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Slate’s work archived at Washington University
By ANDREA DEGENER
ST LOUIS, MO–The Dowd Illustration Research Archive (DIRA) at Washington University (WashU) has acquired the archive of Barbara Slate, a renowned comic artist, teacher, writer and columnist for The Columbia Paper, who lives in Hudson. On August 7, the collection arrived via box truck and was accompanied by Ms. Slate herself. It was her first trip to St. Louis since she moved away as a child, and she declared it a sort of homecoming.
She was eager to begin the new partnership with WashU Libraries and the Julian Edison Department of Special Collections because the custodianship will allow for long‐term preservation and access to her materials. The Dowd Illustration Research Archive will rehouse and describe Slate’s archive in order to make the collection available for both research and teaching.
The Barbara Slate Archive contains original works of art, books, process materials, scripts, objects, scrapbooks, photographs, clippings, and professional papers documenting Ms. Slate’s career. The archive provides research opportunities for multiple areas of study, most notably the history of comics.
Ms. Slate is nothing short of a trailblazer and is arguably one of the most influential women in comics. In the ‘70s her first cartoon, “Ms. Liz,” was featured in a line of feminist greeting cards, published as a strip in Cosmopolitan, and became an animated segment on The Today Show.
Ms. Slate’s archive contains sketches, storyboards, and published materials for not only Ms. Liz but her numerous other projects. Access to such a lineage of working materials will allow patrons to gain valuable insight into Ms. Slate’s creative ability.
The archive is full of examples of Ms. Slate’s working process. The collection contains scripts and layouts for the comic book titles, “Barbie” and Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” (Marvel), in addition to “Betty and Veronica,” published by Archie Comics. Ms. Slate was also the creator of “Angel Love,” “Sweet XVI,” and “Yuppies from Hell.”
Her work is published in Archie Comics, as well as both DC and Marvel. Ms. Slate’s archive is unique because it contains almost equal parts of writing and visual work which are, in most cases, synonymously entwined. The archive provides the opportunity to study the relationship between text and image, and it is evident that Ms. Slate could easily move between both mediums with equal success.
To have a piece of Mr. Slate return to St. Louis only feels like the natural trajectory for her legacy. The acquisition is significant for the Dowd Illustration Research Archive. The collection broadens the holdings of works created by female artists while also expanding the narrative of comic history. Fortunately, the archive will continue to expand as Ms. Slate herself is still actively teaching and working.
Ms. Slate with faculty, staff and students. She discussed her archive with faculty and students during her visit to the Dowd Illustration Research Archive.
“Of course, I was going to arrive with my archive! It was exciting to revisit my birthplace to watch 50 boxes, seven bins, and three flats of my life’s work delivered into the capable hands of Andrea Degener and her assistants. They rolled out the red carpet, starting with a tour of DIRA with Professor Dowd himself! Then the unboxing, where I interacted with knowledgeable faculty and students. It’s rewarding to know that a half-century of my work will be used to educate new generations. My archive and I had indeed arrived home,” said Ms. Slate.
Andrea Degener is curator of the Dowd Illustration Research Archive
GOOD NEWS!: Herwick named Capital Zone Teacher of the Year
By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
RAVENA-COEYMANS-SELKIRK — RCS teacher Brandon Herwick was named Teacher of the Year by the New York State Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Capital Zone.
The Teacher of the Year Award honors individuals for excellence in teaching and overall performance in physical education at the elementary, middle and high school levels, adapted physical education, health education, and dance education, according to the district.
Herwick is a physical education teacher at A.W. Becker Elementary with his co-teacher, Megan McClave.
Herwick makes learning and physical activity fun for the students, RCS District Superintendent Dr. Brian Bailey said during the awards ceremony Feb. 7 at the board of education’s monthly meeting.
“He exudes a level of joy and energy that is unmatched,” Bailey said.
Herwick is also an educator outside of the classroom to his fellow physical education peers throughout the state and nationally, according to the district. He shares his knowledge and the motivation he expects of his students to create positive impacts not only in physical education but in their everyday lives.
Sandy Morley from the association spoke of Herwick’s contributions not only in the classroom but in his presentations to other educators in the field.
“Brandon has been a real gift to his students at A.W. Becker and to his colleagues not only in New York state but throughout the country,” Morley said. “He shares his brilliant knowledge and motivation with other professionals. He speaks about behavior and kindness and effort that he expects from his students, but it’s all a reflection of his own personality and interpersonal skills. He doesn’t just teach students, he guides them to their own moral compass through the exposure to higher order thinking skills, group discussions and a lot of fun activities.”
“Brandon is an amazing example of what a physical educator should be and this district has one of the premier educators in the United States on their staff,” Morley added.
Herwick accepted his award and saluted the other educators he works with in the district.
“I really do appreciate working for RCS and I appreciate all you do here to make a difference every day in the lives of our students,” he said. “Specifically, I love working at A.W. Becker.”
Herwick showed a highlight reel of PE activities the students have taken part in.
“Physical education is all about providing an incredible, fun environment and experience where students can explore, learn, connect and grow,” he narrated in the video. “By getting to know our students and their families, we can meet them where they are to challenge or modify the activities and lessons to help them love movement, fail, learn, try again, and ultimately find success and understanding.”
Many of the current activities in the district’s physical education department are long-standing traditions that were started by teachers that came before him, Herwick said, such as the Apple Run, Family PE Week, the Wackadoodles Running Club and the holiday obstacle course.
“We are so grateful for those who have laid down strong paths for us and for those who continue to weave in and out of our careers,” Herwick said, “adding wisdom and generational knowledge — students and staff alike.”
