feb05b.indd


inter net resources 
Leslie Bussert 

Comic
books
and
graphic
novels


Digital resources for an evolving form of art and literature 

“Holy Hyperlinks, Batman!“ 
Comic
books
and
graphic
novels
are
becom­
ing
two
of
the
most
pervasive
and
infl
uen­
tial
media
forms
of
popular
culture.
Placed

within
the
context
of
changing
society,
com­
ic
 books
 and
 graphic
 novels
 entertain
 and

educate,
but
they
have
also
been
instrumen­
tal
 in
 documenting
 and
 interpreting
 social,

historical,
and
current
events.


Scholarship
 and
 research
 surrounding

comic
books
and
graphic
novels
are
grow­
ing.
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.
 Thus,
 new
 col­
lections
and
resources
are
being
created
and

developed
to
meet
the
needs
of
fans,
collec­
tors,
scholars,
and
researchers
alike.


With
numerous
comic
book
and
graphic

novel
 Internet
 resources
 today,
 it
 is
 chal­
lenging
 to
 identify
 those
 frequently
 up­
dated
 or
 professionally
 maintained;
 many

lack
 organization
 but
 contain
 authoritative

content.
While
the
list
provided
here
is
not

comprehensive,
librarians
should
fi
nd
these

resources
valuable
in
getting
acquainted
with

the
genres,
making
selections
for
their
collec­
tions,
and
assisting
users
seeking
comic
book

or
graphic
novel
resources.


Starting points: research guides 
•
 Comic Books: Internet Resources. 

This
research
guide
contains
annotated
online

comic
book
resources
compiled
by
Michael

Lavin,
Arts
and
Sciences
Librarian
at
the
Uni­
versity
 of
 New
 York
 at
 Buffalo.
 Categories

include
 Internet
 portals
 and
 guides,
 news

and
previews,
magazines
and
journals,
his­

tory,
and
bibliographies.
Sections
of
particular

interest
 to
 librarians
 include
 commentary

and
 reviews,
 collection
 development
 tools,

recommendations
for
libraries,
and
resources

for
teachers.
Access:
http://ublib.buffalo.edu/

libraries/asl/guides/comics.html.


•  Comic Books, New York Public 
Library (NYPL), General Research Divi­
sion at the Humanities and Social Sci­
ences Library. In
addition
to
describing
the

NYPL’s
comic
book
collection,
this
research

guide
 offers
 tips
 for
 searching
 the
 catalog

for
comics
and
links
to
related
collections
or

Internet
sites.
Valuable
bibliographies
are
of­
fered
for
general
comics
research,
history
and

criticism,
and
more.
Access:
http://www.nypl.

org/research/chss/grd/resguides/comic.


•
 Yale University Library’s Comic 
Books, Comic Strips, and Graphic Nov­
els Research Guide.
 From
 Yale
 University

Library’s
 Mass
 Media
 and
 Popular
 Culture

research
 guide,
 this
 site
 offers
 suggested

LC
 Subject
 Headings
 for
 searching
 library

catalogs,
print
and
online
research
sources,

and
links
to
comic
book
and
graphic
novel

publishers
and
distributors.
International
in

scope,
 there
 are
 over
 30
 research
 sources

covering
comic
strips,
comic
books,
graphic

novels,
and
more.
Access: http://www.library.

yale.edu/humanities/media/comics.html.


News and reviews 
•
 ArtBomb. Brainchild
of
acclaimed
writer


Leslie Bussert is reference/instruction and ethics/ 
humanities librarian at the University of Washington-
Bothell and Cascadia Community College library, e-mail: 
lbussert@uwb.edu. 
© 2005 Leslie Bussert 

February 2005  103 C&RL News 

mailto:lbussert@uwb.edu
http://www.library
http://www.nypl
http:http://ublib.buffalo.edu


Warren
Ellis
and
Internet
producer
Peter
Siegel,


ArtBomb
aims
to
broaden
the
appeal
of
comic



books
and
graphic
novels
through
promoting

and
reviewing
diverse
and
sophisticated
titles.

Reviews
may
be
searched
by
creator,
title,
or

genre,
and
some
include
previews.
This
site

also
offers
a
“What
is
a
graphic
novel?”
intro­
ductory
tour
in
comic
book
format
aimed
at

librarians,
 educators,
 and
 new
 fans.
 Access: 
http://www.artbomb.net.


