Set Description:
The #21-26 issues are tough.
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| Slot: |
Bone 1 |
| Item: |
Bone 1 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
4017528001
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith story, cover, and art. 1st appearance of Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, Smiley Bone, the Great Red Dragon, and Ted
*1st appearance of the Stupid, Stupid Rat Creatures*
Synopsis
The spectacular beginning to an epic saga! Split from his cousins in a strange land, Fone Bone must fend for himself while being followed by the Great Red Dragon as well as a couple of mangy rat creatures.
The Slab
Second highest grade! Purchased from Annihilus via the boards. Annihilus was the original owner who bought it from the M&M Comic Service out of Chicago. He occasionally took chances on independents at the time and struck gold with this one. Thank you very much for selling me this gem! It was originally graded by CGC in 2007 as a 9.4. Received Grader's Notes of multiple dents on front cover. Had it pressed by Matt Nelson of Classics Incorporated and came back as a 9.6.
I had it pressed and regraded in early 2022 as I thought it had a shot at 9.8 given my analysis of scans from other 9.8s in past auctions. It has no color breaking creases anywhere but I believe it’s the corners on the spine that keep it from NM/MT. Still a fantastic copy IMHO. Graded on March 21, 2022.
Inside The Comic
Twenty four pages of story with no ads. The inside front cover has an image of Thorn’s map in the dirt along with the only credit: By Jeff Smith. Obviously, there are no letters in this issue. The back cover has a panel from page 9 with Fone Bone shouting a warning to Phoney and Smiley.
It’s easy to forget that this was the first comic Jeff ever worked on given the fantastic quality of every page. He did a comic strip called Thorn when he was a student at Ohio State (which contained much of the existing Bone story) and worked as an animator at Character Builders. which he co-founded. Combining comic strip and animating skills helped him immensely in producing this finished product. He was 31 when the issue finally hit the comic store shelves.
Ad
The inside back cover is an advertisement for Bone #2 with a black & white image of the cover.
Estimated Print Run: 3000 (this number is from Jeff Smith himself who has made this claim in several interviews over the years)
Estimated Copies Sold: In a recent article about Disney Adventures magazine, Jeff said that #1 sold about 1,500 copies which was enough to pay for the printing and a little extra. The sales of #2-4 dropped, however, and #4 couldn’t pay for the printing.
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| Slot: |
Bone 2 |
| Item: |
Bone 2 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1016835001
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith cover, story, and art. 1st appearance of Thorn.
*1st appearance of Miz Possum and the Possum Kids*
Synopsis
After escaping from a rat creature attack to protect the Possum Kids, Fone Bone stumbles upon Thorn (love at first site to say the least!). Although she doesn’t believe his dragon stories, she decides to help him find his cousins anyway. Contains the classic “Stupid, stupid rat creatures” panel on page 9.
The Slab
Highest grade! Won in the Jolly Comics auction on ComicLink in 2017. It’s a beautiful 9.8 that’s very deserving of its grade. Officially graded by CGC on July 19, 2010.
Inside The Comic
Twenty three pages of story. The inside front cover has a drawing of Fone Bone in front of the Possum Kids from page 3 along with the credits: By Jeff Smith at the top and Cover Airbrush by David Reed on the bottom. This is the last issue without a letters page. The back cover has a panel from page 9 with Fone Bone saying that the rat creatures would have to be pretty stupid to jump on the branch with him (directly precedes the “Stupid, stupid rat creatures!” panel).
Ads
The 24th page has quotes from Will Eisner and Kim Deitch praising the first issue. Boneville.com often highlights the handwritten letter Jeff received from Mr. Eisner it indeed has this quote. The inside back cover has an ad for #3 with the cover displayed in black & white. It also has a P.O. Box for letters and subscriptions
Estimated Copies Sold: ????
Back Cover Collectible
Bone #2 Image Comics
This is the reprint of #2 by Image Comics that was officially published in February 1996. The cover is every bit as great as the original and became a successful print & poster as well. It also has a cool pin-up of Madman and the Bones by Michael Allred within.
The comic itself was signed by Jeff at the 2014 Boston Comic-Con with a Ted sketch. Big thanks to facilitator dscott for getting this done!
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| Slot: |
Bone 3 |
| Item: |
Bone 3 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0800441001
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith cover, story, and art. 1st appearance of Gran'ma Ben
*1st issue with the Bone-a-Fides*
Synopsis
Phoney reappears and he's grumpy as hell! Not the best of moods to be in when meeting Gran'ma Ben for the first time. At least Ted the Bug helps him when introduced to the Great Red Dragon. Funniest issue of the entire series and best from cover to cover in my opinion.
The Slab
Highest grade! This was the first copy of #3 that reached 9.8. Submitted by and bought from mschmidt. Officially graded on August 5, 2008.
Inside The Comic
Twenty two pages of story and one & a quarter pages of letters. The inside front cover has a drawing of Fone Bone walking with a bucket from page 4 along with the credits: By Jeff Smith at the top and Cover Airbrush by David Reed on the bottom. The back cover has a panel from page 17 where Thorn and Fone Bone yell about a Phoney-looking missile headed their way.
