Comic Book Archives

About

Folio is going to be the new digital home of a national research project uncovering 40 years of Australian comic and graphic novel history. Funded by the Australian Research Council and developed in partnership with institutions like the National Library of Australia and Creative Australia, the site will bring together stories, artists, and rare works in a way that’s open, accessible and engaging.

The brief was to design an interface for that would feel more like an interactive gallery than a typical archive. The Comic Book Archive team had a vision for the project which centred around connecting the vast entities of artists, subjects and locations through an immersive search and surfacing tags in a way that encourages users to navigate around the archive.

Something special

One of the site’s most distinctive features is the artist takeover. Selected artists will be invited to temporarily reshape the interface using their own visual language. When active, visitors can toggle between the core UI and the guest artist’s version, giving them a more personal, inside view of the work and the culture.

This idea will turn the archive into a space for ongoing experimentation and artist-led storytelling. It will also keep the experience fresh and participatory, allowing users to see the site evolve over time.

Open the folio

Clear categories, simple navigation and interactive filters will help open up this often under-recognised world to a broader public. Our focus here was to create a clean and approachable UI and experience for the user. We are very excited for this to be live soon.

Collaborators

- Supermarket London