Bone Appreciation Thread 11 11

[DocGo]

This is one of the rare issues in the Bone set that I’ve never submitted myself. Had a pretty solid book in a slab that I sent to Heroes and came out okay

 

Edited July 20, 2023 by DocGo
Grammar

[DocGo]

Last one from the latest batch going into the collection. I’ve had an interesting history with #29 and none of it good until receiving this beauty . Thanks again to Rich for the help!

[fonebone6166]

woo!  Thorn re-release confirmed!  

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NYT Bestselling Author Jeff Smith Returns to his Roots with a New Collection of his THORN College Strips to Launch in October Kickstarter

Columbus, OH – July 18, 2023: Cartoon Books announces THORN: The Complete Proto-BONE College Strips from 1982 to 1986, And Other Early Drawings, reprinting the entire run of his earliest rendering of the world-famous BONE characters for the first time. And if Smith had his way, it might not have happened.

“Talking Jeff into this book wasn’t easy, but fans have been asking us for years.” explains Cartoon Books Publisher Vijaya Iyer, Smith’s partner.

“I confess I was a hard sell at first,” says cartoonist Smith, “Talk of reprinting the THORN comics has always been a non-starter for me. I didn’t think they were very good. In fact, I had an unshakable idea that they were terrible. But when I read them for the first time in over 40 years, I was surprised to find I enjoyed them! It’s fun to see these stories and know they eventually evolved into BONE.”

The comic strips reveal an early version of BONE called THORN that was written for a college audience in the 1980s. THORN appeared five days a week in the pages of The Ohio State University’s student newspaper The Lantern. A few were reprinted in a self-published 1983 book called THORN: Tales from The Lantern. Another small selection was published in 2008’s limited edition fundraiser for OSU’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum called Before BONE. Both books are long out of print and sell at collector’s prices. There has never been an official, complete run published until now.

This beautiful edition includes plenty of bonus material such as recently discovered early drawings of the BONE characters, essays and interviews.

THORN: The Complete College Strips, will be published in both hardcover and mass market paperback. It will launch on Kickstarter this October for release in Spring of 2024.

About Jeff Smith: Jeff Smith is the award-winning author best known for his self-published BONE comic book series that was later picked to launch Scholastic’s Graphix YA graphic novel imprint. Other works by Smith included RASL, SHAZAM: Monster Society of Evil, TUKI, and the forthcoming BONE: More Tall Tales.

For more information and updates, please visit Boneville.com, or Email: kathleen@boneville.com

[DocGo]

Finally…they kept teasing this yesterday 

It will likely be a larger book than most expect.

[DocGo]

The September Signature Auction will have the latest Bone #1 CGC 9.8 officially on the block (21st Universal copy). According to CGCdata from when this copy was added to the census, I believe it was formerly an 8.5 that was cleaned and/or pressed into a 9.8 which is pretty impressive. Heritage doesn’t have their scan up yet but they do have a link to CGC’s scan here.

IMHO, this is a superior 9.8 compared to the one auctioned off last November and I would put it in the top half of all the 9.8s I’ve seen. Who knows where collectors’ finances are at the moment but I think we can expect it to go a bit higher (just a guess).

And no, this is not my book as I definitely wouldn’t let this sucker go . I’m fairly certain it’s not one of the Tuki copies either.

[videoloop]

 

On 5/26/2023 at 7:37 AM, unagi said:

Anyone notice the auctions have kind of dried up? There was a while where HA auctioned 9.6s and 9.8s of #4 seemingly every auction. Several 9.8 #9s and 11s over a few months too. Not much new on eBay for a while too. Appreciate the two #1s on CL but it’s pretty slim pickings compared to last fall.

I got one of those HA 9.8 #4s...bought it months ago and just opened it yesterday (I'm Canadian, and shipped it to a US address..just took me longer to get it home than I thought it would). The book doesn't look anywhere near 9.8, and the back of the slab was cracked. Not sure I'll be able to do anything about it either since it was purchased so long ago. Suuuuper disappointing.  

 

On 7/5/2023 at 2:43 PM, DocGo said:

After nearly 12 years of signings, my collection of Bone #38 in Signature Series 9.8 is finally complete. For those not in the know, this was the only Bone issue with multiple covers that were released concurrently as well as the only issue with front covers not drawn by Jeff Smith exclusively. From left to right here are the credits: Jeff Smith pencils & inks with painted colors by Charles Vess, Jeff Smith pencils with designs & paints by Alex Ross, Frank Miller pencils & inks with colors by Jeff Smith (series colorist for the covers during this period, Elizabeth Lewis, also contributed).