•
 Comic Book Resources.
This
popular

site
offers
numerous
resources
for
any
level

of
 comic
 book

fan.
Daily
news

within
the
com­
ic
 book
 indus­
try
 regarding

writers,
 artists,

characters,
series,
and
corporate
activities
is

covered.
Featured
articles
include
artist
and

writer
interviews
or
full­length
articles,
while

columns
feature
opinion
and
editorial
pieces,

gossip
and
rumors,
commentary,
reviews,
and

satire.
Archives
are
sparse,
but
they
go
back

to
 1998.
 Access:
 http://www.comicbookre­
sources.com.


•  Comics Continuum. A
very
straight­
forward
 site
 offering
 up­to­date
 breaking

industry
 news
 including
 publication
 infor­
mation,
 film
projects,
writer
and
artist
con­
tracts,
sales
trends,
and
new
issue
previews.

Archives
go
back
about
three
weeks.
Access: 
http://www.comicscontinuum.com.


•
 Comics Worth Reading. This
site
pro­
vides
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.
The

author
has
been
reviewing
comics
for
over

10
years
and
highlights
women’s
roles
within

the
comic
book
and
graphic
novel
industry,

whether
they
are
characters,
writers,
artists,

or
editors.
Information
about
how
to
review


comics
is
also
available.
Access: http://www.

comicsworthreading.com.


•  Newsarama.
 Updated
 several
 times

daily,
this
site
offers
breaking
industry
news,

features,
 previews,
 reviews,
 and
 opinions

and
editorials
in
discussion
board
format
so

readers
may
directly
respond
to
posted
items.

Comic
book
and
graphic
novel
reviews
and

previews
are
posted
by
the
contributing
edi­
tors
as
well
as
readers.
Archives
go
back
a
few

days.
Access:
http://www.newsarama.com.


Organizations and associations 
•  Comic Book Legal Defense Fund 

(CBLDF). Aimed
at
preserving
First
Amend­
ment
rights
for
members
of
the
comics
com­
munity,
 the
 CBLDF’s
 Web
 site
 offers
 news,

featured
 links,
 convention
 previews,
 and

reports
 raising
 awareness
 of
 censorship
 is­
sues
 within
 the
 comic
 industry.
 Additional

resources
 include
 a
 comic
 censorship
 bib­
liography
 highlighting
 articles,
 books,
 and

case
 files
 for
 which
 the
 CBLDF
 has
 helped

defend
over
the
years,
and
a
comic
censor­
ship
timeline
beginning
in
the
1750s.
Access: 
http://www.cbldf.org.


•  International Comic Arts Association 
(ICAA).
A
nonprofit
organization,
the
ICAA

aims
 to
 “support,
 promote,
 and
 strengthen

the
comic
industry,
its
products,
and
profes­
sionals”
 through
 a
 variety
 of
 programs
 and

projects.
Their
Web
site
offers
industry
and

organizational
 news,
 interview
 and
 article

features
 (coming
 soon),
 and
 resources
 for

retailers,
libraries,
teachers,
creators,
collec­
tors,
and
fans.
Access:
http://www.comicarts.

org/index.php.


•
 National Association of Comic Arts 
Educators (NACAE). “Committed
to
helping

facilitate
 the
 teaching
 of
 comics
 in
 higher

education,”
the
NACAE
site
contains
resources

for
individuals
and
institutions
interested
in

teaching
visual
storytelling.
Their
site
offers

a
 forum
 where
 educators
 in
 comic
 and/or

sequential
 art
 can
 get
 and
 share
 ideas.
 Re­
sources
 include
 articles,
 teaching
 resources

(exercises,
 study
 guides,
 syllabi,
 handouts,

etc.),
 message
 boards,
 and
 more.
 Access: 
http://www.teachingcomics.org.


C&RL News February 2005  104 

http:http://www.teachingcomics.org
http://www.comicarts
http:http://www.cbldf.org
http:http://www.newsarama.com
http:comicsworthreading.com
http://www
http://www.comicscontinuum.com
http:sources.com
http://www.comicbookre
http:http://www.artbomb.net


Bibliographies and collections 
•
 Comic Books, Library of Congress 

Popular Culture Collections, Serials & 
Government Publications Division. Both

foreign
 and
 U.S.
 titles
 make
 up
 this
 largest

collection
of
comic
books
in
the
United
States.

