Billy Ireland Cartoon Library

Temporary closure and upcoming exhibits announcemement below! The Ohio State University’s Sullivant Hall, home to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (BICLM), is in the process of undergoing necessary renovations of the building’s HVAC system. As a result, the BICLM exhibition space will be closed from November 10, 2025 through May 22, 2026. Only the museum galleries will be impacted. When the galleries reopen in 2026, visitors will experience The Story of Comics, an expanded redesign of the museum’s permanent collection gallery. This exciting new installation will include rooms dedicated to the language of comics, making comics, the history of comics, new acquisitions, a special display of Bill Watterson’s Calvin & Hobbes, and an interactive area and lounge. The exhibition will feature comic strips, political cartoons, superhero comics, animation, and more– as well as hands-on experiences for all ages. BICLM’s galleries will also reopen with an exhibit on the work of artist and writer, Chris Ware, entitled Life is Complicated. After three years of touring European museums (including the Pompidou Center in Paris and the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona) Ware’s work makes its final and only American appearance at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum on the campus of Ohio State. Designed and lightly annotated by the artist, the exhibit includes original drawings, notes and sketches as well as sculptures, paintings and auxiliary objects too fragile to ship internationally – some which will be exhibited for the first time. Life is Complicated will be on display from May 22 through November 29, 2026. For more information, contact [email protected].

Summer Saturday workshops kickoff on June 6th with @gracecellis ! Come visit the museum and join the workshop! Register on our website or visit go.osu.edu/summersaturdays.

We can't wait for you to see what we’ve been working on👀 Our exhibit team has been working hard on installing our new permanent collections exhibition, The Story of Comics! Drawn from the collections of the Billly Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, The Story of Comics explores comics as an art form, how they work and how they are made, and how they reflect and shape the world around us. This is an expanded redesign of our permanent collection gallery and is unlike anything we have done before. This permanent collection exhibition will open on Saturday, May 23, 2026! The Museum Galleries are open Tuesday-Sunday from 1pm-5pm; Closed on Monday. Admission is FREE. #biclm #billyirelandcartoonlibraryandmuseum #comics #cartoonart

The rumors are true ... Chris Ware Exhibit is coming to The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum May 23, 2026 through Jan. 3, 2027. #OhioState #UniversityLibraries #ChrisWare

A big thank you to Grace Ellis for leading BICLM’s Girl Scout’s Day workshop earlier this month! The Girl Scouts got to learn how to develop stories and characters, and create a four-panel comic strip. This all helped them to earn their Comic Artist Badge! @gracecellis #girlscouts #girlscoutsbadge #biclm #cartoonworkshop Photos by Emma Halm.

We had so much fun last month during Mini-Comics Day! Thank you to everybody who attended. We hope you enjoyed expressing your creativity through mini-comics. And a big thank you to our Museum Educator, Rebecca Richardson, for putting this together! #minicomics #minicomicsday #biclm

Jenny Robb, head curator of comics and cartoon art at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, recently chatted on "The Magic of Calvin and Hobbes" podcast about our incredible Calvin and Hobbes collection here at The Ohio State University Libraries. During the episode she shares great stories and insight into what makes this collection so special. ✨ Listen now through link in bio! Photo credit: Cover of Yukon Ho! Bill Watterson 1989 Watercolor on paper with acetate overlay Bill Watterson Deposit Collection, The Ohio State University, Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum © Bill Watterson

Spring has sprung! Let's read about the natural history of bugs! Join our book club on April 16th 7-8pm. All are welcome! RSVP at cartoons.osu.edu.

Join us for our very first Girl Scouts Day on April 11th! Earn your Comics Artist Badge with @gracecellis . Visit cartoons.osu.edu/events to register!

Meet the staff of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum ✨baby edition✨ #biclm #museumstaff #thisiswho

Following a three-year tour of major European museums, acclaimed graphic novelist, artist and writer Chris Ware makes his final and only American stop with his exhibition Chris Ware: Life Is Complicated. This exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to view original drawings, notes, and sketches alongside sculptures, paintings and auxiliary objects too fragile to travel internationally. Be sure to visit the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum from May 23, 2026 to January 3, 2027 to experience the creative world of Chris Ware. Photo credit: Basel Cartoon museum #ChrisWare #Cartoonlibrary #OhioState

Join us for a hands-on workshop exploring Latinx zines! Together, we’ll look at influential Latinx zine creators and discuss how zines have served as powerful tools for expression, community-building, and resistance. Participants will learn what a zine is, how they’re made, and simple techniques for creating their own. Hope to see you there!