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Comic book series by Jeff Smith From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bone is an American fantasy comic book limited series written and illustrated by Jeff Smith, originally serialized in 55 irregularly released issues from 1991 to 2004. The series is primarily self-published by Smith's Cartoon Books; it was also briefly published by Image Comics. The issues were collected into nine volumes, as well as a single omnibus volume. From 2005 to 2009, color editions of the original volumes were published by Scholastic's Graphix imprint. The series intertwines comedy and dark fantasy.[1]
Bone | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Cartoon Books (self-published) Image Comics (issues #21–27) |
Schedule | Every other month, with several delays |
Format | Limited series |
Genre | Fantasy, comedy/humor |
Publication date | July 1991 – June 2004 |
No. of issues | 55 |
Main character(s) |
|
Creative team | |
Written by | Jeff Smith |
Artist(s) | Jeff Smith |
Colorist(s) | Steve Hamaker Tom Gaadt |
Bone has received numerous awards, among them ten Eisner Awards and eleven Harvey Awards.
Bone follows the eponymous Bone cousins, who appear as white-skinned cartoon humanoids: everyman Fone Bone, wealthy and self-serving Phoncible P. "Phoney" Bone, and simpleminded Smiley Bone. When Phoney mounts an ill-fated campaign for mayor, he is forced out of their hometown of Boneville, with Smiley and a reluctant Fone Bone following him. After the cousins find themselves in a desert, Smiley finds a hand-drawn map that they use to navigate their way across the fantasy landscape. The cousins are separated by a swarm of locusts and individually end up in a mysterious valley, a journey made more difficult by the pursuing Rat Creatures. Eventually, they reunite at the Barrelhaven tavern, where they are taken in by a mysterious girl named Thorn and her grandmother, "Gran'ma Ben". Fone Bone instantly develops a crush on Thorn and repeatedly attempts to express his love through poetry. As they stay longer in the Valley, they learn that it is under threat from the Rat Creatures, led by Kingdok; and the Lord of the Locusts. The Bones are gradually drawn into the events around them, compelling them on a hero's journey to help free the Valley.
Bone has been noted for "defying" categorization.[2] Smith claims that the series was not originally written for an adolescent audience, though adolescents comprise its largest readership. Throughout its run, Bone shifts from a largely comical series to a more serious tone as the characters and setting develop. It is additionally said to have a "darker subtext about power and evil".
Smith made the decision to illustrate Bone in black-and-white, which critics speculate is so that he could maintain the clear lines that allow for exaggerated characters that contrast their subtle, detailed backgrounds.
The series is mainly set in the Valley, though Boneville is mentioned throughout. Boneville is never actually shown, but is implied to be technologically contemporary, while the Valley is depicted as medieval, inasmuch as its citizens employ a barter system, weapons, and modes of transportation similar to those of the Middle Ages, and Phoney persistently refers to the people of the Valley as "yokels".[1][3][4]
Smith originated Bone as a sketch he drew as a child, resembling a telephone handset receiver. This original drawing, a frowning character with its mouth wide open, resembled characteristics of who would become the Bone cousins. When Smith was ten, he began creating comics featuring the characters.[5]
The comics had many major influences throughout their creation. Smith mostly modeled Bone structurally around Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. He enjoyed how it "start(s) off very simple, almost like children's stories ... but as it goes on, it gets a little darker, and the themes become a little more sophisticated and more complex". Smith was also inspired by Carl Barks' character Scrooge McDuck. Smith said that he "always wanted Uncle Scrooge to go on a longer adventure. I thought, 'Man, if you could just get a comic book of that quality, the length of say, War and Peace, or The Odyssey or something, that would be something I would love to read, and even as a kid I looked everywhere for that book, that Uncle Scrooge story that was 1,100 pages long".[6]
Other influences in this regard include the original Star Wars trilogy, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and the classic fairy tales and mythologies that inspired those works. Moby Dick, Smith's favorite book, is cited for its multi-layered narrative and symbolism, and numerous references to it are placed throughout Bone.[6] Bone was also influenced by other comics, including Charles Schulz's Peanuts and Walt Kelly's Pogo.[6][7][8]
While Smith attended the Ohio State University, he created a comic strip titled Thorn for the student newspaper, The Lantern, which included some of the characters who later featured in Bone.[9][10]
After college, Smith and his friends produced animation work on commission in their studio, Character Builders Inc., but Smith eventually decided against an animation career. Seeking instead to develop a comic book series, and convinced by the successes of Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns and Art Spiegelman's Maus that a serious comic book with a beginning, middle and end structure was both artistically and commercially viable, Smith decided to produce Bone.[6]
In 1991, Smith launched his company, Cartoon Books, to publish the series.[11] Initially, Smith self-published the series, doing all of the work to produce and distribute the series through his business himself; this made it difficult for Smith to focus on writing and drawing the book, and as a result, he fell behind in his production. To solve this, he asked his wife, Vijaya Iyer, to resign from her job at a Silicon Valley startup company and serve as president of Cartoon Books, managing the business related to the series. Smith was able to refocus on his work on Bone, and sales improved.[6] In 1995, Smith began briefly publishing Bone through Image Comics. Smith believed this would be a temporary arrangement, and to maintain the book's place in catalogs, the collected volumes remained under the Cartoon Books label.[12] Bone ended with its 55th issue, dated June 2004. The back cover has, in place of the usual comic panel, a black-and-white photo of Smith in his studio drawing the last page on May 10. In an interview on Attack of the Show, Smith revealed that he drew the last page before working on the first issue.[13]
Volume | Title | Original ed. | Colored ed. | Issues adapted |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Out from Boneville | 1995 | 2005 | 1–6 |
2 | The Great Cow Race | 1995 | 2005 | 7–11 (+13.5) |
3 | Eyes of the Storm | 1996 | 2006 | 12–19 |
4 | The Dragonslayer | 1997 | 2006 | 20–27 |
5 | Rock Jaw: Master of the Eastern Border | 1998 | 2007 | 28–32 |
6 | Old Man's Cave | 1999 | 2007 | 33–37 |
7 | Ghost Circles | 2001 | 2008 | 38–43 |
8 | Treasure Hunters | 2002 | 2008 | 44–49 |
9 | Crown of Horns | 2004 | 2009 | 50–55 |
The series was initially collected, 6 issues at a time, in three volumes of The Collected Bone Adventures (1993-1995). These went out of print when Smith decided to collect the story arc acts instead.[14] The Bone Reader (1996) was released concurrent with the switch to Image Comics to bring new readers up to speed and to collect issues #13 1/2 and 19 for early adopters.
Other books published in the color series but not part of the main storyline are the prequel Rose, illustrated by Charles Vess; the Bone Handbook; and the anthology books Tall Tales and More Tall Tales.
Selected excerpts from Bone were reprinted in Disney Adventures, first in 1994 and later in 1997 through 1998.[15] The issues usually consisted of 7–9 pages a month and were colored. The pages were also censored to remove smoking and drinking references and any innuendo involving Thorn and Fone Bone.[citation needed] There was also an exclusive story for Disney Adventures by Smith, featuring Fone and Phoney following a "treasure map"; it was reprinted in The Bone Reader and Tall Tales.
The series was split into three-story arcs, each having two names, one being the original arc name, the other being the name used in the one volume edition, respectively as follows. The first arc lasted from issues #1–19 (volumes #1–3, June 1991 – August 1995) being named Vernal Equinox, or The Valley.[16] It was the longest running arc (in terms of time) running for four years and one month. The main story in issue #13.5, "Up on the Roof", was reprinted as chapter six in The Great Cow Race collected edition, therefore making it part of Vernal Equinox. The second arc was named Solstice, or Phoney Strikes Back. The arc lasted from issues #20–37 (volumes #4–6, October 1995 – August 1999). It is tied as the longest running arc in issues with the third arc (lasting 19 issues). The third arc, Harvest or Friends & Enemies, lasted from issues #38–55 (volumes #7–9, August 2000 – June 2004).
