The Library of American Comics is an American publisher of comic strip reprint collections, as an imprint of Clover Press (with funding from IDW Publishing). Although the publishing of a series was advertised as going to be the "complete collection" of a strip, more than half of all LoAC titles were discontinued long before being complete, sometimes after only one or two volumes.
As of April 2023, there is only a single title still ongoing—For Better or For Worse.
| Release date | LoAC Title | Original title | Creator(s) | Period | Number of vol. | Daily strips | Sunday strips | Reproduction color | Book size | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2007 – March 2009 | The Complete Terry and the Pirates | Terry and the Pirates | Milton Caniff | 1934–1946 | 6 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Complete |
| November 2006 – December 2020 | The Complete Chester Gould's Dick Tracy | Dick Tracy | Chester Gould | 1931–1977 | 29 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies & Sundays) | 9.5 × 7 inches (241 × 178 mm) Vol. 1-6 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) Vol. 7-onwards |
Complete |
| June 2008 – November 2019 | The Complete Little Orphan Annie | Little Orphan Annie | Harold Gray | 1924–1953 | 16 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × x 216 mm) |
Discontinued after 16 volumes |
| September 2009 – November 2012 | Bloom County: The Complete Library | Bloom County | Berkeley Breathed | 1980–1989 | 5+2 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × x 216 mm) |
Complete |
| October 2009 – July 2010 | The Family Circus | The Family Circus | Bil Keane | 1960–1963 | 2 | Yes | Yes | ? | 11 × 7.5 inches (279 × 191 mm) |
Discontinued after two volumes |
| November 2009 – July 2019 | The Complete Rip Kirby | Rip Kirby | Alex Raymond | 1946–1975 | 11 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) | 11 × 10 inches (279 × 254 mm) |
Discontinued after 11 volumes |
| January 2010 – March 2013 | The Complete King Aroo | King Aroo | Jack Kent | 1950–1954 | 2 | Yes | Yes | ? | 9.5 × 7.5 inches (241 × 191 mm) |
Discontinued after two volumes |
| January 2010 – April 2013 | Bringing Up Father | Bringing Up Father | George McManus | 1937-1940 | 2 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays)? | 11 × 10 inches (279 × 254 mm) |
Discontinued after two volumes |
| April 2010 – December 2017 | Li'l Abner: The Complete Dailies & Color Sundays | Li'l Abner | Al Capp | 1934–1952 | 9 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 9.25 × 12 (235 × 305 mm) |
Discontinued after nine volumes |
| September 2010 – July 2014 | Archie - The Complete Daily Newspaper Comics | Archie | Bob Montana | 1946–1948 1960-1965 |
3 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Discontinued after three volumes |
| September 2010 – August 2015 | X-9: Secret Agent Corrigan | X-9 | Al Williamson, Archie Goodwin, George Evans | 1969–1982 | 6 | Yes | N/A | Black-and-white (Dailies) | 11 × 10 inches (279 × 254 mm) |
Discontinued after six volumes |
| October 2010 – January 2012 | Blondie : The Complete Daily Comics | Blondie | Chic Young | 1930–1935 | 2 | Yes | No | Black-and-white (Dailies) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Discontinued after two volumes |
| December 2010 – January 2016 | Polly and Her Pals | Polly and Her Pals | Cliff Sterrett | 1913–1930 | 2 | No | Yes | Full color (Sundays) | 12 × 16 inches (305 × 406 mm) |
Discontinued after two volumes |
| July 2011 – October 2013 | Miss Fury: Sensational Sundays | Miss Fury | Tarpé Mills | 1944–1949 | 2 | No | Yes | Full color (Sundays) | 9.25 × 12 inches (235 × 305 mm) |
Discontinued after two volumes |
| December 2011 – May 2014 | Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim | Flash Gordon, Jungle Jim | Alex Raymond | 1934–1944 | 4 | No | Yes | Full color (Sundays) | 12 × 16 inches (305 × 406 mm) |
Complete |
| January 2012 – November 2022 | Steve Canyon | Steve Canyon | Milton Caniff | 1947–1970 | 12 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays)? | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Discontinued after 12 volumes |
| October 2012 | Gasoline Alley | Gasoline Alley | Frank King, Dick Moores | 1964–1966 | 1 | Yes | No | Black-and-white (Dailies) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Discontinued after a single volume |
| October 2012 – May 2018 | Skippy: Complete Dailies | Skippy | Percy Crosby | 1925–1936 | 4 | Yes | No | Black-and-white (Dailies) | 9.5 × 8.5 inches (241 × 216 mm) |
Discontinued after four volumes |
| December 2012 – October 2013 | Star Trek: The Newspaper Strip | Star Trek | Thomas Warkentin, Sherman DiVono, Ron Harris, Martin Pasko | 1979–1983 | 2 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 8.5 × 11 inches (216 × 279 mm) |
Complete |
| June 2013 – April 2015 | Tarzan: The Complete Russ Manning Newspaper Strips | Tarzan | Russ Manning | 1967–1979 | 4 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Complete |
| August 2013 – December 2014 | Superman: The Silver Age Dailies | Superman | Jerry Siegel, Wayne Boring | 1959–1966 | 3 | Yes | No | Black-and-white (Dailies) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Complete |
| February 2014 – November 2014 | Superman: Golden Age Sundays | Superman | Jack Burnley, Wayne Boring | 1943–1949 | 2 | No | Yes | Full color (Sundays) | 9.25 × 12 inches (235 × 305 mm) |
Complete |
| April 2014 – December 2014 | Popeye: The Classic Newspaper Comics by Bobby London | Popeye | Bobby London | 1986–1992 | 2 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 8.5 × 7.5 inches (216 × 191 mm) |
Complete |
| April 2014 – November 2016 | Batman: Silver Age Newspaper Comics | Batman | Whitney Ellsworth, Sheldon Moldoff, Carmine Infantino, Joe Giella, Al Plastino | 1966–1972 | 3 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Complete |
| October 2014 | Ripley's Believe It or Not! - The Original Classic Cartoons | Ripley's Believe It or Not! | Robert Ripley | 1929 | 1 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Discontinued after a single volume |
| June 2015 – May 2019 | The Amazing Spider-Man: The Ultimate Newspaper Comics Collection | The Amazing Spider-Man | Stan Lee, John Romita Jr. | 1977–1986 | 5 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Discontinued after five volumes |
| July 2015 – December 2017 | Superman: Atomic Age Sundays | Superman | Alvin Schwartz, Wayne Boring, Bill Finger | 1949–1959 | 3 | No | Yes | Full color (Sundays) | 9.25 × 12 inches (235 × 305 mm) |
Complete |
| September 2015 – March 2019 | Donald Duck: The Complete Daily Newspaper Comics | Donald Duck | Al Taliaferro | 1938–1950 | 5 | Yes | No | Black-and-white (Dailies) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Discontinued after five volumes |
| April 2016 – December 2016 | Donald Duck: The Complete Sunday Newspaper Comics | Donald Duck | Al Taliaferro | 1938–1945 | 2 | No | Yes | Full color (Sundays) | 12 × 8.5 inches (305 × 216 mm) |
Discontinued after two volumes |
| April 2016 – September 2017 | Star Trek: The Classic UK Comics - The Complete Series |
Star Trek | Harry Lindfield, Jim Balkie, Mike Noble and others | 1969–1979 | 3 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 8.5 × 11 inches (216 × 279 mm) |
Complete |
| May 2016 – September 2019 | Silly Symphonies: The Complete Disney Classics | Silly Symphony | Al Taliaferro, Earl Duvall, Hank Porter, Bob Grant | 1932–1945 | 4 | No | Yes | Full color (Sundays) | 12 × 8.5 inches (305 × 216 mm) |
Complete |
| November 2016 | Red Barry | Red Barry | William Gould | 1934–1935 | 1 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Discontinued after a single volume |
