The points of issue
True first edition published by Tundra Publishing in 1993, softcover, 216 pages, black and white, ISBN 1-56862-019-5. The Tundra imprint on the title and copyright pages is the key point. Kitchen Sink Press printings followed after Kitchen Sink absorbed Tundra in 1993, and the HarperPerennial paperback editions (from 1994) are later still.
Is this the true first?
US true first is the Tundra Publishing 1993 softcover, not Kitchen Sink. Kitchen Sink, later DC Paradox and Vertigo, and HarperPerennial editions are all later printings or reissues (first thus). Identify the original by the Tundra imprint.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. The trap is that Kitchen Sink and HarperPerennial printings are far more common and are later; verify the Tundra Publishing imprint and the 1993 first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first edition published by Tundra Publishing in 1993, softcover, 216 pages, black and white, ISBN 1-56862-019-5. The Tundra imprint on the title and copyright pages is the key point. Kitchen Sink Press printings followed after Kitchen Sink absorbed Tundra in 1993, and the HarperPerennial paperback editions (from 1994) are later still.
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 is the Tundra Publishing 1993 softcover, not Kitchen Sink. Kitchen Sink, later DC Paradox and Vertigo, and HarperPerennial editions are all later printings or reissues (first thus). Identify the original by the Tundra imprint.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. The trap is that Kitchen Sink and HarperPerennial printings are far more common and are later; verify the Tundra Publishing imprint and the 1993 first printing.
I have a first edition of Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art — 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.