99 Main Street, Haverhill, MA 01830 978-373-1586 ext. 642 http://www.haverhillpl.org/information-services/local-history-2/ Bob Montana Collection, 1938-1994 Collection Summary Reference Code: MRQ, US. Repository: Special Collections, Haverhill Public Library, Haverhill, Massachusetts. Call Number: HG2.8 Collector: Haverhill Public Library Title: Bob Montana Collection, 1938-1994 Dates: 1938-1994 Size: Language(s): Collection materials are in English. Abstract: Bob Montana (1920-1975) is the creator of Archie comics in, which was first published in November of 1942. In addition to Archive there were other spinoffs such as Jughead, and Betty and Veronica among others. Montana died on January 4, 1975 at the age of 54 in Meredith, New Hampshire. Biographical Sketch Robert William Montana was born on October 23, 1920 in Stockton, California. His parents were Roberta Pandolfini Montana and Ray Montana. He moved to Bradford, now apart of Haverhill where his father managed a costume shop in Bradford, Massachusetts so the family moved to Haverhill in 1936. He attended Haverhill High School where he keeping diaries of news stories. The faculty and students of Haverhill High inspired the Archie Comic Strip that he would later develop. Before he completed his degree at Haverhill High School his family moved to Manchester, where he graduated from Central High School in 1940. He then went onto study at the Phoenix Art Institute in New York and in 1941, his Archie strip was picked up by Pep Comics. The first issue of Archie came out in November 1942. Bob served in the Army Signal Corps during WWII. He drew coded maps throughout the War and also painted Red Cross and WWII posters. In 1944, while stationed at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, he met Army secretary Peggy Wherett and they married in 1946 when he returned from the war. During his time in the Signal Corps, Bob also worked on training films with William Saroyan and cartoonists Sam Cobean and Charles Addams. Collection Title, Collection Number 2 After returning home, Bob and Peggy moved to Manhattan and Bob began drawing the daily and Sunday Archie comic strip for more than 700 newspapers across the country. Two years later, they purchased a New England farmhouse in Meredith. They would raise their four children there. Bob, who continued to publish Archie throughout his life, died of a heart attack while cross- country skiing in Meredith, New Hampshire on January 4, 1975. Arrangement Series 1: Bob Montana Information & Archive Exhibit, 1938-1989 Subseries 1.1: Article about Bob Montana, No Date Subseries 1.2: Bob Montana High School Comics, 1938-1939 Subseries 1.3: Bob Montana Photos & Photocopies, No Dates Subseries 1.4: Bob Montana & Archie Exhibit Information, 1989 Subseries 1.5: Articles and Newspaper Clippings, 1978-1989 Series 2: Comics, 1970-1994 Subseries 2.1: Archie Coloring Book, 1969 Subseries 2.2: Archie, 1976 Subseries 2.3: Reggie & Me, 2975 Subseries 2.4: Archie’s Pals’n’Gals, 1974 Subseries 2.5: Archie’s TV Laugh-Out, 1974 Subseries 2.6: Archie at Riverdale High, 1975 Subseries 2.7: Little Archie, 1972, 1975 Subseries 2.8 Archive’s Christmas, 1974-1975 Subseries 2.9: Archie and Me, 1974 Subseries 2.10: Betty and Veronica, 1973-1975 Subseries 2.12.: Jughead, 1970-1974 Subseries 2.13: Special Issues, 1986, 1994 Series 3: Archie Comic Panels, 1953-1971 Series 4: Bob Montana Audio & Visual Material Scope and Content Note This collection provides a general overview of the activities and interests of Bob Montana. It contains issues of biographical information about him along with exhibits newspaper clippings, Archie comics, and other spinoffs series and side characters such as Jughead; Betty and Veronica among others. Collection Title, Collection Number 3 Administrative Information Preferred Citation: [Item Identification], Bob Montana Records, Reference Code, Special Collections, Haverhill Public Library, Haverhill, Massachusetts. Custodial History: Much of the material was acquired from creator. The Haverhill Public Library also collected materials from the creator. Acquisition Information: Some material came from Bob Montana’s spouse Peggy including a photocopy of his high school journal. Edmond Miller provide some additional materials, along with Rita Walker. The bulk of the materials were acquired by the Haverhill Public Library. Processing Information: Processed by Erik R. Bauer, 2017. Reprocessed by Erik R. Bauer, 2019. Access Rights: Collection is open for research. Phys. Access Restrictions: Photocopy of Bob Montana’s journal 1937-1938 cannot be made for users (patrons) or other institutions due to restrictions set by his widow. Tech. Access Restrictions: The Haverhill Public Library may not have a VHS player to play visual materials. Copyright: Copyright has not been assigned to the Haverhill Public Library. