Who would have thought comic books could be a part of Special Collections?

Comic books are an important part of pop culture, and with so many movie adaptations being released, they are now more than ever. Some comics can be regarded for their aesthetic and literary value, as they are diverse medium in genre and artistic style. Comics certainly can be considered archival material, and now they are a part of NCSU Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center. The Douglas Ward American Comic Books Collection has been processed by the SCRC, so its contents are now open to be viewed and researched, and its collection guide can be found online .

The collection was donated by Mr. Douglas Ward, a resident of Wake County and an information technology administrator, and his gift encompasses a selection of 2,057 comic books, published between 1975 and 1999, as well as a set of trading cards and art pieces.

Popular series: Wonder Woman, Star Wars: X-Wing--The Rogue Squadron, Black Panther, Doctor Strange

The comics are from various comic book publishers, chiefly of the “Big Two,” Marvel and DC Comics, in addition to Dark Horse, Image, and other publishers and independent presses. These materials are chiefly superhero comics, but also present are dramatic works, science fiction and fantasy titles, horror comics, comedic series, literary adaptations, crime books, anthologies, movie and television tie-ins, and counterculture “alternative” comics.

A wide variety of art styles and subjects: Martha Washington Goes to War, Astro City, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor, Sin City, The Maxx, Groo

The art styles vary from: the “pop” design typical in mainstream comics; abstract works; ones inspired by classic comic strip and cartoons; highly detailed, fantasy-themed art; ones inspired by classic illustrations; and minimalist line-drawings. Some comics’ covers were designed to be eye-catching and may be holographic, iridescent, embossed, textured, or foil.

Show-and-Tell display at screening of the documentary She Makes Comics

You can browse the collection's comics and items in its online finding aid , and if you are interested in viewing any, you can request them via this form .

If you would like to read more SCRC postings about the Ward Collection, please visit Processing Comics at Special Collections and Collection Highlights on Display at ‘Focus on Comics’ Event Series . To discover more information on Special Collections’ archival collections, please visit our Collections Guides , or browse through our Rare and Unique Digital Collections .