AP: ADDITION TO MAKE OHIO STATE COMIC COLLECTION "SUPER"

[MichaelDoran]

by DOUG WHITEMAN, Associated Press Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) _ In comic book terms, it might be on the scale of a merger of the X-Men and the Justice League of America: two collections combining to form what's believed to be the world's largest treasury of cartoon art.

Ohio State University's Cartoon Research Library said it's acquiring and plans to display the collection of the International Museum of Cartoon Art, about 200,000 works that have been in limbo since the museum's last physical location closed six years ago.

The museum's original drawings for comic books, comic strips and animated cartoons, as well as display figures, toys, collectibles and films, will double the size of the library's cartoon art collection, said Lucy Shelton Caswell, the library's curator.

``This huge collection was in storage, where no one could see it or enjoy it. It seemed to us that we could offer another option,'' Caswell said Friday.

``It just seemed like a natural wedding,'' said Mort Walker, creator of the ``Beetle Bailey'' and ``Hi and Lois'' comic strips, who founded the cartoon museum in 1973. He said the combination with the Ohio State library came about through the museum's long association with Caswell, once a member of its board.

Pieces bound for Ohio State's main campus in Columbus include comic books featuring the X-Men and the rival ``Justice League'' superheroes, including Superman; thousands of original ``Dick Tracy'' and ``Prince Valiant'' drawings; original 1890s-era artwork for the early comic strip ``Hogan's Alley''; and a story board done by Walt Disney for one of his first Mickey Mouse cartoons, ``Plane Crazy,'' Walker said Friday.

The museum was originally located in a mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut, then moved to nearby Rye Brook, New York, and then on to a facility built in Boca Raton, Florida. That shut down in 2002 when two major backers went bankrupt, said Walker, 84. A plan to relocate to New York City fell through in 2006.

Ohio State expects the collection to arrive early this summer and is looking for a larger space, Caswell said.

A new, expanded cartoon library will have one gallery named in honor of Mort Walker. The university hopes to have an announcement by late summer about plans for the facility and a possible opening date.

``We believe that it will be an international attraction once we get it in place,'' Caswell said.

[Shonborn]

I've never been prouder to be a Buckeye...

[LostAndFoundFan]

I remember visiting that library as an undergrad, and just being amazed at the variety of stuff on file. Good to know that they're expanding that.

[vbartilucci]

I'd love to know if they took the bathroom walls from Rue with them. It turned into a spectacular mural of cartoonists' graffiti.

[stvnhthr]

I hope things have improved there. I tried several times to get in to see the collection when I lived in Columbus, but since I wasn't a student I couldn't. No one seemed to know how the works were cataloged or what type of outsider viewing policy there was. It was quite frustrating and it saddens me to hear about things like Ohio State getting the entire run of Bone artwork.