Bone-a-Fides
First issue with the Bone-a-Fides section which features letters from the readers. Jeff says that someone named Gabe Howard wrote in and suggested the name. The very first letter says “So who are you?” which is perfect. He later asked Jeff if any of his original art for #1 was for sale which I thought was funny. Thank the maker that all of the original covers and pages made it to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum for everyone to enjoy.
All of the letters are highly complimentary of issue 1 for both the art and the comedy. One fan didn’t like that it was black & white but Jeff explained that two of his favorite comic strips, Thimble Theater and Pogo, were both black & white and he enjoyed the aesthetic. He didn’t rule out color though and said “Maybe in some future collection of the books…if we get that far.”
Ads
Three quarters of the last page has an ad for back issues of #1-3. If you bought all three, he’d sign #1 and sketch Fone Bone on the inside cover for just $8.85! The inside back cover has a black & white preview of the cover art for #4.
Estimated Copies Sold: ????
Back Cover Collectible
Bone 20th Anniversary Collector’s Box Set
In honor of one of the first Bone-a-Fides’ letter begging for color, here is the first edition of the complete colorized Bone saga in one volume. The box also includes a 22k gold-plated Phoney coin, pewter figures of the three Bone cousins, a DVD of the documentary Jeff Smith, BONE, and the Changing Face of Comics, a signed & numbered colored print of Fone Bone in a forest (previously unreleased), and a miniature facsimile of Bone #1.
I got this from the Tuki: Fight For Fire Kickstarter campaign along with my piece of Original Art. I’ve only ever read Bone #1 in color and I've never really had a desire to read the rest. Bone will always be a black & white masterpiece to me and that’s how I choose to remember it. The only time I’ll ever view it in color is when the animated series is finally completed…
There was also an edition of this collection which came with a painted original art illustration of Fone Bone: pencilled and inked by Jeff and watercolored by Steve Hamaker. It was illustrated in the style of the Bone #11 cover and most of them look beautiful. Unfortunately, 2011 was a year that I took off from collecting so I never bought one when it was initially released. There are 50 of them out there so perhaps I’ll find one in the future some day…
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| Slot: |
Bone 4 |
| Item: |
Bone 4 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1108099001
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith story and art; 1st appearance of Kingdok and The Hooded One (these now appear on CGC labels)
*1st time Gran’ma Ben gets the gitchy feelin’*
Synopsis
The dark undercurrent surrounding the valley is finally revealed with the first appearance of Kingdok and the mysterious Hooded One. But why are they looking for Phoney? Meanwhile, Thorn, Fone Bone, and Gran’ma plan to travel in-town for the Spring Festival but Phoney decides to make the trip early for nefarious reasons.
The Slab
Single highest graded copy! Bought off eBay as an old label 9.6. Received Grader's Notes that mentioned slight stress lines on the front cover. Had it pressed by Matt Nelson of Classics Incorporated and came back as a 9.9. Currently (3/2026) this is the only MINT comic of the regular series graded by CGC (9.9 or 10). Officially graded on October 23, 2012.
Inside The Comic
Twenty two pages of story and two full pages of letters. The inside front cover has a drawing of an angry Fone Bone from page 5 along with the credits: By Jeff Smith at the top and Cover Airbrush by David Reed on the bottom. A caption appears for the first time saying “After being run out of Boneville, the three Bone cousins are separated and lost in a vast, uncharted desert. One by one they find their way into a deep, forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures…” This prologue would be a staple for all future issues in the series. The back cover has a panel from page 5 where Phoney reveals to Fone that he nailed Gran’ma Ben’s bloomers to the side of the barn.
Bone-a-Fides
The Bone-a-Fides include entries from such luminaries as Frank Gladstone from Disney Animation, Stan Sakai, and Chuck Dixon (who declared himself a BONE-A-PHILE). There was also a letter from a 22 year-old Shane Glines who would go onto work for DC Comics among others. Jeff said that his samples were stunning and he “had no doubt you were going to make it in this field!”
Many of the other letters compared Jeff’s art to Walt Kelly as well as Bill Watterson and everyone seemed to enjoy the diversity of characters. One guy, who went to Ohio State but never spared the $2 for Thorn: Tales from the Lantern, asked for a second chance at the book. Jeff flatly refused to give up any of his copies. He smartly said that some of the upcoming story would be ruined.
Ad
The inside back cover has a black & white preview for the cover to #5 as well as a back issue order form (#1 on its second printing).
Estimated Copies Sold: ????
Back Cover Collectible
Thorn: Tales from the Lantern
For years, I avoided buying one of these. I’d seen samples of the comic strip here & there and thought they were terrible. Combined with the fact that the book was merely a reprint of the original newspaper strips and contained slightly less than half the total amount, I was happy sitting on the sidelines. The prices they were getting on eBay were out of whack to me and most of the examples were in terrible condition anyway. Some of the comments I made on the CGC boards along these lines are downright embarrassing today ;-)
The historical significance of this book didn’t dawn on me until decades later when I finally sat down and read every strip Jeff produced (via The Lantern archives). I came to two conclusions: (1) Thorn was a college comic strip by a creator experimenting with the form AND (2) Thorn: Tales from the Lantern was Jeff & Vijaya’s first foray into the publishing world…with an idea that would become one of the greatest comic book series of all-time. I was too hung up on the content of the strips themselves and how the primary story was constantly interrupted by either gags or an irrelevant character. They should be enjoyed for being products of their time and the seeds of something greater.
