@utpb.edu The J. Conrad Dunagan Library

Book Arts, Comics & Graphic Novels

Comic Arts and Graphic NovelsAdditional Information

A slight abridgement of Comic Books and Graphic Novels: Digital Resources for an Evolving Form of Art and Literature, by Leslie Bussert in C&RL News pp. 103-106, 113, February 2005.

Comic books and graphic novels are becoming two of the most pervasive and influential media forms of popular culture.... in [the] context of changing society, comic books and graphic novels entertain and educate, but .... [are] also instrumental in documenting and interpreting social, historical, and current events.

Scholarship and research surrounding comic books and graphic novels are growing. Many in the fields of history, sociology, and arts and literature realize the unique and valuable insight inherent in studying comic books and graphic novels....

With numerous comic book and graphic novel Internet resources today, it is challenging to identify those frequently updated or professionally maintained; many lack organization but contain authoritative content. While the list provided here is not comprehensive, ... [readers] should find these resources vaulable [as a starting point.]

Starting Points
Comic Books: Internet Resources contains annotated online comic book resources compiled by Michael Lavin, Arts and Sciences Librarian at the Univ. of New York at Buffalo; categories include Internet portals and guides, news and previews, magazines and journals, history, and bibliographies.
Comic Books, New York Public Library (NYPL) in addition to describing the NYPL's comic book collection; also includes valuable bibliographies for general comics research, history and criticism, and more.
Yale University Library's Comic Books, Comic Strips, and Graphic Novels Research Guide offers LC Subject Headings for searching library catalogs, print and online research sources, and links to comic books and graphic novel publishers.
News and Reviews  
ArtBomb.net aims to broaden the appeal of comic books and graphic novels through promoting and reviewing diverse titles
Comic Book Resources a popular site, offering numerous resources for any level of fan; daily news, featured articles including interviews with artists and writers, opinion and editorial pieces; archives are limited but go back to 1998
Comics Continuum  very straightforward site offering up-to-date breaking industry news; archives go back about 3 weeks.
Comics Worth Reading another site providing industry news, reviews and extensive recommendations for manga, independent, DC Comics and Marvel Comics titles and series. Reviews include publishing history, art samples, plot summaries and Web links.
Newsarama  updated several times daily; offers breaking industry news; also reviews and previews
Organizations and Associations
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) aimed at preserving First Amendment rights for members of the comics community; offers news, featured links, convention previews, and reports. Also offers a comic censorship bibliography and a comic censorship timeline beginning in the 1750s.
International Comic Arts Forum hosted by the nonprofit association of the same name, which aims to "support, promote, and strengthen the comic industry, its products, and professionals"; the web site offers industry and organizational news, and resources for retailers, libraries, teachers, creators, collectors and fans.
National Assn. of Comic Arts Educators (NACAE) "Committed to helping facilitate the teaching of comics in higher education"; contains resources for individuals and institutions interested in teaching visual storytelling. Also includes teaching resources (exercises, study guides, syllabi, handouts, etc.)
Reference Tools, Bibliographies and Collections
The British Cartoon Archives supported by the University of Kent; The British Cartoon Archive has a library, archive, gallery, and is a registered museum dedicated to the history of British cartooning over the last two hundred years.
Comic Art in Scholarly Writing: A Citation Guide  Allen Ellis, research and instructional services librarian at NKU has created this guide in accordance with the Comic Art and Comics area of the Popular Culture Assn. The online style guide offers instruction and numerous examples for citing comic books, comic strips, editorial cartoons, and graphic novels.
Comic Books, Library of Congress Popular Culture Collections... both foreign and US titles included; collection includes scattered issues back to the 1930s but is mostly comprehensive from 1950 on. The site provides information for using and researching the collection.
The Comic Journal's Top 100 English-Language Comics of the Century includes links to relevant websites for most items on the list.
Comics-Related Dissertations and Theses provides an international bibliography of doctoral and master's dissertations and theses going back to the 1900s.
The Comics Reporter Books About Comics Bibliography international in scope; entries are in alphabetical order by title; coverage back to the 1950s.
Comic Scholarship Annotated Bibliographies (SCAB)  covers book-length works about comic books and strips ranging from "fannish" histories to academic publications; divided by subject categories such as genre, guides, countries, etc.
Comic Scholars Discussion List this community is aimed at those involved in research, criticism, and teaching related to comic arts
Grand Comic Book Database  searchable by writer, artist, title and publisher; the database has more than 70,000 records; most entries include a color image of the over, information about the binding, ink, paper type, publisher, run dates, issues published, and language.
Librarians in Comics  Steven Bergson, a Canadian librarian maintains this site which contains an annotated bibliography of books, comic books, and graphic novels in which a librarian or library plays a role.
Michigan State University Comic Art Collection  The MSU Comic Art Collection has more than 200,000 items mostly comic books, and is known as the primary library resource for the study of US comic book publications.
Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MOCCA) MOCCA's purpose is to collect, preserve, study, educate and display comic and cartoon art; genres treated include animation, cartoons, comic books and strips, graphic novels, and more.
New York City Comic Museum (NYC-CM) founded in 1999, the museum promotes comic book history, preservation, and literacy; the site offers online exhibits, an education center with lesson ideas, and current museum news.
No Flying, No Tights created and maintained by librarian Robin Brenner and friends, this resource contains three comic book and graphic novel review sites, one each for kids, teens, and adults. Includes a core list of recommended and reviewed titles divided into various topics.
Who's Who of American Comic Books Checklist a resource which provides biographical listings for over 19,000 artists, writers, editors, and personnel involved in producing comics; also provides some artists aliases
Online Journals and Magazines
ImageTexT a web-based journal with free access to all articles; the journal strives to advance academic study of comic books, cartoons and other media blinding image and text; includes articles, reviews of current scholarship, and conference or publication announcements
The Comics Journal Some materials archived for public access; covers the comics medium from an "arts-first" perspective
Indy Magazine  archives only; briefly published by Alternative Comics, this online journal offered feature articles, reviews and news about independently published comic books and graphic novels.
Ninth Art  archives only; from 2001-2006 this was a weekly online journal which strove to provide a space for an expanding repository of ideas, analysis and contemporary thought through exploring every aspect of the arts and industry of comics.Archives, message boards, and RSS feeds are available.
Section Updated: 24 July 2009 Section Created: 22 February 2005
Book ArtsAdditional Information

