Yellow Yellow

A boy, a yellow hard hat, and a dizzying urban landscape, from the artist of Who Needs Donuts?

Yellow Yellow is a charmingly simple story of a child whose playground is a gritty urban cityscape, written by Frank Asch and drawn by Mark Alan Stamaty. With no parent in sight, the boy wanders the sidewalks to find a yellow construction hat that quickly becomes his favorite belonging, earning him many compliments from strangers on nearby stoops. Eventually the boy meets the owner of the hat and must return it, leading the child to make his own yellow hat.

Yet the story comes alive via the visual feast of urban oddities that the Who Needs Donuts? cartoonist Stamaty packs in the background of this rediscovered children’s classic. As the boy innocently wears his yellow hard hat down city streets, he is oblivious to his surrealist fun-house surroundings filled with fantastical neighbors, such as an old lady on a unicycle and a punk with a head full of fish vacuuming the sidewalk. In scratchy black ink drawings, Stamaty builds a bygone city filled with small storefronts—shoe stores, bookshops, delicatessens, and barbershops—all packed with detail upon detail. Delightfully grotesque humor lurks in the scenery of Yellow Yellow from page to page, rewarding multiple readings. Stamaty’s imagination to fill the space is as limitless as the world was to a young boy in 1970.

Standard and Primary covers are widely available through general retailers. They often have higher print runs and can be cheaper, especially during sales.

In contrast, Direct Market (DM) and variant covers are primarily sold in comic shops. DM editions tend to have more limited availability and may be more valuable to collectors.

The main differences lie in artwork style, availability, price, and collector appeal. Ultimately, the choice between standard and variant covers depends on personal preference, budget, and individual collecting goals.

Comic book enthusiasts have various formats to choose from when collecting their favorite stories.
Here's a brief overview of the main types:

Omnibus

• Large, hardcover collections
• Usually contain complete runs or extensive story arcs
• Typically 800-1000+ pages
• Higher price point, often €100-€150

Oversized Hardcover (OHC)

• Similar dimensions to omnibus, but thinner
• Collect shorter runs or story arcs
• Usually 300-600 pages
• Priced between €30-€50

Hardcover (HC)

• Standard-sized hardcover books
• Collect 6-12 issues typically
• Similar dimensions to single issues, but with a hard cover
• Priced around €25-€35

Trade Paperback (TP)

• Softcover collections
• Standard comic book size
• Usually collect 4-6 issues
• Most affordable option, typically €15-€25

Other Formats

• Absolute Editions: Oversized, deluxe hardcovers (mainly DC Comics)
• Compendiums: Massive paperback collections
• Graphic Novels (OGN/GN): Original stories not previously released as single issues

The choice between these formats often depends on personal preference, budget, and collecting goals. Omnibus and OHC editions offer larger artwork and more content but at a higher price, while TPs provide a more affordable way to collect complete story arcs