One day when randomly perusing YouTube, I came upon a video called HOLY GRAIL! Super Rare Bone Comic from 1983 FOUND in a Thrift Store for $4! Unbelievable! from Cartoonist Kayfabe. A Columbus-based artist named Bryan Moss actually did find a copy in a local thrift store for the $3.95 cover price and didn’t know its history before making the purchase. He obviously learned more before helping with the video and provided some good insights into the content.
Being the comic nerd that I am, I watched the entire video as they went through the book page by page. They didn’t appear to harm it in any way (lol) and the condition was truly remarkable (VF/NM was my initial estimation). Bryan made mention of his Patreon account at the end of the video and I quickly subscribed to send him a message about purchasing the book. He was a very nice guy and sent me a bunch of pictures to help me determine its condition. We came to a compromise on the price and it was in my hands about a week later.
The overall condition is great but there was something that couldn’t be seen: a crease on the top edge of the front cover. I don’t think Bryan was an expert on grading and didn’t think he was trying to hide it. I can now see the hint of a crease in the video so it definitely wasn’t the result of poor shipping or handling. It was simply my own fault for not noticing. My revised grade is VF+ (8.5) at best but probably VF (8.0). The color strike on the Thorn title is still impressive as are the quality of the pages.
A couple months later, I actually sent this to CGC for encapsulation only to find out that they didn’t grade them anymore (officially stopped in 9/2021). The thickness of the book allows it to move around too much in the slab which could cause damage in extreme conditions (primarily when shipping). The famous 9.8 that sold at Heritage was an apparent victim of this problem as it was regraded as a 9.2 about a year after its purchase. You can see my rejection stamp in the pics ;-)
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| Slot: |
Bone 5 |
| Item: |
Bone 5 Signature |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1019270020
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith cover, story, and art.
*1st appearance of Lucius Down*
Synopsis
The rat creatures attack Gran'ma Ben's home while Phoney finds Smiley at the Barrel Haven pub. Lucius Down, the pub's proprietor, helps Phoney realize that his Boneville legal tender has no value in the valley. Very well drawn action sequences by Mr. Smith in this issue.
The Slab
By far, the hardest issue in the series to get in 9.8. This is the highest grade in the Signature Series category (tied with one other)! Sig & Ted sketch were secured by facilitator Rich Henn at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con who then sold the book on eBay to Jolly Comics. I won it at auction on ComicLink in 2017. The book was graded all the way back on January 5th, 2011.
Inside The Comic
Twenty two pages of story and two full pages of letters. The inside front cover has a drawing of an airborne Fone Bone from page 21 with the brief prologue and credits: By Jeff Smith at the top and Cover Airbrush by David Reed” on the bottom. The back cover has a panel from page 5 showing Fone Bone urging Thorn to “GET UP!”
Bone-a-Fides
The Bone-a-Fides are a good mix of fan praise and professional adulation (including one from Scott McCloud, cartoonist and comic author). There were a couple from Europe that I found surprising. Considering that there was no way the stories would have been translated yet, how were they distributed outside of North America so early in Cartoon Books history? There are tons of European fans nowadays and, perhaps, getting there early was one of Jeff’s key strategies. Or a happy accident…
Walt Kelly’s influence continued to be mentioned along with Charles Schulz and Chuck Jones. Another fan brought up the Thorn comic strip from OSU and enjoyed the addition of Smiley to the mix (who did in fact appear in the original strip but only briefly). Warner Bros animator Glen Murakami dropped a short note saying that he liked #1-3 and couldn’t wait for #4.
Ad
The inside back cover has images of all five issues as well as information for ordering back issues and subscribing to the title (#1, 2, and 3 were all on second printings).
Estimated Copies Sold: ????
Back Cover Collectible
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| Slot: |
Bone 6 |
| Item: |
Bone 6 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1201201004
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith cover, story, and art.
*1st appearance of Jonathan Oaks*
Synopsis
Following the rat creature attack on Gran'ma Ben's home, Fone Bone, Thorn, and Gran'ma arrive in Barrelhaven and rejoin Smiley and Phoney. The Great Red Dragon and Granny also have a brief reunion and we finally get a more detailed picture of why Phoney was run out of Boneville. The recap is hilarious!
The Slab
Highest grade! This was the first 9.8 of #6 and was the lone example for many years. It was graded by CGC on August 19, 2014 and purchased from an eBay auction. Still looks great!
Inside The Comic
Twenty two pages of story and two full pages of letters. The inside front cover has an unusually small drawing of Fone Bone riding a cow from page 15 along with the brief prologue and credits: By Jeff Smith at the top and Cover Airbrush by David Reed on the bottom. The back cover has a panel from page 16 with Gran’ma Ben saying “Stop th’ cows” in between Fone Bone and Thorn.
