Raw Books
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Founder | Françoise Mouly |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Comics, graphic novels, children's comics |
Raw Books & Graphics is a U.S.-based publishing firm focused on comics and graphic novels. Established in 1978 by Françoise Mouly, the company became well-known through its production of Raw magazine, co-edited by Mouly alongside her spouse, cartoonist Art Spiegelman. During the 1980s, Raw Books broadened its scope to include graphic novels, and with the introduction of Raw Junior in 1999, it ventured into children's comics via imprints such as Little Lit and Toon Books.
Origins
In 1978, Mouly launched Raw Books and Graphics, a title that reflected both the modest scale of the enterprise and paid homage to Mad magazine. Inspired by Russian Constructivist design aesthetics, Raw Books initially produced postcards and prints featuring artists like underground cartoonist Bill Griffith and Dutch artist Joost Swarte. The company also crafted unique art pieces, including the Zippy-Scope—a cardboard viewer designed for comic strips starring Griffith's character Zippy the Pinhead. Advertising contracts for projects such as the yearly Streets of SoHo Map and Guide provided financial backing for Raw Books’ activities.
Raw
Utilizing her background in publishing, Mouly introduced Raw in July 1980 amid a slump in the American comics market. Distinguished by its superior production quality and oversized format (), the magazine’s standout feature was the serialization of Spiegelman's graphic novel Maus, which debuted as an insert starting with the December 1980 second issue.
Raw garnered critical praise and enjoyed robust sales. Between 1981 and 1986, Raw Books released six One Shot editions by creators such as Gary Panter, Sue Coe, and Jerry Moriarty, consistently upholding Mouly’s unique production approach—for example, Panter’s Jimbo showcased a corrugated cardboard cover embellished with character stickers.
By the late 1980s, Raw Books collaborated with Pantheon Books for co-publishing, while publication duties for Raw magazine were handled by Penguin Books. The final issue of Raw was published in 1991 by Mouly and Spiegelman, marking the end of its influential role at a time when alternative publishing avenues had become more widely available to artists.
Little Lit
In 1999, Mouly established Raw Junior, which led to the creation of Little Lit, a children’s comic anthology featuring prominent cartoonists and literary figures. Contributors encompassed writers like Paul Auster, Neil Gaiman, and David Sedaris; illustrators including Daniel Clowes and Chris Ware; as well as children’s authors such as William Joyce and Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler).
The series debuted in 2000 with the 64-page hardcover Little Lit: Folklore & Fairy Tale Funnies, followed by subsequent volumes Strange Stories for Strange Kids (2001) and It Was a Dark and Silly Night... (2003).
Toon Books
In 2008, Toon Books launched its inaugural collection of eight hardcover early reader editions, showcasing talents such as Geoffrey Hayes, Jay Lynch, and Spiegelman. Marketed as "the first premium comics tailored for children aged four and older," Toon Books sought to rejuvenate the landscape of children's comic literature.
Originally, distribution was managed by Diamond Books, a branch of Diamond Comic Distributors. By 2010, Toon Books had formed a distribution alliance with Candlewick Press. In 2014, the company introduced the TOON Graphics imprint aimed at readers aged eight and above, and subsequently transitioned its distribution to Consortium, affiliated with the Perseus Books Group, signaling its evolution into an autonomous publishing entity.
Raw Books
- Manhattan authored by Mark Beyer (1978)
- Streets of SoHo Map and Guide (1978–circa 1982)
- Work and Turn (1979)
- Raw periodical (eight issues, July 1980–1986)
- Agony by Mark Beyer (1987; jointly published with Pantheon Books)
- Hard-Boiled Defective Stories by Charles Burns (1988; co-published with Pantheon Books)
- Cheap Novelties: The Pleasures of Urban Decay by Ben Katchor (1991; in partnership with Penguin Books)
- The Narrative Corpse, overseen by editor Art Spiegelman (1995; co-published with Gates of Heck)
- Resist! issue #2 (2017)
Raw One-Shots
- Jimbo created by Gary Panter (1981)
- How to Commit Suicide in South Africa by Holly Metz and Sue Coe (1982)
- Jack Survives authored by Jerry Moriarty (1984)
- Invasion of the Elvis Zombies by Gary Panter (1984)
- Big Baby: Curse of the Molemen by Charles Burns (1985)
- X by Sue Coe (1986)
Little Lit
- Little Lit: Folklore & Fairy Tale Funnies (2000)
- Strange Stories for Strange Kids (2001)
- It Was a Dark and Silly Night... (2003)
Toon Books
Works Cited
External links
- Short description with empty Wikidata description
- Raw (magazine)
- Book publishing companies based in New York City
- Comic book publishing companies of the United States
- Publishers of adult comics
- American companies established in 1978
- Publishing companies established in 1978
- Lists of comics by publisher
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment