Tubby: The John Stanley Library Volume 1 Hardcover

Meet Tubby Tomkins, a mischievous gourmand, rabble-rouser, and schemer who, along with neighborhood buddies The Fellers, is continually at odds with the belligerent and thwarting West Side Boys headed by Wilbur Van Snobbe—the rich trickster who always gets the girl Tubby likes, Gloria Darling. Published by the graphic preservation curators at Drawn & Quarterly, Tubby: The John Stanley Library Volume 1 is a highly sought-after, out-of-print deluxe hardcover collection. This massive classic comic anthology brings together the definitive mid-century cartoon layout grids, character turnaround dynamics, and hilarious dialogue keys that spun off from the wildly popular Little Lulu comic book empire.

Spanning a monumental 144 pages of vivid, full-color visual layouts and heavyweight archival matte stock, this comprehensive chronicle presents an unmatched look inside historical golden-age comic development pipelines. Get an inside look at the classic scripting process packed with a wealth of production extras, including insight on vintage comic pacing, character model sheets, and sprawling neighborhood landscape layouts. From clubhouse standoffs to pogo stick time machines, the day is rarely long enough for the hilarious escapades and witty shenanigans that divert and preoccupy the epicurean Tubby and his pals. Consistently humorous and engaging, Tubby is a spirited voyage through the prototypal works of a preeminent storyteller, elegantly designed by the award-winning Canadian cartoonist Seth to preserve the historic line density of the original 1954–1955 Dell comic book runs. Every vintage portfolio page is packed with professional-grade comic art lines, fine production sketches, and insightful historical creator commentary.

Individual chapters compile spectacular visual layouts, character designs, and worldbuilding portfolios:

Masterfully devised, written, and illustrated by comic book industry titan John Stanley (famed for Little Lulu, Melvin Monster, and Thirteen Going on Eighteen), with exquisite book design engineering by legendary cartoonist Seth, Time magazine's rave review observed that Stanley "excels at creating absurdly funny situations out of the simplest devices." This essential reference manual is an absolute crown jewel addition for digital painters, comic book pencilers, cartoon historians, illustration students, and dedicated collectors of premium investment-tier comic strip collections.