Vic Runtz’s spontaneous and charming feline character symbolizes the unique role of the editorial cartoonists who are the eagle-eyed observers, documenters, and reporters of current events. This unique perspective is one feature in particular that is so special about the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC) Editorial Cartoon Collection housed in the McCain Library and Archives at the University of Southern Mississippi. The collection, part of the University Library’s special collections, consists of the original artwork of approximately 6,500 editorial cartoons from over 200 cartoonists who have been or still are members of the AAEC

Nasr, Nadia

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Santa Clara UniversityScholar CommonsUniversity Library Information ServicesSummer 2004The AAEC Editorial Cartoon DigitalCollection atMcCain Library and ArchivesNadia NasrSanta Clara University, nnasr@scu.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.scu.edu/libraryPart of the Library and Information Science CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Information Services at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion inUniversity Library by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact rscroggin@scu.edu.Recommended CitationNasr, N. (Summer 2004). The AAEC Editorial Cartoon digital collection at McCain Library and Archives, Mississippi Libraries,68(2), 41-42. Retrieved from http://www.misslib.org/publications/ml/2000x2005/ML2004Summer.pdfPage 41 Vol. 68, No. 2, Summer 2004 Mississippi LibrariesWhat’s So Special About…Column Editor:  Peggy Price, The University of Southern Mississippiann.branton@usm.eduBy Nadia NasrDigitization SpecialistMcCain Library and ArchivesThe University of Southern MississippiNadia.Nasr@usm.eduFormer Bangor Daily News editorialcartoonist, Vic Runtz, describes him as a“spry little cat in a sporty bowtie.”  Neverofficially named, the cat made appear-ances in Runtz cartoons for 35 years,sometimes making comments; dutifullytaking notes on a notepad, recordingwhat he saw; or even participating in theaction.  His various expressions within thecartoons have included states of surprise,shock, concern, sympathy, and an occa-sional twinkling smile.  Figuratively, andsometimes literally, he curled right up inthe cartoon and made himself at home.  Vic Runtz’s spontaneous and charmingfeline character symbolizes the unique roleof the editorial cartoonists who are theeagle-eyed observers, documenters, andreporters of current events.  This uniqueperspective is one feature in particular thatis so special about the Association ofAmerican Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC)Editorial Cartoon Collection housed in theMcCain Library and Archives at the Uni-versity of Southern Mississippi.  The col-lection, part of the University Library’s spe-cial collections, consists of the original art-work of approximately 6,500 editorial car-toons from over 200 cartoonists who havebeen or still are members of the AAEC.The AAEC was chartered in 1957 for thepurpose of promoting and stimulating pub-lic interest in the editorial page cartoon.Featured artists in the collection include,naming only a few, Gene Basset (Scripps-Howard Newspapers), Eddie Germano(Brockton Enterprise), Jack Jurden (Wilm-ington Evening Journal), Eldon Pletcher(Times-Picayune), and Vic Runtz (BangorDaily News).The unique story of how the McCainLibrary came to acquire this collectionbegins in 1966.  Librarians solicited threecartoons per annum from each of themembers of the AAEC and purchasedothers to expand the collection.  In 1968,AAEC president Arthur B. Poinier of theDetroit News organized a traveling exhibitof cartoons created by AAEC members.The exhibit was made available to journal-ism schools, university libraries, and otherinterested institutions for a two-week dis-play period.  The Library’s collecting objective andthe AAEC’s administration of the travelingexhibit converged in August of 1970.James Hanson, Curator of Special Collec-tions at the McCain Library, was contactedby Thomas Curtis, cartoonist and activemember of the AAEC.  Curtis informedHanson of the opportunity to acquire thetraveling exhibit. In exchange, the Librarywould assume the responsibility of contin-uing to circulate the exhibit.  A contractwas negotiated, correspondence was trad-ed, and with the support of the University,the Library assumed administration of theexhibit in 1971.  As the exhibit continuedto travel, new cartoons were infused as oldcartoons were retired and became theproperty of the Library.  During the mid-1980s, donations of original artwork fromAAEC members tapered off and it can beassumed that the traveling exhibit wasretired soon after.The informal title of the exhibit was“Them Damn Pictures,” a phrase attribut-ed to William Marcy Tweed, the notori-ous “Boss” Tweed of New York City’sTammany Hall political machine duringthe 1860’s and 1870’s.  He was reactingto political cartoons about himself, creat-ed by Thomas Nast for Harper’s Weekly.As the story goes, Tweed is reported tohave said to his lieutenants, “I don’t careso much what the papers say about me.My constituents can’t read.  But, damn it,they can see pictures!”  This reactionpoints to the impact of the editorial car-toon as a message medium, echoing thesaying that a picture is worth a thousandwords.  “Pictures came before alphabets.Graphics go right from the eye into thebrain.  You do not have to be literate tounderstand a cartoon,” stated Ranan R.Lurie, political analyst and another fea-tured editorial cartoonist in the collection.   