Art Spiegelman: Raw 3 Call for Submissions—Enticing Jules Feiffer

Back in 1991, Art Spiegelman and his wife Françoise Mouly were actively trying to recruit cartoonist Jules Feiffer to create comic pages that would appear in their magazine, Raw 3.

This, apparently, was not their first attempt. Raw was now in its second series and this third issue would prove to be its last. Feiffer never would appear in the magazine. Was he tempted by Spiegelman's drawing of himself and his wife humorously discussing Feiffer? Surely, he must have been tickled. The cartoon is at the bottom of the call for submissions. It shows Spiegelman and Mouly just as they were depicted in Maus, the renowned graphic novel first serialized in Raw. When Feiffer decided to sell this original work at Swann Auction Galleries in 2024, he commented only about his regard for Spiegelman and Mouly, not about his failure to appear in their publication. But perhaps Spiegelman has given us the answer. The dialogue conveys how busy Feiffer was with the variety of creative projects he was taking on.

Art Spiegelman
Swann Auction Galleries listing of June 20, 2024

https://www.swanngalleries.com/auction-lot/_42945E9B36

Art Spiegelman
Swann Auction Galleries item description

The piece, which sold for $3,250 (buyer's premium included), has now resurfaced on AbeBooks. It is offered by Raptis Rare Books of Palm Beach for $7,500. A second chance, if you will.

Art Spiegelman
AbeBooks listing accessed May 10, 2026

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/Raw-Magazine-Call-Submissions-Print-Personalized/32203670085/bd

Art Spiegelman
AbeBooks item description

05263

Federico and Sara's Copy of Maus by Art Spiegelman

In 2009, Art Spiegelman used a red marker to personalize a copy of the Italian edition of Maus belonging to fans Federico and Sara. 

The drawing is of Artie, Spiegelman's alter ego in the book. You can recognize him by the vest. Say, are those platform shoes?

In April, the bidding for this book on eBay started at $250. Bidders should always check the shipping costs, which can be significant.

Art Spiegelman
eBay listing ended April 22, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/277037163534?hash=item4080b3a40e%3Ag%3ALx4AAOSwcYhn%7ElyD&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338181027&customid=&toolid=10049

Art Spiegelman
eBay item specifics

Art Spiegelman
eBay Bid History
Three bidders. This time the item doesn't go to the last bidder, but to the most frequent bidder.

04977

Yvonne's Copy of Co-Mix by Art Spiegelman

What collector wants to see a desired book with separation of the cover board? An AbeBooks seller uses the words "unfortunately but not tragically" to relate the relative seriousness of the book's condition. That unfortunate but not tragic separation may account for the modest $50 price tag on a signed copy of Art Spiegelman's Co-Mix:  A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics, and Scraps (2013). Yvonne's copy—her name is in the dedication—has Spiegelman's sketch of a centaur, apparently a standard addition of his to the preprinted self-portrait.

Art Spiegelman
AbeBooks listing accessed October 20, 2022

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30581486044&searchurl=kn%3D%2522Co-Mix%2522%26sgnd%3Don%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title2

A search of other listings turns up Nigel's copy of the same book, which has a similar drawing and no such cover separation. Thus it sells for twice the price of Yvonne's copy:

Art Spiegelman
AbeBooks listing accessed October 20, 2022

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31259528340&searchurl=kn%3D%2522Co-Mix%2522%26sgnd%3Don%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-image4

04113

Art Spiegelman: Looking for Work

Since the passing of underground cartoonist S. Clay Wilson (1941-2021), we are beginning to see some of his papers come to the market. A 1981 letter sent to him from Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly, then the coeditors of Raw, is now offered by Between the Covers Rare Books, Inc., of Gloucester City. Composed in a breezy style to "Wiltz," it is handwritten and illustrated by Spiegelman and signed by both husband and wife. Wilson previously had contributed to Arcade, which Spiegelman edited with Bill Griffith. By the summer of 1981, Spiegelman and Mouly had completed Raw #3 and were headed to Europe. With the submission deadline for Raw #4 coming up soon upon their return, they ask Wilson "If you wanna show us stuff that might be appropriate..."—perhaps a loaded word, in Wilson's case. As it happened, none of his work was to appear in Raw.

