Cartoon Books Inc

What Cartoon Books Inc does

Cartoon Books Inc is an independent comic book publishing company founded by Jeff Smith in 1991 and domiciled in Columbus, Ohio, operating as a private, self-funded entity with a team of approximately five people. The company's core offering is the BONE graphic novel series, a nine-book high-fantasy work largely self-published from 1991 to 2004, which has accumulated four Eisner Awards and a ranking of #25 on CBR's 100 Greatest Comic Book Runs of All-Time. Beyond BONE, the catalog includes the TUKI series, RASL, THORN (an archival collection of early proto-BONE strips that won the 2025 Eisner for Best Archival Collection), and the children's book Little Mouse Saves the Day.

The underlying production model is traditional pen-and-ink illustration combined with comic book and graphic novel publishing, with no proprietary technology platform. Revenue is generated through three primary streams: ongoing trade paperback and hardcover sales of the BONE backlist and related titles via Amazon and local bookstores; mass-market distribution through Scholastic/Graphix into school, library, and book fair channels; and direct-to-consumer sales of premium deluxe editions and limited merchandise via Kickstarter and Backerkit. The 2024 BONE Deluxe Edition Part One: The Valley campaign attracted over 1,600 backers, illustrating the viability of the crowdfunding channel for collector-grade releases.

Go-to-market combines direct fan engagement (email newsletter, blog, social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Tumblr) with periodic appearances at comic conventions including Comic-Con International and Baltimore Comic-Con. Pricing is multi-tiered through Kickstarter reward structures (commissioned art, signature, remarque tiers) and through differentiated editions at retail. Fulfillment operations were migrated to Ohio Logistics in April 2026, indicating modest operational scaling while the company remains lean and creator-centric.

Name

Cartoon Books Inc

Legal name

Cartoon Books

Website

https://boneville.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cartoon Books Inc is a private, self-funded independent comic book publisher founded by Jeff Smith in 1991 in Columbus, Ohio, best known for the award-winning BONE graphic novel series. The five-person company monetizes its nine-book BONE backlist plus TUKI, RASL, and archival titles through Amazon, Scholastic/Graphix, Kickstarter deluxe editions, and comic conventions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graphic Novel Publishing

NAICS

Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & All-Ages Comics Publishing (MPAJAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Western Comic Books Publishing (Superhero, Indie) (MPAJAGAB), Picture Book Publishing (MPAJAFAA)

Keywords

• Graphic novel publishing
• Comic book publishing
• Independent publishing
• All-ages comics
• Creator-owned comics

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Graphic Novel Sales: Revenue from sales of graphic novels and comic books including the Bone series, TUKI series, RASL, and THORN. Products sold through Amazon, direct web store, and Kickstarter campaigns.
2. Kickstarter Campaigns: Crowdfunding campaigns for deluxe edition releases. The Bone Deluxe Edition Part One: The Valley Kickstarter successfully raised funding with over 1,600 backers in late 2024.
3. Limited Edition Products: Sale of limited edition items including slipcased hardcovers, prints, merchandise, and original art through Kickstarter add-ons and campaigns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cartoon Books is an independent graphic novel publisher that creates, self-publishes, and sells creator-owned comic books and graphic novels. Its flagship offering is the BONE series (nine books), supported by TUKI, RASL, the THORN archival collection, and children's books such as Little Mouse Saves the Day, sold through Amazon, its Boneville.com site, Kickstarter/Backerkit, comic conventions, and Scholastic/Graphix distribution.

Product overview

Cartoon Books Inc is a comic book publishing company founded by Jeff Smith, publisher of the critically acclaimed BONE graphic novel series. The company's product portfolio includes the BONE series (a nine-book graphic novel series largely self-published from 1991-2004), the BONE Deluxe Edition series (deluxe hardcover reissues of the entire BONE collection), the TUKI series (a newer comic series by Jeff Smith), RASL (a comic series by Jeff Smith), and THORN: The Complete Proto-BONE College Strips archival collection. Additional offerings include children's books like Little Mouse Saves the Day. The company operates primarily through physical book sales via Amazon and retailers, with special edition campaigns through Kickstarter and Backerkit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bone: The flagship graphic novel series by Jeff Smith, comprising nine books of high fantasy initially self-published from 1991-2004.
• TUKI
• RASL
• THORN

