Research Guides: Comics, Graphic Novels, and Comic Art: Original Comic Art and More

Comic Strip Art

The Comic Strip Art and Gag Cartoon Art Collection consists of 93 works of original, hand-drawn, and hand-lettered comic strips and single-panel gag cartoons. This collection also includes 5 paper molds (flongs) of comic strips/gag cartoons used in the comics printing process and 2 paper reproductions of original comic strip art. The collection includes artwork from popular, syndicated newspaper comic strips like Beetle Bailey, The Born Loser, Dick Tracy, Mary Worth, Mutt and Jeff, and Terry and the Pirates; it also includes artwork created for smaller publications, like university campus newspaper strips. The comic artwork in this collection dates from 1922-2014.

Please be advised that this collection includes some works of comic strip art that may be culturally sensitive, including images and verbal content (phrases, words, or verbal representations of dialects) that are outdated and may now be considered offensive.

Original comic strip art for Mary Perkins, On Stage by Leonard Starr, January 25, 1974

Comic Book Art

The Comic Book Art Collection consists of original, hand-drawn and hand-lettered comic art created for printing and/or publication in comic book and/or manga formats. This includes full pages of comic art and cover art. The collection also includes some reproductions of original comic book pages and related materials on paper.

This collection represents myriad publishing traditions, styles, and genres of comic book art. It includes artwork created for popular comic book publishers, including a page of an Avengers comic book published by Marvel Comics. It also includes artwork created for alternative and/or underground comic books: the "Ruff Tuff Cream Puff" story was created by famed underground "comix" creator R. (Robert) Crumb for the Plunge Into the Depths of Despair comic book. (Content warning: this artwork may not be suitable for younger viewers; see the collection notes for more information.) The artwork in this collection dates from 1945-2000.

Related Graphic/Visual Arts Collections

The Editorial Cartoon Art Collection consists of 14 original works of hand-drawn and hand-lettered editorial cartoon art from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These cartoons demonstrated contemporary social and/or political opinions and were typically created for publication in popular periodicals, but the publication history for most of these materials is unknown. The artwork in this collection dates from the 1880s-1941 (many dates are approximate).

Some editorial cartoons involve caricature, or the exaggeration of facial features of well-known, public features for comedic effect; some editorial cartoons involve speech balloons, captions, or labeled visual components to clarify their statement. The title "editorial cartoons" is sometimes used interchangeably with the title "political cartoons," but "editorial cartoons" may encompass a broader range of cartoons about social/cultural topics than the more prescriptive "political cartoons."

Please be advised that this collection includes some works of editorial cartoon art that may be culturally sensitive, including images and verbal content (phrases, words, or verbal representations of dialects) that are outdated and may now be considered offensive.

The Character Art and Caricature Art Collection includes 7 original and 11 reproduced renderings of figures. This artwork represents fictional characters and non-fictional, public figures. In this collection, "character art" refers to graphic representations of fictional characters, usually portraits representing the character's bust (head and torso) or full body. "Caricature art" refers to graphic representations of figures (usually non-fictional) rendered in a stylized manner, usually exaggerating the figure's features for comedic effect.

This collection includes 4 original drawings of characters from DC Comics and Marvel Comics by artist Leinil Francis Yu, a character sketch inked by comics artist Brandon McKinney, and 1 caricature by an unknown artist. It also includes 6 reproductions of caricatures by Basil Wolverton and reproductions of character art by Carl Ed, Harold Gray, and Jim Steranko. Finally, the collection includes reproduced works of character art with possible original color and/or embellishments, including artwork attributed to comics artist Milton Caniff and Disney Studios animator Fred Moore. The artwork in this collection dates from the 1910s-1930s (approximate dates), circa 1970, and the 1990s.

The Animation Art Collection consists of 10 original animation cel paintings and 1 original pencil drawing created for the production of animated films or animated television shows. It also includes 3 items of related material.

The original cel paintings and original pencil drawing were created for animated productions of many different genres. The majority of the original animation art in this collection was created for animated children's cartoons from the 20th century, including The Flintstones, George of the Jungle, Looney Tunes, and Rocky and Bullwinkle. Artwork for animated adaptations of live action television programs are also included in the collection, like animation cels for Star Trek: The Animated Series (ca. 1973). It includes artwork for animated TV specials for well-known characters, including a sketch of Charlie Brown for a Peanuts TV Special. The collection also includes artwork for animated feature films, including The Devil and Daniel Mouse (1978).

The Bubble Gum Comics Collection consists of 774 bubble gum comics created from the 1920s through the 1990s. These small comics were originally wrapped around the inner foil layers encasing individual pieces of chewing gum. This collection includes the following comics series, affiliated gum brand names, and corporate manufacturers: Bazooka Joe (sold with Bazooka bubble gum) by Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.; Archie and his Pals (sold with Blony bubble gum) by Topps Chewing Gum, Inc.; Fleer Funnies (sold with Dubble Bubble gum) by Fleer Chewing Gum Company; and Tommy Swell’s Gang (sold with Swell’s gum) by the Philadelphia Gum Company.