In the introduction to his book HereToday…Twenty-Five Years of Cartoons byVic Runtz, Runtz points out that editorialcartoons have historical value because theyprovide commentary on events that manytoday only know in historical terms, therebyjuxtaposing the past with the present.  “OneThe AAEC Editorial Cartoon Digital Collection at McCain Library and Archives Mississippi Libraries Vol. 68, No. 2, Summer 2004 Page 42glimpse at a cartoon brings you up to date,ignites your imagination, deepens yourpolitical sophistication, satisfies your cravingfor a smile, and broadens your veins withhumor,” concluded Lurie.  Take, for exam-ple, Runtz cartoon that features a “Check-point Charlie” at the entrance to the 1968Democratic Convention.  A delivery manhas been granted access, but not before thecake labeled “Happy 60th Birthday LBJ”he was sent to deliver has been ruined onthe tip of a soldier’s bayonet, ostensibly forsecurity reasons.  The tongue in cheeksatire of the response to the social unrestand public riots during the convention inChicago is clearly depicted.  With humor,the cartoonist has caught the attention andprovided a jumping off point for furtherstudy about an historical event.  In the fall of 2000, special collectionsstaff began efforts to enhance access toand preservation of the cartoons, and toprovide learning opportunities to remoteusers by digitizing the cartoon collection.This effort includes the creation of DublinCore metadata and digital surrogates,which are marked up as HTML webpages and then indexed in a keywordsearchable database.  Digitization effortshave provided practical cataloging andresearch experience for library scienceand history students at the University.  Todate, a total of 1500 cartoons have beendigitized, and almost 700 are available forviewing by the public.  The online exhibitand searchable database can be accessedat http://www.lib.usm.edu/~spcol/aaec/index.html.Subject headings for the cartoons arethose selected from the bibliographicdatabase America: History and Life, adatabase that provides bibliographic refer-ences to the history of the United Statesand Canada.  Published since 1964, itcomprises almost 500,000 entries forperiodicals that date as early as 1954.The bulk of editorial cartoons in theLibrary collection range in topics gleanedprimarily from the years during the early1960s through the mid-1980s, andincludes such topics as civil rights, vari-ous presidential terms and elections, theWatergate affair, the Vietnam War, eco-nomic issues, and social protest.Future plans for this special collectioninclude the continued digitization of theremaining 5,000 editorial cartoons and theaddition of artists’ biographical informationto the online exhibit (http://www.lib.usm.edu/~spcol/aaec/index.html).  Addition-al learning opportunities includepracticums for library science or historystudents and subject and name authoritycontrol.  Recently, the Bibliographic Ser-vices department at Cook Library at South-ern Miss has taken an interest in replacingsubject headings from America: Historyand Life with Library of Congress SubjectHeadings, since the AHL list is not a truethesaurus and uses abbreviated forms ofsome headings.  This will provide a widervariety of more accurate subject headingsfor description of cartoons, and may poten-tially lead to the creation of a unique con-trolled vocabulary for editorial cartoons thatcould be shared with other repositories thathold similar collections.Editorial cartoonists personify historywith humanity, humble the proud withwitty caricature, and counterbalancetragedy with sympathy and indignation.Tom Curtis sums up the cartoonists func-tion succinctly:  “In addition to giving thepublic an occasional laugh (no mean con-tribution), the cartoonist offers an encap-sulated vision of the important events ofthe political scene.”REFERENCESABC-CLIO.  America:  History and Life.http://serials.abc-clio.com/.Association of American Editorial Cartoon-ists.  “Inside the AAEC.”  Brochureincluded among materials related to theAAEC Editorial Cartoon Collectionhoused at the McCain Library andArchives at the University of SouthernMississippi.  Curtis, Tom.  “The Editorial Cartoon.”  Fea-tured in the Library of the University ofSouthern Mississippi presents “ThemDamn Pictures.”  February 1978.Brochure included among materialsrelated to the AAEC Editorial CartoonCollection housed at the McCain Libraryand Archives at the University of South-ern Mississippi.Curtis, Tom.  Letter to James Hanson,August 9, 1970.  Letter from amongmaterials related to the AAEC EditorialCartoon Collect ion housed at theMcCain Library and Archives at the Uni-versity of Southern Mississippi.  Fike, Claude E.  Letter to the Association ofAmerican Editorial Cartoonists Note-book, June 24, 1985.  Letter fromamong materials related to the AAECEditorial Cartoon Collection housed atthe McCain Library and Archives at theUniversity of Southern Mississippi.  Lurie, Ranan.  “The influence of art on polit-ical science.”  Transcript of lecture deliv-ered January 25, 1973 in Stout Hall Bat the University of Southern Mississippi.Lecture from among materials related tothe AAEC Editorial Cartoon Collectionhoused at the McCain Library andArchives at the University of SouthernMississippi.  Runtz, Vic.  Here today…twenty-five yearsof cartoons by Vic Runtz.  Orono:  Uni-versity of Maine, 1984.Simmons, Henry L.  Letter to James BoydJones, Jr., January 28, 1975.  Letterfrom among materials related to theAAEC Editorial Cartoon Collectionhoused at the McCain Library andArchives at the University of SouthernMississippi.  

The AAEC Editorial Cartoon DigitalCollection at McCain Library and Archives

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The AAEC Editorial Cartoon DigitalCollection at McCain Library and Archives

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