Bone Appreciation Thread 11 11

[valiantman]

19 hours ago, the blob said:

I don't know a lot about Bone, I've picked the comics up as I think they're cool, and I read some TPBs when my son was into Bone, and figure this is a natural for a show or movie, particularly as they were very popular as scholastic books, but from a collecting standpoint did the print runs suddenly get a lot bigger around issue 10? I'm surprised the CB books from 9/10 on are all pretty cheap (putting aside Mile High listing them all at $20-$30...). I do remember Bone being on the cover of the Overstreet Magazine (I think), but I figured it had already gotten successful by then (I think it was up to issue 13 already). or is is just a matter of that title being cool right now until there is some buzz? I know #1 is always of interest, but that's another issue.

I believe the distribution must have changed - which likely accompanied larger print runs.  A local bookstore chain (Hastings) began carrying Bone with issue #9, and I often see issues starting with #9 in bargain bins at conventions.  I believe Hastings was receiving direct editions (as well as newsstand books), and there are no newsstand Bone issues (from Cartoon Books), so the manager at Hastings began including Bone in their direct edition orders.  This is one of the reasons there are tons of direct edition books starting in 1993 - even larger newsstand chains began ordering direct editions (Bone, Image, Valiant).

Edited January 20, 2021 by valiantman

[the blob]

1 hour ago, valiantman said:

I believe the distribution must have changed - which likely accompanied larger print runs.  A local bookstore chain (Hastings) began carrying Bone with issue #9, and I often see issues starting with #9 in bargain bins at conventions.  I believe Hastings was receiving direct editions (as well as newsstand books), and there are no newsstand Bone issues (from Cartoon Books), so the manager at Hastings began including Bone in their direct edition orders.  This is one of the reasons there are tons of direct edition books starting in 1993 - even larger newsstand chains began ordering direct editions (Bone, Image, Valiant).

Makes sense. I did not see it at my local shop when I saw the overstreet magazine cover piece on it March 1994, so I figured it was not regularly available as it was from a publisher I had never heard of, but in hindsight that shop did not carry much from any publisher smaller than dark horse. But it's not like i see a ton of them in cheap boxes like most drek from 1993-95, but i guess there are enough of them to keep back issue prices more modest (as an aside, it seems my comic shop's listings on the issues after 21 or so are messed up), at least until there is some media hype for a TV show or movie. of course, they're all available as trades, so that may limit it.

 

 

[valiantman]

1 minute ago, the blob said:

Makes sense. I did not see it at my local shop when I saw the overstreet magazine cover piece on it March 1994, so I figured it was not regularly available as it was from a publisher I had never heard of, but in hindsight that shop did not carry much from any publisher smaller than dark horse. But it's not like i see a ton of them in cheap boxes like most drek from 1993-95, but i guess there are enough of them to keep back issue prices more modest (as an aside, it seems my comic shop's listings on the issues after 21 or so are messed up), at least until there is some media hype for a TV show or movie. of course, they're all available as trades, so that may limit it.

Does any source have all of the printings documented?  There are reprints up to... #9?  I don't know for sure.

[the blob]

17 minutes ago, valiantman said:

Does any source have all of the printings documented?  There are reprints up to... #9?  I don't know for sure.

Yeah, i find it quite confusing as Mile High and My Comics show different stuff. Wikipedia says Image started publishing it as of Issue 21-27 or something, but those issues have a CB logo too, but MyComic shop seems to be following that: https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=119981. CB did issues 1 - 55, although maybe on the inside it says CB is an image imprint or something. And then MCS says the CB books from 21-27 are reprints printed in 1997?: https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=226621     But Mile High, which might be more accurate here, shows all of 1 - 55 as CB and does not list it this way. https://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=list&title=12149581664&publisher=CARB&snumber=81&instock=0    So, please, someone tell me, are the CB issues from 21-27 reprints or the first printings?  (Also, mile high has a 2d print up to issue #14)

Anyway, it seems to me that these books after issue 9 or 10 at current cheap prices are a steal, but then again, maybe we're never going to have a scenario where every book in a run gets hot regardless of whether they are keys/first apps like Walking Dead or the first regular Deadpool series did (it will be interesting to see if every issue in Invincible gets pulled up if the show is a success)

[xNerdyThingsx]

21 hours ago, the blob said:

I don't know a lot about Bone, I've picked the comics up as I think they're cool, and I read some TPBs when my son was into Bone, and figure this is a natural for a show or movie, particularly as they were very popular as scholastic books, but from a collecting standpoint did the print runs suddenly get a lot bigger around issue 10? I'm surprised the CB books from 9/10 on are all pretty cheap (putting aside Mile High listing them all at $20-$30...). I do remember Bone being on the cover of the Overstreet Magazine (I think), but I figured it had already gotten successful by then (I think it was up to issue 13 already). or is is just a matter of that title being cool right now until there is some buzz? I know #1 is always of interest, but that's another issue.

