Bone (1991)
In the landscape of comic book history, few works have managed to bridge the divide between independent artistic vision and mainstream success quite like Jeff Smith's Bone. When the first issue appeared in 1991, few could have predicted that this self-published black-and-white comic would evolve into a sweeping fantasy epic spanning 55 issues over 13 years, ultimately earning its place alongside revered graphic narratives like Maus and Watchmen.
The story begins deceptively simply: three cousins from Boneville—the everyman Fone Bone, the scheming Phoncible P. ’Phoney”’Bone, and the happy-go-lucky Smiley Bone—find themselves lost in a mysterious valley after being run out of their hometown. What starts as a seemingly straightforward adventure quickly unfolds into an intricate tapestry of high fantasy, political intrigue, and philosophical meditation on loyalty, greed, and the nature of power.
Smith's artistic journey to creating Bone is nearly as compelling as the narrative itself. A former animator who cut his teeth creating political cartoons for Ohio State University's student newspaper, Smith drew inspiration from an eclectic range of sources. The visual language of Bone reveals the clear influence of Walt Kelly's "Pogo" and Carl Barks' Donald Duck comics, while the sprawling narrative architecture owes much to J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" and Walt Kelly's "Pogo."
What sets Bone apart is its masterful synthesis of seemingly disparate elements. The Bone cousins, with their cartoon-like design—somewhere between Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse and George Herriman's Krazy Kat—exist in a meticulously rendered medieval world populated by humans, talking animals, and monsters. This juxtaposition creates a unique visual grammar that allows Smith to modulate between slapstick comedy and profound drama with remarkable fluidity.
The series' world-building deserves particular attention. The Valley, where much of the action takes place, is a fully realized creation that feels both timeless and immediate. Smith's backgrounds are rich with detail, from the encompassing forests to the imposing mountains, creating an environment that becomes a character in its own right. The Valley's inhabitants—from the tough-as-nails Grandma Ben to the mysterious Red Dragon—are drawn with equal care, each bringing their own historical and cultural weight to the narrative.
Perhaps most impressive is how Smith handles the series' tonal shifts. What begins as a relatively lighthearted fish-out-of-water tale gradually reveals itself to be an epic confrontation between good and evil, with stakes that extend far beyond the Valley's borders. Yet even as the narrative grows darker and more complex, Smith maintains the warmth and humor that characterized its early chapters. This delicate balance is particularly evident in the character of Fone Bone, whose unrequited crush on Thorn (a seemingly ordinary Valley girl who proves to be much more) provides both comic relief and emotional depth throughout the series.
The political dimensions of Bone are surprisingly sophisticated. Through the machinations of Phoney Bone and the power struggles within the Valley, Smith explores themes of economic exploitation, political manipulation, and the corrupting influence of power. These elements are woven so naturally into the fabric of the story that younger readers might miss them entirely, while adult readers can appreciate their complexity.
Smith's technical mastery deserves special mention. His line work is confident and expressive, equally adept at conveying both broad physical comedy and subtle emotional moments. His page layouts are dynamic yet clear, guiding the reader's eye while maintaining narrative momentum. The black-and-white artwork, initially chosen for economic reasons, proves to be a perfect aesthetic choice, lending the series a timeless quality that colored artwork might have diminished.
The success of Bone also represents a significant moment in comics publishing history. By self-publishing through his company Cartoon Books, Smith maintained complete creative control over his work, setting a precedent for other independent creators. The series' eventual collection by Scholastic, with added color by Steve Hamaker, introduced it to a new generation of readers and helped establish the graphic novel as a legitimate format for children's literature.
The cultural impact of Bone extends beyond its immediate success. Its blend of humor, adventure, and complex storytelling helped pave the way for the current golden age of all-ages comics. Works like Kazu Kibuishi's "Amulet" series and Raina Telgemeier's graphic memoirs owe a debt to the trail blazed by Smith's creation.
The series' environmental themes, while never heavy-handed, feel particularly relevant today. The Valley's relationship with its natural world, threatened by the encroaching forces of industrialization and corruption, speaks to contemporary concerns about environmental preservation and sustainable living. Smith presents these ideas not through didactic preaching but through organic storytelling that allows readers to draw their own conclusions.
Bone also stands as a testament to the power of long-form storytelling in comics. Over its 1,300-plus pages, Smith crafts a narrative that rewards both careful reading and rereading. The seemingly throwaway details in early issues often prove significant later, while character relationships develop with the kind of nuance usually associated with literary fiction.
The series' treatment of mythology and tradition deserves particular attention. Through the character of Gran'ma Ben and the ancient histories she relates, Smith explores how societies preserve and transmit their cultural heritage. The dragons, rat creatures, and other fantastic elements of the story feel less like generic fantasy tropes and more like essential components of a coherent mythological system.
As Bone approaches its third decade of publication, its influence continues to grow. The series has been translated into numerous languages, adapted into video games, and has long been rumored for various film and television adaptations. Yet its greatest legacy may be how it demonstrated that comics could be sophisticated without being cynical, ambitious without being pretentious, and accessible without being simplistic.
In an era when comic books were increasingly divided between mainstream superhero fare and alternative adult comics, Bone charted a different course. It proved that comics could be both commercially successful and artistically accomplished, that they could appeal to children and adults simultaneously, and that they could tackle serious themes while maintaining a sense of joy and wonder.
Jeff Smith's Bone stands as more than just a successful comic book series—it represents a watershed moment in the medium's evolution. It demonstrates the potential of comics to tell complex, nuanced stories that resonate across age groups and cultures. In doing so, it helped establish the graphic novel as a legitimate form of literary expression, paving the way for the medium's current renaissance.
As new readers continue to discover "Bone," its achievement becomes even clearer. In creating a work that is simultaneously timeless and contemporary, personal and universal, Smith has produced not just a great comic book, but a great work of literature. The Valley and its inhabitants remain as vivid and compelling today as when they first emerged from Smith's imagination, ready to enchant new generations of readers with their timeless tale of courage, friendship, and the power of storytelling itself.
