The points of issue
First book edition (collecting the ACME Novelty Library serial), Pantheon, New York, September 2000, oversized hardcover with illustrated paper-covered boards and dust jacket, ISBN 0-375-40453-8 (9780375404535), 380 pp. Elaborately printed Ware design with a dense copyright page; first-printing copies retain the original Pantheon jacket with price.
Is this the true first?
US true first of the collected work; won the 2001 Guardian First Book Award, the first graphic novel to take a major UK book prize. The underlying ACME Novelty Library issues (Fantagraphics, 1990s) are the serial first appearances. The Pantheon 2000 hardcover is the first collected book edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; later Pantheon printings differ in the printing line and may lack the original jacket price. Verify the 2000 first printing and the original-price jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First book edition (collecting the ACME Novelty Library serial), Pantheon, New York, September 2000, oversized hardcover with illustrated paper-covered boards and dust jacket, ISBN 0-375-40453-8 (9780375404535), 380 pp. Elaborately printed Ware design with a dense copyright page; first-printing copies retain the original Pantheon jacket with price.
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. US true first of the collected work; won the 2001 Guardian First Book Award, the first graphic novel to take a major UK book prize. The underlying ACME Novelty Library issues (Fantagraphics, 1990s) are the serial first appearances. The Pantheon 2000 hardcover is the first collected book edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition; later Pantheon printings differ in the printing line and may lack the original jacket price. Verify the 2000 first printing and the original-price jacket.
I have a first edition of Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth — 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.