The
 collection
 includes
 scattered
 issues
 or

microforms
back
to
the
1930s
but
is
mostly

comprehensive
from
1950
on.
This
site
pro­
vides
information
for
using
and
researching

the
collection
including
suggested
techniques

and
subject
headings.
Access: http://memory.

loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/awser2/comic_

books.html.


•
 Comics­Related Dissertations and 
Theses. This
 site
 provides
 an
 international

bibliography
of
doctoral,
master’s,
and
under­
graduate
dissertations
and
theses
going
back

to
the
1970s.
Many
entries
provide
abstracts

or
annotations
and
links
to
tables
of
contents

or
the
full
text.
Access:
http://home.earthlink.

net/%7Ecomicsresearch/ComicsDissertations.

html.


•
 Comics Reporter’s Books about 
Comics Bibliography.
 International
 in

scope,
this
bibliography
contains
numerous

entries
 of
 books
 about
 comics,
 particularly

those
 with
 an
 emphasis
 on
 criticism
 and

history.
Entries
are
in
alphabetical
order
by

title,
and
coverage
goes
back
to
the
1950s.
Ac­
cess:
http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.

php/lists/lists_and_links/87.


•  Comics Scholarship Annotated 
Bibliographies (SCAB). This
site
offers
an­
notated
bibliographies
covering
book­length

works
about
comic
books
and
strips
ranging

from
“fannish”
histories
to
academic
publica­
tions.
Bibliographies
are
divided
by
subject

categories
such
as
genre,
guides,
countries,

collecting,
 and
 more.
 Additionally,
 tables

of
contents,
lists
of
comic
works
within
the

title,
reviews,
links,
and
other
general
notes

on
 content
 and
 organization
 are
 included.

Access:
http://www.comicsresearch.org.


•
 Michigan State University (MSU) 
Comic Art Collection. With
 over
 200,000

items—mostly
comic
books—the
MSU
Comic

Art
Collection
is
known
as
the
primary
library

resource
 for
 the
 study
 of
 U.S.
 comic
 book


publications.
 In
 addition
 to
 descriptions
 of

the
collection,
multiple
indexes,
selected
im­
ages,
the
collection
development
statement,

and
a
list
of
other
comic
research
collections

are
 offered.
 Access:
 http://www.lib.msu.

edu/comics.


•  Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art 
(MOCCA).
The
purpose
of
this
museum
is
the

“collection,
preservation,

study,
 education,
 and

display
of
comic
and
car­
toon
art.”
Genres
treated

include
 animation,
 car­
toons,
comic
books
and

strips,
 graphic
 novels,

and
 more.
 MOCCA’s

Web
site
offers
informa­
tion
and
news
about
the

organization,
but
also
past
and
present
exhibit

information,
upcoming
events,
and
features

including
interviews
and
legal
or
educational

information.
 Access:
 http://www.moccany.

org.


•
 New York City Comic Museum (NYC­
CM).
Founded
in
1999,
the
NYCCM
promotes

comic
book
his­
tory,
 preserva­
tion,
 and
 liter­
acy
 through
 its

collections
 and

Web
 site.
 The

site
offers
online

exhibits
with
ar­
chives,
resource

links,
an
education
center
with
lesson
ideas,

and
guides
for
bringing
comic
books
into
the

curriculum.
Also
included
are
columns
and

current
museum
news.
Access:
http://www.

nyccomicbookmuseum.org/main.htm.


Online magazines and journals 
•  ImageTexT. A
 Web­based
 journal


with
 free
 access
 to
 all
 articles,
 ImageTexT 
strives
 to
 advance
 the
 academic
 study
 of

comic
books
and
strips,
cartoons,
and
other

media
blending
image
and
text
such
as
video

games.
Topical
issues
contain
peer­reviewed

articles,
reviews
of
current
scholarship
in
the

field,
 conference
 or
 publication
 announce­

February 2005  105 C&RL News 

http://www
http://www.moccany
http://www.lib.msu
http://www.comicsresearch.org
http://www.comicsreporter.com/index
http://home.earthlink
http://memory


ments,
 information
 on
 research
 projects
 of

interest,
and
English
translations
of
seminal

foreign
essays
on
comic
theory.
Current
and

archived
issues
and
online
exhibits
with
cata­
logs
are
also
available.
Access:
http://www.

english.ufl
.edu/imagetext.


