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comics on table from library collection

Comic Arts Collection @ SDSU

The Comic Arts Collection at the SDSU Library is home to more than 100,000 comics, secondary research about comics and numerous archival collections. Our collections are open for public research. Consult the Library's Comic Arts Research Guide for detailed information.

Comics Corner

Located near Special Collections & University Archives on the 1st floor of Love Library, the Comics Corner concentrates on secondary research about comics, however there are also numerous collected volumes, graphic novels and trade paperbacks available for check out. Books are arranged using the LC Call Number system and can be identified in the Library’s online catalog, OneSearch. The Comics Corner is supported by the generosity of alumnus Jack Sword and his wife, Laura. 

Juvenile Collection

Located on the 4th floor of Love Library, the Juvenile Collection includes numerous comics that are appropriate for K-12 children, but also enjoyed by adults. These comics can be checked out. Books in this section are arranged using the Dewey Decimal System and can be identified in the Library’s online catalog, OneSearch. Just want to browse the shelves? Aim for the 741.5 section. 

Special Collections & University Archives (SCUA)

SCUA materials cannot be checked out, but you are highly encouraged to use them in SCUA’s Reading Room. There are 3 locations for published comics in SCUA:

  • Single Issue Comic Books (i.e. floppy comics) can be identified in the SDSU Comics Hub.
  • We are still in the process of cataloging our single issue "floppy" comics so you will not see everything we have in the Hub just yet.
  • Bound comic books, including collected editions and graphic novels, can be identified in the Library’s online catalog, OneSearch.
  • There are thousands more waiting to be cataloged. We're getting there!
  • Comics contained in our Zines and Mini Comics Collection can be identified in the Finding Aid (inventory list) for this collection.
     

Online (Non-SDSU users can only access the database inside the library and not remotely)

Underground and Independent Comics, Comix, and Graphic Novels (Alexander Street Press) is the first ever scholarly, primary-source database focused on adult comic books and graphic novels. Here are the works of artists both celebrated and overlooked, alongside interviews, criticism, and journal articles that document the continual growth and evolution of this art form.