In 2005, Scholastic, under its newly established Graphix imprint, began reissuing the nine individual volumes in full color by Steve Hamaker. In 2006, HarperCollins began publishing the full color editions for the UK market.[17]
An omnibus edition, compiling all 55 issues in one volume (ISBN 1-888963-14-X), was released originally by Cartoon Books imprint in a paperback volume. This release was intended to celebrate both the end of the series and the release of the full-color editions. First released in 2004 and promoted as only a limited print run being available, this edition has been reprinted several times since.
In addition to the paperback release, a signed limited edition hardcover release was issued. The deluxe hardcover featured gold embossed lettering on the cover, gilded edges, and a cloth ribbon bookmark. The end pages are printed with a map of The Valley and it comes with a full-color signed and numbered bookplate. This release originally sold for around $125 (USD) and was initially limited to 2,000 copies. The series has been reprinted 13 times, also featuring a signed limited edition of the 13th pressing version sold during November 2009.
The collection won the 2005 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album-Reprint,[18] and was listed at No. 3 in Time magazine's "Best Comix of 2004". Reviewer Andrew Arnold said of the collection, which was published at the conclusion of the monthly series: "As sweeping as the Lord of the Rings cycle, but much funnier ... Smith imbues even simple dialogue panels with animation. Now that it's finished Bone should join the ranks of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter in the young adult pantheon".[19]
In November 2011, for its 20th anniversary, a full-color, omnibus edition was released. It has a special section in the back with a cover gallery of the original comics, an illustrated timeline of Bone's 20-year history, and an essay by author Smith. A special edition was also released that included the book, a signed print by Jeff Smith, a Phoney Bone gold coin, three pewter bone figures of Fone Bone, Phoney Bone and Smiley Bone, a copy of The Cartoonist documentary DVD, and a miniature facsimile of the first issue, all held in a box decorated with an illustration of Fone Bone.[20]
This was a Hero Premiere Edition bundled with Hero Illustrated magazine. It includes a short story where the Bone cousins celebrate Winter Solstice, and also a Jeff Smith interview and sketches. It is featured in the Crown of Horns collection and the final issue of the series.
This was a free comic book mail-in offer through Wizard magazine. As was also common with Wizard magazine comic offers, there was a special gold foil cover variant where the Bone title on the cover is embossed in gold foil. It came in a rigid mylar sleeve and a certificate of authenticity. There is a short story that fits in between No. 13 and 14 of the regular series, and is included in Bone Vol. 2: The Great Cow Race. This special also includes a Jeff Smith interview and sketches.
This was a free promotional book given out at 1995 San Diego Comic-con and it also polybagged with Wizard magazine. This sourcebook was published to celebrate the move of the Bone series from self-publishing to Image Comics, where it stayed for only 7 issues before Jeff Smith took it back to self-publishing.[26]
It includes an introduction by Jeff Smith & biography, character profiles, color poster by Jim Lee, story timeline, upcoming storyline, and shipping schedule.
To celebrate its 10-year anniversary, a special color edition of Bone No. 1 was released with a free collectible Fone Bone PVC figure and a full color Phoney Bone Gazillion dollar bill. This special edition included a new cover, a new afterword by Jeff Smith, and an illustrated eight-page commentary by comics historian R. C. Harvey, and the original artwork was digitally remastered in full color.
