Sweet Briar College Library Gazette

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SWEETBRIARCOLLEGE
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L43 Vol. XLIII 2010
.43 2010
Bill Blackbeard:
The Collector Who Rescued the Comics
nJanuaryof1998,ateamof
moversarrivedatthistypical,
n»« Rin-der- Kids abroad I!unassumingSpanish stuccohomein
TriumphantH^hjmgfth«Kids.inthefamilyBathtvb!! thequietresidentialneighborhood ffilHlJI
knownastheSunsetDistrictofSan
Francisco. Inside,itwasanythingbut
typical.Themoversdiscoveredthat
everynookandcrannywasoverflowing Blackbeard'sSanFranciscohome
with—printedmaterialofallshapesand
sizes books,magazines,comic books,
pulps,storypapers,prints,postersand,
—
mostimportantly,newspapers bound
newspapers,individualnewspapers,
newspapertearsheets,andnewspaper
clippings.Themassivecollectionfilled
mostofthe 12 roomsupstairsandthe
entireground-floorgaragethatran the
lengthofthebuilding.
Walkingdownthestairstothe
immensegarage,theysawamazeof
narrowalleyscreatedbyfloor-to-ceiling
stacksofindividualnewspaperpagesand
boundnewspapervolumes,boxesandfile
cabinetscontainingmillionsofcomicstrip
-^*M clippings;androwsofshelvesmadefrom
Kin-der-kidsbyLionel cratesturnedontheirsideshousingall
Feininger,May6,1906 kindsofpopularnarrative.
Feiningerwasanestablished Inadditiontohousingthecollection,knownastheSan
Germanartistatthetimehe FranciscoAcademyofComicArt,thebuildingalsoservedasthe
wasrecruitedtocreatecomics. residenceofthemanresponsibleforcollectingthismassofpaper:
Tdheirs-ksitdrsiptfaekaitnugroefdftohneaKisne-a Bill Blackbeard. Helivedtherewithhiswife,Barbara,andover
adventureinthefamilybathtub. 75 tonsofpopularculturematerial.
Feiningerismostfamousfor Afewmonthsearlier,the Blackbeards,whohadlivedinthis
hispaintings,whichwere housefordecades,learnedthatthenewownerofthe building
heavilyinfluencedbycubism,
andforhisaffiliationwiththe wouldnotrenewtheirleaseandhewantedthemandallofthis
Bauhausschool. materialout. BlackbeardbegannegotiationswithOhioState's
AllimagescourtesyofOhio CartoonResearchLibrary,anditwaseventuallydecidedthat
StateUniversityBillyIreland
CartoonLibraryandMuseum.
JennyRobb,AssistantProfessorandAssociateCuratorofthe BillBlackbeardwithhiscollection
CartoonLibraryandMuseumatOhioState University, wasthe
GerhardMasnrMemorialspeakeratthespringFriendsofLibrary
andFriendsofArt.Hertalkwas"BillBlackbeard:theCollector
whoRescuedtheComics.
theonlywaytosavethematerial,was presentedproblems:therewasnoindex
tomoveitalltoColumbus,OH.With ofwhichpapersranwhichstripsand
onlyafewdaystogo,themoversfaced itoftenchangedfromdaytodayor
thedauntingtaskofpackingtheentire monthtomonth.
collectiontobeshippedacrossthe Plus,Blackbeardsoondiscovered
country.Thecollectionwasbyfarthe thateventhislastresortwouldnotbe
largesteveracquiredbytheLibrary aviablealternativeforlong. Librarians
andisoneofitsmostimportantforthe acrossthecountryhadencountered
studyofpopularc—ultureingenerala—nd problemsoftheirownwithregards
graphicnarrative orsequentialart in totheover-sizednewspapervolumes.
particular. Theywererunningoutofroomto
Blackbeardwasbornin 1926. BillBlackbeardgrewupinLawrence,Indiana. storethem—,andtheyfearedthattheold
Hespenthisearlychildhoodinthe Afterhighschool,Blackbeardjoined newsprint—duetotheacidicnatureof
ruraltownofLawrence,Indiana. His thearmyin 1944andservedin Europe thepaper woulddeteriorateovertime
grandfatheroperatedaservicestation; duringWWII. Nextheattendedcollege becomingbrittleandunusable,even
fatherwasanelectrician;mother until hisGIfundingranoutthen turningtodust.
handledthe bookkeepingsideofher becameafree-lancewriter,including Asolutionborrowedfromtheworld
husband'sbusiness.Whenhewas authoringstoriesforthepulps. ofmilitarytechnologvgainedpopularity
approximately8or9,hemovedto Hecontinuedtodevelophisinterest startinginthemid-twentiethcentury:
NewportBeach,CA. inthe humanitiesandpopularliterature. microfilm. Librariescouldhavelong
Hisinterestinnewspapercomics In 1967, Blackbeardsawtheneedfor runsofnewspapersmicrofilmed,then
startedwhenhewasachild.Thehigh ascholarlyhistoryofthenewspaper transfer,sellordestroytheoriginal
pointoftheweekforyoungBlackbeard comicstrip.Thecomicstrip,created papervolumes.Themicrofilmwould,
wasthearrivaloftheSundaycomics.1 inthe mid 1890stosellnewspapers ofcourse,takeuponlvafractionof
Atsomepointinhisyouth,hemade andamusethemasses,hadrarelv thestoragespaceandproponents
the happvdiscoverythatmanypeople beenconsideredworthyof promisedthatitwouldlastlongerthen
accumulatedstacksofnewspapersin seriousanalysisorstudy. 71
theirbasementsandgarages;sometimes Severalpioneeringefforts'
touseaswrappingorscrappaper; fellshortoftheup-to-date
sometimesbecausetheyjustdidn'tget andaccuratehistorythat
aroundtodisposingofthem(Those Blackbeardintended to
werethedaysbeforerecycling).When write. Bythe late 1960s,
I interviewed Blackbeardforthis socialhistoryandpopular
project,hesaid "OnceIdiscovered culturestudiesweregaining
this,Ihadnootherinterestinlifethan respectaslegitimatefields
findingthesecachesofnewspapers." ofacademicinquiry,and
Heminedthenewspapersfortheir hesoldtheconcepttothe
comicpages,whichheeagerlyreadand Oxford UniversityPress.
begantokeepinstacks,although he But Blackbeardlaceda
complainedthathismotherdidn'tallow dilemma. Inordertobeable
hthiemm,ensoouhgehlsipmaicteedinhitmhseehlfoutsoedatiolykeep ttorewnrdisteanadboaudtvatnhceeso,riaginnds, SOannthFerarnigChatll,isJaunseca2n1,f1r9o0m3tOhenotrhiegilneafltitseatrhsehemeitc.roIfnitlhmeomfitchreofpialgme.
