How to Identify a NBM Publishing (Nantier Beall Minoustchine) First Edition

How to identify a first printing

• Book-trade graphic-novel publisher: the copyright page of a first printing typically gives the year and an explicit 'First edition'/'First printing' statement with no later-printing line; subsequent printings state the higher printing.
• When a descending number line is present on the copyright page, the lowest number indicates the printing ('1' present = first printing). Use the explicit statement as the primary point and the number line, where it appears, as corroboration; do not assume every NBM title carries a number line.
• For translated European (BD) works the page often reads 'First U.S. edition' or notes the U.S. printing; this U.S. first printing is distinct from the original-language first edition and should not be conflated with it.

Notable points & cautions

• Founded 1976 by Terry Nantier (initially as Flying Buttress Publications, with Chris Beall and Marc Minoustchine), making it one of the oldest U.S. graphic-novel-format publishers; long focused on translated European comics.
• Papercutz was founded in 2005 by Nantier (with Jim Salicrup) as a companion family-friendly/licensed publisher; it is a separate sister company, not an NBM imprint, and its books carry Papercutz branding.
• Eurotica and Amerotica are the adult lines and ComicsLit is the literary line; imprint branding does not change the first-printing rule. NBM was acquired by Ablaze Publishing in 2022.

Imprints

First editions also appear under: ComicsLit, Eurotica (adult), Amerotica (adult). Each generally follows the house convention above.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my NBM Publishing (Nantier Beall Minoustchine) book is a first edition?

Check the copyright page. Book-trade graphic-novel publisher: the copyright page of a first printing typically gives the year and an explicit 'First edition'/'First printing' statement with no later-printing line; subsequent printings state the higher printing. When a descending number line is present on the copyright page, the lowest number indicates the printing ('1' present = first printing). Use the explicit statement as the primary point and the number line, where it appears, as corroboration; do not assume every NBM title carries a number line.

Does NBM Publishing (Nantier Beall Minoustchine) use a number line?

When a descending number line is present on the copyright page, the lowest number indicates the printing ('1' present = first printing). Use the explicit statement as the primary point and the number line, where it appears, as corroboration; do not assume every NBM title carries a number line.

Is a book-club edition a NBM Publishing (Nantier Beall Minoustchine) first edition?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1976 by Terry Nantier (initially as Flying Buttress Publications, with Chris Beall and Marc Minoustchine), making it one of the oldest U.S. graphic-novel-format publishers; long focused on translated European comics.

What era does this cover?

This covers NBM Publishing (Nantier Beall Minoustchine) (1976-present (independent 1976-2022, then under Ablaze)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.