Toy and Action Figure Museum receives large comic donation

The Joplin, Mo. Independent reports that The Toy and Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley, Okla. has added 2,000 comics, magazines and strips to its collection thanks to a liberal arts instructor at a local college:

Dr. Jon Suter, Director of Libraries and a liberal arts instructor in the graduate program at Houston Baptist University, recently donated this large collection featuring the work of Oklahoma cartoonists, including his own. A former librarian at East Central University in Ada, Suter now also teaches a course in the history of comic books.

Born in Holdenville, Suter was among the earliest major collectors of comic books and strips in Oklahoma. His donation of more than 1500 comic strips includes Dick Tracy, Broom Hilda, Alley Oop, Glamor Girls and the editorial cartoons of Clarence Allen. In addition, he has donated more than 500 magazines collecting comic strips and/or featuring articles on the history of the art form.

The Oklahoma Cartoonist's Collection, which is housed at the musuem, already featured more than 7,000 toys, 300 pieces of original comics art and books and magazines on comic book and strip history.

Per their blog, Four Color Commentary, Mark Allen and Michael Vance report that they also just added several new original art pieces to the collection:

On May 12, I'll be carrying down materials that include original art. Here are the artists who will soon be added to the OCC

Ron Wolfe (wonderful artist who works for the Little Rock, Arkansas newspaper)
John Wooley (writer, novelist, cartoonist, friend!)
Clarence Allen (early editorial cartoonist for Tulsa World and Tribune)
Scott Hampton (with Archie Goodwin)
Alex Toth (with Goodwin)
Frank Bolle (with E. Nelson Bridwell)
Chan Lowe (editorial cartoonist in Florida)
Bil Mauldin (no original work yet, but working on it)
Kurt Schaffenberger (with E. Nelson)
Steven Phelps (Christian cartoonist)
Neal Adams (no explanation needed!)
and Jaxon Renick (Marvel and DC).

You can find out more about the musuem, including its upcoming Hot Wheels Double Dog Dare Derby, at its official website.