2020-01-03 Guide to the Mike Ritter Collection, 1970-2014 SPEC.CGA.RIT Finding aid prepared by Katy Faulkner Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections
1858 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH, 43210
2019 August This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2020-01-03T10:59-0500 English Describing Archives: A Content Standard Mike Ritter Collection SPEC.CGA.RIT Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections 4.1 Cubic feet (5 boxes) 1970-2014 Mike Ritter started cartooning at a young age and continued pursuing cartoons through college until he finally became a renowned professional editorial cartoonist. This collection highlights the different stages of Ritter's artistic life, containing examples of his childhood, college, and professional work. The collection also contain other projects Ritter may have worked on, as well as some personal materials. English 3 flat boxes and 2 record storage boxes Biographical Note

Mike Ritter was born in 1965. Ritter began drawing at a very early age and created his own original character, Myron the Mosquito. He continued perfecting his talent until he enrolled as a undergraduate at Arizona State University, where he obtained a job with the school's newspaper, The State Press. Ritter did editorial cartoon work and drew his own strip, Ivory Towers, for the paper. During this period in his life, he also did editorial work for the Metro Phoenix Magazine, Scottsdale Progress, and Tribune Newspapers. After leaving Arizona, Ritter moved to Atlanta, Georgia and worked on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Southern Voice, and GA Voice. Ritter was one of the first openly gay cartoonists to work at a mainstream newspaper. He was the president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists from 2003 to 2004. Ritter passed away in 2014.

 Acquisitions Information

CGA.RIT.2016: Elisabeth Hardy, 2016; CGA.RIT.2017: Elisabeth Hardy, 2017

 Arrangement of Materials

This collection is arranged in 5 series: Series 1: Juvenalia Series 2: College Work Series 3: Professional Editorial Work Series 4: Other Work Series 5: Personal

 Preferred Citation

[identification of item], [Box number/Folder number], Mike Ritter Collection, SPEC.CGA.RIT, Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, Ohio State University

 Processing Information

Katy Faulkner, August 2019

 Scope and Contents

This collection represents Ritter's artwork throughout different points in his life. The collection contains artwork from Ritter's childhood, including pieces that he created for class and strips about his original character, Myron the Mosquito. The collection also contains work from Ritter while he was enrolled at Arizona State University. This includes proofs and tearsheets of Ritter's editorial work on The State Press, as well as scripts and photocopies of Ritter's strip, Ivory Towers. Clippings, tearsheets, proofs, roughs, prints, transparency sheets, and awards from Ritter's professional work in the Metro Phoenix Magazine, Scottsdale Progress, and Tribune Newspapers are also featured in this collection. The collection also contains a sampling of Ritter's other work in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Southern Voice, and GA Voice. The collection also contains Ritter's work on a strip about Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. The collection contains a sampling of personal material from Ritter as well.

 Separated Materials

Original art has been separated and cataloged in the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Original Art Database.

 Use of Materials

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.

 Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum reading room only.