comicpagesandSundaysectionsfrom socialsignificanceofcomic version,welosenotonlycolorbuttextaswell.Also,thispieceis
oneortwonewspapers. stripsthroughtheyears, particularlyinterestingbecauseoftheunusualcolorprintingmethod.
famiAllitesh,ouitgsheceomlsletchtaitngBloafcteknberaurndsdiind hceomwpolueltedrnuenesdotfoiancdcievsisdual tMdruoultltysicperlxeepeepnrl,iamtmeeasnktiwanelgrneoantulusyreedthobrfuetenetcwhoselopcraosploeprorsascrioeblaloesr.apIrrtiedntseoimlnoigndsaittnrtsahtteeeatsdimtoehf,ea
notinherithiscollectingobsession strips. Butnosucharchive- whichcan'tbeseenonthemicrofilm.
orhisinterestincomicsfromhis existed.Thesyndicates
parents.Whenaskedifeitherofthem routinelydestroyedoriginal thenewsprint. Inaddition,copiesof
collectedanything,hereplied "Oh no, comicstripdrawingsandproofsthat themicrofilmcouldbesoldtoother
I'mafraidtheywereprettymuchthe theynolongerwantedtostore;and libraries,whocouldthendisposeof
typicalfinepeopleoftheirtime. No, fewcartoonistskeptcompleterecords theirpapervolumes.TheLibrary
therewasnointerestalongthatlineat oftheirstrips. Heknewthatthecomics ofCongressbeganitsnewspaper
all."2 Hesaidthattherewasnothingin could befoundinthe boundnewspaper microfilmingprojectin 1950;other
familybackground,goingbacktohis \olumesinlibraries,buteventhat publicanduniversitylibrariesfollowed
grandparentsthatwouldindicatean theirlead.4
interestincollecting. 3 includingTheSevenLivelyArtsbyGilbert Inthelate 1960s,whenBlackbeard
1 InterviewwithBillBlackbeard,May14, SCeolmdiesc,s|aanwdriTtheeri,reCdrietaotrorasn:dLciufletuSrtaorliecrsitoifc], wastryingtofigureoutthebest
2007. AmericanCartoonistsbyMartinSheridan,and
2 Ibid. The<'omicsbyCoultonWaugh 4 [bid,p.26-34.J
1
waytoresearchcomicstrips,theSan "An obsession organized" Ina 1975 brochure, Blackbeard
FranciscoPublicLibraryalsomadethe wrote "TheAcademyfounderand
decisiontodisposeofaportionofits Collectingcomicstripsbecamemore directorisinresidenceattheAcademy
boundnewspapercollection. Heknew thanahobbyandmorethanacareer; withhiswife(whoisemployed
somethelibrariansthereandoffered itbecamehiswayoflife. Blackbeard elsewhere),andisthusabletowork
totakethevolumesofftheirhands and hisSanFranciscoAcademyof withthecollectionsandAcademy
ratherthanseethemgotothedump; ComicAitepitomizethedefinitionofa undertakingsduringhiswaking
but,accordingtoBill,thelibrary's collectioninanessaycalled"Calmand hourssevendaysaweek." Inanother
policiesprohibitedthemtransferring Lmcollected,"".Theauthordefinesa brochure,hepromises24-hour
dievolumestoaprivateindividual.So collectionas"anobsessionorganized" accessibilitytothematerial.
Blackbearddecidedtobecomeanon- andhegoesontosayofthecollector, RussellBelkpointsoutin Collecting
profitorganization. Hesaid,"Inever "ifhehasanyintrospection,he inaConsumerSociety,thatcollecting
didanythingsofastinmylife. Inless beginsatsomepointtosensethatthe isaformofconsumptionbutitis
thanaweek,IwastheSanFrancisco collectionpossesseshim."Thisisvery alsoacreativeandproductiveact.9
AcademyofComicArt."3TheSan fittingforBlackbeard. Blackbearddidmorethanjusthoard
FranciscoPublicLibrarycouldnow Anearlynewspaperarticleaboutthe thenewspapers. Hesetouttocreate
transferthenewspaperstothenew Blackbeardcollectionreportedthathe auniquearchivethatwould better
Academy. servehisownstudiesandthoseof
Even40vearslater,whenyoutalkto othercartoonhistorians,scholarsand
himaboutthiscollection,hisfacelights publishers. Heknewfirst-handhow
upandbecomesveryanimatedandhe tediousandphysicallyexhaustingit
talksaboutthis "endless,unfathomable, wastopagethroughthehuge,heavy
unbelievable bodyofboundnewspaper and bulkyvolumes.So,heandhiswife,
volumes,completefordecades."6But alongwithothercomicstripfanswho
Blackbearddidn'tstopthere.Aidedby volunteeredattheAcademy,laboriously
hiswife,Barbaraandvariousfriends, clippedthedailyandSundaycomic
hecontinuedhisquesttorescuethe stripsoutofmanyofthenewspapers
comicsthatlibrariesacrossthecountry inordertoassemblecompleterunsof
werediscarding. thestrips. Inthe 1990s,heestimated
Inadditiontotheinitialcache theyhadclipped350,000Sundaystrips
fromtheSanFranciscoPublicLibrary, and2.5 milliondailies.Adaily,bythe
Blackbeardpickeduprunsofbound way,referstostripsthatranMonday-
newspapersfrommanylibraries, Saturday.
includingthe LibraryofCongress,the Clearly,Blackbeardisanextreme
ChicagoPublicLibrary,theLosAngeles exampleofacompletist,asystematic
Public Library,andtheCalifornia "tvpeA"collector,ratherthanan
State LibraryinSacramento. Healso aesthetic "tvpe B."10Collectorslikehim
receivedsomecollectionsfromthe gainpleasureandsatisfactionthrough
newspapersthemselves.Accordingto completion,or,ifcompletionisnot
Blackbeard,byandlarge,thelibrarians possible,throughachievingprogress
weevernerheaspppoyndtoedseteotehmeemrggeon.ciBelsa—cktbheeard r"eTfhreirgee'rastbora,r"elnyotreodomanfoerartlhyenceouwpslpea'psebreda,rtsictloeveabaonudt t"coowlalredctoitr.'sHeangtaulikssha,"bowuhticexhpehreiencing
CaliforniaStateLibrarvcalledhim in theBlackbeardcollection. describedas "knowingthattherewas
themid-70sbecausethepowers-that- moreouttherethathadtobefound
behaddemandedthattheybuildsome andhiswifesoldtheircarandmostof but[not] know[ing]wheretofindit."11
kindofsafetycorridorthroughthe theirpossessionstostarttheAcademy. Itwasn'tenoughtohaveexamplesof
basementnewspaperstacksandthey Blackbeardisquotedassaying"We've strips,hehadtohavecompleterunsin
wantedtoknowifhecouldtakeallof spentourlifesavingsgivingbirthto chronologicalorder.Somestripswould
thelibrary'sout-of-statenewspapers, whatwebelieveaverynecessaryand notsuffice;heaspiredtoacquirerunsof
butthecatchwasthathehadonly2 importantrepositoryforamajorart everystripeverpublished.
weekstodoit. Billdispatchedandfilled form."8Thearticlenotedthat"there's Eventhatwasnotsatisfactory.
4successivetruck-loadsofpaperswithin barelyroomforthecouple'sbed,stove Blackbeardrecognizedthe
thetimeallowedandmanagedtorescue andrefrigerator.Thebathroomisthe interrelationshipsbetweenallformsof
thenewspapers. onlyroominthehousethatdoesnot popularculture. Hebelievedcomics
doubleasacademyspace."Thereason couldbebestunderstoodinthelara;er
givenforthisoneexceptionwastherisk
ofmoisturedamagetotheobjects. 9 RussellW.Belk,CollectinginaConsumer
Society(London:Routiedge,1995),p.55.
5 InterviewwithBillBlackbeard,May14, 7 AmericanScholar 10 DanetandKatariel,1989"andBelk,1995,p.
2007. 8 CharlesHillinger,"MuseumofComicStrip 46
6 Ibid. Art,"LosAngelesTimes,December13,1971 1 InterviewMav14,2007
—
.
1*^1
**4 A ,u
' THE SUNMT RECORD-HERALD
j
JFSDEDOWnS'WMlADrLOVEKINS^OLDMAHMU1TA
EXCITINGTINESATTHE SE\-SHORE,
>
IkSt.
TheUpside-Downs,1904 McCay,LittleNemoinSlumberland,1905 LittleNemooriginal,1905
Thisisawonderfulandoddlittletreasure:The Thisisanotherexampleofanextraordinaryworkof ...asyoucanseefromthisexampleofaLittleNemo
Upside-DownsofLittleLadyLovekinsandOldMan art,aLittleNemopagebythegreatWinsorMcCay, original.Itbegsthequestion,whatistheoriginal?
MuffaroobyGustavVerbeek.Whenyouhavereadthe anditonlyexistsincolorinthisformat.Theoriginal, Isubmitthatbothobjectshaveartisticandhistoric
stripright-side-up,youturnthestripupsidedown, ofcourse,isblackinkonpaper.. valueandbothshouldbepreserved.
andthestorycontinues.
contextofallnarrativeandgraphic Private vs. itmadeitavailableforme. Itwasn't
materialcreatedforthecommon forthiswonderfulworldoutthere;I
masses: frompennydreadfulstodime institutional collection? wantedit!" 13
novels;pulpmagazinestocomic books. Wasthisaprivateorapublic Belkwritesin Collectingina
Hinicsluadmebitthieownhfoolrehiosfcpoolpluelctaironnagrrraetwivteo collection? Inmanyways,theAcademy aClomnossutmaelrwaSyoscicetoynttrhoaltw"hcaotnstuhmeeyroswcnan
sothatheandotherresearchers functionedasalegitimatenon-profit. andpossess,collectorswhopossess
Blackbeardinitiallyinstitutionalizedhis
couldexaminethewaysthatdifferent aninterrelatedsetofobjectscontrola
pinofpluuleanrceadrteaancdhloittheerra.tureinformedand ctgooelnaluceicqntueiilorynewaosabjnaetmcetadstttfeoorrmoiatf—keexbputethdehiemeantacleysroials s'leirttvleedwoasrlcdr'e"ato(r7,0)s.avBiloarcaknbdeacrodntirnodleleedr
Blackbearddoesnotappearto have ofhis"littleworld."
bhaeveenbmeoetnivcaotnetdenbtytporofmiatk;eheensoeuemgshto wacacsesvseirbylemtuocohthaerpsr.ivIanteotcohlelrecrteisopne—ctsitit
tosupporthimselfandtheneeds washisvisionandhisobsessionand Blackbeard's Contribution
osfeaxfulpntaedrhnsyeseufcsnro.ldolomHeucetbthitefoenudA.nlcdHyaeeddpeanmhiieydsv,fecoroarlltlhtoeihcosotkuliignavghinigts whtidfihearehsececcestorwooltalrladsseincirtltneoyiqo1mhun9aai9fird8nre.tdcoaomWtimohniptelshneanootvnree-iIgpaacirsonobnkfouteinardttorilhsdltiaooimttffus, nrheiesmweBssalepralcacfhpk,aebsrebaaucrtcodrmhuicesocalasdlleestrcoo.tvefHeadcreivblwoictaulasetnaedrrlhevisscsuoaiwwnng
activitiesbysellingcopiesorduplicates hecandidlystated, thematerialsfromcertaindestruction.
ofthecomicstripsandreproductionsof Fromdie beginning,herealized
tHheeapluslopsedtiotecdololveectrorashaunnddrreesdeabrocohkerss. o"nOhy,outheoonretthiacta.llSyo,bauntytghreoyupneovferyocuhreck phroewseirvnaatdieoqnuaatnedmsitcurdoyfiolfmcwoamsicfsoranthde
usingmaterialfrom thecollection, friendscanbetheboard.Oh,yeah,there
WwhhiecnhIbrionutgerhvtieinweadddhiitmi,onhaelfculnadism.ed asirnuetpopcoeitrs.teaIdtinjtuotsatdnogg,iebtbslueitntnhtiohnbegoswdatvyhaet[vleyarouyug'hlrsoe]o,ksin cdoeafarrlteolooyfnisdn.igsTochunessrmieiocnhraoasfbioallumrtetatodhyeprbpeerseeonrbvlaeegmorsuerat
thatheneverwrotegrantsorraised nwpointofview.Ofcourse,thepurpose newspaperheritage,mostnotablyby
manonotdnealyip,brraaorsbileosetmhd.eor12anCnoednr-ttpahriaontfliiytnhcmeoumrseaenuwtmahsse oomafflsrfeoegmauselyaistnoirgotn[sosirics]atnaoontpyhrbeerov.deynItw[amlsaaunlg'fhtesa]s.a"nce oNbinocoohknoleDsoooufnbdlBieaefkomledor,sistnoihIimspwoacronntttarntootvefirosssciuuaesls
academyonabare-bonesbudget. Blackbeardveryclearlycollectedforhis forcomicshistorians. Incidentally,
ownsatisfaction.Whilediscussingthe Blackbeardhimselfisfeaturedin
importanceofhiscollectiontopopular thatbookasthepersonwhoalerted
culturescholars,heexclaimed "Well,
12 Ibid. 13 Interview
Gasoline Alley
Inthe 1920s,cartoonists begantotakeadvantageofserialized storiesthat
had longbeen atradition in popularliterature.Storieswereserialized inthe
stripoversomenumberofmonthsor
years.Thisallowedthemtodevelopmore 8PACECOMICSECTION
(Qjicnga<SagajjSrlbxmc. ,.£."££22"
complicated narrativesandtoensurethat
customerswould come backdayafter
daytofind outwhathappens.Thesewere
called continuityorstorystrips.
