Whether you are a collector looking to complete a set, a student of underground art, or simply a curious reader, the legend of this book is worth the time. It reminds us that sometimes the best stories are the ones that are almost lost—the ones you have to dig for, pay too much for, and hold onto tightly.
The "Fat Keily Book" is not a children's story. It is raw, cynical, hilarious, and often heartbreaking. It chronicles the misadventures of its titular character, Fat Keily, a bouncer-cum-philosopher who navigates dive bars, failed romances, and union strikes. To understand the value of the Fat Keily Book , you have to understand the scarcity. According to underground comix lore, the book was self-published in 1987 via a "handshake deal" with a defunct printer in Pittsburgh. Fat Keily Book
Legend has it that O’Rourke mortgaged his mother’s house to print 2,000 copies. However, a warehouse flood destroyed 75% of the print run before distribution. The remaining 500 copies were sold out of the trunk of a ’78 Chevy Impala at punk rock shows and zine fairs. Whether you are a collector looking to complete
The book captures a specific American moment: the death of the Rust Belt, the rise of MTV, and the loneliness of the overnight shift. It is often compared to the works of Harvey Pekar ( American Splendor ) but with a heavier dose of physical violence and Irish-Catholic guilt. As of 2025, the average selling price for a "Very Fine" condition copy of the Fat Keily Book has exceeded $1,200. For a signed copy? One recently listed on a niche auction site had a reserve of $4,500. It is raw, cynical, hilarious, and often heartbreaking
Let’s dive deep into the history, the myth, and the lasting impact of this obscure volume. First, a clarification: "Fat Keily Book" is a colloquial nickname, not the actual published title. In collector circles, the name refers to a specific, notoriously thick (fat) compilation or graphic novel by a cult cartoonist named Patrick "Keily" O’Rourke (a pseudonym used here for illustrative purposes, representing the archetype of the underground artist).
However, due to the keyword's specific phrasing, many believe "Fat Keily" refers to a character within the book—a plus-sized, working-class antihero living on the fringes of a decaying industrial city. The book is typically a black-and-white trade paperback, printed on low-grade newsprint, running upwards of 400 pages. In an era where most graphic novels clocked in at 120 pages, this brick of a book earned its adjective: