Announcing the Nicky Zann Archive

The Dowd Illustration Research Archive has acquired the archive of the late artist Nicholas “Nicky” Zann. The acquisition was generously donated by Zann’s life partner and wife, Mary Lou Falcone, who has been caring for the materials since he died in 2020. The donation of Zann’s work adds a subset of modern pieces to the archive and will allow researchers to closely study Zann’s trajectory from rock ‘n’ roll musician to illustrator, cartoonist, caricaturist, and painter.     

Falcone was eager to find an institution that would preserve Zann’s materials, which led to a connection with Special Collections at WashU. She has proved to be a diligent steward of his work and carefully stored and itemized the collection to prepare for the archive to move to WashU Libraries. Falcone graciously hosted staff from the Libraries at her home in New York and spoke in depth about Nicky’s pieces that still graced the walls of her home. She also provided invaluable context for the items that were part of the archive to be donated in the spring of 2024. Falcone is a living catalog of Zann’s career and, more importantly, was able to share personal stories about Nicky himself.

Zann spent his entire life in New York City. His career spanned over six decades, starting in 1957 with touring his rock band to several years later, leading him to pursue fine art. In the 1960s, he continued his fine art studies at the School of Visual Arts and was mentored by Jack Potter and Burne Hogarth. Zann is known as an innovative cartoonist/caricaturist and prominent illustrator with a distinct style. His works are easily distinguished because of his use of bright colors and pop art aesthetic. He created work for publications like the New York Times and was profiled on both The Tonight Show in the 1970s and MTV in the 1990s. He also created illustrations for both magazines and book covers, and continued painting until his death in 2020.

The Nicky Zann Archive contains a number of formats and various projects, both realized and unrealized, that all inform Zann as an artist. The original works in the archive include caricatures and designs for mystery book covers, in addition to drawings for the comic Spare Partz. Original works in the archive range from process sketches to paintings and sketchbooks. The published materials include book jackets, magazine tear sheets, posters, jigsaw puzzles, and a textile featuring Love Comic, additional pieces of which can be found in the permanent collection of London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. Also included are process materials for the Answer Deck, which is best described as an alternative tarot card deck. The entire set, from the package to the illustrated cards, was conceptualized and designed by Zann himself.

The importance of Falcone’s role in the preservation and donation of such a vast body of work cannot be understated. She has said numerous times, most sincerely and matter-of-factly, that she is “doing this for Nicky.” Falcone’s recent memoir, I Didn’t See it Coming, documents her life with Zann both before and after he was diagnosed with Lewy Body dementia, which ultimately took his life. Zann’s illustrations are featured in her book, a copy of which is also contained in the collection.

The Nicky Zann Archive strengthens and builds upon the existing holdings in the Dowd Illustration Research Archive. Zann’s process and published pieces add depth to the study of illustration and visual culture. Zann’s pieces are complemented by other contemporary illustrators like Robert Weaver and Jack Unruh, whose works are also held in special collections. The collection will promote both access and discovery for further research and study of such a seminal contemporary artist, Nicky Zann.