GasolineAlleyoriginated asasingle
panel cartoonfeaturingguysin agarage
arguingaboutautomobiles.The publisher
ofthe newspaperdecidedthatthestrip
should becomeastorystripandthat
NewYorkHerald,1900,DanSmith itshouldfeatureababy.Soababywas
Thispageisinterestingbecauseotthewayitincor- leftonthedoorstepofthe principal
poratesphotographsaroundthisstunningdrawingby character;Walt,whowasabachelorSo
illustratorDanSmith.
ofcourse,Waltdecidedto raisethechild
himself.Fromthatpointon,thestrip
becomesmoreofagentlesoap operaor
Bakertowhatthelibrariesweredoing. melodramastrip.Inthe installmentatleft,
Blackbeardconsistentlyrefutedthe the baby,Skeezix,goeson awonderful
argumentthatnewsprintisinherently
self-destructive. Blackbeardtoldme dreamadventurewith awitch.Also,note
though,thatBakerdisapprovedof up inth—ecorner;thattheTribune ran a GasolineAlley,1923
whathewasdoing,becauseitinvolved contest readerscouldwin $10,000cash
cuttingupthenewspapersthathe
iftheyhad an ideaforGasolineAlleythat
rescued.
In 1980,Blackbeardwrote "Itis was used inthestrip.
myconvictionthatthepresentand Perhaps King'sgreatestcontribution is
long-extendeddeterminationofmost thathewasthefirsttoallowhischaracters
Americanlibrariestodumptheiroften to age.Sothechildyou see inthe upper
literallvpricelessprintednewspaper
filesupon'replacement1bymicrofilmis strip in 1923 isayoungboy inthe lower
nothinglessthananarchivaldisaster."14 onefrom 1934.
Inhindsight,it'ssurprisingthatnational This isone large imageofahouse under
libraryleadersdidnotworktogether
toensurethesurvivalofatleastone construction,butKinghasdivided itinto
originalandcompletepaperrunof panelsandthereaderunderstandsthatthe
eachnewspaper,oratleasteachmajor characterswhich appearin each panel,are
newspaper,whichcouldserveasthe movingthroughtimeastheyalsophysically
mastercopyandcouldbeusedwhen movethroughthe partiallyconstructed
researchersneededtoexaminethe
originalorwantedhighquality,color house.So itworksasasingle image but
reproductions.Thankfully,Blackbeard alsoassequential panels.It's reallyquitea
managedtorescueandpreservealarge sophisticatedgraphicnarrativetechnique.
phaarvteobfeoeunrlohsetr.itagethatotherwisemay Thenextweekwassimilar,butyou can see BABE @ RUTH^^!^TS
Hewasattheforefrontofthetrend thatthehouse ismuchfurtheralonginthe
construction process.EventuallySkeezix GasolineAlley,1934
14SLmeittthesrofnrioamnBIinlsltiBtluatcikonb,ea2r/d1t5o/8C0ha;rlSeasnBlitzer, growsup,gets married,and has kidsofhis
FranciscoAcademyofComicArtCollection, own.
TheOhioStateUniversityCartoonResearch
Library.
NellBrinkley,KathleenandtheGreatSecret,1920
TheSundaysupplementshadmorethancomics.They
includedserializedandillustratedfiction,poetryand
illustratednon-fiction.Thisisaserializedromance
andadventurestorybyNellBrinkleyfrom1920.
Brinkley,oneofonlyafewwomenworkinginthe
business,becameacelebrityandahouseholdname.
TheBrinkleyGirlsucceededtheGibsonGirl,butshe
wasmuchmorespiritedandindependent.Brinkley
wasofthefirsttolinkyoung,beautifulwomenwith
thewomen'ssuffragemovement.Theyactuallysold
m haircurlers,sowomencouldcopytheBrinkleyGirl's
famoushairstyle.
Inonestoryfrom1918,GoldenEyesgoestoEurope,
v Iw whereherlove,BillisfightinginWWI.Shedrivesan
- ambulancefortheRedCross,iscapturedbyanevil
^ Germancaptain,stealssecretplansfromhim,and
gj finallyrescuesBillwhowasinjuredinthebattlefield.
«BV.« Brinkleygirlsdidn'tsitaroundandwaitfortheirman
^ •; s* tocomehome,theyactedheroicallythemselves.
y
7
No.o1fSavrQiew*.mPw*ttuC^"-N»*wamRiomTa«nittic ' -
FroggiesJazzBand
Thisisapagefromthe"BookofMagic,"whichwasa
quirkyactivitysupplementforkids.Youcouldcutout
thesefrogsandmakeyourownFroggyJazzBand.
inlate-20thcenturycontemporary timefocusedontheoriginalart,what createanonlinedigitalfindingaid.We
collecting,(examinedbyPaulMartin couldbeconsideredthe "masterpieces," wereabletohireafull-timearchivist
in PopularCollectingandtheEveryday ratherthanthemass-produced for3vears,butstill,lessthenhalfofthe
Self,)tocollecteverydayobjects,the newsprint. collectionhasbeenprocessedtodate.
