Steve Edwards Papers, 2001-2011
Collection Overview
Title: Steve Edwards Papers, 2001-2011
ID: OGLMC1598
Primary Creator: Edwards, Steve
Extent: 2.5 Linear Feet
Date Acquired: 05/18/2012
Subjects: Politics and Government - Cartoons, Red River Valley
Languages: English
Abstract
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Steve Edwards Papers date from 2001-2011 and have been divided into four series:
Series 1: Biographical Information
Series 2: Original Cartoons
Series 3: Sketches
Series 4: Newspaper Clippings
All of the cartoons created by Steve Edwards have been digitized and can be viewed at the UND Scholarly Commons.
Collection Historical Note
Steve Edwards is a cartoonist who specializes in documenting life in the Midwest. Originally his cartoons, titled It Could Be Worse…, emphasized life in the Red River Valley of North Dakota. More recently, aligned with his move to Montana and western Washington, the cartoon has expanded to include aspects of life in the Northwest. Edwards is originally from Southern Illinois. His resume shows much diversity; he was a holiday UPS delivery man, grocery store stocker, librarian, director of admissions at Gordon State College in Georgia, interim chamber of commerce director, a coal miner for thirteen years and taught within the College of Business and Public Administration at the University of North Dakota. After his wife decided to enter the seminary they left their jobs, sold their house and relocated to Decatur, Georgia. His wife’s first call was to three yoked churches (Gilby, Forest River and Inkster) northwest of Grand Forks, North Dakota. In Gilby, North Dakota, Steve Edwards made new friends in the local hardware store where he began getting ideas that inspired him to start It Could Be Worse... The cartoons were initially picked up by a Grand Forks Herald publication, Yesteryears, in 2001. Edwards then became an editorial cartoonist for the Grand Forks Herald. Since then he has been asked to do work for the University of North Dakota, North Dakota city commissions, special projects, and for several other North Dakota, western Minnesota, and Montana publications. In 2011, he and his wife left Montana and moved to Arlington, Washington, to be close to their daughter and her family. In late 2012, he began drawing the cartoon strip for the North County Outlook, a newspaper covering several towns north of Everett, Washington. In Arlington he added to his list of jobs: row boss at a strawberry farm and helping run a pumpkin patch and corn maze during the Halloween season. It was at the corn maze that he got to see one of his drawings turned into a six acre corn maze.
-Written by Steve Edwards and Sarah Matter, Special Collections Intern
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections
Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.
Acquisition Source: Steve Edwards, Arlington, Washington
Acquisition Method: Donation; Acc.#2012-3163
Related Materials: For more information please see http://library.und.edu/holdings/007254650.
Related Publications:
A Cartoonist's View of Life in the Red River Valley by Steve Edwards. Gilby, N.D. : Steve Edwards, 2004.
It could be worse-- life in the upper Midwest by Steve Edwards. Gilby, N.D. : Steve Edwards, [2005?].
Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Steve Edwards Papers. OGLMC 1598, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.
Processing Information: Collection was processed by Sarah Matter, Special Collections intern, in September 2012.
Finding Aid Revision History: The finding aid was created in Archon in September 2012.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Biographical Information],
[Series 2: Original Cartoons],
[Series 3: Sketches],
[Series 4: Newspaper and Magazine Clippings],
[All]
- Series 1: Biographical Information
- The first series contains articles relating to the life of Steve Edwards, the origins of It Could Be Worse..., and opinion articles authored by or regarding Edwards.
- Series 2: Original Cartoons
- The second series consists of original, full sized It Could Be Worse... cartoons. These have been digitized and can be viewed at the UND Scholarly Commons.
- Sub-Series 1: Original Cartons 1-908
- This sub-series contains original full sized cartoons, numbered 1-908. There is minimal duplicate numbering and no cartoons are numbered 701-799. The creation date, scanned date, publication date and periodical name are written on the back of most of the cartoons.
