# Is "Quimby the Mouse" by Chris Ware a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Quimby the Mouse by Chris Ware (Fantagraphics Books, 2003) is identified by: First collected hardcover edition of Ware's Quimby strips (mostly 1990-1991, drawn from Acme Novelty Library, Raw, and other sources), Fantagraphics, 2003 first printing. First-thus collection (2003); the underlying strips date to the early 1990s.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First collected hardcover edition of Ware's Quimby strips (mostly 1990-1991, drawn from Acme Novelty Library, Raw, and other sources), Fantagraphics, 2003 first printing
- Large oversized format with gold-stamped hardcover boards
- Correct publisher/imprint: Fantagraphics Books

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Chris Ware |
| Publisher | Fantagraphics Books |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | world edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | First collected hardcover edition of Ware's Quimby strips (mostly 1990-1991, drawn from… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First collected hardcover edition of Ware's Quimby strips (mostly 1990-1991, drawn from Acme Novelty Library, Raw, and other sources), Fantagraphics, 2003 first printing. Large oversized format with gold-stamped hardcover boards.

## Is this the true first?
First-thus collection (2003); the underlying strips date to the early 1990s.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprinted in later editions.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Quimby the Mouse* by Chris Ware a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/quimby-the-mouse
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.