"inexpensiveandunconsidered,"the Thesecollectionsincludethe Thedecisionwasmadetofocuson
"materialdetritusofconsumersociety," SwannCollection,startedin 1967and theoldestmaterialfirst. Ingeneral,
asnewspapers,comic—booksandpulp nowattheLibraryofCongress,the thematerialisorganizedbythetitle
fictionc—ertainlywere andsometimes InternationalMuseumofCartoonArt, ofthestrip.Thedailystrips(Monday-
stillare considered.Thestripswere startedbycartoonistMortWalkerin Saturday)arestoredbyyear.Thefull
ephemeralandcommon.Theywere 1974,andtheArtWoodCollection, pages,ortearsheets,fromtheSunday
consideredthrow-away;somethingto alsonowattheLibraryofCongress. newspapersarestoredinacid-free
readtodayandusetolightafireorto When Blackbeardlosttheleaseon foldersorganizedchronologicallyby
linethebirdcagetomorrow. hishomein 1997,theseobjectswere thetitleofthestrip. Inmanycases,
Andincreatingthecollectionfrom againindangerofbeingdestroyed. Blackbeardsavedentirecomicsor
everyday,mass-producedemphemera, Afterayearofnegotiation,the colorsupplementsections,whichare
hemadeaconsciousefforttoelevate Cartoon Library&Museumwasable alsoorganizedchronologicallyby
thestatusofthecomicstrip,to topurchasetheentirecollection. It newspaper.
transportitfromtheprofanetothe consistedofsixtractor-trailertrucksfrill Thecollectionisusedbyresearchers
sacred. Hiscrucialcontributionwas ofmaterial.Although Blackbeardand fromawidevarietyofdisciplines,
inrecognizingthevalueofobjects hiswife Barbarahadkeptthematerials includingEnglish,communications,art,
thatothersconsideredsocommonas organizedandneatlystacked,therewas Americanstudies,popculturestudies
tobeworthless,orattheveryleast, nowrittenindexorfindingaid.
inappropriateforseriouseffortsat Havingliterallylivedwiththe
preservation. collectionforover30years, Blackbeard
Blackbeardwasnotalone;hewas undoubtedlyknewwhereeverything
partofawidermovementinthesecond was.Thecomplicationsofpackingand
halfofthe20thcenturyofscholars, transportingthemassofmaterialcaused
cartoonists,andculturalcriticswho aportionoftheoriginalarrangement
attemptedtolegitimizecartoonsand tobelost,whichmadeprocessingthe
comicsasanartformworthyofserious collectionatrulydauntingtask.
study. Itisimportanttonote,however, Fortunately,theGettyFoundation
thatmostothermajorcollectionsof provided fundingforathree-year Dailystripsare
comicstripsstartedaroundthesame projecttoprocessthematerialsandto ancoiwd-sftroereefdolidners
Blackbeard, without question
or quibble, is the only absolutely
indispensablefigure in the history of
eomies scholarshipfor the last quarter
century.
—
R. C. Harvey, ComicsHistorian
TheTigressandhercubs.
Bothoftheseweredrawnbyanearlyanimator
namedE.G.Lutz.whowroteabookaboutanimation
publishedin1920.Itwasthisbookthatinspiredand
taughtWaltDisney.
andhistory.Anditisheavilyusedby wascalledtheSmithsonianCollection,
comicstripreprintpublishers. Ishould noneofthehundredsofcomicstrips
alsoaddthatthepulpfictionand featuredinitspagesactuallycamefrom
sciencefictionwastransferredtoOSU's theSmithsonian;theywereallsupplied
Rare BooksandManuscriptsLibrary bvBlackbeardfromtheAcademv's
whereitcomplementstheextensive treasures.
CharvatCollectionofAmericanFiction. Individualcollectorslikehim
Blackbeardneverdidproduce havemadeacriticalcontributionto
thecomicstriphistorythathehad thepreservationofpopularculture
originallysetouttowriteforOxford materials,collectingandcaringfor
Univ. Press;insteadheembarkedona ephemeralitemsthatlibraries,museums
projectthathascontributedmoretothe anduniversitieslongthoughtwere
scholarshipinthefieldthananysingle notworthsaving. Inthiscase,not
bookcouldhave. Comicshistorian onlydidinstitutionsfailtoacquire
R.C.Harveywrote,"Blackbeard, comicstripmaterial,buttheywere
withoutquestionorquibble,isthe actuallydiscardingwhattheyhad
onlyabsolutelyindispensable figurein inadvertentlycollected. Itwasatthis
thehistoryofcomicsscholarshipfor pointthatBlackbeardfoundhismission
thelastquartercentury."1"Inmany inlife. Hisobsessionresultedina
casesthecurrentgenerationofcomics remarkablecontributiontothescholarly
scholarsdiscoveredthesewonderful communityandhelpedmakepossible
oldcomicsfromthereprintbooksthat thepreservationanddocumentationof
Blackbeardedited,oneinparticular arichandcolorfulpartofourheritage.
calledthe Smithsonian Collectionof
NewspaperComics. Itfeaturedmany
earlystrips. Onecomicsscholar,said
thatheconsideredthebooktobeas
importantasthe Bibleorthe Koran. Originallypublished:JennyE.Robb. "Bill
Interestingly,eventhoughthebookwas Blackbeard:TljeCollectorWhoRescued
publishedbytheSmithsonianandit theComics."JournalofAmerican
Culture. Vol.32, no.3. (September2009):
15 R.C.Harvey,"MilestonesatTwoScoreand 244-256.
One,"ComicsJournal200(December1997), Tinsarticlehasbeeneditedforspace.
p.79
—
2010 NICOLE BASBANES '04 BOOK COLLECTING CONTEST
Alexander the Great Collection
FustPlace Winner: Courtney Cunningham '10
MyinterestinAlexander thannotIflewthroughthebooksso aboutAlexanderledtoadesirefor
theGreat,andthusmy quicklyIfailedtoreallyabsorbthe anythingwrittenaboutAlexander,
largestindividualbook content. Forsomereason,outofall whichinturnbroughtmeintocontact
collection,wasinspired the booksIreaduptothatpoint,the withbooksontheclassicalworldin
byahistoricalfictiontrilogyIchecked "Alexandertrilogy"byMaryRenault generalandGreeceinparticular.
outfromanearbypubliclibraryatage FirefromHeave—n, ThePersianBoy,and WhenIhadexhaustedthelibrary's
eleven. Ihadalwaysbeenavoracious FuneralGames wastheonlyseriesto smallAlexandercollectionIbegged
reader,butbythatyearIwasreading completelycapturemyattentionand mymothertobringmetoHalfPrice
asmanyassixnovelsperweek. Ithad imagination. Ireturnedtothelibrary Books,anindependentusedbookstore
becomeanaddiction fueledmainlyby andcheckedoutevery Renaultbook thatwasclosetomyhouseinHouston
the boredomIexperiencedwhile in theyhad,including TheMaskofApollo, (I recendylearnedthatitisactually
schoolandathome,formyclasseswere TljeLastofthe Wine,and TheNature alargechain). Icheckedboththe
notchallengingandwehad littlein ofAlexander.Thefirsttwoareother biographyandthehistorysections,but
thewayofentertainmentatmyhouse historicfictionnovelssetinancient all Icouldfindwasonethickbookwith
beyondmymother'simpressivelibrary. Greece,butthelatterisactuallya agoldcovertitledAlexandertheGreat
Theabilitytoreadquicklyallowedme nonfiction biography. Myinterestswere andHisTimebyAgnesSavill.Thiswas
tokeepupthispace, butmoreoften rapidlyexpanding;theinitialcuriosity abitdauntingforatwelveyearold,but
.
