The Oregon Cartoon Project (then operating as Oregon Cartoon Institute) is responsible for a few “Historic Firsts” in the history of Oregon cartooning and animation.

First OHS exhibit about print cartooning history: Comic City USA
OHS placed both key members of OCI, Dennis Nyback and Anne Richardson, on the planning committee for their first exhibit exploring Oregon’s print cartooning history. COMIC CITY USA opened in September 2016. OCI’s 2016 UNDERGROUND USA symposium was designed as a complement to Comic City USA, and was supported by OHS.


First OPB program about animation history: Oregon Animation Magic
OPB producer Eric Slade consulted intensively with OCI during the production of the first Art Beat program to explore Oregon animation history. Oregon Animation Magic aired April 2017.
As he began to understand the difficulty of creating an authoritative timeline, Eric Slade wrote: “Yes, someone needs to get a huge grant to research this all for a couple of years!” OCI agrees with this assessment.

First Oscar nominated Oregon filmmaker, rediscovered: James Blue
When NWFC hosted the premiere screening of Dan Miller’s documentary, CITIZEN BLUE, OCI worked closely with NWFC and the James Blue Alliance to create the panel discussion for that event. The James Blue Alliance, founded by Richard Blue, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Oregon’s first Oscar nominated filmmaker, James Blue (1930-1980). CITIZEN BLUE
premiered at NWFC in October 2017. OCI’s role in the rediscovery of this Oregon artist began when James Ivory brought up the name of James Blue, as a forgotten figure, at the Oregon Sesquicentennial Film Festival in 2009.