Top Shelf 2.0 Webcomics

I... Oh, jeez, I don't know what to say. Bernie's really outdone himself with this one. You gotta read it to believe it.

Destructor Comes to Croc Town

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Matt Wiegle and Sean T. Collins

ARCHIVE SPOTLIGHT! Minimalist dialogue and maximalist pummeling -- this 14-page fight poem packs a thoughtful punch.

Cave Adventure, part 3

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Michael DeForge

Enough jibber-jabber! On with the quest! Parental advisory: this comic contains magic items, inventory checks, heartbreaking pathos, and totally extreme action.

Mungo Bean, part 1

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Jessica McLeod

Heart-stopping excitement! Mind-blowing action! Anxiety about funding! These are the piggy adventures of Mungo Bean, Professor of Adventure Studies.

Marina

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Emily Block

Introducing Emily Block! "Marina" is a wordless 24-hour comic created for the 2008 24-Hour Comic Drawpocalypse at Cosmic Monkey Comics! You'll fall in love with this story of a little girl, her father's old sweater, and the magic it holds.

The Hole in the Wall, part 5

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

The grand adventure comes full circle -- in more ways than one!

Warum

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Gregory Benton

ARCHIVE SPOTLIGHT! I first encountered this story as a minicomic, beautifully printed on creamy paper. It's also been mounted on a wall as part of the "Opolis" exhibition, and featured on our site in 2006. Now it's back on Top Shelf 2.0, having lost none of its haunting power. Enjoy... (PS: need help with the final page?)

Cave Adventure, part 2

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Michael DeForge

Time out! Who are these crazy critters that keep attacking our hero? Maybe it's time for a... CAVE MONSTER WHO'S WHO!

The Essex County Boxing Club

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Jeff Lemire

Top Shelf breakout star Jeff Lemire presents a bonus story from his Shuster-Award-winning Essex County trilogy! Originally written for the upcoming final volumeThe Country Nurse, "The Essex County Boxing Club" was ultimately pulled from the book and is now available exclusively on Top Shelf 2.0 and as a limited edition mini-comic. Feast your eyes on this rich story of friendship, community, old age, and -- of course -- good ol'-fashioned boxing!

Frederick Cooper (part 4): Grumpus Express / Ancient Grumpus

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

Freddie's not the only one with an ancient ancestor, y'know! And -- surprise surprise -- Ancient Grumpus wasn't a whole lot more sociable than his contemporary scion...

Cave Adventure, part 1

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Michael DeForge

Introducing a kickass new serial! Washington Smalls goes into a cave! He fights things in the cave! He... looks like an ice cream cone? ...It's complicated.

Schwarzkopf

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Steven "Stedho" Dhondt

ARCHIVE SPOTLIGHT! Stedho's bold, pop cartooning takes us on an undersea adventure, with a thrilling blend of menace and whimsy. Warning: may contain brief glimpses of cartoon wang.

The Hole in the Wall, part 4

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

Thrills! Spills! The excitement ramps up as our dreamlike kitty adventure heads toward its climax!

Snow for Eli

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Domen Finžgar

This inky fable was originally created for the 2007 Development Youth Prize, as an allegorical journey through Africa. Follow Eli's quest for snow, from the Algerian coast, through the Sahara desert and finally to the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, and enjoy Domen's depictions of the terror and hope she encounters along the way.

The Bravest Niño, part 4

Mon, 9 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

Oh no! It's Bernardo the bully! Will Niño and his friends escape from his clutches? Will that cutie Amiana ever know how Niño feels about her? Will somebody please try one of these freakin' peppers!?! The answers lie within, as The Bravest Niño wraps up its first story-arc! Hang on to your horchata, kids -- this one's a doozy!

Frederick Cooper (part 3): Beat Boxin / Getting a Couple Beers

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

Oh, that Freddie Cooper! The guy just refuses to have a bad day! Somehow that doesn't always make him too popular...

It Brought Me Some Peace of Mind

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Matt Rota and Sean T. Collins

ARCHIVE SPOTLIGHT! What lurks beneath the tranquil surface of this sleepy train station? The time-lapse horror of this haunting piece will stay with you long after the first reading...

The Hole in the Wall, part 3

Wed, 4 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

Our heroes have been separated! What strange wonders await them now? One thing's for sure -- if it involves the visionary cartooning and craftsmanship of John C. Ralston, I want to find out!

Bad Yeti

Tue, 3 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Jessica McLeod

A yeti ventures into the outside world, and is disappointed with what he finds. Warning: this comic encourages very bad behaviour and grumpiness.