I boughtitanywayandmanagedto purple hairtiedupinasideponytail by thoughtofhavingtoadjusttoanew-
getthroughmostofitdespitethefact agreenscrunchie,andAlexandriaisa school,anewcity,anewcountry
thatIrarelyunderstoodevenoneentire futuristicspaceagemetropoliscomplete withoutasinglefriend. Itriedtokeep
sentence. Savill,alongwith Renaultto withrobotsandflyingvehicles. Despite myobsessivetendenciesundercontrol
anextent,isoneofthemoreradical allofthesebizarrealterationsIloved soasnottoalerttheotherstudents
apologists,sotheirworkobviously theseriesandwatchedeveryepisode tomytrulygeekynature,soofcourse
influencedmyunabashedlypositive multipletimes. myAlexanderinterestwentdormant
interpretationofAlexander. Attheageoffifteen Iwassuddenly foracoupleofmonths.Thefollowing
Bythistimemyclosestfriendshad uprootedfromeverythingfamiliarand springI apprehensivelytriedoutfor
discoveredmybizarreinterestinalong- movedtoLondon. Neverbeforehad theschool'sM.U.N,teamandwas
deadmanandthuswerenotsurprised I beenthestereotypicalnewstudent; selectedtorepresentTurkey.Atthe
bythenext(ratherembarrassing)stage Iwasparalyzedwithfearatthevery mockgeneralassemblvmeeting,held
ofmyobsession. AlexanderSenki, inSurreyandinvolvingstudentsfrom
strangelytranslatedas Reign:Hie As a classicalstudies alloverEurope,I receivedanotefrom
ACmoenrqiucear,oriswahJeanpaintewsaesaenxipmoertceadrttooon major Ihave had the aFrmanecmeb.eTrheofntohteegcroomupplirempernetseedntminegon
thatcametomvattentionduring opportunity to incorporate myreadingmaterial,forIhadbrought
Tmhyefarretswhomrakniyseaalrmionsthitgehrrsicfvhionogl.in myAlexander collection wahbeonokthoenmAeleetxianngdserbetcoacmoevebrotrliynrge,ad
itsattemptatrealismandtheplotis into afew independent andaskedifIhadreadtheRenault
Aonlleyxacnodnenrecbtyeodnltyotthheehmiosstotritceanluloifuesof researchprojectsand sceorrierse.sTphoinsdebnecgeasnaandseerinedseodfimneamonrewa-ble
ofthreads. Intheshow,Bucephalus to attempt togenerate friendship.Asitturnsout,thegirl's
w(iAlldexmaannde-re'astifnagmobeuasstw,arChaosrssaen)deirsa(one some interest in the nhaalmfePoilsiOshlwaenndhLaalcfhWoewlischz,abnudtlsihveesisin
ofAlexander'sgenerals)isthefemale HellenisticAge within the Londonandspeakswithaposh English
Cassandra,Hephaestion(Alexander's accent. Ourmutualloveforallthings
closefriendandlikelvlover)haslone;. department. Alexandernaturallyledtomvrenewed
PARTIALBIBLIOGRAPHY
1 Arnold-Biucchi,Carmen.Alexander'sCoinsand totheHellenisticWorld.NewYork:Cambridge expectationswerespoton.
Alexander'sImage.Cambridge,MA:Harvard UniversityPress,2006. 12.Dahmen,Karsten.TljeLegendofAlexanderthe
UniversityArtMuseums,2006. 8. Burn,Lucilla.HellenisticArtfromAlexanderthe GreatonGreekandRomanCoins.NewYork:
2. Arrian.AnabasisofAlexander.2vols.Loeb GreattoAugustus.LosAngeles:TheJ.PaulGem- Routledge,2007.
CMlAas:siHcaalrvLaibrrdarUyn.ivTerrasnist.yPPAr.essB,ru1n9t7.6.Cambridge, 9. MCaursneevu,m,El2i0za0b4e.th.Olympias:MotherofAlexander 13.GFlionunceersatne,rsNhiiarlle.:ATleemxpanudsriPau:blAishCiintgy,CS2~0M0y5t.h.