Timing
This issue took awhile to come out. Bone #4 took four months, #5 took three, and #6 took five (#7, however, would only take one). Four issues were released in the second half of 1991 and only four total for all of 1992. As I learned later, Jeff & Vijaya were in the process of moving to California while he was inking this issue. Vijaya took a job in Silicon Valley which meant she wasn’t the full-time president yet. Drawing was probably taking a backseat to all of the administrative stuff that Jeff was going through. The good news is that the quality remained the same which was the most important thing for us fans.
Bone-a-Fides
The Bone-a-Fides had a good mix of regular readers and pros including Bill Wray from The Ren & Stimpy Show, Marvel editor Tom Brevoort, and the one & only Charles Vess, who was working on Sandman at the time. While complimenting Jeff for making possums cute, Charles made a memorable comment about how ugly they truly are in the real world…and their kids are even worse!
For the first time, a fan asked him if he had any plans to make an animated feature. Jeff said “An animated feature? I’m just starting to play around with T-shirts and pins!” The reader also asked why he changed the title from Thorn to Bone when transitioning from comic strip to comic book. Jeff admitted that Fone Bone was really the center of the strip.
Ads
The inside back cover has an ad for a signed print titled Spirit of Adventure which was limited to 100 copies and cost $100. There’s also information about ordering a subscription and/or back issues.
Estimated Copies Sold: ????
Back Cover Collectible
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| Slot: |
Bone 7 |
| Item: |
Bone 7 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0767614002
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith story, cover, and art
*1st appearance of Wendell*
Synopsis
Fone joins Thorn at the Spring Fair where she discovers Tom, the pretty-boy Honey Booth attendant featured on the cover. Meanwhile, Phoney & Smiley lay the groundwork for their Cow Race betting scheme.
The Slab
Highest grade! Bought it on eBay and it is a magnificent NM/MT copy. Graded by CGC on April 20, 2006 and hasn’t been touched since. I don’t think it’s ever been pressed.
Inside The Comic
Twenty pages of story and three full pages of letters. The inside front cover has Fone Bone struggling to climb a tree from page 8 along with the brief prologue and credits: By Jeff Smith at the top and Cover Airbrush by David Reed on the bottom. The back cover has a panel from page 3 with the pretty-boy’s wise crack about Fone Bone’s nose and Fone Bone getting miffed.
Bone-a-Fides
The Bone-a-Fides had letters from fans only this time and Jeff apologized for the delay in getting #6 to the stands (mentioning his big move to California with Vijaya). He also missed a bunch of the checks that people sent for back issues which I’m sure was disheartening for someone just starting out. Many of the letters explained how people discovered the comic with one person alluding to the Don Thompson review in Comics Buyer’s Guide #983 (which would be a recurring theme). Several people also referred to the preview in Cerebus #161 which, believe it or not, contains more than half of Bone #3. If this was the first glimpse I had of Bone, I couldn’t get to a comic store fast enough.
I have to add that a fan from Australia wanted to pay for back issues with a Mastercard/Visa because of how messy sending a “cheque” would be. Jeff replied: “I’m not set up for Mastercard/Visa, but Dave Sim highly recommends the service. I’m looking into it.”
Did I say fans only? I think Jeff thought so too because a letter from a guy named Kurt Busiak (misspelled by Jeff) was the last letter included. Kurt said that he heard from Scott McCloud and Peter David about how terrific Bone was and read it on the flight home from SDCC. This was before Busiek’s Marvels fame so you can excuse Jeff for the misprint.
Ads
The last page has a cover preview for #8 and a half page ad for Bone T-Shirts and pins. The inside back cover has the same ad for the signed Spirit of Adventure print as the last issue with a cost of $100. There’s also information about ordering a subscription and/or back issues with a note that the issues of Bone will be the current printing.
Estimated Copies Sold: ????
Back Cover Collectible
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| Slot: |
Bone 8 |
| Item: |
Bone 8 Modern |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1341164006
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith story, cover, and art
*1st appearance of the Mystery Cow
Synopsis
Thorn's strange flashbacks begin and the Mystery Cow makes its first appearance. The cover is easily in my top 5 and is probably my favorite.
The Slab
Highest grade! This was graded back by CGC on June 19, 2017 and remains safe in its plastic shell. The colors look fantastic! Bought off of eBay.
Inside The Comic
Twenty two pages of story and two full pages of letters. The inside front cover has Fone Bone and Phoney angrily pointing fingers at each other from page 6 along with the brief prologue and credits: By Jeff Smith at the top and Cover Airbrush by David Reed on the bottom. The back cover has a panel from page 21 with Fone telling Thorn that they should wake Gran’ma up to show her the map.
Bone-a-Fides
Don Thompson’s review of Bone is mentioned yet again in the Bone-a-Fides and Jeff says the amount of letters that came in because of it were “unbelievable!” He even went so far as to thank a critic for his efforts ;-) Several fans referenced the preview in Cerebus #161 as well, which led Jeff to publicly thank Dave Sim too.
