Gary Huck and Mike Konopacki Labor Cartoons Collection
Call Number
Dates
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
This collection contains thousands of illustrated and computer generated political cartoons by Gary Huck and Mike Konopacki in addition to business records and background subject files for their labor cartooning partnership--the core of which is their subscription service of monthly packets of labor cartoons. In 1983, Gary Huck and Mike Konopacki created Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons, syndicating their cartoons to the labor press in the U.S. and Canada. Collectively, their work covers labor movements, strikes and injustices across the country, often focusing on Wisconsin politics and teachers.
Historical/Biographical Note
Mike Konopacki (1951- ) began labor cartooning for the student newspaper at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he majored in political science. Later, he cartooned for the Madison Press Connection, a local Wisconsin daily created by striking newspaper workers in 1978, while driving buses for Madison Metro. Konpacki has also collaborated with writer Alec Dubro to write and illustrate several comic books. He was the co-author and illustrator for Howard Zinn's A People's History of the American Empire. Konopacki also works on web-based cartoons and animations, specializing in satire and corporate images and logos.
Gary Huck drew cartoons for Racine Labor in the 1970s, the longest domestic labor weekly in the US. He has been the political cartoonist for the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) in Pittsburg, PA since 1985, when he succeeded Fred Wright. Huck is the only full-time cartoonist employed by a union in the U.S. He is also the cartoon curator and graphic designer for arts group ArtUp. Huck was responsible for the Women's Workers' History column, which originally appeared in the UE News and was later reproduced for the Huck/Konopacki syndicated cartoon service, distributed as packets of cartoons.
In 1983 he and Konopacki created Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons, syndicating their cartoons to the labor press in the U.S. and Canada. Together, they have worked on six publications entitled Bye! American, THEM, MAD in USA, Working Class Hero, Two Headed Space Alien Shrinks Labor Movement and American Dread. Huck and Konopacki have different styles of drawing and use a variety of materials in their work. They have used ink, crayon, line screens, zip tones, and computer generated graphics. Their cartoons collectively cover labor movements, strikes and injustices across the country, often focusing on Wisconsin politics and teachers.
Arrangement
The collection has been arranged into four series as follows:
Series 1: Gary Huck Cartoons, Series 2: Mike Konopacki Cartoons, Series 3: Labor Cartoon Packets, Series 4: Huck/Konopacki Labor Cartoons Records
Series 1 and 2 are arranged chronologically. Series 3 and 4 are arranged alphabetically and subsequently by date.
Scope and Contents
This collection contains thousands of illustrated and computer generated political cartoons by Gary Huck and Mike Konopacki, in addition to business records and background subject files for their labor cartooning partnership--the core of which is their subscription service of monthly packets of labor cartoons.
The artists employed many different materials and supplies, which evolved as they learned and incorporated new techniques into their cartoons. The collection contains preparatory tracings, illustrations, and computer generated graphics.
The cartoons in Series 1-3 focus on union activity, corporate greed, Wisconsin and national politicians, women's rights and social justice. The teachers cartoon package was added later as an additional service and included four additional cartoons in each monthly packet. Also included in the labor packets is a series called Women Workers' History, that was originally created by Gary Huck for the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (U.E.) News. It is divided into more than 100 "chapters" on different events, topics, and individuals, and accompanied by photographs or period style drawings with captions and cartoon balloons offering humorous comments from the participants. The series ran in the labor packets for ten years, beginning in 1987; it was repeated in its entirety in the packets from 1997 through 2006, and began its third cycle in 2007. Most cartoons in Series 1-3 were created for the distributed monthly packets of cartoons, but the collection also includes some that were created to be used in separate projects, including books and campaigns, and for individual labor unions; information on many of these other projects and clients may be found in Series 4.
Subjects
People
Topics
Donors
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by Gary Huck and Mike Konopacki were transferred to New York University in 2003 by Gary Huck and Mike Konopacki. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Archives. Please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu, (212) 998-2630.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Gary Huck and Mike Konopacki Labor Cartoons Collection; WAG 264; box number; folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.
Immediate Source of Aquisition
The initial donation was made by the artists, Gary Huck and Mike Konopacki, in 2003. The accession numbers associated with this gift are 2003.034 and 2003.035. The collaborative labor packets, preparatory materials, and business correspondence were received in several batches in subsequent. The accession numbers associated with these gifts are 2013.020, 2014.142, 2014.157, 2015.045, 2016.031, 2017.034, 2019.008, and 2019.084.
Several signed drawings by Gary Huck were donated by Michael Funke in 2016. The accession number associated with this gift is 2017.041.
Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures
Audiovisual materials have not been preserved and may not be available to researchers. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact tamiment.wagner@nyu.edu, (212) 998-2630 with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.
Accruals
The donors have scheduled annual donations of labor packets, preparatory materials, and business records. These materials will be added to Series 3 and 4, continuing the chronological order of the series.
About this Guide
Processing Information
At the time of its donation the materials in this collection, in accordance with the Library's policies at the time, were divided into two separate collections: a manuscript collection containing business files (Gary Huck and Mike Konopacki Labor Cartoons Business Records Collection (WAG 264)), and a graphics collection (Gary Huck and Mike Konopacki Labor Cartoons Collection (GRAPHICS 017)) including original pencil and ink cartoons and labor packets with reproductions of original cartoons from different media. The cartoons were separated by artist and organized chronologically, while the labor packets were kept in their original chronological order. The two collections have now been combined into one, but the current arrangement retains the initial separation by artist and format.
Because of preservation concerns over the materials used in the original cartoons, all original cartoons have been interleaved with tissue to prevent the migration of these materials to adjacent illustrations. Additionally, many cartoons were originally received with taped cover sheets (blank or with a smaller reproduction of the cartoon). The latter were removed and interleaved to prevent migration of media and discoloration from the tape. Only the cover sheets with images were retained.
In 2017, four singed drawings by Gary Huck were added to Series I: Gary Huck Cartoons in the folder Political Cartoons: Gifts to Michael Funke. In 2018, an accretion of tracings and packets were incorporated into Series II and III, and layout boards were added to Series IV.
