CGC Comics Registry Featured Set: Bone Comic Book Archive

There are 206 bones in the human body, but only 55 in the humerus comic book series published by Cartoon Books. This month we bone up on indy comics, with our featured CGC Comics Registry Set, Bone Comic Book Archive by Registry Member DocGo.

Are all these puns tickling your funny bone?

Created by cartoonist Jeff Smith in his Ohio college newspaper, Bone has become one of the most celebrated independent comic book series of all time. It follows the three Bone cousins, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone, after they are run out of Boneville. Smith originally published the series independently, under the publishing banner Cartoon Books, proving that creator-owned comics could achieve both critical acclaim and substantial commercial success without relying on the traditional superhero market.

“I first noticed Bone when perusing the old Palmer’s Picks section of Wizard Magazine somewhere in the early to mid-90s,” DocGo wrote on their collection profile. “Eventually, I made the effort to track down this title at a local comic store around 1994, which happened to have #13 with the great Phoney/Captain Ahab cover. And the rest is history…”

This month’s set features the entire run of Bone #1-55 by Cartoon Books, as well as special issues and related series. Among the standout issues in this month’s featured collection include:

• a Bone #1 graded CGC 9.8
• a Bone #2 graded CGC 9.8
• a Bone #55 graded CGC 9.6
• a Rose #1 graded CGC 9.8
• a Bone Halloween Mini Comic #nn graded CGC 9.8
• a Bone Holiday Special #nn graded CGC 9.8
• a Stupid Rat Tales #1 graded CGC 9.8

“Finding this series in high grade is extremely difficult,” DocGo wrote. “The first 11 issues were manufactured with a lower quality paper (#1-11 are also a few millimeters wider than the rest) and the back covers for nearly the entire series are black, which are typically a nightmare for even the most carefully handled comics.

“Initially, I just wanted a set of the first ten issues and a few of my favorite covers, but when I started buying these things raw, the search itself became much more fun than anticipated.”

These comics have helped the set scare up the Top Ranked Award in 2007, then again from 2018 to 2023, and once more in 2026. This collection also earned the Best Modern Age Set in 2023. You can view its books in a slideshow format here and find more terrific sets by DocGo here!

About the CGC Comics Registry

The CGC Comics Registry is a place where comic book collectors come together to share their collections and knowledge with one another. It's a valuable resource for new collectors and experienced fans alike, with a wide range of collections on display. To participate, all you need is a free CGC Collectors account. The resource is an online community developed to increase the choices, convenience and education available to collectors.

The CGC Comics Registry has grown to more than 110,000 registered sets! There are now more than 700,000 books registered, and it is thrilling to see the steady, continued growth of the CGC Comics Registry. To learn more about how to navigate the CGC Comics Registry, click here.

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