Where Did My Comic Book Collection Go?

Back in 2005-2006, in a rare fit of civic duty - or temporary insanity, depending on your viewpoint - I decided to donate my entire collection of Australian comic books (spanning the years 1970-2005) to the State Library of Victoria. This same collection formed the partial basis for a major exhibition, Heroes and Villains: Australian Comics and their Creators, which was held at the State Library of Victoria between October 2006 - February 2007.

Now, long after the crowds have departed and the dust has settled, some of you may be asking: "What happened to your collection afterwards, Kev?" Well, the collection - easily the single biggest collection of modern (i.e. post-1970) Australian comics held anywhere in the country - has been gradually catalogued and added to the State Library of Victoria's inventory.

And, now, you can search the State Library of Victoria's online catalogue to check them out for yourself - just visit the Main Library Catalogue search page, and type in the phrase, 'Kevin Patrick Collection of Australian Comics', and you'll get results listing over 170 individual titles. Apparently, there are more titles to be added to the database, but library staff are apparently nearing the end of cataloguing this collection.

If you're visiting the State Library of Victoria - which I recommend you do, because it's an unsung gem of Melbourne life - then you'll need to submit an online catalogue request to have individual comic retrieved for you (It's a reference library, so you can only read/inspect items on-site). But despite these caveats, it's a great way to read & review a significant slice of Australian comic book publishing history.

Photo of Central Reading Room, State Library of Victoria, courtesy of: © Copyright 2009 Roy Tennant, FreeLargePhotos.com