If, like me, you own every issue of Bone, as well as the ‘phonebook’ one-volume edition, you’ve no doubt been seriously tempted by the newly coloured trades that have been coming out. I even went as far as buying the first two trades, before I stopped myself, and decided to wait for a collected version. The wait has been excruciating, but the day has finally arrived!

Over on Boneville, Jeff Smith has announced that to celebrate two decades since the publication of  Bone #1, Cartoon Books is pleased to announce a full color One Volume Edition of Bone in a collector’s box and a deluxe slipcase version! There will also be a very limited edition that contains original art by Jeff Smith and Steve Hamaker!

Here are the details:

(p.s. Anyone want to loan me $1000??)

BONE: 20th Anniversary Full Color One Volume Collector’s Box Set with Signed Art Print – limited to 2000 copies

Special Features:

- all 1344 full color pages of BONE in a single hardcover volume that measures 9 1/2″ x  7″ x  3″ . The book is adorned with colorful foil stamps and art work and includes a satin ribbon bookmark.

-A new essay by cartoonist Jeff Smith called “Twenty Years with BONE”.

-A signed and numbered 6 ” x  9″ art print of a previously unpublished piece of  BONE concept art.

-A 22k gold plated coin with Phoney Bone’s head on one side, and Fone Bone on the reverse giving the dates of BONE #1 July 1991, and the 20th Anniversary July 2011.

-Pewter figures of the three Bone cousins.

-A miniature facsimile of the BONE #1 comic book in black & white as originally published in July 1991.

-An expanded Cover Gallery of the BONE comic books and graphic novels.

-An Illustrated 20 Year Timeline

-Award winning feature length documentary DVD – The Cartoonist: Jeff Smith, BONE, and the Changing Face of Comics.

-Comes in a beautiful, 12″  x  12″  x 4″  illustrated red box with a magnetic clasp.

-Limited to 2,000 copies.

-Price: $350.

-Ships in July 2011.

The Collector’s Box Set will debut in San Diego at the Comic-Con International (it is listed in the May shipping Previews catalog because we needed a caution 3, as well time to get some numbers from retailers, but it will not actually be available until Preview Night at the Comic-Con)

BONE: 20th ANNIVERSARY FULL COLOR ONE VOLUME COLLECTOR’S BOX SET – with original art by Jeff Smith and hand painted by Steve Hamaker – limited to an edition of 50 copies

Special Features:

-All the details are the same as the above collector’s Box Set, but instead of the signed art print, this edition comes with a 6″ x 9″ piece of original art, each one individually penciled and inked by Jeff and hand watercolored by Steve Hamaker.

-Limited to 50 copies.

-Price:  $1000.

-Ships in July 2011. (also debuts on Preview night at Comic-Con International in San Diego)

BONE: 20th Anniversary Full Color One Volume Slipcase

Special Features:

-Deluxe Hard Cover  &  Slipcase 9 1/2″  x  7″  x  3″ with big, chunky close ups of BONE art work on both the Full Color One Volume Edition and the Slipcase with a new 32 page section that includes:

-A new essay by cartoonist Jeff Smith called “Twenty years with Bone”.

-Cover Gallery of BONE comics.

-Illustrated 20 Year Timeline.

-1376 pages total.

-Price: $150.

Ships this Fall, November 2011. (Just in time for the holidays!).

Information about how to pre-order from Boneville will be available next week, including an option to avoid shipping by picking your up your pre-paid box at the Cartoon Books booth in San Diego and selected other comic book shows during the year.

You can also pre-order one through your local comic book shop; the Diamond item code is:  MAR111015

Smith also promises that because hese are big collector books, through American Forests.org they’ll plant a tree for every one they sell!

Related posts:

1. Links: Jeff Lemire Picks His Favourite Comics of the Year; Jeff Smith Picks his Best of the Decade
2. Marvel Unveils Captain America 70th Anniversary Variants!
3. Jeff Lemire’s Essex County Makes CBC’s Canada Reads Top 10 Books of the Decade!
4. Jeff Lemire’s Essex County Makes the Final Five for CBC’s Canada Reads Top Books of the Decade!
5. Jeff Lemire In-Store in Montreal Today and Live Chat Online!