National Art Library comics

The V&A National Art Library holds the UK’s most comprehensive collection of books as art and books about art, including comics. That’s right, American superheroes, Japanese manga and much more have been collected as references for their illustration and graphic design.

Our contemporary collecting programme started in 1991. It’s grown through acquisitions from private collectors, adding up to over 35,000 comics and counting. And they’re all available to view here at V&A East Storehouse.

Written by: Marc Ward, Librarian, Collections and Content
Published: May 2025

Collecting Stories