| November 2016 – June 2018 | Walt Disney's Treasury of Classic Tales | Walt Disney's Treasury of Classic Tales | Frank A. Reilly | 19?–TBA | 3 | No | Yes | Full color (Sundays) | 12 × 8.5 inches (305 × 216 mm) |
Discontinued after three volumes |
| April 2017 – May 2019 | Superman: The Golden Age Dailies | Superman | Jerry Siegel, Whitney Ellisworth, Joe Shuster, Wayne Boring | 1942–1949 | 3 | Yes | No | Black-and-white (Dailies) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Complete |
| April 2017 – August 2018 | Star Hawks | Star Hawks | Writing:Ron Goulart Art:Gil Kane |
1977–1981 | 3 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 9.25 × 6.5 inches (235 × 165 mm) |
Complete |
| May 2017 – September 2018 | Star Wars: The Complete Classic Newspaper Comics | Star Wars | Don R. Christensen | 1979–1984 | 3 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Complete |
| October 2017 – TBA | For Better or For Worse - The Complete Library | For Better or For Worse | Lynn Johnston | 1979–TBA | 7 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
Ongoing |
| October 2018 - November 2019 | Superman: The Silver Age Sundays | Superman | Jerry Siegel, Wayne Boring | 1959–1966 | 2 | No | Yes | Full color(Sundays) | 9.25 × 12 inches (235 × 305 mm) |
Complete |
| Release date | LoAC Title | Original title | Creator(s) | Period | Number of vol. | Daily strips | Sunday strips | Reproduction color | Book size | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2014 | Wonder Woman: The Complete Newspaper Strips | Wonder Woman | William Moulton Marston, H. G. Peter | 1944-1945 | 1 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Full color (Sundays) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 mm × 216 mm) |
978-1-63140-435-1 |
| October 2015 | From Brooklyn Rock to Beyond Mars: The Complete Series | Beyond Mars | Jack Williamson, Lee Elias | 1952-1955 | 1 | No | Yes | Full color | 9.25 × 12 inches (235 × 305 mm) |
978-1-63140-435-1 |
| September 2017 | Disney's Christmas Classics | Disney Christmas Story | Frank A. Reilly | 1960-1997 | 1 | Yes | Yes | Black-and-white (Dailies) & Black-and-white (Sundays) | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
978-1-68405-006-2 |
LoAC Essentials or The Library of American Comics - Essentials is a series of books, published between 2012 and 2019, that collected reprints of classic daily newspaper comic strips which are considered as essentials of comic history in different aspects due to their impact on the medium itself, in volumes by strip title and original publication year. LoAC Essentials were published in hardcovers with the odd format of 11.5 inches × 4.25 inches, 292 mm × 108 mm. The comic strips were printed one strip per page in black-and-white together with the original publication date and weekday. Each volume contained one year of a comic strip's run.[1][2][3][4] Extras such as introductions and essays were included in some of the volumes.[5]
| Release date | Title | Year | Comic strip | Author | Page count | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-12-04 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 1: Baron Bean Vol. 1 |
1916 | Baron Bean | George Herriman | 336 | 978-1613774427 |
| 2013-04-09 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 2: The Gumps - The Saga of Mary Gold |
1929 | The Gumps | Sidney Smith | 344 | 978-1613775738 |
| 2013-09-10 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 3: Polly and Her Pals |
1933 | Polly and Her Pals | Cliff Sterrett | 336 | 978-1613776988 |
| 2014-02-11 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 4: Alley Oop |
1939 | Alley Oop | V.T. Hamlin | 344 | 978-1613778296 |
| 2014-07-15 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 5: The Bungle Family |
1930 | The Bungle Family | Harry J. Tuthill | 344 | 978-1613779583 |
| 2015-02-24 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 6: Baron Bean Vol. 2 |
1917 | Baron Bean | George Herriman | 328 | 978-1631401572 |