•  Indy Magazine. Published
by
Alterna­
tive
 Comics,
 this
 online
 journal
 offers
 fea­
ture
 articles,
 reviews,
 and
 news
 about

independently
 published
 comic
 books
 and

graphic
novels.
Contributors
are
diverse,
com­
ing
from
the
U.S.,
Canada,
Great
Britain,
and

France.
Archives
of
older
issues
are
available.

Access: http://www.indyworld.com/indy.


•
 Ninth Art.
 A
 weekly
 online
 journal,

Ninth
 Art
 strives
 to
 provide
 a
 space
 for
 an

expanding
repository

of
ideas,
analysis,
and

contemporary
thought

through
exploring
ev­
ery
aspect
of
the
arts

and
industry
of
com­
ics.
 Operating
 with­
out
 editorial
 agenda,

articles,
essays,
reviews,
and
interviews
pub­
lished
are
written
with
high
standards.
Four

new
 articles
 per
 week
 are
 published,
 and

archives,
message
boards,
and
RSS
feeds
are

available.
Access:
http://www.ninthart.com.


Reference tools and resources 
•
 Comic Art in Scholarly Writing: A 

Citation Guide. Recognizing
the
maturation

of
comic
scholarship
and
the
need
for
comic

bibliographic
 citation
 formats,
 Allen
 Ellis,

research
and
instructional
services
librarian

at
Northern
Kentucky
University,
created
this

guide
in
accordance
with
the
Comic
Art
and

Comics
area
of
the
Popular
Culture
Associa­
tion.
The
online
style
guide
offers
instructions

and
 numerous
 examples
 for
 citing
 comic

books,
comic
strips,
editorial
cartoons,
and

graphic
novels.
Access: http://www.comics­
research.org/CAC/cite.html.


•  Grand Comic Book Database. Search­
able
by
writer,
artist,
title
and
publisher,
this

database
offers
records
for
over
70,000
issues

of
 comic
 books,
 minicomics,
 and
 fanzines.

Entries
 are
 indexed
 by
 site
 owners,
 fans,

or
 hobbyists,
 using
 detailed
 and
 specifi
c

instructions
to
ensure
consistency
and
qual­
ity
of
records.
Entries
include
a
color
image

of
the
cover,
information
about
the
binding,

ink,
paper
type,
publisher,
run
dates,
issues

published,
and
language;
also
provided
are

links
to
other
indexed
issues
of
the
title.
Ac­
cess: http://www.comics.org.


•
 Who’s Who of American Comic 
Books. This
resource
provides
biographical

listings
for
over
19,000
artists,
writers,
editors,

and
personnel
involved
in
producing
comics.


Publishing
groups
are
also
included,
with
list­
ings
for
animation,
syndication,
small
presses,

pulps,
and
more.
Researchers
and
writers
may

inquire
for
specific
data
by
e­mailing
the
site

author,
 but
 full
 paid
 subscriptions
 are
 also

available.
Additional
site
content
includes
a

list
of
artist
aliases
and
a
complete
index
of

titles
 published.
 Access:
 http://www.noso­
tomo.no/whoswho.


Of particular interest to librarians 
•
 Comic Scholars Discussion List. 

This
community
is
aimed
at
those
involved

in
 research,
 criticism,
 and
 teaching
 related

to
comic
art.
Welcome
to
all
academic
fi
elds,

typical
discussion
revolves
around
theoretical

and
historical
issues,
syllabi
and
assignments,

useful
scholarship
or
resources,
and
calls
for

book,
journal,
and
conference
submissions.

It
 is
 also
 a
 place
 to
 discuss
 job
 searches,

pedagogy,
 library
 acquisitions,
 and
 other

institutional
factors
affecting
comics
scholar­
ship.
The
list’s
Web
site
includes
a
directory

of
comic
scholars,
online
sample
syllabi,
bib­
liographies,
and
more.
Access:
http://www.

english.ufl
.edu/comics/scholars.


(continued on page 113) 

C&RL News February 2005  106 

http://www
http://www.noso
http://www.comics.org
http://www.comics
http:http://www.ninthart.com
http://www.indyworld.com/indy
http://www


the
Library
administration
won’t
really
know

how
the
new
hire
is
adjusting.


•
 Performance
 appraisal.
 Clearly
 state

what
the
criteria
for
evaluation
are
going
to

be
so
there
are
no
misunderstandings
later.

