Guide to the Jeff Zenick Comix and Small Press Collection 1984-2003
SC 003.7

Summary Information

Repository
Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
Creator
Zenick, Jeff, 1956-
Title
Jeff Zenick Comix and Small Press Collection
ID
SC 003.7
Date [inclusive]
1984-2003
Extent
1.75 linear feet of shelf space, 4 boxes
Location
(MASC Staff Use) 1:35
Language
Collection materials are in GermanPortuguese
Abstract
This collection consists of small press literature and comic books donated by underground writer Jeff Zenick. The collection includes approximately 200 underground comix and homemade zines, spanning four decades, in the small press/underground genre. Some of the subject matter is controversial, and contains violent and/or sexual themes.

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]

Jeff Zenick Comix and Small Press Collection, 1984-2003 (SC 003.7)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Biography/History

Jeff Zenick was born in 1956 to American parents living in Paris. When he was two years old, he and his parents relocated to the Washington, D.C. suburbs in Maryland. In several interviews, Zenick credited his troubled childhood and teenage years with sparking his love of drawing. After graduating from high school in Maryland, he traveled extensively through the United States, drawing (mostly portraits, nature and urban scenery) and working odd jobs to support himself. As of 2015, Zenick resides in Tallahassee, Florida and is still very active in the small press community, appearing at conventions and selling his art in a variety of brick-and-mortar stores and online.

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Scope and Content

These underground comix and small press materials were collected by Jeff Zenick and were published circa 1984 to 2003. The collection includes 95 unique titles, with sequential issues of many comix, newsletters, and zines. Standard and digest size comix make up about fifty percent of the collection and most are underground and small press comix with amateur production values and small print runs. Minicomix are approximately ten percent of the collection. Approximately forty percent of the collection is non-comix related, consisting of advertising and promotional materials, catalogs, newsletters, and zines (a term derived from "magazine," and self-published via photocopier). Of these, zines are a small majority (about ten percent of the collection) and are notable for their representations of the American music underground, counterculture, horror and fantasy writing, and several works by Jeff Zenick.

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Arrangement

This collection is arranged in six series. All material in each series is arranged alphabetically by title.

Series 1: Advertising, Promotional Material, and Catalogs. This series contains materials related to the advertising and promoting of comix, zines, comic books, promotional comix-related events, and catalogs for comix, comic books, anime, art supplies, and other related materials.

Series 2: Books. This series contains published novels with sci-fi and fantasy themes.

Series 3: Comix. This series contains two subseries based on format: Subseries 3.1: Standard and digest comix, and Subseries 3.2: Minicomix.

Series 4: Magazines and Comix Related Materials. This series contains professional-quality published material in magazine format, and a variety of materials relating to comix and comix creators.

Series 5: Newsletters. This series consists of newsletters of small press and library groups and organizations.

Series 6: Zines. This series consists of small press zines written by one or multiple authors.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections  © 2015

https://libraries.wsu.edu/masc/

Terrell Library

P.O. Box 645610

Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA

509-335-6691

mascref@wsu.edu

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open and available for research use.

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions apply.

Acquisition Information

Jeff Zenick donated this collection to the Washington State University Libraries (MS.2009.20).

Processing Information

Robert Franklin processed this collection in 2015.

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Related Materials

Related Material

Steve Willis Underground Comics Collection, 1966-1997 (SC 003.1)

Lynn R. Hansen Underground Comics Collection, 1899-1994 (SC 003.2)

Paul Brians Comics Collection, 1950-2004 (SC 003.3)

Steve Willis Comix and Small Press Collection, 1968-2004 (SC 003.4)

Clark Dissmeyer Comix and Small Press Collection, 1977-2002 (SC 003.5)

Joseph M. Shea Comix and Small Press Collection, 1967-2010 (SC 003.6)

Comic Art and Culture Collection 1969-2009 (SC 003.8)

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Names and Subjects

Subject(s)

  • Comic books, strips, etc.
  • Graphic novels
  • Underground press publications
  • Underground comic books, strips, etc.
  • New wave comics
  • Erotic comic books, strips, etc.
  • Publishers and Publishing.

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Detailed Description of Collection

