How to Cite Maus: A Survivor's Tale in MLA Format
Citing Art Spiegelman's graphic novel in MLA is straightforward, but the format changes slightly depending on whether you are citing the single-volume edition, the two-volume set, or a specific print. I ran into this last semester when a student submitted a paper that mixed up the 1986 Viking Press edition and the 1996 Pantheon omnibus, which threw off every in-text citation. Here is how to do it correctly. The standard MLA 9th edition format for a single print book looks like this: Spiegelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor's Tale. Pantheon Books, 1986.
If you are using the combined edition that contains both volumes, the publication date shifts to 1996 and the title may include the subtitle of the second volume: Spiegelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor's Tale. My Mother Flies Away. Pantheon Books, 1996. The second volume carries its own subtitle, "My Mother Flies Away," so you need to include it when citing the complete work. Many students skip this and only cite the main title, which is technically incomplete.
In-Text Citations
For parenthetical citations, you use the author's last name and the page number. Since Maus is a graphic novel, page numbers can be ambiguous when your course uses a digital copy. Always verify that the page number in your citation matches the pagination of the exact edition you consulted. A common error I see is someone citing page 45 from an eBook reference while quoting a passage that appears on page 38 of the print edition. The content does not match, and it raises questions about whether the student actually read the text. (Spiegelman 45) If you are referencing a specific panel rather than a passage of prose, you can note the volume and page. MLA does not have a special category for comic panels, so the standard page number is still the expected approach. Some instructors accept a panel reference in place of a page number, but this is up to their discretion. I recommend checking with your instructor before deviating from the standard format.
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Common Pitfalls
The biggest issue I encounter is confusion around the publisher. The original hardcover of Volume I was released by Viking Press in 1986. The paperback and later editions were handled by Pantheon Books starting in 1996. If you pull a 2003 Penguin Books reprint, you need to list Penguin as the publisher and 2003 as the year. The edition matters because a Works Cited entry should reflect the version you actually used, not the earliest available publication. Another frequent mistake is omitting the subtitle entirely. Maus: A Survivor's Tale is the title of the first volume. The second volume is Maus: A Survivor's Tale II: And Here My Troubles Began. Many writers shorten this to just "Maus" in their citations, which is insufficient for academic work. You should include the full title as it appears on the title page.
Alternative Formats
If you are citing the eBook version, add the format designation and the URL or DOI if available: Spiegelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor's Tale. Pantheon Books, 1986. eBook. MLA 9 does not require you to include a URL for books borrowed from academic databases unless your instructor specifically asks for it. The format designation is sufficient in most cases. I have seen some students include a URL from the publisher's website, but that link often changes or becomes inactive over time, which creates a fragile citation. Stick to the database citation unless you are pulling from an open-access source.
Bottom Line
The citation itself is simple. The part that catches people up is tracking down the exact edition, verifying the subtitle, and matching the in-text citation to the pages in the version you actually hold. I usually tell people to take a screenshot of the title page and the copyright page before they start writing. It saves you from scrambling to recheck the publisher and date three days before the paper is due.
