Abstract
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has what is likely the largest collection of Canadian comic books in a Canadian library. LAC’s collection has three distinct parts: comics acquired via legal deposit,the John Bell Collection of Canadian Comic Books, and the Bell Features Collection. These holdings, which span the history of the comics medium in Canada, represent a significant resource for researchers studying Canadian comics. This article looks at each of the three main parts of LAC’s comic book collection, giving anoverview of the contents of each part, and providing information on how researchers can discover and access these comics. The article also briefly explores other comics-related holdings at LAC. Its purposeis to provide a starting point for researchers seeking to make use of LAC’s comic book collections.
Highlights
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has what is likely the largest collection of Canadian comic books in a Canadian library
LAC’s collection has three distinct parts: comics acquired via legal deposit, the John Bell Collection of Canadian Comic Books, and the Bell Features Collection
The third major comic book collection at LAC consists of material that could not have been collected via legal deposit, in this case because it predates the existence of the National Library of Canada (NLC) and the legal deposit regulations
Summary
LAC’s second major comic book collection is the John Bell Collection of Canadian Comic Books. Bell began collecting with the goal of building a complete collection of Canadian comic books In this quest for completeness, Bell amassed a wide variety of material, including comics from Canadian publishers like Aircel and Vortex, and comics published by the federal and various provincial governments, as well as self-published comics, comics published in the United States by Canadian creators, and comics issued by institutions like corporations, schools, and professional associations. Bell’s comics are kept as a special collection within LAC’s Rare Book Collection They are currently stored alphabetically by title in numbered bins (pamphlet boxes), with the first and second accessions interfiled while the third and fourth remain discrete. Self-published work by notable creators such as Chester Brown, Julie Doucet, and Colin Upton would likely not have found its way into LAC’s collection if not for Bell
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