Has the library been known by other names in the past?

The library has had several former names:

Milton Caniff Reading Room, 1977
Library for Communication and Graphic Arts
Cartoon, Graphic, and Photographic Arts Research Library
Cartoon Research Library, 1989
Cartoon Library and Museum, July 2009
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, September 2009

Can you tell me the value of the original artwork, comic book or other cartoon item I own?

Library staff are prohibited from giving appraisals or estimates of monetary value for cartoon materials. See Appraisals for policies and a list of appraisers. If you do not want a formal appraisal, here is a list of price guides and books on collectibles that you might find helpful:

Jerry Weist, The Comic Art Price Guide: Second Edition (2000)
Jeff Ellinport, Collecting Original Comic Strip Art (1999)
Alex G. Malloy et. al., Comics Values Annual: The Comic Book Price Guide (published annually)
Robert M. Overstreet, The Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide (published annually)
Comics Buyer’s Guide, Comic Book Checklist and Price Guide (published annually)
Jay Kennedy, The Official Underground and Newave Comix Price Guide (1982)
Andrea Podley and Derrick Ban, Peanuts Collectibles: Identification and Value Guide (1999)
Freddi Margolin, Peanuts: The Home Collection: A Collector’s Guide to Identification and Value (1999)
Judith Miller, Collectibles Price Guide 2005 (2004)
Ted Hake, The Official Hake’s Price Guide to Character Toys, Edition #5 (2004)
David Longest, Cartoon Toys & Collectibles Identification and Value Guide: Identification and Value Guide (1998)
Jameson Scott and Jim Rash, Cartoon Figural Toys (1999)

You can also search online auction sites for the sale of similar items to get a general idea of your item’s value.

 

What is the longest-running comic strip?

As of 2008, the longest-running current comic strips were:
Katzenjammer Kids 1897-Present
Gasoline Alley 1918-Present
Barney Google and Snuffy Smith 1919-Present
Thimble Theater/Popeye 1919-Present (Popeye did not appear until 1929)
Little Orphan Annie 1924-Present
They’ll Do It Every Time 1929-2008
Blondie 1930-Present
Dick Tracy 1931-Present
Mandrake the Magician 1934-Present
Flash Gordon 1934-Present

 

 

 

Where can I find information about becoming a syndicated cartoonist?

A good place to start is by visiting syndicate web sites for submission guidelines. Here are a few sample web pages:

Universal Press Syndicate: http://www.amuniversal.com/ups/submissions.htm King Features Syndicate: http://www.kingfeatures.com/subg_comic.htm Creators Syndicate: http://www.creators.com/submissions.html
United Features: http://www.unitedfeatures.com/?title=Help%20and%20FAQs

Also, the National Cartoonist Society offers a some pointers here: http://www.reuben.org/howto.html.