In 1997, the 10th anniversary of the publication of Redwall by Brian Jacques was celebrated with two special hardcover releases - one in the UK, and one in the U.S.
The U.S. edition would later be re-released in a few different paperback formats; the paperback was re-issued by Ace around 2007 for the 20th anniversary of Redwall and again circa 2017 for the 30th anniversary of Redwall. (Our fingers are crossed for something more substantive for the 40th anniversary in 2027.)
In 2004, a special collector's edition of Mossflower was released in hardcover as well.
While there are differences between all of these books, some of them very slight, they have one commonality: an introduction from Brian Jacques accompanied by a print of his signature. This imprint signature has caused a lot of confusion over the years, so we wanted to help clear things up: Brian Jacques did not sign your book on the author's note page. You are not looking at an actual Brian Jacques autograph. Every book was published with that printed signature in there. It's clearly intended as a nice touch to conclude the note from the author.
So let's take a look at the introductions in the anniversary edition books to review. We'll begin with the various 10th anniversary editions.
Above you'll see the Ace paperback of Redwall's 10th anniversary edition, which included Troy Howell's new cover artwork, but lacked his interior illustrations from the hardcover with the exception of the new map. The 2000 U.S. paperback edition, however, did include those interior color plates. Both have the same introduction - the same introduction with Jacques' printed signature that appears in all U.S. printings. And then there's the UK version, which has a completely different introduction from the U.S. version.
Not much different with the Ace 20th and 30th edition paperbacks. Slight change to the title page from before, but the intro is the same. Noteworthy is the posthumous author biography of Jacques in the back of the 30th edition, which has been changed since The Rogue Crew was released. It reads:
Born in Liverpool and raised near the docks, Brian Jacques lived a life both varied and adventuresome. He was at different times a sailor, truck driver, longshoreman, comedian, folk singer, and radio host, and each of these pursuits colored his rich tapestry of stories. He lived in his hometown of Liverpool, enjoying a coterie of friends and family, until his death in February 2011.
Finally, the 2004 Collector's Edition of Mossflower features a new introduction from Jacques as well, also with an imprinted signature that should not be mistaken for the real thing.
So where can you find an actual, legitimate item with Brian Jacques' autograph inside of it? There are three definite things:
- The UK Limited Edition Proof Copy of Lord Brocktree is signed and numbered.
- The UK Limited Edition Proof Copy of Castaways of the Flying Dutchman is signed and numbered.
- The Author's Limited Edition of Redwall is signed and numbered.
Now, that doesn't mean you won't encounter other signed Brian Jacques books out in the wild - you certainly will! He signed a lot of books, and many of them can be found listed on online retailer shops and websites. Just be aware that the anniversary editions we've discussed today were all published and printed this way.
- Want to keep up-to-date on all the latest Redwall and Brian Jacques news, reviews, and special features? Get social with us!
| YouTube | TikTok | Threads | Bluesky |