ABleseixdaensdePrlubtiaorgcrha,pAhrerrisa.nHiestwhaesmaosRtofmaamnougsenoefratlh,e OthleymGrpeiaats.iNseawfaYsocirnka:tiRnoguthilsetdogriec,al20f0ig6u.re,but 14.KFionrge:maAnl,exLaanudrear.tThheeCEopniqcueSrtoorr.yoCfatmhberWiadrgrei:or
AoahmwtbhlhfeuafeietnAasclxci.lreIstaei.ntxIfcwiidalIorhceensirtaatrdzrkrdeelalisaryonrn'shobegrslrkiaeaiedfmgoltdllrenteiefdachaoamnttesrtteyeidAbvbtmenaeiSicrtailnltuainbolltmhgaseaiesssmsr.aleievylossHrebcetciesrhotnHeiimissoochomsuonnipisansagolvsnshyeroitdsdffsedselcetrrRuhash,seowcemsorembleidGue,parttrreiceohkns ythofitbieehhneueareef-tlr.roddsnetre.IeohephgwfeTtaaiahhAtsitislniwasbefvnaelexeaxbsulaecoxyannirsontdoeikdselefsuedrpriatosrptshsfroeoeicid-hnhds,PeoodiihcrlehnsicaegcovlarldoaipssyvrpiihaeioinlorInipggItuartnslbleibeeteaoppwtcwwooosarroskauitiussortstslfatieeodyvettfaeinhttlb—irosaasoe—bflcitbfaoenheonunbercottosekth 15.Th(aPDFaweCeeosfohsxnulpa,galiibunntRiiSeoentFBbmaotoirbBhnoranoeeekrolsfLrkmla,aasocdnsv,t2resi0et.2ie0hsn0)as4Ag,0te.l4daeI.mnxawydasoncuAudollneepfdrxyoarrtonthefeudcnetGoahrrmitesfemartbec.oonomovdLekotrthnhaditson:
original,particularlyfocusingonthehighly anattempttodiscoverthewomanbeneaththe biographvasagreatstartingpointforanyone
negativesceneinwhichArriandepictssomeof storiesofhercold-bloodedmurders,feudswith interestedinAlexander.Althoughitboastsan
Alexander's"courtsophists"arguinginfavor herhusband,overbearinginfluenceonAlexander, Oxfordprofessorasitsauthorandisquitethick,
ofperformingproskynesis(prostration)before andinvolvementinbizarrecultrituals(like thisbookmanagestoremainentertainingand
theirking,somethingthatshockedandangered supposcdlvkeepingsnakesinherbed).Inthis readableevenforclassicsnovices.Infact,itwas
3. AABlloeesxxwaaonnrddteehrr,'sAth.MeaBGc.reeadanotdniiEna.nFJa.acBntdaaynGnrdheaFeimkc,tmieoednns...New 10.VbCioanrotdkaegsdehgeeB,oisoPkaacsut,lu.a2lA0ll0ye4lx.iakenadbeler!theGreat.NewYork: a2tfh0te0e4rf!iprsutrscchhaoslianrglyitbaototkheIeBvrietrisrheaMduosneAulmexiannder
4. YUTBonhorieskv:ewTrorOsraixtgtfheyo,dryPArd.oesfUsBnT,.irviA1eu9lr9mes6pxi.hta.yndPNereerswas,nYd2o0rtk0h:0e.EOaxsfto:rd 11.LICuhdleuucg,igd2,e0dA06nt.doraenwnoMtiactheatehli.sAbloeoxkanbdeecra'ussLeoviteriss.abit 1167..BBorsotwonn..:aTTllLnj)ideettSSCleeeo,aa.rr,Bccrhh1o9ff8uoor0rn.AAallneexdxaaCnnodd.ee,rr.:1BA9o8ns0t.Eoxnh:ibLiittitolne,.
5. Alexan.dCeornqtuheesGtreaantd.ECmapmibrrei:dgTeli:eRCeaimgbnriodfge oLugufllayu,jboaokeos.ke,lYfoC-uphuubmlgiiggshhatitntngoewtmeipbctsesitttehoa.trIeinctowtnhasistsrpluraciutngtthehadebloyn 18.LGiefregealn,dTaTrodwae,riend.gEAxlpelxoaitnsdeorfHtihsetoGrrye'ast:GrTelaiteeBsrtief
6. UBrniiavnetr,siPtiyerPrree.ssA,le1x9a8n8d.ertheGreat:Manof ltihvaetsmoofsAtleoxfantdheerm'sarvearmieonustiloovneerdsidnesopnieteltinheeoffact NCoenwquYeorrok:raPsenTgoludinByBoHoikssO,r2ig0i0n4a.lBiographers.
Action,ManofSpirit.Trans.HarrvN.Abrams. oneprimarysource.Hedoesthisbybasically 19.Green,Peter.AlexanderofMacedon:AHistorical
NewYork:HarryN.Abrams,Inc.,1996. offeringalotofoff-topicfillermaterialandsome Biography.Berkeley:UniversityofCalifornia
7. Bugh,GlennR,ed.TlieCambridgeCompanion wbioludghthteotrhiisesfobrasaeldauognh,liattnledoarsnitoteuvrnisdeonucte.mIy Press,1991.
interestintheacademicsideofancient compiledbefore Igraduatedfromhigh Muchtomysurprise,Ihavefound
historybecauseOlwenwasastudentof school,buttheremainingbookswere severalotherenthusiastsovertheyears,
GreekandLatinandentereduniversity purchasedoverthelastthreeanda andthroughthisnetworkoffellow
asabuddingclassicistoneyearbefore halfyearsasastudentatSweetBriar. I 20-somethinghistorynerdsIhavekept
me. evenreturnedhomefromtwotripsto upwiththemostrecentAlexander
Ipurchasedmyfirsttrulyscholarly GreecewithanAlexandercoinnecklace scholarshipandaddedmanynewbooks.
AlexandertheGreatbookwhilevisiting (Ihavewornitnearlyeverydayforover GeneralinterestinAlexandertheGreat
the BritishMuseumwith Olwen. fiveyearsnow),twoantiquemapsof seemstobeontheriselately,somy
ItwasRobinLaneFox'sfamous Alexander'sempire,andtwobustsof collectionwillnodoubtcontinueto
biographyandthecatalystforthe Alexandertodisplayonthebookshelves expandinbothscopeandphysicalsize.
suddenexpansionofmypreviously inmyroom. Andspeakingofmoderninterest,oneof
modestcollection.Almostallofthe AsaclassicalstudiesmajorIhave myothergoals(and Iseriouslydomean
newadditionswereeitheracademic hadtheopportunitytoincorporate this)istoerasethatembarrassingly
orprimarysourcesthankstoOlwen's myAlexandercollectionintoafew awfulOliverStonemoviefromthe
influenceandrecommendations,and independentresearchprojectsandto world'scollectivememory...
sincethattimethetrendhascontinued. attempttogeneratesomeinterestinthe
Atleasthalfofmycollectionwas HellenisticAgewithinthedepartment.
20.Evol.uAtlioenxaonfdtehreHtoelAleentiisntmic:AT/ljiec.HLiostsorAincgaelles: eHxeamisplmeoroefmiinltietraersytegdeniinuAslaexnadngdreeratasleaamdearns,hispo. 2C0o0n6qu.eror.NewYork:PerseusBooksGroup,
UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1990. hisbiographyisfilledwithintriguinganecdotes 37.Savill,Agnes.AlexandertheGreatandHisTime.