What exactly is book arts? . . . "an all-encompassing term used to describe bookbinding, paper making, paper marbling, calligraphy, letterpress printing," as well as artists' books, altered books and mail art. From Book Arts on the Web by Cynthia L. Gregory in College & Research Libraries News April, 2004 pp. 198-200.

Book Arts Web The best starting point for all things related to Book Arts
Tutorial and Reference Links @ the Book Arts Web
Definition of the Artist's Book sub-titled: BSO's (Book Shaped Objects); Art vs. Craft
The Whatness of Bookness, or What is a Book @the Book Arts Web; one of the most famous definitions of the term book
SHARP: Society for the History of Authorship, Reading & Publishing does for the history of reading and publishing what Book Arts Web does for the production of books
Reading Dickens Four Ways Related to new forms of publishing and reader expereince--a very interesting description from an English professor published in the Chronicle of Higher Education 2 June 2009--on reading Little Dorrit on a Kindle reader, on an iPhone, in paperback and listening to an audio CD.
Programs in the Book Arts  
American Academy of Bookbinding Columbia College Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts
MFA in the Book Arts Program University of Alabama
Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) Nebraska Book Arts Center (NBAC)
University of Iowa Center for the Book (UICB) Wells Book Arts Center
Virginia Arts of the Book Center Women's Studio Workshop (WSW)
Artists' Books and Online Exhibits; Paper Arts  
A Brief History of Artists' Book Yale University, Special Collections
Colophon Page: Modern Illustrated & Fine Press Books Italian Futurist Book, 1909-1944
Personal Visions: Artists' Books at the Millennium Science and the Artist's Book
4000 Years of Miniature Books All Things to Do With Paper Marbling
American Museum of Papermaking Dard Hunter Collection of Artificats Books on Papermaking  Stanford provides a  good overview  of Dard Hunter and the museum collection.
Handpapermaking,Inc.  
Book Binding; Letterpress Printing  
Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books:  A Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology
American Printing History Association Letterpress Printing in the 21st Century
Briar Press: Resources for Letterpress Printers and Enthusiasts Resources for Letterpress Printers
Paper Crafts Projects and Ideas  from Yasutomo Fine Arts Materials Makingbooks with children
Journals, Newsletters, Blogs, and so on
Binders Guild Newsletter Dog Eared Magazine: A Journal for the Book Arts
Letter Arts Review The Microbibliophile  at The Miniature Book Society
Hot off the Press Printing History
Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage: Historical-technical Journal  Universita di Palermo
Section Updated: 7 August 2009 Section Created: 12 April 2004

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