Libraries of the University of South Carolina will be a new home for more than 180,000 comics, books, magazines, and other items donated by lifelong collector Gary Lee Watson, the university said in a press release.
Valued at $2.5 million, one of the largest comic book collections in the world includes 143,000 unique comics, 20,000 magazines, 15,000 paperbacks, and 5,000 pulp publications and other items.
Marvel’s Avengers #1, Star Trek #1, The Brave and the Bold #28 are among the rare and sought after items in the collection.
The comics included in the gift belong to different periods, including the Platinum Age (1897-1938), Golden Age (1938-1950), Silver Age (1956-1970), Bronze Age (1970-1985) and Modern Age (1985 to present).
“This is such a phenomenal, transformational gift,” said Elizabeth Sudduth, associate dean of special collections at University Libraries.
“This is the work of a committed, lifelong collector. We could have never amassed a collection like this on our own. We are so grateful to Gary for entrusting his amazing collection with the Irvin Department.”
Since all the volumes in the collection weigh about 40,000 pounds, it took two 26-foot-long moving trucks and two trips to Ohio to pick it up.
School officials and students are enthusiastic about the latest gift, which will give the university community access to a significant percentage of all comics ever published.
“Comics are universal,” Sudduth said. “Whether you read them as a child, have a favorite superhero or your mother threw out your collection when you went to college — everyone has a comics story.”
At the moment, the university libraries are developing a full slate of events in conjunction with the comics exhibit, ranging from talks by comics authors and artists to a Halloween costume contest.
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