Bone: A Complete Guide
Jeff Smith’s Bone (1991–2004) is one of the most beloved graphic novel series ever created. Originally published as a black-and-white comic by Smith’s own Cartoon Books, it runs over 1,300 pages and tells an epic fantasy adventure that combines the humor of Carl Barks’s Donald Duck with the scope of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. It won multiple Eisner and Harvey Awards.
The Premise
The three Bone cousins — Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone — are run out of their hometown, Boneville, after Phoney’s latest scheme goes wrong. They become lost in a vast desert and end up in a mysterious valley populated by talking animals, strange monsters, and warring factions. The valley is a world in crisis. The evil Lord of the Locusts is gathering power. The Great Red Dragon is the only force capable of opposing him. And Fone Bone has fallen in love with a human girl named Thorn — a love that is impossible and dangerous.
The Characters
Fone Bone
Fone Bone is the hero — kind, brave, and hopelessly romantic. He is also the most normal of the three cousins. He serves as the reader’s point of entry into the strange world of the valley. His love for Thorn is sincere, and his loyalty to his cousins — even when they deserve it — is absolute.
Phoney Bone
Phoney is greedy, scheming, and selfish. He is constantly trying to make money and constantly failing. He is a comic character but also a dangerous one — his greed puts everyone at risk. His character arc is about learning (slowly) to care about something other than profit.
Smiley Bone
Smiley is simple, cheerful, and easily led. He is Phoney’s willing accomplice and Fone’s loyal friend. He is the most purely comic character, but he has moments of surprising wisdom.
Thorn
Thorn is the human princess of the valley. She is strong, independent, and brave. Her romantic connection with Fone Bone is one of the series’ emotional anchors. She discovers her destiny as the heir to the throne and the vessel of the powers that can defeat the Lord of the Locusts.
The Great Red Dragon
The dragon is the most powerful being in the valley. He is mysterious, ancient, and grudgingly helpful. He protects Fone Bone and the others, though he prefers not to get directly involved in mortal affairs.
The Story Structure
The Early Chapters
The early issues of Bone are primarily comedic. Phoney’s schemes, Smiley’s foolishness, and the Bone cousins’ interactions with the valley’s unusual inhabitants create a lighthearted tone. The threat of the Lord of the Locusts is present but in the background.
The Shift
Around the midpoint, the story becomes darker. The rat creatures become more menacing. The political conflict in the valley escalates. Characters die. The comedy does not disappear but becomes darker, a counterpoint to the growing danger. This tonal shift mirrors the structure of epic fantasy from Tolkien to Saga — the journey from innocence to experience.
The Climax
The final volumes move into full epic fantasy territory. Battles, sacrifices, and revelations. The ending is bittersweet — victory comes at a cost, and the characters are changed by their experiences.
The Art
Black and White
Smith chose to draw Bone in black and white, partly for economic reasons but also for artistic ones. The lack of color forces the reader to focus on line quality, composition, and expression. This approach connects Bone to other great black-and-white works like Maus and Persepolis.
The Cartooning
Smith’s style is heavily influenced by classic Disney comics and by Pogo. The Bone cousins are designed as simple, rounded characters — almost abstract shapes — while the human characters are drawn more realistically. This contrast creates visual interest and emotional range.
Action and Composition
Smith is a master of action sequences. His panels are clear and dynamic. The reader always knows where characters are and what is happening. This clarity is essential for the epic battle sequences of the later volumes.
Themes
Greed and Generosity
Phoney Bone is a walking critique of greed. Every scheme backfires. Every shortcut leads to disaster. The book argues that generosity and community are more valuable than wealth. This moral simplicity is part of the book’s appeal for younger readers.
Identity and Destiny
Thorn’s journey is about accepting her identity as a princess and the responsibility that comes with it. Fone Bone must accept that he is not the heroic type he wants to be — but he is a hero in his own way. The theme resonates with Scott Pilgrim, where the hero must similarly grow into his role.
The Power of Story
Bone is full of references to other stories — fairy tales, myths, and comics. The valley is a place where stories are real. The book celebrates the power of narrative to shape, inspire, and heal.
The Rat Creatures
The rat creatures are among the most memorable creations in Bone. They are comic villains — bumbling, greedy, and easily distracted. But they are also genuinely threatening. Their design — oversized snouts, beady eyes, hunched postures — makes them both ridiculous and scary. They represent the way danger in children’s literature is often mixed with humor, making it manageable.
