reference 92 3 10 1995 Edna's Edibles Issue 3-5 3 11 1995 The Epistle of Christopher John Jedidiah Manzanedo Patron Saint of Palms 3 12 undated FEH! numbers 5, 13-19 1988-1995 3 13 1996-1997 The Freethinker numbers 5 and 6 3 14 1996 Hungry Maggot number 9 3 15 1991 Instant Karma number 1, Vol. 1 3 16 1986 King Sex 3 17 1993 Listen Up! number 2 3 18 1998 Meshggah number 15 3 19 1998 Puddle Dream 3 20 undated Snuff It 3 21 1982 Tele Times Vol. 3, number 29 3 22 undated Ten Thousand Things numbers 23-27, 30-34 3 23 undated Weird City 3 24 1988-1990 Yearbook 2 Series 9: Oversize 4 1 undated Twisted Image