| 2015-06-30 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 7: Tarzan of the Apes |
1929 | Tarzan | Writer: Edgar Rice Burroughs Artist(s): Hal Foster, Rex Maxon |
336 | 978-1631402616 |
| 2016-08-30 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 8 King Features Essentials 1: Krazy Kat |
1934 | Krazy Kat | George Herriman | 336 | 978-1631404085 |
| 2016-10-18 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 9 King Features Essentials 2: Tim Tyler's Luck |
1933 | Tim Tyler's Luck | Lyman Young, Alex Raymond | 396 | 978-1631406973 |
| 2017-04-18 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 10: Dan Dunn - Secret Operative 48 |
1933 | Dan Dunn | Norman Marsh | 344 | 978-1631408557 |
| 2018-03-13 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 11: "Cap" Stubbs and Tippie |
1945 | Cap Stubbs and Tippie | Edwina Dumm | 384 | 978-1684050130 |
| 2018-12-11 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 12: Baron Bean Vol. 3 |
1918 | Baron Bean | George Herriman | 344 | 978-1684053551 |
| 2019-08-13 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 13: Charlie Chan |
1938 | Charlie Chan | Alfred Andriola | 344 | 978-1684055067 |
| 2019-12-17 | LOAC Essentials Vol. 14: Barney Google |
1928 | Barney Google | Billy DeBeck | 352 | 978-1684055784 |
| Release date | Title | Author(s) | Subject | Period | Creator(s) | Page count | Binding | Book size | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-08-12 | Scorchy Smith and the Art of Noel Sickles | Bruce Canwell | The complete Scorchy Smith comic strip, Biography & Art | 1933-1936 | Noel Sickles | 392 | Hardcover | 11 × 11 inches (279 × 279 mm) |
978-1-60010-206-6 |
| 2011-05-10 | Genius, Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth | Dean Mullaney, Bruce Canwell | Biography, Art | ? | Alex Toth | 328 | Hardcover | 9.5 × 13 inches (241 × 330 mm) |
978-1-60010-828-0 |
| 2011-08-16 | Caniff: A Visual Biography | Dean Mullaney | Biography | ? | Milton Caniff | 328 | Hardcover | 11 × 11 inches (279 × 279 mm) |
978-1-60010-920-1 |
| 2011-12-27 | Chuck Jones: The Dream That Never Was | Dean Mullaney, Kurtis Findlay | Biography | ? | Chuck Jones | 280 | Hardcover | 11 × 8.5 inches (279 × 216 mm) |
978-1-61377-030-6 |
| 2013-02-26 | Genius, Illustrated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth | Dean Mullaney, Bruce Canwell | Biography, Art | 1960s–2006 | Alex Toth | 288 | Hardcover | 9.5 × 13 inches (241 × 330 mm) |
978-1-61377-024-5 |
| 2014-06-03 | Genius, Animated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth | Dean Mullaney, Bruce Canwell | Biography, Art | ? | Alex Toth | 328 | Hardcover | 9.5 × 13 inches (241 × 330 mm) |
978-1-61377-950-7 |
| 2014-10-14 | Puck - What Fools These Mortals Be!: The Story of Puck | Michael Alexander Kahn, Richard Samuel West | Political caricature, political cartoon satire | 1877–1918 | various | 328 | Hardcover | 12 × 11 inches (305 × 279 mm) |
978-1-63140-046-9 |
| 2015-10-13 | King of the Comics: One Hundred Years of King Features Syndicate | Bruce Canwell and others | Comic strip history | 1914–2015 | various | 288 | Hardcover | 9.25 × 12 inches (235 × 305 mm) |
978-1-63140-373-6 |
| 2018-04-17 | The Goat Getters: Jack Johnson, the FIGHT of the CENTURY and How a Bunch of Raucous Cartoonists Reinvented Comics | Eddie Campbell | Comic strip history | Early 20th century? | various | 320 | Hardcover | 11.4 × 9 inches (290 × 229 mm) |
978-1-68405-138-0 |
| 2019-07-16 | Treasures Retold: The Lost Art of Alex Toth | Dean Mullaney & Bruce Canwell | Comic strips, Art | ? | Alex Toth | 280 | Hardcover | 9.5 inches × 13 inches (241 mm × 330 mm) |
978-1-68405-412-1 |
| 2019-10-08 | SCREWBALL! The Cartoonists Who Made the Funnies Funny | Paul C. Tumey | Comic strip history | 20th century | various | 272 | Hardcover | 11 inches × 10.5 inches (279 mm × 267 mm) |
978-1-68405-187-8 |