The points of issue
First book edition collecting Optic Nerve issues 5 through 8, Drawn & Quarterly, 2002, issued in both hardcover (with dust jacket) and softcover. A first printing carries no later-printing statement on the indicia; reprintings are noted there.
Is this the true first?
The stories first appeared serially in the Optic Nerve comic-book issues; the 2002 Drawn & Quarterly volume is the first collected book edition. The hardcover and softcover were both first-edition states issued in 2002.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; later printings are stated on the indicia.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Summer Blonde a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First book edition collecting Optic Nerve issues 5 through 8, Drawn & Quarterly, 2002, issued in both hardcover (with dust jacket) and softcover. A first printing carries no later-printing statement on the indicia; reprintings are noted there.
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 stories first appeared serially in the Optic Nerve comic-book issues; the 2002 Drawn & Quarterly volume is the first collected book edition. The hardcover and softcover were both first-edition states issued in 2002.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition; later printings are stated on the indicia.
I have a first edition of Summer Blonde — 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.