The cover ACME Novelty Library issue 15

Acme Novelty Library is a singular and artistically adventurous comic book created by Chicago cartoonist Chris Ware and published by Fantagraphics Books. It is considered a significant work in alternative comics. Image File history File links Acme_Novelty_Library_issue_15_cover_. ... Image File history File links Acme_Novelty_Library_issue_15_cover_. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Nickname: Motto: Urbs in Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country State Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ... The cover to the collected edition of Jimmy Corrigan by Chris Ware Franklin Christenson Ware (born December 28, 1967) is an American comic book artist and cartoonist, best-known for a series of comics called the Acme Novelty Library, and a graphic novel, Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth. ... Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint. ... For the publisher Alternative Comics, see Alternative Comics (publisher). ...

Issues are printed in different sizes and formats, sometimes a small paperback, sometimes a standard comic book, and sometimes a large "poster book" measuring 17 inches on a side. Each issue is composed of multiple stories with their own style and recurring characters, suggesting a compilation of strips, although all the work is done by Ware. A meticulous attention to detail is evident in every issue, making each volume a unique artistic work, with virtually nothing in common with traditional comic books.

The defining characteristics of Ware's work include a pervasive sadness and nihilism, tales of disappointment, thwarted affection, and the dehumanization of the individual in a modern and mechanized world. The series defies artistic and publishing conventions while remaining accessible. This article is about the philosophical position. ...

Ware's first major graphic novel, Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth, a saga of a lonely childlike man and his alienated ancestors, was serialized here. Partly inspired by Ware's hopeful but unhappy reunion with an absentee father, the novel was later reissued in hardcover and paperback editions, to much acclaim. Trade paperback of Will Eisners A Contract with God (1978), often mistakenly cited as the first graphic novel. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Acme has also showcased early Ware comics like Quimby the Mouse from The Daily Texan; more recent strips from New City, a Chicago weekly paper; plus original novelties such as cut-outs, flip-books, and prose parodies set in tiny fonts. Quimby the Mouse was created by Chris Ware while he attended the University of Texas at Austin from 1990-1991 (some of the strip was written from 1992-1993) The strip originally appeared in the student paper, The Daily Texan. ...

Ware's next graphic novel, Rusty Brown, began serialization with issue 16. With this issue Ware will be self-publishing the title with Fantagraphics acting as a distributor. Given his obsessive control over all aspects of publication this is not seen as a major issue. Rusty Brown is the protagonist of the strip of the same name by Chicago cartoonist Chris Ware. ...

Acme Novelty Library Series

Published by Fantagraphics Books through #15, distributed by Fantagraphics #16-on. Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint. ...

1. Winter 1993-1994 (Jimmy Corrigan)
2. Summer 1994 (Quimby the Mouse)
3. Fall 1994 (Potato Guy)
4. Winter 1994-1995 (Sparky)
5. 1995 (Jimmy Corrigan, pt 1)
6. Winter 1995-1996 (Jimmy Corrigan, pt 2)
7. 1996 (Joke Book - Big Tex, Rocket Sam)
8. 1997 (Jimmy Corrigan, pt 3)
9. 1998 (Jimmy Corrigan, pt 4)
10. 1998 (Jimmy Corrigan)
11. 1998 (Jimmy Corrigan, pt 5)
12. 1999 (Jimmy Corrigan, pt 6)
13. 1999 (Jimmy Corrigan, pt 7)
14. 2000 (Jimmy Corrigan, pt 8)
15. 2001 (Joke Book II- Rocket Sam, Tales From The Future, and Quimby the Mouse)
16. 2005 (Rusty Brown, pt 1 & Building Stories, pt 1) [hardcover]
17. 2006 (Rusty Brown, pt 2 & Building Stories, pt 2) [hardcover]

The title has been collected into volumes published by Pantheon Books (US), Fantagraphics Books (US) and Jonathan Cape (UK): Pantheon Books was an American publishing company that was acquired by Random House in 1961. ... Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint. ... Jonathan Cape has been since 1987 an imprint of Random House. ...

• Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth (2000), Pantheon / Cape (collects issue 5, 6, 8, 9 and 11-14).
• Quimby the Mouse (2003), Fantagraphics / Cape (collects issues 2 and 4 with additional material).
• The Acme Novelty Library Final Report to Shareholders and Rainy Day Saturday Afternoon Fun Book (2005), Pantheon / Cape (collects issues 7 and 15 with additional material).

Issues 1, 3 and 10 remain uncollected at this time. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Quimby the Mouse was created by Chris Ware while he attended the University of Texas at Austin from 1990-1991 (some of the strip was written from 1992-1993) The strip originally appeared in the student paper, The Daily Texan. ...

Awards

The series has been widely recognized in the industry. It has won the Harvey Award for Best New Series of 1995, Best Continuing or Limited Series of 2000, and Best Continuing Series of 2001. Issues #7 and #13 won the Harvey Award for Best Single Issue or Story of 1997 and 2000, respectively. Furthermore, Acme Novelty Library won the Harvey Special Award for Excellence in Presentation every year from 1995 to 1999, followed by wins in the same category for issue #13 in 2000, Jimmy Corrigan in 2001, and the Acme Novelty Datebook in 2004. The Harvey Awards are given for achievement in comic books. ...

Acme Novelty Library also won the Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series of 1996 and 2000; Best New Graphic Album of 2000 (for issue #13); and Best Publication Design of 1995, 1996, 1997 (for issue #7), and 2002 (for issue #15). Also, an Acme Novelty Library display stand won the Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Product of 1998. The Will Eisner Comic Industry Award is given for creative achievement in comic books. ...

The series also won Ignatz Awards for Outstanding Series of 1997, 1998; Outstanding Comic of 1998 (issue #9) and 2000 (issue #13); and Outstanding Story of 2000 (for "Jimmy Corrigan"). The Ignatz Awards are named in honour of George Herriman and his classic strip Krazy Kat, which featured a brick-wielding mouse named Ignatz. ...

Other awards won by Acme Novelty Library include Good Taste Awards for Best New Series of 1994; Best Continuing Series of 1995, 1996 (for issue #7), 1997, 1999 (for issues #11 to #13), and 2000; Best Single Issue of 1996 (for issue #7), 1999 (for issue #13), and 2000; Best Ongoing Serialized Story of 1999 (for "Jimmy Corrigan"); and Best Production Design of 1998, 1999, and 2000.

References

• WARE books: A collector's guide. The Fantagraphics Blog. Retrieved on 2005-10-01.

• Acme Novelty Archive.