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Board of Trustees. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Haverhill Public Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher. Related Material: Edmund Gordon "Ted" Miller Collection, 1926-1989 Separated Material: None. Conservation Notes: Comic books were placed in to archival plastic bags with backing boards. Newspaper clippings were photocopied onto archival quality paper. Paperclips and staples were removed. Subjects: Montana, Bob, 1920-1975. Archie Comic Publications, Inc. Archie Comics Walker, Rita, 1924-2013 Haverhill (Mass.) Newspaper Clippings Collection Title, Collection Number 4 Collection Inventory Series 1: Bob Montana Information & Archive Exhibit, 1938-1989 Subseries 1.1, Article about Bob Montana, No Date Container Folder Folder Title Number Number Title, Dates Bob Montana Biographical Information, No Date 1 1 Bob Montana’s Neighbors in Haverhill, No Date 1 2 Bob Montana Article & Biography, 1989 1 4 Article about Bob Montana, No Date 1 3 Bob Montana Hangouts & Information, No Date 1 5 High School Journal (Photocopy), 1938-1938 1 6 High School Journal (Restricted - photocopy), 1938-1938 1 7 Letter to Rita Walker (photocopy of original), 1966 1 8 Archie Characters Information, No Date 1 9 On Shelf: Archie : His First 50 Years by Charles Phillips Subseries 1.2, Bob Montana High School Comics, 1938-1939 Container Folder Folder Title Number Number Title, Dates Bob Montana High School Comics (photocopies), 1938-1939 1 10 Subseries 1.3: Bob Montana Photos & Photocopies, No Dates Container Folder Folder Title Number Number Title, Dates Collection Title, Collection Number 5 “Choklit Shop” photocopy, No Date 1 11 Bob Montana Photocopies of Images, No Date 1 12 Bob Montana Photos, No Date 1 13 Unsorted Photographs, No Date 1 14 Subseries 1.4: Bob Montana & Archie Exhibit Information, 1989 Container Folder Folder Title Number Number Title, Dates Archie Exhibit & Bob Montana Newspaper Clippings, 1989 1 15 Newsweek Article about Archie Exhibit, 1989 1 16 Archie Exhibit Postcard, 1989 1 17 Archie Exhibit Flyer, 1989 1 18 Archie Exhibit Floor Plan, abt. 1988-1989 1 19 Bob Montana & Archie Exhibit Program, 1989 1 20 Bob Montana Exhibit Artwork (Copy), 1989 1 21 Oversize Box 1 Subseries 1.5: Articles and Newspaper Clippings, 1978-1989 Container Folder Folder Title Number Number Title, Dates Brown and Gold, 1939 1 22 Brown and Gold, 1939 1 23 Bob Montana Newspaper Clipping, 1946 1 24 Bob Montana Newspaper Clipping, 1954 1 25 Bob Montana Newspaper Clipping, 1970 1 26 Bob Montana Obituary, 1975 1 27 Collection Title, Collection Number 6 Brown and Gold, 1978 1 28 Brown & Gold (Photocopy of Archie article) 1 29 Bob Montana Newspaper Clipping, 1983 1 30 Electric Company Magazine (The Archie edition), 1987 1 31 Bob Montana Newspaper Clipping, 1987 1 32 Bob Montana Newspaper Clipping, 1988 1 33 Bob Montana & Archie Exhibit Newspaper Clipping, 1989 1 34 Bob Montana Newspaper Clipping, 1990 1 35 Entertainment Weekly article on “Archie,” 1991 1 36 Bob Montana Newspaper Clipping, 1996 1 37 Bob Montana Newspaper Clipping, 1997 1 38 Article on Cancelled Archie Comics, 1998 1 39 Merrimack Valley Sunday Article, 1999 1 40 Article on Bob Montana Biography, 2013 1 41 Bob Montana Newspaper Clipping, No Date 1 42 Oversized: Box 1 “Riverdale, Massachusetts” Boston Sunday Globe, 1988 “From Riverdale to the big time” Greenwich Time, 1988 “Archie & Better are heading to the Prom” Boston Sunday Globe, 1997 Series 2: Comics, 1970-1994 Subseries 2.1: Archie Related Material, 1969 Container Folder Folder Title Number Number Title, Dates The Archie Coloring Book, 1969 1 43 Subseries 2.2: Archie, 1959-1976 Container Folder Folder Title Number Number Collection Title, Collection Number 7 Title, Dates Archie, Number 100, April 1959 Archie, Number 146, June 1964 Archie, Number 150, November 1964 Archie, Number 170, February 1967 Archie, Number 188, February 1969 Archie, Number 201, July 1970 Archie, Number 255 August 1976 Archie, No Number, No Date Subseries 2.3: Reggie & Me, 1967, 1971 Container Folder Folder Title Number Number Title, Dates Reggie & Me, Number 25, August 1967 Reggie & Me, Number 75, December 1975 Subseries 2.4: Archie’s Pals’n’Gals, 1974 Container Folder Folder Title Number Number Title, Dates Archie’s Pals’n’Gals, Number 67, December 1971 Archie’s Pals’n’Gals, Number 84, April 1974 Subseries 2.5: Archie’s TV Laugh-Out, 1974 Container Folder Folder Title Number Number Title, Dates Archie’s TV Laugh-Out, Number December 1974 Collection Title, Collection