Research Guides: Communication Arts: Comic Arts

Comic Arts in Special Collections

The Comic Arts Collection in Special Collections at VCU Libraries comprises approximately 175,000 items, including more than 125,000 comic books, of which 50,000 are available for research. The collection also offers: papers and drawings of political cartoonists and related manuscript collections; many reference books and journals; science fiction, fantasy and comics-related fanzines; and original newspaper comic strip art. VCU Libraries also serves as the repository for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Archives.

16 best-kept secrets of VCU’s massive comics collection
VCU’s Comic Arts Collection, which boasts more than 43,000 comic books and more than 150,000 items overall, provides researchers with a wealth of scholarly material and primary resources for the study of culture, history, art, language, politics, business and science through the lens of comic arts.
Comic Arts Research Guide
How to use the Comic Arts Collection for research.
Considering Comics -Digital Exhibit
This exhibition covers the six primary building blocks of comic construction. Using examples pulled from the James Branch Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives to explain key concepts within each category, this exhibition serves as an introduction for anyone interested in how comics work.
The Eisner Awards: the Oscars of the Comics Industry - Digital Exibit
VCU Libraries has served as the repository for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards since 2005. Every year following Comic-Con, dozens of nominated and award-winning titles are donated to James Branch Cabell Library and made available to researchers and visitors in Special Collections and Archives. Nearly 1,000 comic books, graphic novels, archival editions, scholarly titles, and journals are included in this rapidly growing resource, which is part of the Libraries' expansive Comic Arts Collection.
Sykes Editorial Cartoon Collection
Charles Henry 'Bill' Sykes (1882-1942) was a well respected editorial cartoonist whose work appeared in a number of periodicals including newspapers in Philadelphia. James Branch Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives acquired this collection of original circa 1940 drawings in 1980.

Comic Arts History & Design

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
Call Number: PN6710 .M335 1994 (General, Reference and Special Collections)
Praised throughout the cartoon industry by such luminaries as Art Spiegelman, Matt Groening, and Will Eisner, this innovative comic book provides a detailed look at the history, meaning, and art of comics and cartooning.
Reinventing Comics: how imagination and technology are revolutionizing an art form by Scott McCloud
Call Number: PN6710 .M333 2000
Charts twelve different revolutions in how comics are created, read, and perceived today. Includes: The life of comics as an art form and as literature; The battle for creators' rights; Reinventing the business of comics; Sexual and ethnic representation on comics; The exploding world of online delivery, and much more.
Comics and Sequential Art by Will Eisner (Illustrator)
Call Number: NC1764 .E47 2005 - Special Collections and Archives (On-Site Use Only)
Eisner presents the principles of graphic storytelling in this guide, which is based on his popular sequential art course at New York's School of Visual Art. Readers will learn the basic anatomy, fundamentals of storycraft and how the medium works as a means of expression.
Comics: a global history, 1968 to the present
Call Number: Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives (On-Site Use Only) (PN6710 .M3323 2014 )
Comics, manga, bandes dessinees, fumetti, tebeo, historietas... no matter the name, they have been a powerful medium across four continents for decades. This is the history of comics around the world from the late 1960s to the dawn of the 21st century.
The Comics: an illustrated history of comic strip art 1895-2010
Call Number: Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives - Oversize (PN6725 .R6 2011 )
Chronicles the origins and evolution of comic strips, from prior to The Yellow Kid through today, and highlights the game-changing contributions of such creative luminaries as Milton Caniff, Walt Kelly, Hal Foster, and Winsor McCay, among countless others.
Mangasia: the definitive guide to Asian comics
Call Number: PN6790.A78 G73 2017
Charts the evolution of manga from its roots in late 19th-century Japan through the many and varied forms of comics, cartoons and animation created throughout Asia for more than 100 years.
One Thousand Years of Manga
Call Number: PN6790.J3 K6913 2022
This book spans the history of manga in all its splendour and diversity: from Hokusai's seminal Manga in 1814 to the latest creations from Jiro Taniguchi, each period is covered in detail.
Critical Survey of Graphic Novels
Call Number: Cabell Library Reference (PN6725 .C7536 2012 )
Over 65 essays covering themes and concepts of graphic novels, including genres, time periods, foreign language traditions, social relevance, and craftsmanship such as penciling and inking.
Working Methods: comic creators detail their storytelling and artistic processes
Call Number: NC1764 .L69 2007
Puts the minds of comic artists under the microscope, highlighting the intricacies of the creative process step by step.
Professional Storyboarding
Call Number: ebook
Offers highly illustrative examples of basic storyboarding concepts, as well as sound, career-oriented advice for the new artist.
Beginning Illustration and Storyboarding for Games
Call Number: ebook
Fundamental techniques used in creating concept art for game design. Readers will learn how to create game art and design clear, concise storyboards as well as how their art is used in a game design document.
The Art of Drawing Manga
Call Number: ebook
Publication Date: 2022
With everything needed to start in the world of manga, The Art of Drawing Manga is the ultimate guide to creating characters and developing original manga books and stories.

Review 101: Tools for Reviewing Comics (CBR)
An intro to the appropriate descriptive language to use for visual analysis of comics and graphic novels.

Communication Arts

Browsing Comic Arts

Underground and Independent Comics

Graphic Medicine

Graphic Arts Websites

Comic Arts in Special Collections

Comic Arts History & Design