Donated by the collector Thomas Bentley Rue, this collection features comics and adventure strips ranging from the 1930s to the 1950s. Early American comics were collections of re-published newsprint cartoons, and this collection has several prominent Platinum Age (1897-1937) collected titles, including Popular Comics, Tip Top Comics, and Famous Funnies, the latter considered by some historians to be the first true American comic book. Noteworthy strips include Joe Palooka, Smilin’ Jack, Nancy, and Li’l Abner. This collection also contains Golden Age comics (1938-1955), with a particular focus on wartime heroes and their combat adventures during World War II, including Boy Commandos, Blackhawk, and Terry and the Pirates. Additional prominent comics during this period are Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories, heavily featuring the Donald Duck stories of 1943-1948 written by Carl Barks, and the Four Color series. Other titles of interest include Captain Marvel Adventures (now known as Shazam), Plastic Man, and an original copy of Superman, No. 1, although superhero comics are not majorly represented in this collection.