Wings (Mary) Papers, circa 1920s-2020s

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Summary

Title:
Mary Wings papers
Dates:
circa 1920s-2020s
Creators:
Wings, Mary
Abstract:
Extent:
8.5 linear feet (7 cartons and 1 oversized folder)
Language:
Preferred citation:

Mary Wings papers. GLBT Historical Society

Background

Scope and content:

Mary Wings (April 14, 1949 – July 3, 2024) was a lesbian cartoonist, writer, and artist, best known as the creator of Come Out Comix (1973) and Dyke Shorts (1978), as well as a series of mystery novels featuring the lesbian protagonist Emma Victor. The collection includes correspondence with family, friends, and lovers, spanning the 1960s through to the 2000s; photographs of Wing’s family, friends, and travels, circa 1920s-2010s; a 1974 diary; reviews, correspondence, and other documents related to publishing; 4 VHS tapes related to Wings’ mystery writing career; and sketchbooks containing drawings and paintings from the 2000s and 2010s. Also included are copies of Wing’s comics and novels.

Biographical / historical:

Mary Wings was born on April 14, 1949 in Chicago, Illinois as Mary Lee Geller. She attended Shimer College (now a part of North Central College) in Mount Carroll, Ill but left school upon her mother’s death from pancreatic cancer. Wings moved to Portland, Oregon and studied ceramics at the Museum Art School. She came out as a lesbian at the age of 21 and released her first comic book, Come Out Comix, in 1973. Come Out Comix was the first comic book by, about, and for lesbians and became published by a national distributor within a year of release. Wings moved to San Francisco and went on to release two more comic books, Dyke Shorts in 1978 and Are Your Highs Getting You Down? in 1980. Wings moved to Amsterdam in 1980 and lived there for seven years. In 1986, she published the lesbian mystery novel, She Came Too Late, which became the first in a series of five novels following the protagonist, Emma Victor. Wings returned to San Francisco in 1987, which remained her home for the following decades of her life. She continued to publish essays and short stories and was active in queer, comic, and feminist spaces. Wings passed away on July 3, 2024, at the age of 75.

Acquisition information:
Gift of the Mary Wings Revocable Trust and Lorrie Sheets, November 2024.

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid created by GLBT Historical Society staff.
Date Prepared:
circa 1920s-2020s
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using Record Express for OAC5 on July 14, 2025, 2:54 p.m.

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

All requests for reproductions and/or permission to publish or quote from material must be submitted in writing to the GLBT Historical Society Archivist. Permission for reproductions and/or permission to publish or quote from material is given on behalf of the GLBT Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred citation:

Mary Wings papers. GLBT Historical Society

Location of this collection:
989 Market Street, Lower Level
San Francisco, CA 94103, US
Contact:
(415) 777-5455
reference@glbthistory.org
Website