2212..AMosiroEEHHsdaffloveaAianecemmbt:tgxknihecoieeaeolooWlltnftnkoiple,hd.ofsraleeontsWcetLiruo,ttaolyogineplthJnohiBh.adancAdleRvscclato.o,eGaechmnfrkedxPai:sewraealnrhaeenmcucBitldiatlrae:aleiaucddnr,rsArdeedt,gaic2mopnhrw0iLlNtrgao0cAhaeoCiyl9uumsblwae.nraaarfxbdsetbHnrasionilonicyssocymtlcditeae.keltosallrhrlApSa.cryrP.rto.oereoSvmeamTtvMesaedrheesaicryie,sniiodohsndesnt1fu!gc,ehd9hnman9Teaodt,y9dhlrws.aie.irsddsse 2289..ahiri2MoPPGtnr0fnarreAtepee0Adpc:esrva4lpsroatom.efees'mDbeisxn,saematmalbeIetJondldlCoo,nrdlyhaeadi-kSnnpFrcbt.naoPoelhttolvmiEyheuwePseedntrntwsvaej.aGoirsyronrtfcseyuTyt,horalrty'fiaton2hsc.nqtmei0hudAVyn0Neotilg4hAtberGei.ceitaosxwrsuodbao.egssoYnssro:uoIsduaotrnArepAfkchlrsAf:eWyiealt.!aacxeBot.rax,Ia:naaCnihdnnfAaiteydygmaroehobNmnrlurotyehivDeeedllgle,, NTeeTaebImG,vvmhhdyraeeebiimgekrrwBassieaeranrtwpwbrerYa"ruAaraoontrolassreiwoctelskhsokhlexti:inayhan&lisIeBgnsfeae.aodrnafNdrrmeeil,oSarnirAAmslhbenltloblellsieyesu"omexxtt&ofaoiaaonkczaocnnclaivnodNdwuydnenedeosogersrrecbr,tim,soltthditnhesrehaeocseaonrny"ito,BlidtimnooynAeofoluofglnrpoyokacetuinilsxwthbhtni,iaewodzentnsiaovo1thdoninesik9tgefnd9it,raiptetth3scsuhoa.bbt"ibgtristitoltuhoheeoiasanevvskuth.eehtvnneIhdor
favoriteessaysare"Alexander'sSexLife"(notas 30.Pseudo-Callisthenes.TlicGreekAlexander omittingsomeofthemorequestionablepartsof
raunchyasitsounds!)and"AlexanderandHis Romance.Trans.RichardStoneman.NewYork: hislegend.
'TerribleMother'." PenguinBooks,1991. 38.Spencer,Diana.RomanAlexander:Readinga
23.Holt,FrankL.AlexandertheGreatandthe 31.Renault,Mary.FireFromHeaven.NewYork: CulturalMyth.Exeter:TheUniversityofExeter
MysteryoftheElephantMedallions.Berkeley: PantheonBooks,1969. Press,2003.
24.UMnciCvaerrtsyit,yNoifckC.alAilfoerxnainadPerrestsh,e2G0re0a3t..NewYork: 32.Books,.F1u9n8e1r.alGames.NewYork:Vintage sIubmomugehrtrtehsiesarbcohopkapfaeirr,lysroecIehnatvleytnootusyeetfofrinmisyhed
GramercyBooks,2004. 33. .TheNatureofAlexander.NewYork: iatb.oTuhteAclheaxpatnedresr'IshlaevgeacryeaddursiongfarthheavReobmeaenn
25.2BMa0ol0st4si.em,orCel:auTdhee.JAolhenxsanHdoeprk:iDnesstUinniyvearnsditMyytPhre.ss, 34.BPoaonktsh,e.oT1nl9i7eB2oP.oekrssi,an19B7o5y..NewYork:Vintage wlReaeaypdusebrilsnircwehcaianlcdlheEdRmAoplmieraxeannadgneednreiirtnaclpasotraatlnrodagiuptoeulsrieta,illcdartlehses,
26.IOn'vBirsiibelne,EJnoehmny.MaNxewewllY.orAk:leRxoauntdlecrdgtehe,G1r9e9a2t.:Tlic MinasrpiyraRteinoanulbte'hsinhdistmoyricfaalscfiincattioinonwawistthhAeloerxiagnindaelr sopneeecohf,tahcetioonnl,yebtco.okItsitshaatfafsocciunsatoinngArleeaxdanadnedr's
ImustsaythatIamsurprisedRoutlcdgeagreed theGreat.Her"Alexandertrilogy"turns legacyoutsidehisSuccessors,coinage,andpost-
topublishthisbook,consideringitisyetanother Alexander'slifeintoanovel;FirefromHeaven antiquitv.
reactionaryanti-AlexanderbookfollowinginIan covershisyouthfrombirthtohissuccessionto 39.Stoneman,Richard.AlexandertheGreat:ALife
Worthington'sfootsteps.Alexanderscholarship theMacedonianthrone,TljePersianBoyfollows inLegend.NewHaven:YaleL'niversitvPress,
seemstoappearinwavesofpro-andanti- theeventsofhisreignandhisconquestofthe 2008".
dneeswpietveitdheencfeacstutrhfaatcitnhgerienhtahsenpoasttbceeenntumruycohr PtehresbiiatnteErmbprieraek,uapnodfFAulneexranadleGr'asmeesmpfiorceusaefsteorn 40.TWohrolmda.sO,xfCoarrdo:lGBl.acAklweexlalndPuebrltihsehiGnrge,a2t0i0n7H.is
spaor.poevInenchtthhaiansttpAfalorertxivaciunoldlaeerrnbcwoeaosakn,adOrt'ahBgaritnigehenaldacitoethdeomlfiprctoswmittoh yhaeirsaerubsnrategiaotm,hetlbayuktidneigafltmyhybaetmauaetgmiefou3rl2y.bioIsolckaossrtrtrehecaattdtgthiheveseseae 41.RWeoardtehri.ngNteonw,YIoarnk,:eRd.ouAdleedxgaen,de2r0t0h3e.Great:A
alcoholconsumption.Hisproofreliesonlyon lotofinsightintoAlexanderasapersonand
afeweventsdescribedintheprimarysources thebeginningoftheHellenisticAgeinGreece.
wherebaddecisionsweremadewhiledrinking. Renaultalsohappenstobeascholar(TlicNature
Ifindtheentireargumenthilariousandutterly ofAlexanderisanacademicbiography),sothese
unconvincing,butthenagainItendtobeinthe booksarewellresearchedandsticktotheprimary
pro-Alexandercamp... sourcesasmuchaspossible.
27.Plutarch.GreekLives.Trans.RobinWaterfield. 35.Romm,James,ed.AlexandertheGreat:Selections
NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,1998. fromArrian,Diodorus,Plutarch,andQitintus
wPrliuttianrgchduwraisngaGthreeeRkobmiaongrEamphpeirrea,ndanpdhihleosopher RCuormtimu.s.ITnrdainasn.apoPlaimse:laHaMcekentstchPuabnldisJhianmgesCo.,
happenstobeoneofmyfavoriteancientauthors. 2005.
Hisisoneofthemostsympatheticportrayalsof 36.Saunders,NicholasJ.Alexander'sTomb:Tin-
Alexander,whohepairswithJuliusCaesarasan TwoTliousandYearObsessiontoFindtheLost