The Library of American Comics

The Library of American Comics
Name	The Library of American Comics
Country	United States
Founded	2007
Founder	Dean Mullaney
Headquarters	Stamford, Connecticut
Publications	Reprint collections, hardcover, paperback
Topics	Comic strips, cartoonists, newspaper comics

The Library of American Comics is an American publishing imprint specializing in archival reprints of newspaper comic strips and cartoon art. Founded in 2007, the imprint has produced hardcover and paperback collections that document the work of prominent and lesser-known cartoonists across the 20th and 21st centuries. Its catalog includes restorations of classic strips and comprehensive anthologies that appeal to collectors, scholars, and fans of comic history.

History

The imprint was established by Dean Mullaney alongside industry figures connected with Kitchen Sink Press, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Fantagraphics Books and Drawn & Quarterly. Early projects involved partnerships with archives such as the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, the Library of Congress, and the Billy Wilder estate while engaging rights holders including families of Walt Disney, Rube Goldberg, and Milton Caniff. Initial releases drew attention in venues like the Comic-Con International marketplace, the Angoulême International Comics Festival, and coverage from periodicals such as The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Publications and Series

The imprint produced multiple series including comprehensive runs and thematic collections linked to creators like Chester Gould, E. C. Segar, Bud Fisher, George Herriman, Winsor McCay and Al Capp. Series formats included chronological restorations, year-by-year collections, and thematic anthologies akin to editions from Penguin Classics, Library of America, and The Complete Peanuts. The program also paralleled projects by Fantagraphics Books for alternative cartoonists and by Dark Horse Comics for licensed properties.

Notable Reprints and Collections

Key titles reissued by the imprint encompassed works by creators such as Hank Ketcham, Bill Watterson, Mort Walker, Chic Young, Ernie Bushmiller, Charles Schulz, Hal Foster, Alex Raymond, Frank King, George McManus, Clare Briggs, Ed Wheelan, Dik Browne, Budd Fisher, Don Martin, Winsor McCay and E. C. Segar. The collections restored strips like Krazy Kat, Little Nemo in Slumberland, Popeye, Blondie, Peanuts, Bringing Up Father, Li'l Abner and Nancy with archival scholarship comparable to releases by the Library of Congress and curated series at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

Editorial and Production Process

Editorial practice combined research in special collections such as the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum and the Library of Congress with collaboration with rights holders including estates of Rube Goldberg, Milton Caniff, Walt Disney and corporate licensors like King Features Syndicate, Tribune Content Agency, Hearst Communications and United Feature Syndicate. Production involved photographic restoration methods used in archival publishing at institutions like the Smithsonian Institution and the New-York Historical Society, incorporating forewords by scholars affiliated with universities such as Yale University, Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley and Brown University.

Reception and Impact

Scholars and critics from outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian (London), and Los Angeles Times assessed the imprint’s contributions to preservation alongside efforts by Bibliothèque nationale de France and the British Library to preserve sequential art. Awards and recognition came from institutions such as the National Cartoonists Society, the Eisner Awards, the Harvey Awards and the Angoulême Festival with commentaries by historians tied to Cartoon Research and academic programs at Ohio State University and University of Toronto.

Contributors and Artists

Contributors included writers and editors with backgrounds at Fantagraphics Books, Drawn & Quarterly, Kitchen Sink Press and scholars connected to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, the Library of Congress, Columbia University and the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries. Forewords and essays were written by historians who have published on figures like Winsor McCay, George Herriman, Chester Gould, E. C. Segar, Al Capp and Hank Ketcham.

Distribution and Licensing

Distribution networks involved trade partners such as Amazon (company), Barnes & Noble, independent bookstores affiliated with the American Booksellers Association and specialty sellers attending Comic-Con International and MoCCA Arts Festival. Licensing negotiations took place with major syndicates including King Features Syndicate, Tribune Content Agency, Hearst Communications, Universal Press Syndicate and corporate estates managing properties like Walt Disney and Popeye. The imprint’s rights-clearance practices paralleled those used by publishers like Fantagraphics Books and Dark Horse Comics.

Category:American comics publishing companies