There were a couple of industry letters: one from British comic writer James Robinson and another from Canadian Greg Hyland in a hilarious note of love and hate—love for the comic but hate for his jealousy of Jeff.
Ads
At the moment, I don’t have a raw copy of the first print so I’m not sure what was on the original inside back cover (I sent my last one to be signed for Signature Series back in 2022; hit 9.6). In the third printing, it has the ad for the signed Spirit of Adventure print. There is also information about ordering a subscription and/or back issues with a note that the issues of Bone will be the current printing.
Estimated Copies Sold: ????
Back Cover Collectible
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| Slot: |
Bone 9 |
| Item: |
Bone 9 Signature |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
2815225001
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith story, cover, and art
Synopsis
The locals begin to find Phoney’s Mystery Cow a tad suspicious, Fone Bone starts his love poem to Thorn, and Tom shows up at the race with another gal (what a jerk).
The Slab
Highest grade! Purchased as a 9.8 via a Heritage auction in 2022. UPDATE: Signed by Jeff Smith at the 2023 Heroes Con and officially graded on June 29, 2023. Big thanks to Rich Henn for facilitating!
Inside The Comic
Twenty two pages of story and two full pages of letters. The inside front cover has a drawing of Fone Bone reading Moby Dick from page 12 along with the brief prologue and credits: By Jeff Smith at the top and Cover Airbrush by David Reed on the bottom. The back cover has a panel from page 13 depicting Ted helping Fone with his love poem to Thorn.
Bone-a-Fides
The Bone-a-Fides were mostly from fans this time around with a single industry letter from Dark Horse editor Diana Schutz. She mentioned that she orders her new Bone issues from a local comic store…and that’s the only copy they ever get. She said that publishers getting retail support was absolutely crucial in the comic book publishing game (which I’m sure Jeff & Vijaya took to heart).
A fan from Singapore chimed in and even Jeff was wondering how he got a copy ;-) Several referenced the Cerebus #161 preview as their introduction to Bone as well as the first mention of Wizard in this regard (specifically the Palmer’s Picks section). The readers also continue to cite Pogo as a clear inspiration for Jeff’s work.
For the first time, Jeff mentions logging onto the internet! He didn’t have the hang of it yet but he could be messaged at CompuServe with the address 71732,1342 and Prodigy with address DSHR91A (yes, this is how it was in the beginning). He thanked his friend Kevin Yee for turning him into a cyberpunk.
Ads
The inside back cover has the first advertisement for the first TPB: The Complete Bone Adventures Vol. 1. It reprinted Bone #1-6 and later became known as Out From Boneville (as many of you know, this was the first step into a much larger publishing world for Cartoon Books). The bottom half of the page has the typical information about ordering a subscription and/or back issues with a note that the individual issues of Bone will be the current printing.
Estimated Copies Sold: ????
Back Cover Collectible
Cerebus #161
This is the second in the holy trinity of influence that sent Bone popularity into the stratosphere. I’d also call it the second most influential of the three behind Disney Adventures magazine (described in Bone #12). The comic was published in August 1992 so it came out just after issue 5. Dave Sim makes mention of this in his introduction and what follows is THIRTEEN WHOLE PAGES of Bone #3 plus an ad for subscriptions, back issues, and the Spirit of Adventure print. It starts from page 10 of the third issue and goes all the way to the conclusion where Phoney stuffs Gran’ma’s pie into Fone Bone’s trap. I admit that my pull list was rather short around this time but giving this amount of pages to a book that wasn't financially tied to Sim’s Aardvark-Vanaheim publishing house was incredibly generous and, perhaps, unheard of. Also, it’s quite clear that he and Gerhard really loved the work so that probably played a small part ;-)
My copy isn’t the highest of grades. I’d say 9.4, 9.6 at best after a press, and the pages are probably off-white to white. My initial dream was to have both Dave & Jeff sign a copy but I’m not sure that’s possible nowadays (without having to encapsulate one signature before getting the other). It was easier and much less expensive ten years ago so the perfect time has probably passed me by.
I won’t rehash the conflict between Jeff and Dave but I’m confident in saying that the vast majority of us would be on Jeff’s side.
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| Slot: |
Bone 10 |
| Item: |
Bone 10 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1191698009
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith story, cover, and art. Gran'Ma Ben wins the Great Cow Race
Synopsis
Featuring the start and finish of the Great Cow Race, issue #10 follows Phoney's Mystery Cow as he struggles to keep up with the speedy Gran'Ma Ben (after Lucius slyly bets his bar on Gran’ma to win). Interference by a pack of rat creatures certainly don’t help his cause as the Mystery Cow finishes well behind the defending champ. This is a great action-packed issue written and drawn to perfection by Mr. Smith.
The Slab
Highest grade! My raw comic signed by Jeff at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con. Graded by CGC on September 16, 2013. Thanks to Menace for facilitating!