The first signature was on 8/21/2011 and the last on 5/30/2023. I was beginning to lose hope on Alex Ross so I’m very glad CGC put his in-house signing together!

Fantastic, dude! That's really something. 

[DocGo]

On 7/25/2023 at 12:00 AM, videoloop said:

I got one of those HA 9.8 #4s...bought it months ago and just opened it yesterday (I'm Canadian, and shipped it to a US address..just took me longer to get it home than I thought it would). The book doesn't look anywhere near 9.8, and the back of the slab was cracked. Not sure I'll be able to do anything about it either since it was purchased so long ago. Suuuuper disappointing.

Ugh, this is awful. Try contacting HA anyway about the cracked slab. You never know…

On 7/25/2023 at 12:00 AM, videoloop said:

Fantastic, dude! That's really something. 

Thanks!

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 7/25/2023 at 1:11 PM, DocGo said:

Ugh, this is awful. Try contacting HA anyway about the cracked slab. You never know…

Thanks!

 

Congrats on the registry win!  @DocGo

[DocGo]

On 7/25/2023 at 5:30 PM, ADAMANTIUM said:

 

Congrats on the registry win!  @DocGo

Thanks ADAMANTIUM! I spent a decent amount of time on it in June correcting and perfecting the blurbs for each book but never thought I was in the running for an award. It’s definitely a shock 

[fonebone6166]

On 7/25/2023 at 6:30 PM, ADAMANTIUM said:

 

Congrats on the registry win!  @DocGo

Woo!  A huge congrats!  Definitely a run worth celebrating!  Now if only I could follow in your footsteps, lol. 

[DocGo]

I got a real treat for you guys. I recently met a fellow collector of Bone paraphernalia who showed me some amazing original artwork that probably hasn’t been seen in decades. He is graciously allowing me to showcase them here for your viewing pleasure as he'd like to remain anonymous.

For those not in the know, very little of Jeff Smith’s original art has been released into the wild. He donated 99% of his work to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum on the Ohio State University campus where it can be accessed five days a week upon request. That other 1% are few and far between.

Below is an original piece from the Thorn comic strip that was published in The Lantern on May 25, 1983. Our anonymous collector bought it in the 1990s from Jay & Kate who were friends of Jeff during his college days. Jeff needed the strip back at some point and gave them a copy of Thorn Tales from the Lantern as well as a first print Bone #1 as compensation (which Anonymous bought as well). I’ve included an image of the back of the piece and the originally published strip.

[DocGo]

Part 2 of the Bone OA Spectacular features a finished piece whose origins began all the way in Germany during September 2001. That particular month is probably memorable for most of you as it was for Jeff because he attended a comic book festival in Munich a few days before 9/11.

The original owner of this artwork lived in Germany and helped with the con’s setup. He even drove Jeff and his wife Vijaya to Neuschwanstein Castle which was the inspiration for the castle design in Sleeping Beauty. The 9/11 attack occurred a couple days later and Jeff got stuck in Scandinavia during the suspension of air service. When he finally got back to the States, he drew the piece below for his host and sent it with a sketched-on cardboard protector for all his help at the con (also pictured).

Thorn is obviously more difficult to draw than the Bones so I don’t see much of her in convention sketches or even finished pieces like this. The look on Phoney’s face is my favorite part 

[valiantman]

I just saw this topic back at the top of the Modern Age category and thought, "That Bone topic should be in Copper Age", but then I noticed this topic was started in 2008.  Weird that Bone #1 was 17 years old when this topic started and it's 32 years old now. It was "Modern" when it started, but now it's approaching "Middle Age". 

[DocGo]

On 8/4/2023 at 11:46 AM, valiantman said:

I just saw this topic back at the top of the Modern Age category and thought, "That Bone topic should be in Copper Age", but then I noticed this topic was started in 2008.  Weird that Bone #1 was 17 years old when this topic started and it's 32 years old now. It was "Modern" when it started, but now it's approaching "Middle Age". 

I tried to get it moved to Copper in 2010 I think, but they properly rejected my request. It’s definitely a Modern book by the current, overly long definition  

[DocGo]

Here is a very early painting of Rose who is featured in the middle section with two characters from Stardust on the left and right (I think ). It was used for the Wonder Con 1998 program cover which is also pictured below. Charles Vess worked on these two properties around the same time so he combined them here as a preview of sorts. This image of Rose was ultimately published on the inside cover of each Rose issue.

For a Bone fan like myself, the dragon is what intrigues me the most. It’s obviously not the Great Red Dragon (who appears in the series) nor the villainous dragon Balsaad who is green and acts as the primary baddie. Cartoon Books didn’t release the first issue of Rose until October 2000 so perhaps this was just an early mock-up of either Balsaad or Queen Mim, who’s also red but looked very different in the first few pages of Rose #1.

The anonymous collector says that this is 13” by 16.5” so it’s a bit larger than the pages of Rose which were 10” by 14.5”. Just a fantastic piece IMHO 

 

[Garf]

On 8/4/2023 at 3:42 PM, DocGo said:

Thorn is obviously more difficult to draw than the Bones so I don’t see much of her in convention sketches or even finished pieces like this. The look on Phoney’s face is my favorite part 

I recall reading that someone mentioned Jeff specifically likes to take care when drawing Thorn to make sure she looks consistent, which is difficult to do when time is limited at conventions, so yes not many con sketches of her at all.

[videoloop]

Two things today..first, a quick shoutout to @WilliamG.Staggers..I purchased a first print #1 from him in 9.2 which arrived today. Always appreciate the opportunity to buy from the members of this community!

Second, I was looking through my collection today and got to thinking about what you guys might have tucked away in your Bone collections.
• Which items are your favourites?
• Is there anything you don't have that you wish you did?
• If you could create any Bone item that we haven't seen yet, what would it be?

@DocGo great OA posts...can't wait to see what else you've got up your sleeve!

[DocGo]

On 8/11/2023 at 6:30 PM, videoloop said:

Two things today..first, a quick shoutout to @WilliamG.Staggers..I purchased a first print #1 from him in 9.2 which arrived today. Always appreciate the opportunity to buy from the members of this community!

Second, I was looking through my collection today and got to thinking about what you guys might have tucked away in your Bone collections.
• Which items are your favourites?
• Is there anything you don't have that you wish you did?
• If you could create any Bone item that we haven't seen yet, what would it be?

@DocGo great OA posts...can't wait to see what else you've got up your sleeve!

I really wish these artworks were up my sleeve rather than just their images and stories. Haven’t even touched the best stuff yet. The anonymous collector was both lucky and smart to acquire these when he did.

Are you saying you have everything that you wish you did? I expect to see your list first…

[videoloop]

On 8/12/2023 at 2:14 PM, DocGo said:

I really wish these artworks were up my sleeve rather than just their images and stories. Haven’t even touched the best stuff yet. The anonymous collector was both lucky and smart to acquire these when he did.

It's all very cool...thanks for working it out with the collector so we're able to see these gems.

 

On 8/12/2023 at 2:14 PM, DocGo said:

Are you saying you have everything that you wish you did? I expect to see your list first…

I definitely don't have everything I wish I did..lol..I've got over 1000 raw issues now, around 90 #1s of various printings, and at least one of every printing of every issue. I'd like to complete a set of 9.8s..that's a long-term goal.

Favourite items in my collection: the #1 and OA from the Tuki Kickstarter, the Before Bone Artist Proof, Red Dragon and Smiley cold cast figures, and a couple of pristine copies of the Image #2 newsstand editions. 

Don't have, wish I did: Tales From The Lantern is the glaring hole in my collection...someday!  @DocGo, that ugly clay mug you posted a while back is something I've never seen in the wild..would love to get my hands on one of those too.

If I could create a Bone item: 
-I would love to see more figures..maybe a series of them.
-a 40th Anniversary #1 reprint in a few years
-a large format Artists' Edition omnibus - similar to the one they did for the Great Cow Race
-and more art prints..lots of em  

[DocGo]

On 8/13/2023 at 2:18 AM, videoloop said:

It's all very cool...thanks for working it out with the collector so we're able to see these gems.

 

I definitely don't have everything I wish I did..lol..I've got over 1000 raw issues now, around 90 #1s of various printings, and at least one of every printing of every issue. I'd like to complete a set of 9.8s..that's a long-term goal.

Favourite items in my collection: the #1 and OA from the Tuki Kickstarter, the Before Bone Artist Proof, Red Dragon and Smiley cold cast figures, and a couple of pristine copies of the Image #2 newsstand editions. 

Don't have, wish I did: Tales From The Lantern is the glaring hole in my collection...someday!  @DocGo, that ugly clay mug you posted a while back is something I've never seen in the wild..would love to get my hands on one of those too.

If I could create a Bone item: 
-I would love to see more figures..maybe a series of them.
-a 40th Anniversary #1 reprint in a few years
-a large format Artists' Edition omnibus - similar to the one they did for the Great Cow Race
-and more art prints..lots of em  

90 #1s