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Special Collections Research Center
William & Mary Special Collections Research CenterMariaelena DiBenigno, SCRC staff
Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
Cece Bell (William & Mary class of 1992) is an American children's book author and illustrator. She has published 11 books, with several other co-written with her husband, Tom Angleberger. In 2015, her graphic novel, El Deafo, won a Newberry Honor and the Eisner Award for Best Publication for Kids. El Deafo is the semiautobiographical story of a hearing impaired bunny who finds superpowers in her new hearing aid. Much of her work uses speech bubbles to define dialogue.
Materials displays the creative process for Cece Bell, an award-winning alumnae (class of 1992) author and illustrator of children's books, from initial brainstorming to finished product. The collection also shows editing interactions between Bell, her husband Tom Angleberger (also class of 1992), and others. Includes story development, illustration tests and sketches.
Artwork done by Bell during her undergraduate years at William & Mary, from 1988-1992. Includes watercolors, prints, pastels, and pencil sketches. From Bell's student work, one can see how she developed the whimsical and imaginative qualities found in her later artistic work, especially in the pastels and prints. Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and "Jabberwocky" feature prominently in Bell's early work. She also depicted the university grounds and nearby neighborhoods. Some of the artwork appears to depict her now husband, Tom Angleberger.
Artwork arranged according to media: watercolors, print, pastel, and other media.
Featuring a plate, white porch with the United States flag, and steep roofs through trees
Plate scene is labeled in pencil on back: "Cece Bell, Untitled, Summer 90, Watercolor."
On loose sheets of watercolor paper
William & Mary campus scenes,
Pastel watercolors, abstract, on watercolor paper from spiral notebook or loose sheets
3 watercolors of William & Mary's campus possibly featuring the Crim Dell, the Sunken Gardens, Lake Matoaka, and either the President's House or the Brafferton.
Pastel watercolors, abstract, on watercolor paper from spiral notebook or loose sheets
No signature or title labels
3 watercolors of William & Mary's campus and the Historic Area, 2 torn from watercolor paper spiral
2 watercolors, one with red alligator, crocodile, pencil, flag; and one with two multicolored alarm clocks with faces and small figures in the lower left hand corner (pencil sketch of clock on folded sheet)
2 watercolors, possible of William & Mary's campus, torn from watercolor notebook
Unevenly shaped black and white paintings, possibly Gouache
One painting, perhaps oil and watercolor, depicts a close-up eyeball
One painting, perhaps oil and watercolor, depicts a cow with bridle
2 watercolors of William & Mary's campus
Black and white print (from an etching?) of bespectacled, short-haired head wearing a dress with pinafore and holding a vial labeled "drink me." The figure stands on a checkered floor with a small door in the background. The figure casts a shadow, and has a small cat peeking out from the hair above the left ear.
Labeled, in pencil, "2/90, 'Curiouser + Curiouser!' C Bell."
Two prints. One is matted, with pink text in foreground and the Jabberwocky monster in the background (black and white), titled "Jabberwocky" in pencil, with Cece Bell signature, "With special thanks to Lewis Carroll" on print's lower right hand corner, 21 x 16"
Second print is un-matted with text in white and the Jabberwocky monster in the background (black and white), "With special thanks to Lewis Carroll" on print's lower right hand corner, some brown stains at top of print and along bottom border, 23 x 18.5"
Images of a spiky haired, bespectacled figure, with arms outstretched and purple shirt, with one collagraph textured plate, made of cardboard pieces painted with watercolor, 12 x 18"
Second collagraph print, brown hair, green and black-lined background, green eyes, 14.5 x 23"
Mono-print
Matted print of a large eyed, mouth agape figure with detached hands and feet, mustache and either a hat or hair
Labeled, in green marker, "Fritz Junior" with some sizing specs: "126%, p 4" 19/180
Figure, with curly limbs, eyeglasses, deerstalker cap, shorts and t-shirt, creeps away from an open door in the background
Drawn on 4 sheets of white paper taped together, no label or signature
Red-haired figure with green and orange hat, blue shirt, purple pants, green booties, black jester neck ruffle, and yellow wings leaping over the tops of two Pepto-Bismol bottles
Titled, in black and pink, "Pepto prancing pixie"
Light pencil tracing on back of a bike, motorcycle, scooter
Series contains materials from several of Bell's book projects. Includes initial story and picture brainstorming, draft sketches, illustration roughs, storyboards, manuscripts and typescripts, color experiments and specifications, book dummies and mock-ups, planning documents, and publishing house correspondence. Each book project shows Bell's process of writing and illustrating her books, from rough draft to finished project.
