1st Appearance | Origin Story | Main Publication History | Secondary Publication History | Key Storylines | Media Source Material | Key Issues | Compilations
by snowbi-wan, updated Jul 2019
The Simpsons are that iconic yellow-hued family consisting of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. The animated show is the longest-running American television series with a mulititude of awards. The show parodies American culture and society through its titular family and their large stable of supporting characters. Bongo Comics was created specifically to publish Simpsons comic books, and their flagship comic book title, SIMPSONS COMICS, was a long-running comic book series. Many characters in the Simpsons world have had their own one-shots or mini-series, including the fictional-within-a-fiction characters, such as Itchy and Scratchy and Radioactive Man.
The first appearance of a character in comic book form is often the most valuable issue featuring that character. It's a nice place to get started in Simpsons, if it's within your budget.
The first comic strips based on The Simpsons appeared in 1991 in the magazine SIMPSONS ILLUSTRATED [1991], which was a companion magazine to the show. It contained a mix of articles and comic strips. (An annual issue of SIMPSONS ILLUSTRATED [1991], called SIMPSONS 1992 ANNUAL [1992] is comic book-sized and--although it contains mostly comics--it is still a mix of articles and comics.) The comic strips were popular though, and the one-shot SIMPSONS COMICS AND STORIES [1993] #1 was published for fans through Welsh Publishing Group. Due to the success of this comic book, Matt Groening and company created Bongo Comics specifically to publish Simpsons comic books. The first issue of the long-running flagship SIMPSONS COMICS from Bongo is a key issue, but not a first appearance.
Series beginnings are always great places to get started in comic books. Here is the Main Publication History for Simpsons comic books. Reprint series published in countries outside the U.S. are not included in this list.
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In modern comic publishing, it's common (and expected) for individual comic book issues to be collected into compilations of trade paperbacks and/or hardcovers, as well as other special compilations. Unlike the individual source issues, the collected editions typically stay in print for long periods and are less 'collectible.' If individual issues are out of reach or are not of interest to you or if you just need reading copies, the following collected editions of Simpsons comic books are the most recent in-print editions and are the perfect alternative to get started right away with Simpsons. The following compilations are presented in a chronologically-based suggested reading order with softcover editions before any hardcover editions (unless the only in-print editions are hardcover--these are integrated into the softcover list).
Bongo's trade paperbacks do not follow the standard method of compiling sequential issues in numbered volumes. They jump around a little with the issue numbers that are compiled, and none of the compilations bear a volume number. This allows readers to pick up any trade paperback to begin. Please note: some 'volumes' may be out-of-print (OOP), and all are headed that way unless Harper Collins continues Bongo's previous trade paperback efforts.
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Cover | Release Month | Series / Number / Storyline | |||
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Quick View | Jul 1994 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 01:] EXTRAVAGANZA CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jun 1995 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 02:] SPECTACULAR CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | May 1996 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 03:] SIMPSORAMA CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Oct 1996 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 04:] STRIKE BACK! CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | May 1997 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 05:] WINGDING CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | May 1998 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 06:] ON PARADE CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jan 1999 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 07:] BIG BONANZA CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jan 2000 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 08:] A GO-GO CURRENT PRINTING | OUT OF STOCK | $11.95 | |
Quick View | Apr 2001 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 09:] ROYALE CURRENT PRINTING | OUT OF STOCK | $14.95 | |
Quick View | Mar 2002 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 10:] UNCHAINED CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Mar 2003 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 11:] MADNESS CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Feb 2004 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 12:] BELLY BUSTER CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Feb 2005 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 13:] BARN BURNER CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Feb 2006 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 14:] JAM-PACKED JAMBOREE CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Feb 2007 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 15:] BEACH BLANKET BONGO CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Apr 2008 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 16:] DOLLARS TO DONUTS CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Aug 2012 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 17:] HIT THE ROAD! CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Mar 2010 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 18:] GET SOME FANCY BOOK LEARNIN' CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Mar 2011 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 19:] MELTDOWN CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Apr 2012 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 20:] CONFIDENTIAL CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jan 2013 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 21:] SUPERNOVA CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jan 2014 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 22:] SHAKE-UP CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Dec 2015 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 23:] CHAOS CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Dec 2016 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 24:] KNOCKOUT CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jan 2018 | SIMPSONS COMICS [1994-TPB] [VOL 25:] GAME ON! CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Feb 2019 | SIMPSONS COMICS [2019-TPB] [VOL 26:] SHOW STOPPER CURRENT PRINTING (Harper Collins picks up publication with this 'volume') | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Sep 2013 | SIMPSONS COMICS COLOSSAL COMPENDIUM [2013-TPB] VOL 01 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jul 2014 | SIMPSONS COMICS COLOSSAL COMPENDIUM [2013-TPB] VOL 02 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jul 2015 | SIMPSONS COMICS COLOSSAL COMPENDIUM [2013-TPB] VOL 03 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jun 2016 | SIMPSONS COMICS COLOSSAL COMPENDIUM [2013-TPB] VOL 04 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jun 2017 | SIMPSONS COMICS COLOSSAL COMPENDIUM [2013-TPB] VOL 05 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jun 2018 | SIMPSONS COMICS COLOSSAL COMPENDIUM [2013-TPB] VOL 06 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Jul 2019 | SIMPSONS COMICS COLOSSAL COMPENDIUM [2019-TPB] VOL 07 CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Aug 2012 | TREEHOUSE OF HORROR [1995-TPB] VOL 01: HEEBIE-JEEBIE HULLABALOO 2ND EDITION, SUBSEQUENT PRINTINGS ($17.99 COVER PRICE) | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Oct 2011 | TREEHOUSE OF HORROR [1995-TPB] VOL 02: SPINE-TINGLING SPOOKTACULAR 2ND EDITION, SUBSEQUENT PRINTINGS ($17.99 COVER PRICE) | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Oct 2011 | TREEHOUSE OF HORROR [1995-TPB] VOL 03: FUN-FILLED FRIGHTFEST 2ND EDITION, SUBSEQUENT PRINTINGS ($17.99 COVER PRICE) | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Sep 2006 | TREEHOUSE OF HORROR [1995-TPB] VOL 04: HOODOO VOODOO BROUHAHA SUBSEQUENT PRINTINGS | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Sep 2013 | TREEHOUSE OF HORROR [1995-TPB] VOL 05: DEAD MAN'S JEST 2ND EDITION, SUBSEQUENT PRINTINGS ($17.99 COVER PRICE) | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Aug 2011 | TREEHOUSE OF HORROR [1995-TPB] VOL 06: FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE SUBSEQUENT PRINTINGS | Go to Amazon | ||
Quick View | Apr 2019 | BART SIMPSON BREAKS OUT [2019-TPB] CURRENT PRINTING | Go to Amazon |