Building Stories (2012) Signed First Edition Reference

Building Stories (Pantheon, 2012) is the most physically radical publication in mainstream comics history. The “book” is actually a large box containing fourteen distinct printed pieces — broadsheet newspapers, pamphlets, hardcover books, a fold-out game board, a “golden book” — that tell interconnected stories about the residents of a three-story Chicago apartment building. There is no prescribed reading order.

The Box-Bound Format

The fourteen pieces include: a large broadsheet newspaper, a tabloid-size newspaper, several pamphlets of varying sizes, a hardcover book, a fold-out poster/game board, a “Little Golden Book” format piece, and more. Each piece is a self-contained narrative that connects to the others thematically and through shared characters. The format forces readers to choose their own path through the story.

First Edition Identification

Pantheon, 2012. First printing identifiable by number line. Complete copies must include all fourteen pieces — check against published contents lists. Missing pieces significantly diminish value.

Signed Copy Market Values

• Signed complete box set: $100–$300
• Signed with Ware drawing on one piece: $200–$500
• Unsigned complete box set: $40–$100

Building Stories is the Ware publication that most fully embodies his vision of comics as designed objects. Its radical format makes it irreducible to digital reproduction, ensuring continued demand for physical copies.