Products and services

• BONE Series The flagship graphic novel series written by Jeff Smith, comprising nine books largely self-published from 1991 to 2004, following cousins Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone as they explore the mysterious Valley.
• BONE Deluxe Edition Part One: The Valley First of four planned oversized hardcover deluxe library editions reprinting all award-winning volumes of BONE. Contains Out From Boneville and The Great Cow Race, 352 pages in black & white, with extras, sketches, and a full color section.
• TUKI Series A comic series by Jeff Smith featuring original characters. TUKI Book Three, titled 'The Dread Mountain,' is in production with color work by Steve Hamaker.
• RASL A comic series by Jeff Smith featuring a drift artist named RASL.
• THORN: The Complete Proto-BONE College Strips 1982-1986, and Other Early Drawings Archival collection of Jeff Smith's early college comic strips from 1982 to 1986, considered proto-Bone work. Won the 2025 Eisner Award for Best Archival Collection/Project – Strips.
• Little Mouse Saves the Day Children's book by Jeff Smith, selected as one of Good Housekeeping's 2025 Kids Book Award Winners.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Bone series won 4 Eisner Awards including Best Serialized Story
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Scholastic/GraphixcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorScholastic/Graphix handles mass market distribution of the Bone series through school and library channels, book fairs, and retail outlets. They redesigned the trade dress on Bone books in recent years.
• Ohio LogisticsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThird-party logistics provider handling mailing and fulfillment operations for Cartoon Books. The company moved to using Ohio Logistics for order fulfillment and new mailing address.
• Steve HamakercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColorist and designer working with Jeff Smith on deluxe editions. Provided final colors and design work on Bone Deluxe Edition and TUKI Book Three covers.
• Tom GaadtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Bone deluxe editions providing preliminary work, coloring, and design for the oversized hardcover releases.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BOOM! Studios: Independent comic publisher with both original and licensed IP across all-ages and adult segments. Comparable to Cartoon Books in its mix of original graphic novels and collector-oriented premium editions.
• Oni Press: Independent comic and graphic novel publisher with a strong all-ages and middle-grade catalog. Comparable to Cartoon Books in its focus on creator-owned graphic novels and youth-oriented titles.
• Fantagraphics Books: Independent publisher specializing in graphic novels, comics archival collections, and cartoonist retrospectives. Closely comparable to Cartoon Books in scale, indie ethos, and focus on deluxe archival editions like the THORN project.
• First Second Books: Graphic novel-focused imprint publishing literary and all-ages comics. Comparable to Cartoon Books in its commitment to graphic novels as a primary format and its mix of children and adult titles.
• Image Comics: Independent comic book publisher known for creator-owned titles. Direct peer to Cartoon Books in the independent comic/graphic novel publishing space, with a similar model of relying on creator IP and direct-to-consumer engagement.
• Top Shelf Productions: Independent graphic novel publisher with a creator-focused catalog and a similar small-team operating model. Direct peer in producing award-quality all-ages and literary graphic novels.
• Dark Horse Comics: Independent comic publisher with a strong catalog of creator-owned graphic novels and archival projects. Comparable to Cartoon Books in its mix of original graphic novels, hardcover deluxe editions, and collectible formats.

Broad incumbents

• IDW Publishing: Larger independent comic publisher with a broader catalog across licensed and original IP. Comparable to Cartoon Books in graphic novel publishing but materially larger scale and more diversified revenue base.
• Scholastic / Graphix: Children's publisher and Cartoon Books' distribution partner for BONE. Comparable in publishing all-ages graphic novels but materially larger, with broader children's book and educational channels as a publisher rather than a niche indie.
• Archie Comics: Long-running independent comic publisher with a stable of legacy characters and ongoing all-ages titles. Comparable to Cartoon Books in operating an enduring IP across decades, though at a larger scale and with broader product lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cartoonbooksinc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC578FkmnndcPnAwETjr5xCQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/113133408702642
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_official_jeffsmith_insta
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cartoon-books-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cartoon Books Inc