Inside The Comic
Twenty two pages of story and two full pages of letters. The inside front cover has a drawing of Fone Bone being chased by a rat creature from page 8 along with the brief prologue and credits: By Jeff Smith at the top and Cover Airbrush by David Reed on the bottom. The back cover has a panel from page 13 showing Fone Bone hanging off of a rat creature who’s clutching a teetering tree over a cliff.
Bone-a-Fides
The Bone-a-Fides had some interesting letters from professionals including the late-great George Perez and DC Comics editor Bob Kahan. Beyond his praise for the book, Bob thanked Jeff for doing a Death piece for the upcoming Death Gallery issue (a very cool image with Death wearing a Fone Bone earring in one ear and a Phoney earring in the other). Political and underground cartoonist R.L. Crabb also weighed in with his love for Bone and a shameless plug for Adventures on the Fringe ;-)
In response to a fan and budding comic artist who asked about his lettering, Jeff said that some of it was done by hand and some with a typeface that he created on a computer, which I thought was interesting. He also apologized to his friends on the Prodigy computer network where he attempted to create a second on-line bulletin board but apparently failed. Thankfully, he could still be found on Compuserve (address was still 71732,1342). Those were the days…
Ads
The inside back cover has the very first advertisement for something that’s not Bone-related: Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. Hilariously, the top quarter of the page has Fone Bone and Phoney commenting on both the presence of a non-Bone ad and the book itself (Scott had previously written a fan letter in Bone #5 which I mention in that issue’s description). There is no information about ordering back issues or subscriptions in this issue.
Estimated Copies Sold: ????
Back Cover Collectible
Jeff Smith’s Bone: The Great Cow Race Artist’s Edition by IDW
In honor of the climactic moment of The Great Cow Race, I thought I’d let you know about the very best way to read the entire chapter. This book, put together by the fine folks at IDW, is utterly spectacular. The pages are the same size as the original art (around 11” by 17”) and scanned directly from those original pages (currently housed at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum). As Jeff explains in the introduction, you can see all the minute changes he made to the art as well as much of the blue pencilling underneath the final inks. Seeing the original cover to Bone #8 is truly a site to behold. The pages include issues #7-11 along with their covers, #13 1/2, The Powers The Be story that was originally published in Disney Adventures magazine, a few of the Image reprint covers (#7, 8, & 10), the illustration given to the winner of the Name the Cub contest, the cover to the second printing of The One Volume Edition, and a two page story called Possum Interlude.
There are two versions of this book: the regular hardcover with the Image #10 cover and the slipcased edition that was signed and numbered by Jeff Smith (limited to 125). Please go out and buy one of these editions. You won’t regret it!
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| Slot: |
Bone 11 |
| Item: |
Bone 11 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0236225001
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith story, cover, and art
Synopsis
The Great Cow Race is over and Phoney faces some retribution for his scam while Fone Bone continues his love poem for Thorn. This was the last issue to use newsprint (pulp) paper.
The Slab
Highest grade! Originally from the rolo40 collection that went from eBay seller crackbacks to CGC board member PhiGam and finally to me. Thank you Colin for selling me this beauty! I had it signed at the 2014 Heroes Con (facilitated by Doug Peters). The book was graded by CGC on August 11, 2014.
Inside The Comic
Twenty pages of story and three full pages of letters. The inside front cover has a drawing of Phoney, Smiley, Fone Bone, and Thorn from page 15 along with the brief prologue and credits: By Jeff Smith at the top and Cover Airbrush by David Reed on the bottom. The back cover has a panel from page 2 showing Thorn holding Fone Bone tightly and saying “At least I’ve got you back Fone Bone! I’m never letting you out of my sight again!”
Bone-a-Fides
The Bone-a-Fides had two letters from professionals including Greg Evans (creator of the comic strip Luann) and Teri S. Wood who included an issue of Wandering Star with her note. Two letters came from international locations including Austria and Australia. Alex Hutchinson, the Australian, will become a regular in the letter section and let everyone know about his fledgling Australian BONE Fan Club (they didn’t know what to call themselves yet though; certainly not Boners). Fans mentioned Walt Kelly’s Pogo and Palmer’s Picks from Wizard while Jeff announced that the colored version of Bone #1 will make its debut in Disney Adventures magazine in April 1994. A colorist named Tom Luth, from Groo and Usagi Yojimbo, will handle the painting duties.
Ads
The last page has an ad for three different Bone T-Shirts and three different pins (sold thru Planet Studios). The inside back cover has the reappearance of The Spirit of Adventure print as well as info about back issues and subscriptions.
Estimated Copies Sold: About 14,000
Back Cover Collectible
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| Slot: |
Bone 12 |
| Item: |
Bone 12 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1191698010
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith story, cover, and art
Synopsis
As Phoney continues to scheme for ideas to pay off his massive debt (see cover), Kingdok praises the stupid, stupid rat creatures for disrupting the Cow Race. Meanwhile, Thorn's dreams keep getting stranger.
The Slab
Highest grade! My raw comic signed by Jeff at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Com. Was officially graded by CGC on July 21, 2013. Thanks to Menace for facilitating!
