The UNT Libraries has a number of resources for folks interested in studying comics for research, coursework, collecting, or plain old pleasure reading. Below are a few places to get started.
These aren’t the only places you can find useful information, though, since every discipline may have its own approaches to comics as art, as literature, as a form of education, as digital media, as an industry,as a social or cultural phenomena, etc.–so it may be worth looking at books or articles in those areas of study as well (consult with a subject librarian, if you aren’t sure where to begin). But these resources might be of special interest to comics scholars from a variety of disciplines.
UNT Libraries Graphic Novels collection, Willis Library, 3rd floor
This online guide for comics studies includes links to books, articles, databases, websites, videos, and events related to comics, including conferences and conventions. If you have links you’d like to add, just contact the subject librarian listed on that page.
- UNT Graphic Novels Collection—3rd Floor Willis Library (across from public access computers)
This is our browsable, circulating collection of graphic novels, comics anthologies, and other books related to comics studies. Come sit and relax in a window seat while you peruse some of the classics, like Maus or Watchmen, or catch up on some of your favorite series, like The Walking Dead or Saga. You may also find a few unknown treasures here that you’ll enjoy.
This is where you’ll find books about comics and comics studies—especially scholarly or critical studies, histories, and guides. The best place to begin a search of the general collection is in the Library’s online catalog. There are some suggested search terms on the Comics Studies Guide’s “Researching Comics” page. But if you like to browse, you can begin on the 3rd Floor of Willis Library under the following call numbers: PN 6700-6790 (Comics history, theory, and scholarship) or NC 1700-1790 (Cartoons, animation, and manga).
- UNT Comic Books Collection—Special Collections, 4th Floor Willis Library
The Comic Books Collection at the University of North Texas was developed after librarian Doug Campbell’s donation of 1,600 comic books on behalf of his grandmother, Floydine Campbell (1917-2014), who purchased many of them at her job at the Leonard Pharmacy in Leonard, Texas (see our “Comic Books in Action” exhibit from 2014). The collection also includes the 98 Classics Illustrated comic books donated by Clifford and Shaun Seibel in 2008. These materials are available by special request only, and a research appointment is required to view them.
Patrons who want to request materials from Special Collections should visit the website to view policies and request procedures: http://www.library.unt.edu/special-collections
- Government comics—Eagle Commons Library, Sycamore Hall, 1st Floor
Many people aren’t aware of the wide range of government publications that have included comics, comic art, or information on legal cases or government hearings involving comics. Our government documents collection includes a number of materials related to these and other topics. Visit the Eagle Commons Library Service Desk for assistance in locating government comics at UNT.
Many government comics are also available online at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Government Comics Collection web site.
Government comics from the UNT Eagle Commons Library
The Libraries are open to the public, and you can use any of our resources on-site, even if you don’t have borrowing privileges. UNT faculty, students, and staff can check out or reserve any of these materials for research or classes. If you have a card from a participating TexShare library, and are over 18 years old, you can also check out circulating materials according to UNT’s TexShare lending policies.
If you have questions or would like help in locating other comics-related materials, please contact John.Martin@unt.edu
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