(4 December 2013, Alexandria, VA) Hundreds of thousands of pages of underground and independent comics are now available from Alexander Street Press with the launch of the digital collection Underground and Independent Comics, Comix, and Graphic Novels: Volume II.
The second volume expands on the coverage of the celebrated first edition, which won the 2011 Library Journal Best Reference award and the 2013 Charleston Advisor Best Content award. Volume II of this acclaimed collection grows the archive by incorporating 100,000 pages of international comics, pre-Comics Code publications, and additional primary and secondary works both renowned and hard to find.
Now, library patrons and scholars can examine the controversial comics from the first half of the 20th century that prompted unprecedented levels of censorship alongside the later underground and independent works that defied, and eventually brought down, the US Comics Code Authority and international censorship campaigns.
Volume II features visionary comic and graphic novel artists and renowned publishers across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Noteworthy titles in the first release include:
- From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell (UK, Top Shelf)
- Gen Manhwa by various artists (South Korea, GEN)
- Lucille by Ludovic Debeurme (France, Top Shelf)
- Werewolves of Montpellier by Jason (Norway, Fantagraphics)
- Tango by various artists (Australia, Cardigan Comics)
- God of Comics: Osamu Tezuka and the Creation of Post-World War II Manga (University Press of Mississippi)
- Drawn and Dangerous: Italian Comics of the 1970s and 1980s (University Press of Mississippi)
“The hardest part of putting together Volume I was sheer volume of amazing content that we did not have space to include,” says Greg Urquhart, comics editor for Alexander Street Press. “But this content deserves to be preserved and made widely accessible. Fortunately, Volume II enables us to shed further light on the rich history and culture of this often-overlooked form of literary and artistic expression.”
Alexander Street Press’s Underground and Independent Comics, Comix, and Graphic Novels: Volume II is available to academic, public, and school libraries worldwide via annual subscription or one-time purchase. No special setup or software is required—all you need is an Internet browser. For more information or to request a trial or price quote, email [email protected].
