Comics Collection: Finding Aid

Special Collections and University Archives

MS-0091

Background | Topic Variety | Donations | Finding Aid | Container List

Background

The concept of the comic can be traced back as far as the visual narratives of prehistoric cave paintings and Egyptian hieroglyphics. The modern comic derives from what many term “the golden age,” specifically with the introduction of Superman. The "man of steel" would trigger a fascination with comic book heroes; heroes which would eventually take a flawed form in the Sixties publications of Marvel Comics. The comic serves not only as a vehicle for super-heroes, but also as a channel for political thought, education, alternative culture, and critiques of society. Contemporary interest in the comic trade, spurred by conventions and independent distribution, fosters a creative environment in which new genres and edgy content drive the scene.

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Topic Variety

The comics collection at SDSU is a growing collection with an emphasis in drawn books, independent, small press and mini-comics as well as materials that document the history of comic book culture, and the creative process behind comic book production. We aim to preserve and provide access to these unique publications. Materials in this collection will not circulate beyond the library, but are available to all researchers.

We’re actively developing these collections by asking people like you to send donations of comic books, graphic novels, and other materials you think might help us capture this important part of our cultural heritage.  This might include original artwork, correspondence between you and your colleagues, and even notes and drafts.

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Donating to the Collection

Please contact us to set up an appointment:
Email: scref AT rohan DOT sdsu DOT edu
Phone: (619) 594-6791

When you speak to a librarian about making a donation, expect to be asked for specific details about what you'd like to donate, as well as how you acquired the materials. Keep in mind that we don’t take everything (these things cost a lot to store, preserve and keep track of!) so be prepared to keep some things if they duplicate what we already have or aren’t appropriate for the collection.

When you bring in your gift, you will be asked to fill out a Gift in Kind form with your contact information and an estimate of how much the gift is worth. Some donors are also asked to fill out a Deed of Gift form, which transfers ownership and rights in the donated materials over to San Diego State University either in part or whole.  If the donation is worth over $5,000 you will need to have an independent appraisal done for your tax purposes. We also ask that you include an inventory of the titles and other materials that you are donating. 

Donating materials does not mean you have to give up copyright. If a collection contains sensitive information, a donor may wish to partially restrict access to the materials.  Because our ultimate goal is to make information available for research use, restrictions require a specific sunset date when they will lapse.  Donations can be tax-deductible.

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Finding Aid

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research inside the library.

Extent
15 Boxes, 18.75 linear feet.

Location
Room 4410, 57A-B

Processed by
Billy Hughes, 2005
Janessa Lazaro, 2006
Ashley Boyd, 2007
Janessa Lazaro, 2008-2009

Collection to be continuously open

Encoded By
Janessa Lazaro, February 2009

Contact Information
Special Collections and University Archives, Library and Information Access, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-8050

Email: scref AT rohan DOT sdsu DOT edu
Phone: (619) 594-6791
Fax: (619) 594-0466

Use Restrictions
The copyright interests in the materials found in this collection has not been transferred to San Diego State University. Special Collections and University Archives can only grant permission to publish materials for which it is the copyright holder. For further information, please consult the section on copyright in the rules for using the collections, or contact the United States Copyright Office at (202) 707-3000

Preferred Citation
Identification of item, folder title, box number, Comic Book Collection, Special Collections and University Archives, Malcolm A. Love Library, San Diego State University.

Provenance
The Comics Collection is composed of donations from Dan Hager as well as donations accepted from 2005-present.

Scope and Content Note
The collection consists of comics, artwork, magazines, and various pieces of popular and alternative culture.

Subject Access Terms
Comics/GraphicNovels/SciFi/Erotica/Gender/Feminism/Politics/Music/Local Scenes/Alternative Culture/Popular Culture/Martial Arts/Animation

Related Collections
J.R. Williams Bull of the Woods Collection
West Coast Zine Collection
San Diego Radical Ephemera
Donna Barr Papers

References/Bibliography
Beauchamp, Monte. The Life and Times of R. Crumb. St. Martin’s Griffin, 1998.

Daniels, Les. DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World’s Favorite Comic Book Heroes. Little, Brown, and Co., 1995.

Goulart, Ron. Comic Book Encyclopedia. Harper Entertainment, 2004.

Kinsella, Sharon. Adult Manga: Culture and Power in Contemporary Japanese Society. University of Hawaii Press, 2000.

Lee, Stan. Origins of Marvel Comics. Simon & Schuster, 1974.

Overstreet, Robert. The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. HarperResource/ Gemstone, 2000.

Pustz, Matthew. Comic Book Culture: Fanboys and True Believers. University Press Of Mississippi, 1999.

Reidelbach, Maria. Completely Mad: A History of the Comic Book and Magazine. Little, Brown 1991.

Ro, Ronin. Tales To Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and The American Comic Book Revolution. Holtzbrinck Publishers, 2004.

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Container List

Due to the ever-growing nature of this archive, each box's inventory is located on a seperate web page.

# - A # | A
B B
C - De C | D
Di - En D | E
Ep - F E | F
G - He G | H
Hi - J H | I | J
K K
L - Ma L | M
Me - N M | N
O - P O | P
Q - Si Q | R | S
Sk - Su S
T - U T | U
V - Z V | W | X | Y | Z

 

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