 Editorial cartoonists--United States Editorial cartoons Gay men--Comic books, strips, etc. Juvenalia Series 1 1970-1985 Homeseeker's Gazettes featuring childhood art RIT 1 24 1978 June Scripts from childhood plays RIT 1 25 1976-1977 Myron the Mosquito character sketches and book, "Here's to You, Myron" RIT 1 37 undated Myron the Mosquito drawings RIT 1 38 undated Classroom dictionary with drawings RIT 1 40 1974-1975 Photocopy, clipping, and school newsletters featuring childhood drawings RIT 2 12 circa 1970s Congratulations letter from bank and clippings of article about 5th-grade Ritter RIT 2 13 1975 November 12 Early comic strips RIT 2 14 undated Halloween drawings RIT 2 15 1976 October Childhood sketches RIT 2 16 undated Drawings of untitled story RIT 2 17 undated Drawings from classmates to Ritter RIT 2 18 undated The First Book of Monsters RIT 2 20 undated Myron the Mosquito lined paper RIT 2 28 undated Myron the Mosquito photocopies and transparency RIT 2 40 undated Myron the Mosquito strips RIT 3 14 1978 Myron the Mosquito strips RIT 3 15 1979 Myron the Mosquito strips RIT 3 16 1980 Childhood drawings and paintings RIT 3 18 undated Myron the Mosquito Sunday strips RIT 4 3 undated Painting of dragon RIT 4 4 1983 Gurtrude painting RIT 4 5 undated Drawings and paintings for class/art show RIT 4 7-8 circa 1983 2 folders Myron the Mosquito and other childhood art RIT 4 9 1978-1979 Childhood art RIT 4 11 1978 Myron the Mosquito strips RIT 2 49 undated Holiday drawings and Christmas booklet RIT 2 56 undated Art II sketchbook RIT 2 59 undated Drawings and paintings CGA.AC.BO6.001 1970s-1980s 13 works of art College Work Series 2 1985-1989 Ivory Towers and State Press editorial cartoons RIT 1 7 1985-1987 Clippings and proofs of State Press editorial cartoons RIT 1 8-9 1986-1990 2 folders Ivory Towers script, sketch, and proofs RIT 1 13 1985-1990 Ivory Towers clippings and photocopies RIT 1 14 1986-1988 Photocopies of Ivory Towers and State Press editorial cartoons RIT 1 15 1988 Media packet proofs RIT 1 18 1986 State Press sales kit and Tribune rejection letter RIT 1 19 1988 April 26 State Press editorial cartoons and letters to the editor RIT 1 20 1986 State Press fan letter RIT 1 21 1990 February 7 Photocopies and proofs of State Press editorial cartoons RIT 1 27 1988-1989 Photocopies of State Press editorial cartoons and Ivory Towers strips RIT 1 28 1987 Photocopies of State Press editorial cartoons and Ivory Towers strips RIT 1 29 1986 State Press editorial cartoons and Ivory Towers scripts, photocopies of strips, and character sheets RIT 1 30 1985 Ivory Towers scripts RIT 1 31 1985 State Press letter to the editor RIT 2 6 undated Photocopy of State Press article RIT 2 7 1987 October 26 Arizona State University diploma and transcripts RIT 2 10 1990 State Press tearsheets RIT 2 11 1986-1988 State Press tearsheets RIT 2 32 1987 State Press photocopy, clippings, and tearsheets RIT 2 36 1987 and 1989 State Press RIT 2 50 1986-1988 Photocopy of Arizona State University editorial cartoon RIT 2 52 1989 Sketches, drawings, and paintings RIT 5 7 undated Professional Editorial Work Series 3 1987-2014 Scottsdale Progress clippings RIT 1 1 1990 June 11-December 31 Scottsdale Progress clippings RIT 1 2 1991 January 1-December 31 Scottsdale Progress clippings RIT 1 3 1992 January 1-October 20 Scottsdale Progress clippings RIT 1 4 1993 August 17-December 31 Tribune Newspapers clippings RIT 1 5 1994 January 1994-December 30 Tribune Newspapers clippings RIT 1 6 1995 January 1-1996 January 3 Photocopies of editorial cartoons for Tribune Newspapers RIT 1 10 1994-1995 Photocopies of editorial cartoons for Tribune Newspapers RIT 1 11 1996-1997 Photocopies of editorial cartoons for Tribune Newspapers RIT 1 12 1998-1999 Photocopies of Scottsdale Progress and Tribune Newspapers editorial cartoons RIT 1 16 1990 and 1993 Photocopies of editorial cartoons for Tribune Newspapers RIT 1 22 2001 Collected editorial cartoons RIT 