To celebrate its 25-year anniversary, Cartoon Books released Bone: Coda, a 120-page graphic novel that includes a 32-page short story featuring the Bone cousins returning to their home town of Boneville after the events of the last issue of Bone series, and the first print version of the e-book The BONE Companion by Stephen Weiner, illustrated with comic panels and photos.[27]
Bone had only six issues published when it was selected for "Palmer's Picks" by Tom Palmer, Jr., who commented that "Smith's artwork is deceptively simple. He doesn't use much flash, yet he is a master of conveying gesture and body language for both humorous and dramatic effect". He also noted that "the series has only recently begun, yet it has been met with enormous amounts of critical praise from people ranging from Will Eisner to Peter David".[33] Michael Arner from PopMatters.com was initially not impressed with the black and white artwork, and at first disappointed at the ending, hoping for a more conclusive dénouement. However, he ultimately praised the depth of the characterizations and Smith's ability to mix humor and adventure as perfect.[34]
Bob's Comics Review described the work as "Tolkienesque" in its compulsive progression from a simple comic tale to a sprawling epic. Although critical of the earlier issues, the writer came to enjoy the range of writing "from slapstick (the cow race is a classic), to the scary yet hilarious rat creatures, to intimations of high fantasy". Smith's sense of timing was praised as well as the creator's use of the silent panel and "repeated scene with variations of movement or perspective".[35] In 2004, Time critic Andrew Arnold called Bone "the best all-ages graphic novel yet published".[36] In 2011, IGN ranked Bone 60th in the Top 100 comic book heroes.
In 2010, a Minnesota parent sought to have Bone banned from all elementary school libraries in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan School District, citing references in the work to smoking, drinking, and gambling. After a hearing, a school district committee voted 10 to 1 to keep the books on the shelves.[37][38] Other challenges and controversies that cite racism and political viewpoint as main problems have led to Bone's placement on the 2013 ALA Banned Books List.[39] Smith remarked himself that "Bone was not originally created with children in mind, so I never worried about the fact that children might read them". This being said, the comics are regarded by critics as applicable to any age group.
Bone has received numerous awards and nominations, among them ten Eisner Awards[40][41][42][43][44] and eleven Harvey Awards.[45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53]
Nominations
Numerous attempts have been made to adapt the books, all of which have failed to come to fruition. In the late 1990s, an attempt was made by Nickelodeon Movies to produce a film adaptation of Bone. Jeff Smith said in a 2003 interview that Nickelodeon wanted the Bone cousins to be voiced by child actors, and wanted the film's soundtrack to include pop songs by the likes of NSYNC; Smith was critical of this proposal.[58]
In March 2008, Warner Bros. Pictures bought the film rights to the series.[59] Smith's website confirmed on March 13 that he had made a deal with Warner Bros. to adapt the Bone saga into a film series.[60] Further information was given in July 2011, citing that "two scripts have already been written and rejected—a third is currently in the works and will most likely yield three separate, computer-animated, 3-D films".[61] In January 2012, Patrick Sean Smith, the creator of TV series Greek, was hired to write an adaptation, and that P. J. Hogan was attached to direct the feature, to be produced by Lin Pictures and Animal Logic.[62] In November 2016, Mark Osborne had been hired to direct the animated adaptation for Warner Animation Group. Osborne, along with Adam Kline, were set to write the film, which would have been the first in a planned trilogy.[63]
In October 2019, the project was picked up by Netflix for an animated series after Warner's turnaround of the project.[64] However, in April 2022, production on the series was canceled during a reorganization of Netflix Animation; following this, many animation studios contacted Smith to express "immediate interest" in the project.[65][66] As of February 2023, Netflix retains the rights to the series.[66]
In 1996, the toy manufacturer Resaurus released Series One of a Bone action figure line, featuring: Fone Bone with Rat Cub, Thorn, Smiley Bone, and Rat Creature. Five years later, a second line was released with Gran'ma Ben, Phoney Bone, The Hooded One, and a deluxe boxed set of Kingdok. Two exclusive figures were released through the toy and comic magazine Previews: Hooded One (glow in the dark), and Phoney Bone as Ahab. Most recently, in 2007, "Dark Horse Comics Presents" released a 5-inch-high (130 mm) statue of Fone Bone, which is limited to 750 pieces and to be sold through Wizard magazine.
In 2005, video game studio Telltale Games developed an episodic adventure game series based on the comic. While five episodes were planned, only two were ultimately released.[67] The first episode, Bone: Out from Boneville, was released on September 15, 2005, and the second, The Great Cow Race, on April 12, 2006. Both were available in downloaded or boxed form on Telltale's website for Windows-based PCs. The games were also available via Steam, but were delisted following Telltale's closure.
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