The Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection (OCC) recently has added 1,000 newly donated comics related materials. Most of the materials were the donations of Jon Suter, a former librarian at East Central University in Ada who is credited as being among the earliest major collectors of comic books and strips in Oklahoma and by Michael Vance, a Tulsa writer of comic strips and books.

Newly added are the works of Oklahoma writer Kate Worley (Roger Rabbit, Wonder Woman), Sam Cobean (New Yorker cartoons), Doug Marlette (Tulsa World editorial cartoonist), Al McWilliams (Blazing Combat), John Romita (Spider-Man), and Al Capp (Lil Abner comic strip parody of Dick Tracy).

Hundreds of issues of Mad magazines featuring the work of Oklahoma writer E. Nelson Bridwell and dozens of Oklahoma associates also have been added as well as a huge volume of Buck Rogers comic strips and Vance’s published work. Oklahoma artist Zack Mosley was an assistant on Buck Rogers, the first science-fiction comic strip in the history of the genre.

The collections of work from Bill Mauldin (Pulitzer-prize winning editorial cartoonist), Gray Morrow (Tarzan comic strip), Dan Piraro (Bizarro comic strip), Archie Goodwin (Batman, The Hulk), Jack and Carole Bender (Alley Oop comic strip), and associate artist Wayne Truman (Holiday Out comic strip) also were expanded significantly.

Of special interest is a unique, large “presentation piece” by associate and Hall of Fame member Ric Estrada. This original art was produced to sell the then popular trading card series featuring the “Garbage Pail Kids” as a television show, and has only been seen by a handful of television executives.

In all, the OCC features the work of more than 50 Oklahoma cartoonists and their associates. The Toy and Action Figure Museum of which the OCC is a part, in addition to showcasing over 7,000 toys, displays 400 pieces of original comics art, and a now even larger selection of published comics written and drawn by Oklahomans.

“We continue to expand,” said Vance who procures original art and published works for the OCC. “The addition of these donations means that it would take many trips to the museum to enjoy the original art and the magazines, books, comic books and comic strips already collected.”

The Occ is located in the Toy and Action Figure Museum, 111 S. Chickasaw, Pauls Valley, OK. For more details about the museum, and for group and school tour information, go here or call (405) 238-6300.

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