1 36 1991-1992 Award of Excellence for Outstanding Editorial Achievement RIT 2 3 1998 Photocopy of Tribune letter to the editor RIT 2 5 1992 April 7 Transparency sheets of editorial cartoons for Tribune Newspapers RIT 2 21 1994-1999 Photocopies and prints of editorial cartoons for Tribune Newspapers RIT 2 22 1994-1999 Photocopy of Scottsdale Tribune cartoon RIT 2 24 2004 Scottsdale Progress fan letter RIT 2 29 1996 March 13 Best of the West award and letter RIT 2 30 2003 August 10 Clippings of editorial cartoons in Tribune RIT 2 33 1992 Tribune tearsheets RIT 2 38 1989-1996 Clipping of Ritter's role in Mecham resignation and proofs RIT 2 39 circa 1988 Tribune opinion pages RIT 3 1 1995-1998 Tribune photocopies and tearsheets RIT 3 9 2000-2004 Scottsdale Progress signs RIT 3 11 undated Editorial roughs and sketches RIT 4 6 undated Tribune prints RIT 4 10 1995-2000 Clippings of editorial cartoons sent to Ritter RIT 2 44 2003 Speech for unknown event and syndicate packets RIT 2 46 2004-2005 Metro Phoenix clipping RIT 2 1 1988 April Metro Phoenix v.23 no.5 RIT 2 2 1988 May The American Editor RIT 2 9 2001 May-June Photocopies of work in Get Out RIT 2 23 1998-1999 Photocopies of Southern Voice cartoons RIT 2 25 2008-2009 Photocopies of David Atlanta cover RIT 2 26 2008 Profile in Phoenix Journalism Monthly and copies of Tribune cartoons RIT 2 34 circa 1997 Article on editorial cartoons in The Editor no.3 RIT 2 35 1997 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution RIT 3 2 2001-2002 GA Voice RIT 3 3 2010-2013 Southern Voice RIT 3 4 2007 and 2009 Washington Blade RIT 3 5 2009 January 2 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution RIT 3 6 2012-2014 The Dallas Morning News tearsheets RIT 3 8 2001 September 13 DC Agenda v.1no.7 RIT 3 7 2010 January 1 Get Out covers RIT 3 10 1998-1999 Photocopy of letters to the editor RIT 2 48 1995 May Heastroke News v.10no.11 RIT 2 51 2001 May 31-June 13 Resumes RIT 1 34 1990-1991 Resumes RIT 1 35 circa 1989 Resume and portfolio proofs and examples of work RIT 2 31 circa 1989 Tribune Velox color proof RIT 4 2 1992 Photocopies of various cartoons RIT 5 1 undated Article with corresponding art RIT 5 2 2005 Large Tribune prints RIT 5 8 1996-1998 Tear sheets and photocopies of groups of political caricatures CGA.AC.BO6.002 1992 Other Work Series 4 1982-1996 Newmarket Press letter RIT 1 23 1998 November 10 Photocopy of Bing Crosby obituary and Bob Hope article RIT 1 32 undated The Complete Road Atlas of Crosby, Hope, & Lamour book proposal and sample chapters RIT 1 33 1998 Miscellaneous sketches RIT 1 39 undated Abbott and Costello drawings RIT 2 19 undated On the Road and Wizard of Oz sketches, scripts, and transparency strips RIT 2 27 circa 1982 Advertising work RIT 2 8 undated Kids Today RIT 2 43 1996 February 4 Ruralite v.30no.7 and v.33no.1 RIT 2 41 1983 and 1986 Ritzville Wheat Land Communities' Fair Premium List RIT 2 42 1986 Southwest Shakespeare Company poster RIT 3 12 1998-1999 On the Road prints and drawings RIT 3 17 1983 and 1996 On the Road drawings RIT 4 1 1982-1983 On the Road poster and print RIT 4 12 undated Sketch of house RIT 4 13 undated Photograph and drawing of Bob Hope and his wife RIT 2 47 1994 On the Road character sheets, scripts, and submission book RIT 2 53 1984 On the Road photocopies and proofs RIT 2 54 1984 Proofs of untitled strip featuring sea creatures RIT 2 55 1984 Sketchbook RIT 2 57 undated Sketchbook RIT 2 58 undated Sketchbook RIT 5 3 undated Sketchbook RIT 5 4 undated Sketchbook RIT 5 5 undated Sketchbook RIT 5 6 undated Hollywood Diorama CGA.AC.BO6.003 1980s-1990s Three-Dimensional Diorama, folded flat Personal Series 5 1984-2014 Christmas cards to mother RIT 1 17 1984-2002 Photographs RIT 1 26 undated Obituaries and celebration of life card RIT 2 4 2014 Letter to mother with letter to the editor attached RIT 2 37 1994 Historic Front Pages of The Spokesman-Review RIT 3 13 1984 Mike Ritter letterhead RIT 2 45 undated