# Is "Creepshow" by Stephen King (art by Bernie Wrightson) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Creepshow by Stephen King (art by Bernie Wrightson) (New American Library / Plume, New York, 1982) is identified by: The first edition is the oversize Plume (New American Library) softcover graphic album of July 1982 — approximately 8.5 x 10.5 in., 64 pp. The US Plume/NAL softcover of July 1982 is the true first; no British first-edition claim competes with it, and the later Gallery Books reissue (ISBN 978-1-5011-6322-7) is a reprint.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first edition is the oversize Plume (New American Library) softcover graphic album of July 1982 — approximately 8.5 x 10.5 in., 64 pp. in full colour, ISBN 0-452-25380-2 — with interior art by Bernie Wrightson, colour by Michele Wrightson, and the cover by Jack Kamen
- The first printing carries 'First Printing, July, 1982' on the copyright page above a complete number line; later printings drop that statement and show a shortened line
- A price is printed on the back cover and on the spine of the trade issue — its presence, not its figure, is the point
- The format is fragile: thin cover stock and a weak glued binding mean the printing points are usually the only reliable check, since copies are rarely found square and unrubbed
- Publisher imprint reads New American Library / Plume, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King (art by Bernie Wrightson) |
| Publisher | New American Library / Plume, New York |
| Year | 1982 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first edition is the oversize Plume (New American Library) softcover graphic album of July 1982 — approximately 8.5 x 10.5 in., 64 pp.… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first edition is the oversize Plume (New American Library) softcover graphic album of July 1982 — approximately 8.5 x 10.5 in., 64 pp. in full colour, ISBN 0-452-25380-2 — with interior art by Bernie Wrightson, colour by Michele Wrightson, and the cover by Jack Kamen. The first printing carries 'First Printing, July, 1982' on the copyright page above a complete number line; later printings drop that statement and show a shortened line. A price is printed on the back cover and on the spine of the trade issue — its presence, not its figure, is the point. The format is fragile: thin cover stock and a weak glued binding mean the printing points are usually the only reliable check, since copies are rarely found square and unrubbed.

## Is this the true first?
The US Plume/NAL softcover of July 1982 is the true first; no British first-edition claim competes with it, and the later Gallery Books reissue (ISBN 978-1-5011-6322-7) is a reprint. Correcting the census note: 'no hardcover' overstates the case — a scarce oversize hardcover issue bearing the same first-printing points is reported by dealers and collector references for 1982. That hardcover is uncommon and thinly documented, so treat any hardcover offered as requiring examination of the copyright page against the trade points above before it is called a first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition is well documented and easy to spot: it is marked 'BOOK CLUB EDITION 5200' at the lower left of the back cover, carries no price on the back cover or spine, and lacks the 'First Printing, July, 1982' statement on the copyright page — while retaining a complete number line, which is why the number line alone must never be used to call a first. Later trade printings are the other trap: same cover, but the July 1982 statement is gone.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Creepshow* by Stephen King (art by Bernie Wrightson) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/creepshow
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.