The Comic Art Collection Catalog: An Author, Artist, Title, and Subject Catalog of the Comic Art Collection, Special Collections Division, Michigan State University Libraries

The Comic Art Collection Catalog was developed by the Michigan State University Libraries to serve as a comprehensive bibliographic record for what has grown into the largest publicly accessible collection of comic art in the world. Initiated during a period when comics were increasingly recognized as a vital medium for academic study, the catalog was designed to provide researchers and enthusiasts with systematic access to the vast Special Collections holdings, which include thousands of comic books, newspaper strips, and related materials.

The catalog represents a significant effort to standardize the taxonomy of comic art, moving beyond simple listing to include detailed author, artist, and subject indexing. By organizing these materials, the library staff sought to bridge the gap between popular culture and archival scholarship. The work was received as a milestone in archival practice, providing a crucial framework that allowed the Michigan State University collection to serve as the definitive repository for the history of the medium.