The Art of Bone

Although the comic book Bone ended in 2004, its popularity remains unabated, justifying several different graphic-novel repackagings of it. The saga's legion of fans should be elated by this lavish coffee-table collection of behind-the-scenes Bone artwork that encompasses everything from pencil roughs and character designs to original pages and lushly colored covers. The genesis and development of the story are traced from a handmade comic drawn in ballpoint by a 10-year-old Smith to an early version that appeared in Smith's college campus newspaper to sample strips intended for syndication to Smith's pivotal decision to self-publish Bone as a comic book. Other rare material includes promotional artwork (including a strip drawn for the 2002 ALA Annual Conference), Christmas cards, action figures, and illustrations for a Bone Lunch box and playing cards. The book's large format and gorgeous Reproduction show off the art as never before and demonstrate how seamlessly Smith integrated the broadly cartoony Bone cousins and the more realistic human characters and backgrounds. A genuine Bone-anza for Smith's steadfast fans. Flagg, Gordon