# Is "The Two-Bear Mambo" by Joe R. Lansdale a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Two-Bear Mambo by Joe R. Lansdale (Mysterious Press, 1995) is identified by: Third Hap and Leonard novel. The US Mysterious Press trade hardcover is the true first; the UK Gollancz edition followed and is not the first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Third Hap and Leonard novel
- US Mysterious Press first edition hardcover, 1995, octavo, roughly 273 pages, bound in black and gray paper-covered boards with the spine title stamped in metallic red, issued in a dust jacket that should retain the printed price on the flap
- A number line appears on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Mysterious Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Joe R. Lansdale |
| Publisher | Mysterious Press |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Third Hap and Leonard novel |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Third Hap and Leonard novel. US Mysterious Press first edition hardcover, 1995, octavo, roughly 273 pages, bound in black and gray paper-covered boards with the spine title stamped in metallic red, issued in a dust jacket that should retain the printed price on the flap. A number line appears on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
The US Mysterious Press trade hardcover is the true first; the UK Gollancz edition followed and is not the first. A separate signed, numbered limited edition of 100 copies was bound in quarter-leather from the Mysterious Press sheets by James Cahill Publishing and is a distinct issue rather than the trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition point is confirmed for this title; the Mysterious Press trade hardcover is the first. Do not assume book-club markings are present.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Two-Bear Mambo* by Joe R. Lansdale a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-two-bear-mambo
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.