Personally I just loved the story and the cartooning. It was different than everything else at the time and it held up over the years. It’s been wildly reprinted via scholastic too. In terms of “value”, I don’t collect for $$ reasons. There is a Netflix series coming which will probably be popular but again, I’m just a fan and don’t care about price/etc.

[the blob]

5 minutes ago, xNerdyThingsx said:

Personally I just loved the story and the cartooning. It was different than everything else at the time and it held up over the years. It’s been wildly reprinted via scholastic too. In terms of “value”, I don’t collect for $$ reasons. There is a Netflix series coming which will probably be popular but again, I’m just a fan and don’t care about price/etc.

I have too much stuff accumulated over the years to hang on to stuff when it heats up. I'd like to retire within the next 10 years (probably a pipedream). And I have two kids (one of whom is less than 3 years from college/plumber's school), an ancient furnace that could die at any moment, and a roof that needs repairs. It's all about $ at the end of the day. There are no permanent additions to my collection. If I can turn a stack of Bone comics into something I like even more (and pay some bills too), that's where we go.

[DocGo]

3 hours ago, the blob said:

Yeah, i find it quite confusing as Mile High and My Comics show different stuff. Wikipedia says Image started publishing it as of Issue 21-27 or something, but those issues have a CB logo too, but MyComic shop seems to be following that: https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=119981. CB did issues 1 - 55, although maybe on the inside it says CB is an image imprint or something. And then MCS says the CB books from 21-27 are reprints printed in 1997?: https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=226621     But Mile High, which might be more accurate here, shows all of 1 - 55 as CB and does not list it this way. https://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=list&title=12149581664&publisher=CARB&snumber=81&instock=0    So, please, someone tell me, are the CB issues from 21-27 reprints or the first printings?  (Also, mile high has a 2d print up to issue #14)

Anyway, it seems to me that these books after issue 9 or 10 at current cheap prices are a steal, but then again, maybe we're never going to have a scenario where every book in a run gets hot regardless of whether they are keys/first apps like Walking Dead or the first regular Deadpool series did (it will be interesting to see if every issue in Invincible gets pulled up if the show is a success)

First printings under the CB label include #1-20, 28-55. Image had the first printings of #21-27. CB did reprints of #21-27 with different cover art and Image did the same with #1-20.

[the blob]

55 minutes ago, docgo said:

First printings under the CB label include #1-20, 28-55. Image had the first printings of #21-27. CB did reprints of #21-27 with different cover art and Image did the same with #1-20.

ok, that is very confusing

[valiantman]

27 minutes ago, the blob said:

1 hour ago, docgo said:

First printings under the CB label include #1-20, 28-55. Image had the first printings of #21-27. CB did reprints of #21-27 with different cover art and Image did the same with #1-20.

ok, that is very confusing

Reminds me of Elfquest.  

The first Elfquest is Fantasy Quarterly, then Elfquest #2.

Since people probably asked over and over "where's Elfquest #1", they printed an Elfquest #1... but it's a reprint and it came out after Elfquest #3 or #4.

My guess is that people were collecting Bone from Cartoon Books and got mad they couldn't keep their run going through #21-#27, so the Cartoon Books #21-#27 were likely done to shut people up. 

[the blob]

1 minute ago, valiantman said:

Reminds me of Elfquest.  

The first Elfquest is Fantasy Quarterly, then Elfquest #2.

Since people probably asked over and over "where's Elfquest #1", they printed an Elfquest #1... but it's a reprint and it came out after Elfquest #3 or #4.

My guess is that people were collecting Bone from Cartoon Books and got mad they couldn't keep their run going through #21-#27, so the Cartoon Books #21-#27 were likely done to shut people up. 

I probably ignored the image books printed then in favor of the later CB books

[valiantman]

Just now, the blob said:

I probably ignored the image books printed then in favor of the later CB books

Same here, I ignored all of the Image books assuming they were all reprints.  I figured if you're buying reprints, you might as well just buy the complete-Bone-in-one-volume hardcover (which is what I did). 

[followtheleader]

2 minutes ago, valiantman said:

Reminds me of Elfquest.  

The first Elfquest is Fantasy Quarterly, then Elfquest #2.

Since people probably asked over and over "where's Elfquest #1", they printed an Elfquest #1... but it's a reprint and it came out after Elfquest #3 or #4.

My guess is that people were collecting Bone from Cartoon Books and got mad they couldn't keep their run going through #21-#27, so the Cartoon Books #21-#27 were likely done to shut people up. 

At the time it made sense: CB 1-20, Image 21-27, then back to CB w/ 28.  The reprints, in retrospect, do make it confusing.  I'm sure many believe they have original prints or will think they have variations when things start to heat up.  

On the flip side, I don't know about the print run #s of the reprints.  With how people collect today, those may end up more valuable than the original prints. 

I have found that issue 10 is the beginning of the "easier to find" issues.  9 has definitely been tougher for me in comparison to 10 and beyond. 

Patrick 

[the blob]

3 hours ago, followtheleader said:

At the time it made sense: CB 1-20, Image 21-27, then back to CB w/ 28.  The reprints, in retrospect, do make it confusing.  I'm sure many believe they have original prints or will think they have variations when things start to heat up.  

On the flip side, I don't know about the print run #s of the reprints.  With how people collect today, those may end up more valuable than the original prints. 

I have found that issue 10 is the beginning of the "easier to find" issues.  9 has definitely been tougher for me in comparison to 10 and beyond. 

Patrick 

psychologically i like seeing the CB logo on there. It's a bit different and that "i" for image brings up so many bad memories of terrible comics from that era

 

[valiantman]

10 hours ago, the blob said:

psychologically i like seeing the CB logo on there. It's a bit different and that "i" for image brings up so many bad memories of terrible comics from that era

 

Same.  "Cartoon Books" accurately describes what Jeff Smith created.  "Image" accurately describes what a bunch of guys were hoping to get rich selling. 

[xNerdyThingsx]

20 hours ago, the blob said:

I have too much stuff accumulated over the years to hang on to stuff when it heats up. I'd like to retire within the next 10 years (probably a pipedream). And I have two kids (one of whom is less than 3 years from college/plumber's school), an ancient furnace that could die at any moment, and a roof that needs repairs. It's all about $ at the end of the day. There are no permanent additions to my collection. If I can turn a stack of Bone comics into something I like even more (and pay some bills too), that's where we go.

Given that, get that paper! 

[xNerdyThingsx]

19 hours ago, the blob said:

ok, that is very confusing

Some background on this was provided by smith at Comic-Con. Basically he was really nervous that the hype days would destroy the industry so instead of self-publishing, he got a sweet deal from image, did some fun crossovers, and went back to self-publishing when the coast was clear. He effectively parked his brand under an overpass during the tornado that was 90’s comics. Sakai is doing something similar with Usagi and has done so several times in the past though he never self-published to my knowledge nor does he have much leverage, he just finds stronger houses.

[DocGo]

22 hours ago, docgo said:

First printings under the CB label include #1-20, 28-55. Image had the first printings of #21-27. CB did reprints of #21-27 with different cover art and Image did the same with #1-20.

Correction: CB did not reprint #27. Image has the only printing of that story. CB #11/Image #11 and CB #26/Image #26 are essentially the same cover art but with different coloring. All of the other corresponding numbers from CB and Image have different art.

[THE_BEYONDER]

20 hours ago, docgo said:

Correction: CB did not reprint #27. Image has the only printing of that story. CB #11/Image #11 and CB #26/Image #26 are essentially the same cover art but with different coloring. All of the other corresponding numbers from CB and Image have different art.

Thanks for the info 

 

Came across a stack of Bone books, and was wondering what the deal was with the same numbered CB  and Image copies.

[DocGo]

Anyone see the auction for the #50 9.8 last night? Went for $310+. Before a bid was placed, they could have bought it for a $100 BIN. I think two people put in oversized “win at all costs” bids and one of them paid dearly for it.

My advice: don’t do that

[videoloop]

On 2/3/2021 at 12:08 AM, docgo said:

Anyone see the auction for the #50 9.8 last night? Went for $310+. Before a bid was placed, they could have bought it for a $100 BIN. I think two people put in oversized “win at all costs” bids and one of them paid dearly for it.

My advice: don’t do that

bahahaha...I was going to buy that one to upgrade my 9.6...needless to say, I didn't. 

Me watching the end of the auction go down: