Monster Manual by Gary Gygax 

Gary Gygax was a proponent of a more in-depth gaming system than Original D&D provided, and in 1977 TSR published this first of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons hardcover manuals.  Redesigned from the ground up, AD&D provided "experienced" role players with complexity and detail (at the expense of individual creativity... AD&D encourages hand-holding).  Proving to be the more enduring of the two game systems, AD&D is still actively supported today, currently in its 3rd Edition.
 

Printing Information

Corrections mentioned in the Errata article of Dragon Magazine #35 were gradually incorporated from the Second through the Fourth printings.  Thanks to Paul Stormberg for his research in clarifying several points on all prints.

• First (Dec 1977)
  • Lizard logo
  • Cover art is of a collection of monsters, including a small red dragon, a unicorn, and a troll
  • Centered, red-lettered "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" at top, with "TM Reg Applied For" in small red letters under that
  • Spine has "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" in red lettering, but no registered trademark symbol.  States "Gary Gygax"
  • No ISBN
  • Endpapers and flyleaves are red
  • No printing number information on the copyright page
  • Catalog on last page refers to a future "Referee's Guide" and Outdoor Geomorphs sets 2-4
  • The first print was intended to be released in Sep 1977, but due to delays at the printer, was not released until after Christmas 1977 -- possibly even Jan 1978
  • Gygax has stated that this first print numbered 50,000 copies.  Thanks to Rich Franks, Jr for this info
  • About the publishing of this print (the first hardback RPG manual ever printed), again from Gygax: "It was no problem finding a printer that could do a stitched binding and school-book cover material, as I wanted the AD&D volumes to be as nearly indestructible as could be managed.  Later on the Blumes changed that to save a nickel or two on each copy printed... as if we weren't making enough as it was.  Crown Books wanted me to write a special introductory game book exclusively for them, but that was a no-go.  Simon & Schuster contacted me about book trade distribution, but they were going to take a year to set it up, so I wasn't too thrilled.  Then I got a phone call from Mildred Marmur, then the VP of Sub-Rights Licensing at Random House.  They flew me out to NYC the next week and were ready to begin distribution in a month's time.  As the remainder of the deal I negotiated assured TSR cash flow and other great benefits, I signed my name up there in their offices on the second day of our meetings.  Having Millie as an advocate was a lot of help in cutting a great deal for TSR.  Both of her sons were D&Ders!"  Thanks to Rich Franks, Jr for this info.
     
• Second (May 1978)
  • Lizard logo
  • Cover art is of a collection of monsters, including a small red dragon, a unicorn, and a troll
  • Centered, red-lettered "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" at top, but "TM Reg Applied For" has been removed
  • Spine has "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" in red lettering, and now has a registered trademark symbol.  States "Gary Gygax"
  • No ISBN
  • Endpapers and flyleaves are red
  • States "2nd Edition, May 1978" on the copyright page
  • Catalog on last page refers to a future "Referee's Guide" and Outdoor Geomorphs sets 2-4
     
• Third (Dec 1978)
  • Wizard logo
  • Cover art is of a collection of monsters, including a small red dragon, a unicorn, and a troll
  • Centered, red-lettered "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" at top
  • Spine has "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" in red lettering, and now has a very tiny registered trademark symbol.  States "Gary Gygax"
  • No ISBN
  • Endpapers and flyleaves are red
  • States "3rd Edition, December 1978" on the copyright page
  • Catalog on last page has been updated in this and later prints; now correctly reflects a future Dungeon Masters Guide and omits reference to Outdoor Geomorphs sets 2-4
     
• Third Plus
  • This is a strange hybrid print.  The cover is identical to the Fourth print (aside from the spine), but the interior is identical to the Third print
  • Wizard logo
  • Cover art is of a collection of monsters, including a small red dragon, a unicorn, and a troll
  • "Advanced D&D" is now in an angled yellow banner, top left corner; the red letters of "Advanced D&D" have black highlights, and there's no "TM" designation after it
  • "Monster Manual" title has moved from lower mid-cover to the top
  • Spine has "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" in red lettering, and now has a very tiny registered trademark symbol.  States "Gary Gygax"
  • No ISBN
  • Endpapers and flyleaves are red
  • States "3rd Edition, December 1978" on the copyright page
  • Thanks to Scott Cordiner and Eric Pass for this info
     
• Fourth (Aug 1979)
  • Wizard logo
  • Cover art is of a collection of monsters, including a small red dragon, a unicorn, and a troll
  • "Advanced D&D" is in an angled yellow banner, top left corner; the red letters of "Advanced D&D" have black highlights, and there's no "TM" designation after it
  • "Monster Manual" title is at the top
  • "Advanced D&D" is in white lettering on the spine.  Now states "by Gary Gygax"
  • ISBN on spine, rear cover, and bottom of title page
  • Red or white endpapers/flyleaves (both versions have been spotted)
  • States "4th Edition, August 1979" on the copyright page
  • Considered the "final" version, with all the errata incorporated
  • This version, like the Third+ print above, is fairly rare
  • Thanks to Eric Banks, Michael Deaton, and Adrian Newman for help with this info, and to Adrian Newman for the scan
     
• Fifth (1980?)
  • Wizard logo
  • Cover art is of a collection of monsters, including a small red dragon, a unicorn, and a troll
  • "Advanced D&D" is in an angled yellow banner, top left corner; the red letters of "Advanced D&D" now have white highlights, and it does have a "TM" designation after it
  • "Monster Manual" title is at the top
  • "Advanced D&D" is in white lettering on the spine.  States "by Gary Gygax"
  • ISBN on spine, rear cover, and title page
  • White endpapers/flyleaves (though a red-colored copy has been spotted)
  • Still states "4th Edition, August 1979" on the copyright page
  • By far the most common of all the Monster Manual prints
  • Thanks to Dave Macauley for help with this info
     
• Sixth (1981)
  • TSR Face logo
  • Cover art is of a collection of monsters, including a small red dragon, a unicorn, and a troll
  • Added "Adventure Games" under "Advanced D&D" in the angled yellow banner, top left corner
  • "Monster Manual" title is slightly lower than the Fifth print's
  • "Advanced D&D" is in white lettering on the spine, now followed by "Adventure Games" and "by Gary Gygax"
  • ISBN and TSR Product Number on spine and rear cover; ISBN alone appears on bottom of title page
  • White endpapers/flyleaves
  • Still states "4th Edition, August 1979" on the copyright page
  • Textual change in the preface (pg 4), adding "co-authored by Dave Arneson" (a direct result of the lawsuit between TSR and Arneson)
  • Thanks to Michael Deaton for the scan
     
• Seventh (1983)
  • Angled TSR logo
  • Updated cover art (red dragon fighting a pegasus), matching the cover style of the newly-released Monster Manual II
  • Orange spine
  • ISBN stacked above the Product Number ("0-934696-00-8") on the rear cover lower left; no UPC code nor price on rear cover
  • Still says "4th Edition, August 1979" on the copyright page
  • Last page has a catalog
     
• Seventh Plus
  • Angled TSR logo
  • Cover art is of a red dragon fighting a pegasus
  • Orange spine
  • Product Number ("0-934696-00-8") and ISBN stacked above a UPC bar code on the rear cover center; Piece Code ("2009XXX7301") in the lower left corner, but no price
  • Still says "4th Edition, August 1979" on the copyright page
  • Last page is blank, other than an Angled TSR logo
  • Thanks to Mike Deaton, Gary Kramer, and Bruce Probst for this info
     
• Eighth
  • Angled TSR logo
  • Cover art is of a red dragon fighting a pegasus
  • Orange spine
  • ISBN above a UPC bar code on the rear cover center; and the price ($15.00) is in the lower right corner
  • Still says "4th Edition, August 1979" on the copyright page
  • Last page is blank, other than an Angled TSR logo
  • Thanks to Rick Blumer, Eric Pass, and Ben Polson for help with this info
     
• Ninth (Aug 1987), Tenth (Nov 1987), Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth (Nov 1988), Fifteenth (Jul 1989)
  • Angled TSR logo
  • Cover art is of a red dragon fighting a pegasus
  • Orange spine
  • ISBN above a UPC bar code on the rear cover center, and the price ($15.00) is in the lower right corner
  • Now has printing numbers and dates on the copyright page
  • Last page is blank, other than an Angled TSR logo
  • Thanks to Jeff Gregor, David Lamontagne, Eric Niesley, and Eric Pass for this info

An "errata sheet" was available for the First print; unknown where these sheets came from (since the books were not shrinkwrapped, it is highly unlikely they came with the book purchase).  Most of the errata mentioned on the sheet were corrected with the Second print, so we surmise it was released sometime between Dec 1977 and May 1978.  More info is needed.  Thanks to Michael Deaton for the scan.
 

• Monster Manual (1st):  VG: $68 (1/03), FN: $128 (2/01), FN: $77 (2/02), FN: $68 (8/02),
    VF: $143 (11/01), VF: $148 (3/04)
• Monster Manual (2nd):  VG: $12 (1/03)