Welcome back to Collecting Issues, the monthly comic book club! This month, Michael and Ben are stepping away from the usual superhero capers to explore an absolute titan of the indie comic world: Jeff Smith’s Bone Vol. 1: Out from Boneville (collecting issues #1-6).

What starts as a seemingly harmless, 1950s Saturday-morning cartoon romp starring three weird little cousins; Fone Bone, Phoncible P. Bone, and Smiley Bone, quickly plummets off a cliff into a sweeping, Lord of the Rings-style dark fantasy epic.

Is it a kids' comic? Is it an adult fantasy? We’re breaking down the incredible bait-and-switch that made this 1,300-page saga a generational masterpiece.

(Warning: Major spoilers ahead! Go read the comic, hop in the Discord, and then come back and listen!)

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Saturday Morning Illusion: How Jeff Smith uses influences like Peanuts, Pogo, and Harvey Comics to lull you into a false sense of security before unleashing the Rat Creatures.
• Character Deep-Dives: We break down Fone Bone's "Ishmael" energy, Grandma Ben's Popeye-esque tank build, the Jack Kirby-inspired Great Red Dragon, and why Phoney Bone is the absolute worst (think Scrooge McDuck with zero redeeming qualities).
• The Indie Publishing Miracle: The fascinating, against-all-odds publishing history of Bone. Learn how Jeff Smith refused to compromise his vision, survived the 1990s comic speculator crash, got a massive unexpected bump from Neil Gaiman, and accidentally revolutionized the collected graphic novel format before dominating the Scholastic book fair market.
• The Tonal Cataclysm: Analysing the exact panels where the art and story shift from goofy cartoon hijinks to sinister, high-stakes fantasy.

Next Month on Collecting Issues:

Get your single issues ready we are returning to our superhero roots to tackle Jonathan Hickman’s triumphant return to Marvel with Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1!

Matttt's Video Essay on Bone

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Time Stamps:

00:00 Welcome and Spoiler Warning

01:35 Kids Comic or Not

03:02 What Is Bone

04:24 Cartoon Style Influences

05:56 Jeff Smith Origins

08:23 How the Comic Reads

11:20 Tone Shift Teased

13:17 Meet the Bone Cousins

14:51 Old Strip Inspirations

19:00 Rat Creatures and Danger

21:27 Time Jumps and Seasons

23:16 Dragon and Thorn Reveal

26:13 Publishing History Begins

28:53 Indie Breakthrough Moment

32:29 Neil Gaiman Boost

34:17 90s Speculator Context

35:04 Speculator Boom Memories

35:46 Bone Goes Graphic Novel

37:27 Wizard Magazine Feud

38:42 Market Crash Fallout

39:27 Scholastic Saves Bone

43:40 Dark Fantasy Turn

45:45 Worldbuilding And War Hints

49:37 Phoney Bone Scams

50:59 Star Mark Confusion

53:38 Why Bone Works

57:14 Favorite Moments Talk

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