Art Spiegelman
AbeBooks listing accessed June 11, 2022
Note: "Rawz" should be "Raw 3," making the correct year for the undated letter 1981, not 1982

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=459305184&searchurl=kn%3DR%2Bcrumb%26sortby%3D1&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-image30

03984

Little Lit: "It Was a Dark and Silly Night" Signed by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly

Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly are the high-profile co-editors of "It Was a Dark and Silly Night" (2003), one of three Little Lit books presenting entertaining comics tales for young readers. A copy currently listed with Stuart Ng Books for $150 is signed by both editors. As a bonus, it contains a drawing by Spiegelman that could reliably be described as "silly."

Little Lit: "It Was a Dark and Silly Night"

https://stuartngbooks.com/little-lit-it-was-a-dark-and-silly-night...-signed-with-a-drawing.html

03714

Little Lit: The Series, Signed

Art Spiegelman, author of Maus, and Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker's art editor, are the husband-and-wife editors of Little Lit, three volumes published in the early 2000s which bring together a number of authors and illustrators to create sophisticated comics stories for children. Stephen Kroninger writes with snapshots of all three books, signed and personalized back in the day for his twin daughters by many of the writers and artists involved in the project.

Little Lit:  Folklore and Fairy Tale Funnies (2000)

Inscribed to Hannah and Rachel in December 2001 by Kaz, Harry Bliss, Barbara McClintock, Daniel Clowes (signed in 2002), Art Spiegelman, and Françoise Mouly

Little Lit:  Strange Stories for Strange Kids (2001)

Inscribed to Hannah and Rachel in December 2001 by Ian Falconer, Paul Auster, Barbara McClintock, Kaz, Jules Feiffer, Art Spiegelman, and Françoise Mouly

Little Lit:  It Was a Dark and Silly Night (2003)

Inscribed to Hannah and Rachel in July 2003 by Art Spiegelman

Note:  Illustrator and collagist Stephen Kroninger has now racked up thirty-seven contribution to Attempted Bloggery. Nice job, Stephen.

These three books were collected as Big Fat Little Lit in 2006. The Little Lit website still refers to these as the first three books, leaving open the somewhat remote possibility of future volumes for a new generation. Readers should be on the lookout for other specially-inscribed copies of any of the Little Lit books to show off here.

03625

Twin Inscriptions in Art Spiegelman's Maus

Stephen Kroninger writes with photos of a first edition of Maus (1986) personalized for his twin daughters in 2019 by the graphic novel's author Art Spiegelman. Spiegelman has added a drawing of Artie, as his father called him, waving in friendship along with an inscription: "I knew yez when!" You can always recognize Artie in the Maus drawings by his vest.

Note:  My thanks go to Stephen Kroninger for these photos. This is Stephen's thirty-sixth contribution to this blog.

Personally, I prefer the spelling youse.

03623

Kathleen's Copy of Maus II by Art Spiegelman

Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began was published in 1991, completing the graphic novel. In the book, Jews are depicted as mice, while Germans are cats and Poles are pigs. Kathleen's copy of the book was personalized for her by Art Spiegelman on March 10, 1992 in Bloomington, Indiana. It includes a drawing of Artie, Spiegelman's persona as he appears in the book. The book sold on eBay three months ago for $56.99.

Art Spiegelman

eBay listing ended February 12, 2021

https://www.ebay.com/itm/224340931682?ViewItem=&item=224340931682

Art Spiegelman

eBay item description

Art Spiegelman
eBay bid history
The second-to-last bidder gets it.

03621

Seen and Noted: An Art Spiegelman Postcard

Seen and noted on AbeBooks:  Artie meets Charlie on the back of a postcard.

Art Spiegelman
AbeBooks listing accessed April 15, 2021

https://www.abebooks.com/signed/ART-SPIEGELMAN-INSCRIBED-POSTCARD-ARTISTS-UNIQUE/30894640101/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook

 03597