The Villains
Beyond the rat creatures, Bone features a rich cast of antagonists. The Lord of the Locusts is a genuinely frightening evil, a cloud of malevolent insects that can possess the living. Kingdok, the leader of the rat creatures, is a tragic figure — a powerful being in thrall to a power he cannot control. Tarsil, the corrupt leader of the humans, represents the evil that comes from within civilization itself.
The Humor
The humor in Bone is essential to its success. Smith uses slapstick, wordplay, and running gags to keep the tone light even as the story darkens. Phoney’s constant scheming provides comic relief. Smiley’s cheerful idiocy generates endless jokes. The rat creatures’ obsession with quiche has become legendary among fans.
Legacy
Bone has been translated into dozens of languages and is widely used in classrooms to teach visual literacy. It is one of the few graphic novels that children and adults can enjoy equally. It proved that independent comics could sustain long-form narratives and achieve mainstream success. Smith’s achievement paved the way for other epic fantasy graphic novel series.
The Publishing History
Bone began as a self-published comic in 1991. Smith founded Cartoon Books to publish the series after mainstream publishers rejected it. The early issues sold modestly but built a loyal following. As word of mouth spread, the series gained critical attention and award nominations. Scholastic’s Graphix imprint later republished the series in color, introducing Bone to a new generation of young readers.
The self-publishing origin is essential to understanding Bone. Smith had complete creative control. He was not subject to editorial mandates or corporate oversight. The series reflects his vision alone — its pacing, its humor, its tonal shifts, its length. Bone proved that independent cartoonists could create commercially successful long-form work without the backing of major publishers.
The Color Edition
In 2005, Scholastic released a full-color edition of Bone colored by Steve Hamaker. The color version brought the series to a wider audience, particularly younger readers who found the black-and-white originals less accessible. Hamaker’s coloring is sensitive to Smith’s original linework, using muted palettes for dramatic scenes and brighter colors for comedic moments. Some purists prefer the original black-and-white, but the color edition has become the standard version for most readers.
FAQ
Is Bone suitable for children?
Yes, Bone is accessible to readers as young as eight or nine, though younger children may need help with some vocabulary. The later volumes contain darker themes and violence, but nothing inappropriate for middle-grade readers.
How many Bone books are there?
The complete series was originally published in 55 comic issues and later collected into nine paperback volumes. There is also a one-volume complete edition that collects the entire story in over 1,300 pages.
Does Bone have any connections to other comics?
Jeff Smith has said that Bone was influenced by Walt Kelly’s Pogo, Carl Barks’s Donald Duck comics, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The series stands entirely on its own with no crossover connections.
Why is Bone in black and white?
Smith chose black and white partly for economic reasons — self-publishing in color would have been prohibitively expensive — but also because he believed the line art was strong enough to carry the story without color.
What awards did Bone win?
Bone won multiple Eisner Awards and Harvey Awards over its run, including Best Continuing Series and Best Humor Publication. It was also named one of the top ten graphic novels for young readers by the American Library Association.
Related Concepts and Further Reading
Understanding bone requires familiarity with several interconnected ideas and principles that together form a complete picture. Exploring these related concepts deepens your knowledge and provides context that makes the core material more meaningful and applicable. Each concept builds on the others, creating a web of understanding that supports deeper learning and practical application. Taking time to explore how these elements connect reveals patterns that accelerate comprehension and retention of new information.
The relationship between bone and adjacent fields is worth particular attention. Many of the most important insights emerge at the boundaries between disciplines, where ideas from different areas combine to create new approaches and solutions that neither field could produce alone. Exploring these connections pays dividends in both breadth and depth of understanding, revealing patterns and principles that might otherwise remain hidden from view. Cross-disciplinary knowledge is increasingly valued as problems become more complex and interconnected.
For those looking to go beyond introductory material, several excellent resources provide deeper treatment of specific aspects of bone. Academic journals, industry publications, authoritative reference works, and online courses each offer different perspectives and levels of detail. The key is to match your reading to your current learning goals and build knowledge progressively, focusing on quality over quantity in your study materials. A well-chosen resource that matches your current level is worth more than dozens of resources that are too basic or too advanced.