# Is "The Dick Gibson Show" by Stanley Elkin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Dick Gibson Show by Stanley Elkin (Random House, 1971) is identified by: Random House first printing states First Edition on the copyright page AND carries a number line whose lowest digit is 2 (for example 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9), per the Random House convention used from 1970 to about 2002; first-issue jacket with the original price. The US Random House edition is the true first; one of Elkin's most collected titles.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House first printing states First Edition on the copyright page AND carries a number line whose lowest digit is 2 (for example 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9), per the Random House convention used from 1970 to about 2002; first-issue jacket with the original price
- Orange paper-covered boards with a radio-head figure on the front board
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stanley Elkin |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House first printing states First Edition on the copyright page AND carries a number line whose lowest digit is 2 (for example 2 3 4… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House first printing states First Edition on the copyright page AND carries a number line whose lowest digit is 2 (for example 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9), per the Random House convention used from 1970 to about 2002; first-issue jacket with the original price. Orange paper-covered boards with a radio-head figure on the front board.

## Is this the true first?
The US Random House edition is the true first; one of Elkin's most collected titles.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the First Edition statement. Book-club copies omit the flap price and carry a Book Club Edition notice with a gutter/blind-stamp code.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Dick Gibson Show* by Stanley Elkin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-dick-gibson-show
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.