Series arranged chronologically by book publication date.
Within each title the materials are organized according to stages of production, from rough to finished.
Food Friends is a board book that shows complementary food pairing familiar to children, i.e. cookies and milk, bacon and eggs.
Sub-series includes draft pages and illustrations, and book jacket mock-ups.
Bug Patrol was written by Denise Dowling Mortensen, with illustrations by Bell. The children's book follows Captain Bob on his job policing various bug behaviors, including housing protests and noise violations.
Subseries includes mock up pages, draft text, and colored pencil illustrations.
Rabbit and Robot is the first in an illustrated series of books for early readers. It focuses on the funny friendship between a rabbit and a robot.
Sub-series includes book dummy, draft text, chapter outlines, book mapping, cover options, and pencil sketches.
I Yam A Donkey is a children's book that details the silly conversation between an excited donkey and a grammar-focused yam.
Subseries includes color painted cartoon cells on waxy paper, white outlines, and some balloon speech bubbles.
Sock Monkey Boogie Woogie is a children's book that continues the adventures of Sock Monkey as he attends an important dance and seeks a dance partner.
Sub-series includes color tests, book mapping, a book dummy, page outlines, and illustrations on tracing paper.
Sock Monkey Rides Again is a children's book that details Sock Monkey's latest acting role in a movie about singing cowboys.
Sub-series includes email exchanges, text drafts, and page mock-ups.
Inspector Flytrap was written by Tom Angleberger with illustrations by Bell. It is the first in a chapter book series for young readers. The book follows the adventures of the Inspector Flytrap's Detective Agency, aided by Nina the Goat.
Sub-series includes pink post-it note edits and revisions, draft text and book outlines.
Bee-Wigged is a children's picture book about a lonely bee seeking friendship.
Sub-series includes sketches, planning documents, handwritten notes, draft pages, book mock-ups, full size pages and illustrations on tracing paper.
Pages are pencil sketches on tracing paper, 15 numbered sheets
Pages are pencil sketches on tracing paper, 9 numbered sheets
Pages are in black and white, 16 numbered sheets
Illustrations are in black and white, 10 numbered sheets
Printed copies of Bee-Wigged sketches, 10 numbered sheets
Itty Bitty is a children's board book about a very small dog who decorates his new home, a hollowed out dog bone.
Sub-series includes draft pages, font ideas, dog book title list, fabric swatch ideas, and illustration sketches on tracing paper.
Rabbit and Robot and Ribbit is an illustrated book in a series for young readers that continues the storyline of Rabbit and Robot. In this book, the pair meets up with a new frog friend, Ribbit, and the trio works to play together well.
Sub-series includes drafts of the book text, book jacket mock-ups, revisions, and draft illustrations.
Crankee Doodle is an illustrated children's book that plays on the traditional "Yankee Doodle" song. The funny storyline follows Mr. Doodle, who is very cranky and his horse is unable to change this bad attitude.
Sub-series includes text draft, book jacket mock-ups, revisions, and draft illustrations.
Series contains Bell's contributions to edited anthologies, collections, and previously published items. Materials include rough drafts, drawing outlines, color descriptions, and other elements from Bell's creative process.
Series arranged chronologically by publication date.
Draft of Bell's short story, including color choices and descriptions, 44 pages.