- Box 1
- Folder 2: Original Cartoons 1-50
- Folder 3: Original Cartoons 51-100
- Folder 4: Original Cartoons 101-150
- Folder 5: Original Cartoons 151-200
- Folder 6: Original Cartoons 201-250
- Folder 7: Original Cartoons 251-300
- Folder 8: Original Cartoons 301-350
- Folder 9: Original Cartoons 351-400
- Folder 10: Original Cartoons 401-450
- Folder 11: Original Cartoons 451-500
- Folder 12: Original Cartoons 501-550
- Folder 13: Original Cartoons 551-600
- Folder 14: Original Cartoons 601-650
- Folder 15: Original Cartoons 651-700
- Folder 16: Original Cartoons 800-849
- Folder 17: Original Cartoons 850-899
- Folder 18: Original Cartoons 900-908
- Folder 2: Original Cartoons 1-50
- Box 1
- Sub-Series 2: "Green Cartoon Book Original Drawings" 1-160
- Sub-Series 3: Miscellaneous
- Box 1
- Folder 23: "Western News and Tobacco Valley News (unpublished) - Montana", 2007-2010
- Folder 24: "YESTERYEARS published but not used in second book.", 2003-2005
- Folder 25: "North Dakota Weeklies", 2006-2010
- Folder 26: Montana Mining Association, 2007-2008
- Folder 27: "Used somewhere but duplicates", 2004-2005
- Folder 28: Ness Publishing, 2005
- Folder 29: University of North Dakota Alumni Review, 2004-2008
- Folder 30: Dakota Student, 2005
- Folder 31: Ag Week, 2004-2005
- Folder 32: The Leader Grand Forks Air Force Base, 2004
- Folder 33: Grand Forks Public Health Department Mosquito Control Newsletter, 2007-2008
- Folder 34: Altru "211 Hotline" Project, 2011
- Folder 35: "GF Editorial, Published but not used in second book", 2003-2005
- Folder 23: "Western News and Tobacco Valley News (unpublished) - Montana", 2007-2010
- Box 1
- Sub-Series 1: Original Cartons 1-908
- Series 3: Sketches
- The third series includes four 8.5 x 11 inch acid free sketch books that consist of drawings from December 2001 to April 2011. In addition, there is a 4 1/2 x 3 1/4 inch memo book that consists of sketches and brainstorms.
- Series 4: Newspaper and Magazine Clippings
- The fourth series consists of clippings from newspapers are magazines which featured Edwards' cartoons.
- Box 2
- Folder 3: Yesteryears, 2001-2002
- Folder 4: Yesteryears, 2003-2005
- Folder 5: Grand Forks Herald Editorials, 2002-2003
- Folder 6: Grand Forks Herald Editorials, 2004-2006
- Folder 7: Grand Forks Herald Editorials, 2007-2009
- Folder 8: Grand Forks Herald Editorials, 2010-2011
- Folder 9: Ness Publishing, 2005-2006
- Folder 10: Ness Publishing, 2007-2008
- Folder 11: Ness Publishing, 2009-2010
- Folder 12: Western News, 2007-2008
- Folder 13: Western News, 2009-2011
- Folder 14: Grand Forks Public Health Department Mosquito Control, 2003-2009
- Folder 15: Dakota Shopper, 2002-2003
- Folder 16: AgWeek, 2004-2006
- Folder 17: University of North Dakota Alumni Review, 2004-2009
- Folder 18: The Leader (Grand Forks Air Force Base), 2004-2005
- Folder 19: The Dakota Student, 2005
- Folder 20: The Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce, 2005-2006
- Cartoon clippings documenting Edwards' work with the Grand Forks, North Dakota Chamber of Commerce publications The Depot Advocate and The Voice.
- Folder 21: The Valley Buzz, 2005-2006
- It Could Be Worse... cartoon clippings from The Valley Buzz.
- Folder 22: The Flame Vol. 43, 2005
- National Alpha Lambda Delta publication featuring a Steve Edwards' It Could Be Worse... cartoon on page 31. Steve Edwards was the chapter adviser for Alpha Lambda Delta at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks in 2005.
- Folder 23: Walsh County Press, 2006-2008
- It Could Be Worse... cartoon clippings from the Walsh Country Press, Park River, North Dakota.
- Folder 24: The Advocate of the The Arc, Upper Valley, Grand Forks, North Dakota, 2006
- Clippings of It Could Be Worse... in The Advocate published by The Arc, Upper Valley, Grand Forks, North Dakota.
- Folder 25: Erskine Echo, 2006
- Clippings of It Could Be Worse... cartoons featured in the Erskine Echo, Erskine, Minnesota.
- Folder 26: Tobacco Valley News, 2010-2011
- It Could Be Worse... newspaper clippings from Tobacco Valley News, Eureka, Montana. Also included are email communications between Steve Edwards and the editor of Tobacco Valley News regarding price negotiations.
- Folder 27: Altru Community Safety "211" Project, 2011
- Compilation of cartoons by Steve Edwards for the Altru Community Safety "211" Suicide Prevention Hotline Project. In addition, project invoice and email communication is included.
- Folder 3: Yesteryears, 2001-2002
- Box 2
Browse by Series:
[Series 1: Biographical Information],
[Series 2: Original Cartoons],
[Series 3: Sketches],
[Series 4: Newspaper and Magazine Clippings],
[All]