The points of issue
Serialized in the anthology Taboo and then in standalone issues from Mad Love, Tundra, and Kitchen Sink, 1991 to 1996, with the Dance of the Gull-Catchers appendix issued separately in 1998. First single-volume collected edition: Eddie Campbell Comics, November 1999, thick black-and-white softcover of roughly 572 pages, ISBN 0-9585783-4-6, incorporating the appendices. First printing stated; original Eddie Campbell Comics imprint.
Is this the true first?
The Taboo anthology chapters and the standalone From Hell issues, 1991 to 1996, are the serial true first. The 1999 Eddie Campbell Comics single volume is the first complete collected book. Distinguish the Eddie Campbell Comics first from the later Top Shelf reprints and the 2001 film tie-in printing.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition is recorded. The 2001 film tie-in printing and the later Top Shelf and Knockabout reissues are later. Confirm the November 1999 Eddie Campbell Comics first printing, ISBN 0-9585783-4-6.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of From Hell a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Serialized in the anthology Taboo and then in standalone issues from Mad Love, Tundra, and Kitchen Sink, 1991 to 1996, with the Dance of the Gull-Catchers appendix issued separately in 1998. First single-volume collected edition: Eddie Campbell Comics, November 1999, thick black-and-white softcover of roughly 572 pages, ISBN 0-9585783-4-6, incorporating the appendices. First printing stated; original Eddie Campbell Comics imprint.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The Taboo anthology chapters and the standalone From Hell issues, 1991 to 1996, are the serial true first. The 1999 Eddie Campbell Comics single volume is the first complete collected book. Distinguish the Eddie Campbell Comics first from the later Top Shelf reprints and the 2001 film tie-in printin
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition is recorded. The 2001 film tie-in printing and the later Top Shelf and Knockabout reissues are later. Confirm the November 1999 Eddie Campbell Comics first printing, ISBN 0-9585783-4-6.
I have a first edition of From Hell — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.