Inside The Comic
Twenty pages of story, two full pages of letters, and two pages of Bone-related ads and previews. The inside front cover has a drawing of Fone and Thorn walking in the forest from page 6 with the brief prologue and credits: By Jeff Smith at the top and Cover Airbrush by David Reed on the bottom. This is the first issue that used calendarized paper for its interior pages and the quality was FAR superior to the newsprint in #1-11 (would continue to be used through issue 55). The back cover has a panel from page 3 showing Smiley greeting Fone Bone & Thorn after a comment about Phoney’s punishment.
Bone-a-Fides
The Bone-a-Fides had a few letters from professionals including Malcolm Bourne (Negative Burn) and Peter MacDougall (inker for Dragon Star) who were both highly complimentary of the art and story. Malcolm said that he could see the Pogo influence that others have mentioned and thought that maybe the “CB” for Cartoon Books was a nod to Carl Barks of Scrooge McDuck fame ;-)
Bone super fan, Olav Beemer from the Netherlands, has his very first letter published. He is, without a doubt, the most prolific writer to the Bone-a-Fides. He attempted to ask for a copy of a #1 first printing but Jeff claims to have sold them all (which he does before going into second printings). Another industry letter from the editor of Negative Burn thanked Jeff for the “15 minutes of entertainment every couple of months”. Jeff playfully replied “I’m thinking of upgrading it to 17 minutes of entertainment starting next issue!”
Jeff mentions in closing that the Bone serialization in Disney Adventures magazine will begin in April [1994] with Vol. 4 issue #6 and continue through #8. He also compliments the Wandering Star comic by Teri S. Wood, who wrote a letter to Jeff in the previous issue.
Ads
The first page of ads has t-shirts & pins while the last page has a preview for the cover of #13 along with a sketch mockup that has Moby preceding the Bone title. The inside back cover has an ad for back issues as well as the first Bone TPB.
Estimated Copies Sold: ????
Back Cover Collectible
Disney Adventures Magazine, Vol. 4 No. 6
Here is the first appearance of Bone in Disney Adventures magazine. Spectacular isn’t it? You can probably guess why this isn’t a highly sought after collectible ;-)
Did Bone even deserve a mention on the cover? At this point, there had only been 13 completed issues and the Bone comic had yet to sniff the Top 50 in sales, so I don’t disagree with the editors on this point. Fone Bone made a small appearance on the Table of Contents page but, otherwise, the story and characters were completely contained within pages 52-60. The coloring is decent and a To Be Continued In The Next Issue was inserted below the final panel. This particular copy is a 9.4 (NM) at best.
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| Slot: |
Bone 13 |
| Item: |
Bone 13 Signature |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0956188002
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith story, cover, and art
Synopsis
Fone Bone has his first experience with the Dreaming when the Great Red Dragon intrudes on a Moby Dick-inspired dream (starring Phoney Bone as Captain Ahab). Later on, Gran’ma has the Bone cousins make dinner which brings a hilarious conversation about how to kill a chicken.
This was the first individual issue I bought in a store so it will always have a special place in my heart. It’s probably the 2nd funniest issue of the series after #3 and the splash page with the Red Dragon’s wave heading towards Fone Bone is iconic.
The Slab
One of the highest graded Signature Series copies! My raw book witnessed by Joel Elad at the Flying Colors Comics signing (Concord, CA) on December 6, 2008. Graded by CGC on January 20, 2009. Also includes a sketch of Ted the Bug!
Inside The Comic
Twenty pages of story and three full pages of letters. The inside front cover has a drawing of Smiley, Phoney, and Fone answering the dinner bell from page 17 along with the brief prologue and credits: By Jeff Smith at the top and Cover Airbrush by David Reed on the bottom. The back cover has a panel from page 10 showing Thorn surprising Fone Bone who was busy writing a love poem.
Bone-a-Fides
Nearly all of the letters in the Bone-a-Fides are from fans this time around with Hawaiian cartoonist Dave Thorne as the only pro. A couple fans mentioned that they picked up the newest issue of Hero magazine with the Bone Holiday Special packaged within, which they obviously enjoyed. Only one letter noted Gran’ma Ben’s big Cow Race win in #10 as most of the content was about how each of the writers discovered Bone. The most cited introduction to Bone so far has been the preview in Cerebus #161. This makes sense given the black & white independent genre that they both inhabit and how extensive the preview was (13 pages plus an introduction by Dave).
Jeff himself alluded to Bone’s upcoming appearances in Disney Adventures magazine when quelling the rumor that Disney now owns a part of the Bone comic. SPOILER ALERT: Disney Adventures will ultimately overtake Cerebus as the most influential book to Bone’s rise in readership (it had subscriptions of over a million kids and parents at the time).
Another consistent theme in this month’s Bone-a-Fides is the growing buzz surrounding Bone in the comic world. One letter specifically mentioned that comic shop employees were yelling BONE to their manager every time someone purchased a copy. Hopefully this inspired him or her to order more in the future.
