The Library of American Comics
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Dean Mullaney, Bruce Canwell |
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Dean Mullaney (Creative Director, founder, editor), Bruce Canwell (Associate Director, co-founder, editor), Lorraine Turner (Art Director), Kurtis Findlay (Online Communications Coordinator, editor) |
| Products | Collections of classic U.S. comic strips, books on comic history |
| Parent | Clover Press (publishing alliance since 2022) |
| Website | www |
Library of American Comics (LoAC) is an American publishing company that focuses on curating collections of classic U.S. comic strips and producing books on comic history. Established in 2007 by industry veterans Dean Mullaney and Bruce Canwell, the company specializes in high-quality archival editions.
Origins
Dean Mullaney, one of the founders, began his journey in the comics industry in 1977 by co-founding Eclipse Comics, a publisher notable for releasing the graphic novel Sabre. After stepping away from comics for some time, Mullaney re-engaged with the field in 2006 through a partnership with Bruce Canwell, who had experience working at DC and Marvel. Their shared vision resulted in the creation of LoAC, which debuted with a definitive hardcover collection of Milton Caniff’s Terry and the Pirates in mid-2007. This launch established LoAC’s business model centered on producing premium archival editions tailored to collectors and comic aficionados.
Kurtis Findlay’s involvement
Kurtis Findlay, initially an animation blogger, came across the comic strip "Crawford," created by acclaimed animator Chuck Jones. While investigating its copyright status, he connected with Dean Mullaney, a known admirer of Jones’ work. Findlay suggested publishing a book dedicated to this strip, leading to the release of Chuck Jones: The Dream That Never Was through LoAC in December 2011.
Following this project, Findlay became part of LoAC’s team as Online Communications Coordinator and editor for the For Better or For Worse series, enhancing both editorial content and the company’s digital outreach.
Transition to new collaboration
In 2022, LoAC shifted its publishing alliance with EuroComics to Clover Press while maintaining a distribution agreement with IDW Publishing to continue producing the ongoing For Better or For Worse volumes.
The inaugural LoAC title published under Clover Press is the upgraded reissue series Terry and the Pirates: The Master Collection, planned for release in early 2022.
Organizational structure
LoAC independently oversees all aspects of book design, editorial decisions, essay contributions, and production processes. However, it partners with external entities—currently Clover Press (formerly IDW Publishing)—for printing, distribution, and logistical support.
The majority of research efforts, supplementary content, and original biographical writing are conducted internally by LoAC staff, supplemented occasionally by freelance specialists.
Leadership team
- Dean Mullaney – Creative Director, founder, and editor
- Bruce Canwell – Associate Director, co-founder, and editor
- Lorraine Turner – Art Director
- Kurtis Findlay – Online Communications Coordinator and editor
Publications
The mission of Library of American Comics (LoAC) is to conserve classic American newspaper comic strips through authoritative archival editions that combine original comic runs with essays offering historical and cultural insights. Despite this goal, several series were discontinued before reaching completion.
Book design
LoAC produces hardcover volumes featuring sewn bindings; many editions include dust jackets and linen bookmarks. Dimensions and color fidelity vary depending on the specific title or series.
Eisner Award nominations
- 2012
- Outstanding Archival Collection/Project—Strips – Flash Gordon & Jungle Jim, Vol. 1
- Outstanding Archival Collection/Project—Strips – Tarpe Mills' Miss Fury – Sensational Sundays 1944-1949
- Top Comics-Related Book – Caniff: A Visual Biography
- Top Comics-Related Book & Publication Design – Genius Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth
- 2013
- Outstanding Archival Collection/Project—Strips – Flash Gordon & Jungle Jim, Vol. 2
- Outstanding Archival Collection/Project—Strips – Percy Crosby's Skippy Daily Comics, Vol. 1
- 2014
- Outstanding Archival Collection/Project—Strips – Percy Crosby's Skippy Daily Comics, Vol. 2
- 2015
- Top Comics-Related Book – What Fools These Mortals Be: The Story of Puck
- 2016
- Outstanding Archival Collection/Project—Strips – Beyond Mars by Jack Williamson and Lee Elias
- Top Comics-Related Book & Publication Design – King of the Comics: One Hundred Years of King Features Syndicate
- 2018
- Outstanding Archival Collection/Project—Strips – Star Wars: The Complete Classic Newspaper Comics Vol. 1
Harvey Award nominations
- 2008 – Best Domestic Reprint Project – The Complete Terry and the Pirates
- 2009
- Best Biographical, Historical or Journalistic Presentation – Scorchy Smith and the Art of Noel Sickles
- Best Domestic Reprint Project – both The Complete Terry and the Pirates and Scorchy Smith and the Art of Noel Sickles
- 2010 – Best Domestic Reprint Project – Rip Kirby
- 2011 – Best Domestic Reprint Project – Li'l Abner: The Complete Dailies & Color Sundays
- 2012 – Best Domestic Reprint Project – Flash Gordon & Jungle Jim
Awards
Eisner Awards
- 2008 – Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips – The Complete Terry and the Pirates – Vol. 1
- 2010 – Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips – Bloom County: The Complete Library – Vol. 1
- 2011 – Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips – Archie Dailies Vol. 1
- 2014 – Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips – Tarzan: The Complete Russ Manning Newspaper Strips Vol. 1
- 2014 – Best comics related book and Best publication design – Genius, Illustrated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth
- 2015 – Best comics related book – Genius, Animated: The Cartoon Art of Alex Toth
- 2019 – Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips – Star Wars: The Complete Classic Newspaper Comics – Vol. 3
Harvey Awards
- 2012 – Best biographical, historical or journalistic presentation – Genius, Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth
Harvey Award Nominations
- 2015 — Best American Edition of Foreign Material — Hugo Pratt's Corto Maltese: Under the Sign of the Capricorn
- 2016 — Best American Edition of Foreign Material — Hugo Pratt's Corto Maltese: Beyond the Windy Isles
- 2018 — Best European Book — Jean-Pierre Gibrat's Flight of the Raven
- 2019 — Best European Book — Hugo Pratt's Corto Maltese
Eisner Award
Recognitions
- 2015 - Nominated for "Best U.S. Edition of International Material" with Corto Maltese: Under the Sign of the Capricorn, authored by Hugo Pratt
- 2018
- Nominated in the category "Best U.S. Edition of International Material" for Jean-Paul Gibrat's Flight of the Raven
- Jean-Paul Gibrat received a nomination for "Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)" for his work on Flight of the Raven