Boneville Blog

The Atlantic: Seven Books You’ll Never Outgrow

by | Jun 1, 2026

BONE was highlighted by The Atlantic as one of a handful of books you’ll never outgrow! We’re blown away by the recognition!

Bone, by Jeff Smith

One year in elementary school, while wandering a Scholastic Book Fair— that budding bookworm’s delight—I found a graphic novel called Out From Boneville. The book’s cover featured a cute, simply drawn white figure, something like a combination of Casper the Friendly Ghost and Moomin. I bought it, not suspecting the journey that awaited me.

The Bone series, comprising nine books largely self-published by Smith, is high fantasy masquerading as kid lit. It’s also hilarious.

Cousins Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone explore the mysterious Valley, encountering dragons, “rat creatures,” and the fierce Thorn and her Gran’ma Ben.

Out From Boneville is heavy on jokes and light on violence, but as I raced through the series, that balance flipped. By the finale, the Bones are caught in a war that’s politically complex, thrilling, and, for a kid, sometimes terrifying. (Smith has said that he meant for the comic to be a “kids’ book for adults.”) The story never loses its humor, though, which -combined with the masterful world-building and detailed pen-and-ink illustrations— makes Bone always worth revisiting.

– Dan Goff, copy editor

#comics #books #graphicnovels #bonecomics #jeffsmith #cartoonbooks #TUKI #RASL #THORN

@jeffsmithsbone

@cartoonbooksinc 

Today! Gib’s Garage Sale!

by | May 17, 2026

 

A reminder that this afternoon is Gib’s Garage Sale. Gib was a dear friend of ours, a champion to comics and just a genuinely good person. Gib was always in service to others, so come on out and show your support for his family. Jeff will be there signing from 2pm-4pm., doors open at 10am. Located at the Clintonville Woman’s Club 3951 N. High St., Columbus.
#comics #books #graphicnovels #bonecomics #jeffsmith #cartoonbooks #TUKI #RASL #THORN

@jeffsmithsbone

@cartoonbooksinc 

Cartoon Books Has a New Address!

by | Apr 30, 2026

We love hearing from our friends & fans  and wanted to update you to our new mailing address. For those of you who still use snail mail, Cartoon Books will be closing our longtime PO Box.
Our new delivery address is: Cartoon Books c/o Ohio Logistics 3012 Charter St. Columbus, OH 43228

Please consider sending any questions, fan letters or review copies  for Jeff electronically to: kathleen@boneville.com.

Thank you!

#comics #books #graphicnovels #bonecomics #jeffsmith #cartoonbooks #TUKI #RASL #THORN

@jeffsmithsbone

@cartoonbooksinc 

An Update on the Bone One Volume Edition Backorders

by | Mar 24, 2026

The black and white edition is now available at your local retailer and backorders are nearly complete. The color edition is currently in production and will be available soon. We will update you with an ETA to stores as soon as we have that information.

We apologize the books have been out of print for the last few months. We strive to keep our books always in print, and appreciate your patience while we navigate through and around tariffs and supply chain issues. Thank you for your continued support!

#comics #books #graphicnovels #bonecomics #jeffsmith #cartoonbooks #TUKI #RASL #THORN

@jeffsmithsbone

@cartoonbooksinc 

Will Eisner Week!

by | Mar 7, 2026

 

Will Eisner Week is an annual celebration honoring the legacy of Will Eisner, champion of the graphic novel. Here is a letter from Will to Jeff when he was first starting out in comics, which remains one of Jeff’s proudest treasures.

#comics #books #graphicnovels #bonecomics #jeffsmith #cartoonbooks #TUKI #RASL #THORN

 

@jeffsmithsbone

@cartoonbooksinc 

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