Ads
The last page has “A Bone Primer” ad with pics of The Complete Bone Adventures and Bone #8 covers (includes info about back issues and subscriptions). The Complete Bone Adventures Vol. 2 is mentioned at the bottom with a forward by Neil Gaiman coming in July [1994]. The inside back cover has an ad for the Fone Bone statue by Randy Bowen distributed by Dark Horse Comics (includes a small photo of Randy tinkering with a prototype and Jeff giving directions). Retail price is $99.95.
Estimated Copies Sold: ????
Back Cover Collectible
1994 Holiday Card from Cartoon Books
This was the second Holiday Card sent out to subscribers and comic retailers during the Christmas season of 1994. The entire staff signed it which included President Vijaya Iyer, Assistant Publisher Karen Root, Archivist Andries Mulder, and artist extraordinaire Jeff Smith. I have yet to see this particular illustration published elsewhere but it’s definitely a good one.
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| Slot: |
Bone 14 |
| Item: |
Bone 14 Signature |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1368199001
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith story, cover, and art
Synopsis
Lucius begins his trip back to Barrelhaven with his debtors in tow (Phoney and Smiley) while Thorn and Fone Bone discuss their intertwining dreams after he decides to stay at the farm.
The Slab
Highest grade Signature Series book! My raw book signed by Jeff at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con (facilitated by Doug Peters). Officially graded by CGC on August 29, 2016.
Inside The Comic
Twenty two pages of story and two pages of ads. The inside front cover has a drawing of Fone and Thorn running off to feed the chickens from page 4 with the brief prologue and credits: By Jeff Smith at the top and Cover Airbrush by David Reed on the bottom. The back cover has a panel from page 4 showing Fone waving goodbye to the Lucius-driven cart while Phoney replies “Bite me”.
Bone-a-Fides
There are no Bone-a-Fides in this issue.
Ads
The first ad is a hybrid: bottom of the page has a drawing by Stan Sakai of Usagi Yojimbo and Spot facing off against three Rat Creatures (with Fone Bone haphazardly hanging on to one of them). The top half has two paragraphs written by Jeff letting his readers know about the Usagi Yojimbo series published by Mirage Studios and an upcoming compilation book by Fantagraphics, for which he’ll be writing forward. The last page has an ad for Bone t-shirts and pins while the inside back cover has an ad for the Fone Bone statue by Randy Bowen.
Estimated Copies Sold: ????
Back Cover Collectible
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| Slot: |
Bone 15 |
| Item: |
Bone 15 Signature |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0956188003
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Owner Comments
Label Notes
Jeff Smith story, cover, and art
Synopsis
Gran'ma Ben storms into the forest after hearing about the Great Red Dragon invading Thorn and Fone Bone’s dreams while Phoney and Lucius make a wager to see who can run the Barrel Haven bar with greater success.
The Slab
Highest grade Signature Series book! My raw book witnessed by Joel Elad at the Flying Colors Comics signing (Concord, CA) on December 6, 2008. Also includes a sketch of Ted the Bug! Graded by CGC on January 20, 2009.
Inside The Comic
Twenty pages of story, three pages of letter and one page for an ad. The inside front cover has a drawing of Smiley riding his guitar like a horse and Phoney trying to yank it away from page 13. The brief prologue is included as well as the credits: “By Jeff Smith” at the top and “Cover Airbrush by David Reed” on the bottom. The back cover has a panel from page 8 showing Fone and Gran’ma Ben in a deep conversation.
Bone-a-Fides
The Bone-a-Fides section was almost all fan commentary this time around with the lone industry letter from the one and only Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise) which was pretty funny. There are references to Jeff’s appearance as the #1 artist in HERO magazine and a comparison to the work of Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes), specifically his mastery of facial expressions.
In the bolded commentary at the end of the letters, Jeff announced that he and Vijaya are about to move back to Columbus, OH (probably the reason why there wasn’t a Bone-a-Fides in the last issue). He made a point to thank Garrett Chin for all the help he gave to Cartoon Books while headquartered in California over the last two years. He also mentioned the various store owners in the region and referred to the San Francisco Bay Area as the “single greatest Mecca in comics!”
Jeff gave a shout out to the legendary Bone Flip Book as well which made appearances at his comic-con stops. He didn’t print enough of them to sell through his book so fans had to come by his booths to score one for $3.
Ads
The ad on the last page has various Bone t-shirts and pins while the inside back cover has an ad for TWO Bone TPBs: The Complete Bone Adventures Volume 1 and the “brand new” Volume 2 (subscription and back issues can also be ordered).
Estimated Copies Sold: About 50,000
Back Cover Collectible
Bone Flip Book
The legendary Flip Book itself! Unfortunately, I did not buy this at a con (first time I saw Jeff in person wasn’t until 2024). I think I got it from Grails as an extra after I bought a Bone 10th Anniversary #1 slab from him in the late 2000s. The animated art was done by Tom Bancroft who had finished work on Beauty and the Beast & Aladdin and was currently on some movie called The Lion King. Good luck with that!
The other credits include Cleanup by Rafael Rosado and Jason Piel (employed by Jeff’s former haunt Character Builders) and Cover airbrush by David Reed. The animation here will be the subject of at least three more Back Cover Collectibles in later issues.
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