The Bravest Niño, part 3

Mon, 2 Jun 2008 00:00:00 PST

Niño's quest continues as he bumps into his old friends! Surely they will be willing to try Niño's peppers... or will they? Hey, what's with these kids, anyway?

Love Puppets, part 3

Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Jessica McLeod and Edward J. Grug III

Get your heartstrings ready for tuggin': here comes the climactic final chapter of the first story arc of Love Puppets! But will Callie, Alex, and Sam's world end with a bang, or a whimper?

The Bottle

Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Dash Shaw

ARCHIVE SPOTLIGHT! In celebration of the release of Dash Shaw's massive new book Bottomless Belly Button from Fantagraphics, here's a hidden Shaw gem from the Top Shelf vault. "The Bottle" is a diagrammatic, deceptively emotional fable about a boat, its passengers, and what remains.

Frederick Cooper (part 2): Ancient Freddie and the Battle of Six Bears

Wed, 28 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

Join us as Freddie regales the neighborhood kids with a mythic tale of his great ancestor!

The Nipplegarden of the Sleeping Dragon

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Steven "Stedho" Dhondt

Enjoy this lush visual adaptation of a Japanese fable, "Niwa nyuto ryoan." Original Dutch title: "Het tepelhof van de slapende draak." In Dutch, the word "tepelhof" is a pun -- it's the word for "areola" but literally means "nipplegarden."

The Hole in the Wall, part 2

Mon, 26 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

Getting swallowed was just the beginning! Our intrepid felines continue their explorations in part 2 of this delightfully surreal journey.

The Bravest Niño, part 2

Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

Niño's discovered some mighty powerful peppers! But is his family tough enough to handle the kick from his new favorite food? Find out in the gut-busting second chapter of this spicy saga!

Burning Building Comix #1

Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Jeff Zwirek

ARCHIVE SPOTLIGHT! What happens to the tenants of a building when it catches fire? Find out in the Ignatz-nominated, uniquely stackable Burning Building Comix! Each issue shows two floors of the building's trapped and beleaguered captives. Eventually, all the issues will build on top of each other to complete the building's whole story!

Love Puppets, part 2

Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Jessica McLeod and Edward J. Grug III

Romance! Awkwardness! Octo-pop! It's all here in the second thrilling chapter of the irresistable LOVE PUPPETS!

Now Open the Box

Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

by David Chelsea

I drew "Now Open The Box", my tenth 24-Hour Comic, at the Cosmic Monkey Drawpocalypse event on April 5-6 2008. I loosely based it on that week's "Modern Love" column, which l illustrate for the Style Section of the New York Times. That piece, by Lori Jakiela, was about a couple who buy a sex chair online but find themselves too embarrassed to test it out after their seven year old son appropriates it as a battleground for his plastic army men. That's fine for a family newspaper, but l figure such coyness would never be tolerated in comics, so my couple definitely get the chair.

Frederick Cooper, Light of the World (part 1): Magic

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

A story of the happiest man on Earth, spanning Cook County zip codes and thousands of years. Mythically absurd and told with a simple yet calculated line.

Cookie Duster

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Jed McGowan

"I grew up in the desert and spent a lot of time running among cacti imagining I was a cowboy, army soldier and other violent types. The hero of this story, Douglas, would have been an ideal companion for my imaginary shoot-’em-ups."

Leaning Rabbit

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Lizz Lunney

Leaning Rabbit liked to lean.

URAQT

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Aaron Navrady

"How much do I love you? Let me show you..." A romantic one-pager with a slightly adult twist.

The Real Killers Are Still Out There

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Matt Wiegle and Sean T. Collins

Sometimes people feel alone.

The Bravest Niño, part 1

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

A spicy tale about a boy and his peppers! Part One of this hilarious all-ages story about courage, friendship, and food.

The Sonic Alembic

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Steve Lafler

Paramilitary madness in a Northern California gone wrong... from the inimitable Steve Lafler.

Infinite Kung Fu, part 1

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Kagan McLeod

Infinite Kung Fu echoes familiar martial arts films of the ’70s and ’80s; awkward dubbing, bad wigs, insane laughter and all. An epic tale of martial madness laced with western horror and action elements, Infinite Kung Fu clutches your inner force, yanks it into the martial world and WILL NOT LET GO!

Love Puppets, part 1

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 PST

by Jessica McLeod and Edward J. Grug III

Love Puppets is a funny, bittersweet romance comic that will warm your heart without making you sick. Oh, and it has puppets.

The Hole in the Wall, part 1

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 PST