Subject Guide: Comics and Graphic Novels

AHC Interview with Lily Phillips (AHC 1948)

Lily Phillips became one of the first female cartoon artists in the US, where she became well known for her diverse work under the name of Lily Renee.

Kaja Maliszkiewicz-Ward Collection, 2009 (AR 11802) [ Collection is digitized and available online ]

The collection contains material pertaining to the graphic novel Rabin by Kaja Maliszkiewicz-Ward about Rabbi Leo Baeck in Opole, including an English-language draft translation, a clipping, and a drawing.

Otto H Ehrlich Collection (AR 25192) [ Collection is digitized and available online ]

The Otto Ehrlich Collection documents the life and professional activities of Otto Ehrlich, economist, lecturer, advertisement artist, and teacher. Many of the manuscripts collected here represent Otto Ehrlich’s idea of visualizing economic problems with the help of cartoons (comics) for easier dissemination of his ideas among individuals not directly connected with the field of economics.

Superman at 75 : Celebrating America's Most Enduring Hero. CJH Program Archive [ Available online ]

Celebration presented by the Center for Jewish History and the Columbia University Libraries. Experts on the superhero including his biographer, writers, and artists and publishers gathered to discuss related to one of the most enduring cultural figures of the last century. Participants include: Random House author Larry Tye, who wrote Superma: The High-Flying History of America’s Most Enduring Hero; Jenette Kahn, former publisher and president of DC Comics; Denny O'Neil, who spearheaded a remake of Superman in the 1970s; Jim Shooter, who sold his first Superman story as he was turning 13; Nicky Nicholson Brown, whose grandfather founded the company that became DC Comics; Sam Norich, publisher of The Jewish Daily Forward; and David Weiss, whose father was, in the eyes of Superman co-creator Joe Shuster, a dead ringer for his Man of Steel. 

William Gropper Papers (RG 1290)

Gropper was a painter, muralist, book illustrator and cartoonist. Created political cartoons for several leading periodicals in the U.S. including the radical New Masses and the Communist Yiddish daily Morgn frayhayt .The collection consists of several hundred political cartoons which Gropper drew for the Morgn frayhayt .

Zuni Maud Collection (RG 1138) 

Zuni Maud was a Yiddish-American artist who came to the United States in 1905. He studied art at Cooper Union and was one of the founders of Di Yungt and Der Kibitzer. From 1916-1920 he was the entertainment section editor of Forverts, as well as a cartoonist for several other newspapers.

The collection consists primarily of original art works: paintings, drawings, woodcuts, wood carvings. Other materials include cartoons, political illustrations, book illustrations, clippings of articles, correspondence, typed manuscripts, unpublished sheet music, photographs, programs, and personal documents.