About Us

Welcome to The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Blog! We hope that you’ll enjoy taking a glimpse into our incredible collection, as well as getting updates on the latest news and events coming out of the largest cartoon art library in the world.

Now, for the facts:

Located in Columbus, Ohio as part of the Ohio State University Libraries, The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum was established in 1977 with the founding gift of the Milton Caniff Collection.

The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum’s primary mission is to develop a comprehensive research collection documenting American printed cartoon art, to organize the materials, and to provide access to these resources. The current holdings include more than:

  • 300,000+ original cartoons
  • 45,000 books
  • 67,000 serial titles (including 29,000 comic books)
  • 3,000 linear feet of manuscript materials
  • 2.5 million comic strip clippings and tear sheets

Our collections have been acquired primarily through donations.

Collection Highlights:

  • Unique collections of original art and manuscript materials including among others, the Nick Anderson Collection, the Jim Borgman Collection, the Eldon Dedini Collection, the Edwina Dumm Collection, the Will Eisner Collection, the Woody Gelman Collection of Winsor McCay cartoons, the Walt Kelly Collection, the Toni Mendez Collection, the Bill Watterson Deposit Collection, and the Jeff Smith Deposit Collection.
  • International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection containing more than 200,000 original cartoons. The collection was acquired in the summer of 2008 from the museum which was founded by Beetle Baileycreator Mort Walker
  • San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, acquired from its director, Bill Blackbeard, in 1998. This gives the library the largest collection of newspaper comic strip tear sheets and clippings in the world. Search the on-line finding aid at Guide to the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection
  • Jay Kennedy Collection of more than 9,500 underground comic books, one of the most extensive in the world
  • Archival professional records including the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists, National Cartoonists Society, Newspaper Features Council, and Cartoonists Guild
  • Biographical registry of cartoonists containing files for more than 5,000 cartoonists and clipping files organized by cartoon-related subjects
  • Extensive collection of Japanese comics known as manga

7 Comments

  1. Hi,
    Is the following catalog still available for purchase from you:
    Gillray’s Legacy” (Ohio State University Museum)

  2. Caitlin McGurk

    January 7, 2013 at 5:05 pm

    Hello,

    We do have at least one more copy of the Gillray catalog left for purchase. Please contact us at cartons@osu.edu for more information!

    Thanks.

  3. Dionne Simoneaux

    April 24, 2013 at 8:14 pm

    My mother has several original pieces by Barbara Shermund. We are currently investigating the idea of producing prints for resale. Would you all be interested in the originals?

  4. Caitlin McGurk

    May 6, 2013 at 10:10 am

    We are definitely interested! I have sent an email to your gmail account, but in case you haven’t received it, please contact us at cartoons@osu.edu

  5. Pat & Ken Colletta

    September 28, 2013 at 10:27 pm

    Wow, we checked this out and are amazed at how huge this collection is and how much work you have put into it! Really Great!

  6. Janice Pfeiffer

    March 25, 2014 at 10:12 am

    What a treasure. If only I could volunteer from New York!

  7. Just found your site and really enjoying looking at it. Is it just Amaerican cartoonists that you feature as there are some great cartoonists in the UK who have done a lot of American Political cartoons. Carl Giles who worked for over 40 years at the Daily express has produced some superb cartoons including GI’s over here in the UK plus many great references to US politicians in the past. Even though he is from the UK I think it would be of interest to your readers. I am going to enjoy looking through your site – might give me inspiration for some new cartoon materials! – thanks rob Nelson, South Wales UK

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