Series 1: Advertisements, Promotional Material, and Catalogs 

box folder

Expo Fan Zines 6a 1995 

1 1

The Brad W. Foster Checklist 1994 

1 2

The Global Gazette 1996 

1 3

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Series 2: Books 

box folder

Black Snow Days undated 

1 4

Let Out the Beast undated 

1 5

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Series 3: Comics 

Subseries 3.1: Standard and Digest Comics 

box folder

365 Women. Numbers 6 and 9 1999 

1 6

Amoeba Adventures Fifth Anniversary Special 1995 

1 7

Amused to No End 1986 

1 8

The Assassin and the Whiner. Number 2 1995 

1 9

Astronaut Hair undated 

1 10

Baby Sue undated 

1 11

Barefoot and Pregnant. Number 4 1995 

1 12

Bread and Water Tales. Number 2 1997 

1 13

Broken Funder, volume 2, number 1 1997 

1 14

Bubonix. Numbers 1, 23, 24 1995-1996 

1 15

The Catbox Room. Number 3 undated 

1 16

Collier's. Number 4 1998 

1 17

The Ditch, The River, The Sea, The Snake undated 

1 18

Fishin' 1996 

1 19

Freaks at the Counter 1995 

1 20

Fred 1984 

1 21

Gato Bazka undated 

1 22

The Global Gazette. Number 1-3 1996 

1 23

Glorianna undated 

1 24

Gorilla Cookies  1996 

1 25

Horseback Salad 1995 

1 26

Hysteria Action Forum. Number 5 1994 

1 27

ISIS, an Historical Art Journey 1996 

1 28

Jennifer Daydreamer. Number 8, 9 undated 

1 29

JKC World Tour Book 1995 undated 

1 30

Joy and Spider. Number 6, 11 undated 

1 31

Kuba sin Embargo! undated 

2 1

Laugh, Clown, Laugh 1996 

2 2

Led Balloons 1995-1996 

2 3

The Most Powerful Gate 1995 

2 4

Mr. Mike's Lucky. Number 1 undated 

2 5

Natch undated 

2 6

Neighborhood Treat Comics. Number 3 1995 

2 7

New Love. Number 5 1997 

2 8

No Fun Comics. Number 2 1995 

2 9

Not My Small Diary. Number 2 undated 

2 10

One Normal Guy Talking With a Nut! 1994 

2 11

Out of the Blue!. Numbers 3 and 4 2003 

2 12

Penny Century. Number 1 1997 

2 13

The Rumbling Underneath. Numbers 0-2 1995 

2 14

S and Em Presents. Number 2 undated 

2 15

The Sands 1-3 1996-1997 

2 16

Silly Cat. Number 1 1997 

2 17

Silly Daddy. Numbers 13-16 1997 

2 18

Silverfish 1989 

2 19

The Smartest Kid on Earth undated 

2 20

Social Skills. Numbers 2 and 3 undated 

2 21

Stanley Stinkbug. Number 2 1996 

2 22

Storeyville undated 

5 1

Take Care 1995 

2 23

Top Shelf. Numbers 1-4 1995-1996 

2 24

Velvet Comics 1996 

2 25

Wheelbarrow. Number 4 1996 

2 26

Wodaabe Comics. Number 1 undated 

2 27

World War 3. Number 24  1996 

2 28

Zippy. Number 17 1997 

2 29

Subseries 3.2: Minicomix 

box folder

5 o'clock shadow. Number 13 1996 

3 1

Babylon Mystery Drawings 1996 

3 2

Damn Weird. Number 6 undated 

3 3

The Death of Antisocialman. Number 10 1996 

3 4

Election Headquarters 1996 

3 5

The Fifth Book of Neds and The Sixth Book of Neds 1995-1997 

3 6

In der Nacht die Welt Dreht Sich das Oberste Zuunterst (In the Night the World Spins from the Highest to the Lowest) 1996 

3 7

Ivin: A Man and His Wafer 1995 

3 8

Junk. Number 3 undated 

3 9

Last Rites 1986 

3 10

Minty Comic. Numbers 3 and 4 undated 

3 11

My Summer Vacation. Number 2 1994 

3 12

My Worst Fear 1986 

3 13

Smiley's Really Weird Comic and Smiley's Totally Strange Comic. Numbers 1 and 2 1996 

3 14

The Story of Vasilia and Baba Yaga undated 

3 15

Ten Thousand Things (Thinks). Numbers 3, 5, 12, 26 undated 

3 16

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Series 4: Magazines and Comix Related Materials  

box folder

Natural Born Students: A Book of Postcards 1997 

3 17

The Comics Journal. Numbers 193, 194, 196 undated 

3 18

The Comics Journal. Numbers 197 and 198 undated 

3 19

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Series 5: Newsletters 

box folder

Horizons Unlimited. Numbers 69-74 1995-1996 

3 20

Scavenger's Newsletter. Number 215 1997 

3 21

Poopsheet. Numbers 14-16 1995-1996 

3 22

Skeet's Fan Forum and Review. Number 10 1994 

3 23

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Series 6: Zines 

box folder

Bull Dada volume 3. Number 5 undated 

3 24

The Catbird Seat. Number 6 1998 

3 25

Cotyledon. Numbers 6 and 10 undated 

3 26

Cross Currents. Number 21 1993 

3 27

Destined. Number 2 1997 

3 28

JOMP Jr. Numbers 21 and 22 2001 

4 1

Lunatic Chameleon. Number 3 2003 

4 2

O Fanzine Das Xornados undated 

4 3

Recycled Jokes by Frog 1990-1996 

4 4

T.R.'s Zine. Number 14 1997 

4 5

Typical Studies. Number 3 2002 

4 6

White Buffalo Gazette 1999 

4 7

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