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Ink Tank Archive

The collection includes original artwork in various formats and published materials by the artists of The Ink Tank Archive, founded in 1978 by R. O. Blechman. The archive contains original animation cells, correspondence, publications, scripts, shot lists, and audiovisual materials.

Blechman opened a design studio in 1960, followed by The Ink Tank animation studio in 1977. Projects he directed spawned creative collaborations with eminent peers, such as children’s book author-illustrator Maurice Sendak and Push Pin design studio alumni Seymour Chwast and James McMullan. His diverse client list, which includes IBM, General Motors, Burger King, McDonald’s, Johnson & Johnson, Hallmark, Sony, Perrier, the Smithsonian, and MTV, demonstrates just how widespread Blechman’s impact on American visual culture and commerce has been.

A line art illustration of a party.
Jean-Jacques Sempé, IBM, ca.1980
R. O. Blechman, The Soldier’s Tale, 1983