Bell contributed the comic, "Crazy Little Thing Called Lunch!" to the comic collection – an homage to the Sunday comics page edited by Jennifer L. Holm, Matthew Holm, and Jarrett J. Krosoczka.
Other contributors include Peanuts and Jason Shiga.
Includes Bell's notes in pencil, draft illustrations, 7 pages, dimensions and Ef Deafo size mentioned.
Bell's contribution is "A Most Serious Recitation of the Poem 'Trees.'"
Funny Girl is an anthology of funny stories, edited by Betsey Bird, written by and featuring women. Other contributors include Lisa Graff, Raina Telgemeier, and Akilah Hughes.
Includes Bell's notes about language, font to use, pencil on ripped out notebook paper, red hearts stamped across first page, orange highlighter on some sections, 7 pages.
Bell wrote the Foreword to Beverly Cleary's 1964 Ribsy, a novel from a dog's point of view about being separated from his owner. It is the sixth book in Cleary's Henry Huggins series and contains illustrations by Louis Darling.
Series contains publications (magazines, newspapers, journals) that feature stories and photographs on Bell's childhood, education, and career path as a children's author and illustrator. Most detail her experiences with childhood hearing loss and her desire to be understood and respected.
Series arranged chronologically by publication date. Stories about Bell are marked.
News story about Bell runs p. 14-16 and includes her husband, fellow author-illustrator Tom Angleberger. Magazine includes a small post-it: "We loved the college photo!"
Article covers Bell and Angleberger's time at William & Mary, including working in the graphics department of the Flat Hat student newspaper staff.
Other topics include their publications, working styles, and how they collaborate.
First issue of the magazine, and the article about Bell runs p. 34-43.
Bell discusses her development of the main character from El Deafo, her experiences with hearing loss, her writing process, and answers questions about her childhood, favorite book, and inspirations
Newspaper published on 20 January 2017, and Bell's comic is featured on the 6th page from back, publication tagline: "A Woman's Place is in the Revolution."
Published contributions were selected from "over 1000 submissions that were sent in from across the world." Published by Desert Island, Brooklyn, New York.
Bell's contribution is "Voice" and it is a graphic representation of comments made about actor Marlee Matlin during the 2016 presidential election.
From the December 2017 magazine issue, story runs p. 11-15, includes list of Bell's published works, her experiences with hearing loss and the Phonic Ear hearing aid, her career path to illustrating and writing children's books, and photographs from her childhood and her award-winning book, El Deafo.
Series consists of fan mail Bell received from readers. Most letters concern the Sock Monkey book series. Some correspondence from individual children and their parents; others are from school classrooms and camps. There are two photographs of Bell performing in front of a school-age audience.
Series arranged chronologically.
20 letters to Bell, thanking her for a class visit to Salem Elementary School, dated 27 January 2005
Thank you card to Bell, dated 16 February 2006
Large poster, dated 13 April 2006, thanking Bell for a visit to East Salem and the Camp Shining Kids, signed by the students
Thank you note from the Donahue family, dated 16 December 2008
Thank you letters from child and parent, dated 27 January 2009
Flyer for night with Cece Bell at Christiansburg Elementary School, 26 February 2009
Thank you to Bell from Christiansburg Elementary School, dated 5 March 2009
Thank you card to Bell, dated 16 March 2009
21 drawings to Bell from Charlottesville area, postmarked 26 April 2009
15 drawings, on lined composition paper, to Bell thanking her for talking to their class, 3 June 2009
21 letters from students at SIS Parkside 101 in China, each addressed to "Cece" and discussing their favorite books
Two photos of Bell in front of an audience
Sock Monkey book, handmade by a child and illustrated with crayon
Letter from a teacher, Kimberly, in China, written in blue marker on fish-themed stationery
Handmade book of drawings from Camp Shining Star Kids, titled Sock Monkey Goes to East Salem, with 17 student pictures with Sock Monkey bound together with black ribbon
Thank you drawings from Christiansburg Elementary School students, with 20 pictures