An
 actual
 copy
 of
 the
 appraisal
 form
 is
 an

excellent
tool
for
the
employee
to
refer
to
so

there
will
be
no
surprises.


In
 librarianship,
 while
 poor
 orientation

experiences
 most
 likely
 outnumber
 good

orientation
experiences,
it
is
a
factor
in
em­
ployee
longevity
and
morale.
“An
employee

that
has
not
experienced
a
‘real’
orientation

may
feel
alienated
and
resentful;
they
might

even
leave
the
organization
when
a
serious

opportunity
arises.
Another
problem,
if
they

stay
they
may
become
a
disrupting/negative

force
within
the
staff.”4


Although
what
has
been
provided
in
this
ar­
ticle
is
by
no
means
a
comprehensive
list,
items

listed
will
help
in
the
successful
transition
from

new
hire
to
long­term
contributing
employee.

The
use
of
a
checklist
is
advisable
due
to
the

numerous
details
one
must
remember.


While
it
is
difficult
to
find
a
good
candidate

and
then
hire
that
individual,
it
is
very
easy

to
ruin
what
may
be
a
long
and
productive


professional
relationship
in
the
first
few
days

by
 innocently
 forgetting
 some
 small
 detail.

The
investment
of
making
a
new
employee

feel
welcome
will
help
them
to
identify
with

the
institution,
the
orientation
process
often

stresses
the
why.5


Notes 
1.
 Jean
 Dowdall.
 “Off
 to
 a
 good
 start:


Thoughts
on
the
first
weeks
of
a
new
job,”

Chronicle of Higher Education
 Monday,

July
 1,
 2002.
 chronicle.com/jobs/2002/07/

2002070101c.htm.


2.
 Stacey
 E.
 Kimmel
 and
 Scott
 R.
 Di­
Marco,
 “Planning
 an
 interview:
 What
 do

candidates
 want?”
 C&RL News
 58,
 no.4

(1997):249–50+.


3.
The
Society
of
the
Plastics
Industry.
The

high
cost
of
employee
turnover.
www.plas­
ticsindustry.org/business/programs/orientme.

htm
(accessed
March
19,
2004).


4.
Joyce
Gioia,
“Use
Orientation
Process

to
Bond
with
New
Employees”
HR Focus
76,

i6.
(1999)
iS9.


5.
Randall
L.
Robbins,
“Orientation:
Neces­
sity
or
Nightmare?”
American Salesman
47,

i9
(2002):29.


(“Comic books…” continued from page 106) 

•
 Graphic Novels in Libraries (GNLIB­
L). This
unmoderated
community
is
limited
to

professionals
in
the
book
trade
and
librarians

and
is
specifically
aimed
at
young
adult
and

adult
services
public
librarians.
GNLIB­L
is
a

space
to
share
reviews,
ideas,
and
resources

for
the
selection
and
development
of
graphic

novel
and
comic
book
collections.
Member­
ship
is
not
required
to
view
the
archives.
Ac­
cess:
http://www.topica.com/lists/GNLIB­L.


•
 Librarians in Comics. Maintained
by

Canadian
librarian
Steven
Bergson,
this
site

contains
an
annotated
bibliography
of
books,

comic
books,
and
graphic
novels
in
which
a

librarian
or
library
plays
a
role.
A
bibliography


for
librarians
in
comic
strips
is
also
available.

Access:
 http://www.geocities.com/Athens/

Acropolis/2161/combks/combks.htm.


•  No Flying, No Tights. Created
 and

maintained
 by
 library
 technician
 and
 MLS­
holder
 Robin
 Brenner
 and
 friends,
 this
 re­
source
contains
three
comic
book
and
graphic

novel
review
sites,
one
each
for
kids,
teens,

and
 adults.
 Each
 includes
 core
 lists
 of
 rec­
ommended
and
reviewed
titles
divided
into

various
topics,
with
some
aimed
at
librarians

and
 teachers.
 Aside
 from
 genre
 divisions,

indexes
for
creator,
title,
and
publisher
offer

great
search
tools
for
fi
nding
reviews.
Access: 
http://www.nofl
yingnotights.com.


February 2005  113 C&RL News 

http:yingnotights.com
http://www.nofl
http://www.geocities.com/Athens
http://www.topica.com/lists/GNLIB-L
www.plas