Top Shelf Productions

The groundbreaking March trilogy reached another milestone this week, as the organization We Need Diverse Books declared it the winner of their second annual Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature – Young Adult Category.

March: Book Three was declared the winner of "The Walter," which is named in memory of children’s and young adult author Walter Dean Myers (1937-2014) and celebrates diversity in teen literature. Three honor books were also named: Watched by Marina Budhos, If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo, and The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. A ceremony honoring the winners will take place at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on March 31, 2017.

WNDB will donate a minimum of 2,000 copies of the 2017 Walter Award winner, March: Book Three, across the United States to schools with limited budgets. For more information, visit www.weneeddiversebooks.org.

This month's Diamond Previews catalog features an unfamiliar name: James Albon. He's a titanically talented young British artist living in France, and we can't wait to bring you his haunting beautiful debut graphic novel.

Her Bark and Her Bite follows an ambitious painter named Rebecca as she meets a man who seems to be the life of every party. He makes her feel like a million bucks — until she starts to suspect he's emotionally bankrupt.

Check out a preview of James Albon's stunning colored-pencil page layouts, and pre-order now for release in April 2017!

Jess Fink's adults-only webcomic Chester 5000 took the world by storm when it first appeared, with a combination of vintage charm, page-turning story hooks, steamy scenes, and robot lovin' — all without a single word of dialogue. We were delighted to collect the complete tale as a beautiful hardcover, which has become a perennial favorite and critical darling.

Now, Jess returns to the world of Chester 5000 with the prequel Isabelle & George, full of even more drama, romance, and mechanical wonders. Following a smash-hit Kickstarter, she's partnered with Top Shelf once again to bring it to store shelves everywhere next month, February. Click here for more details and a 7-page preview, and grab a copy from your favorite retailer for that special someone in your life!

Alex Robinson's Box Office Poison began as a black-and-white comic book series, then grew to a massive graphic novel of over 600 pages — one of the first of Top Shelf's famous "bricks" and a smash hit that won the Eisner Award, the Angoulême International Comics Festival Award, and was eventually voted by Wizard Magazine the best independent graphic novel of all time.

Now, this page-turning "slice of life" saga is reborn for a new age. Box Office Poison Color Comics #1 has just arrived in stores, launching a new version of the series with all-new colors by Pat N. Lewis and pages of commentary from Alex Robinson himself. Jump on board and fall in love with these unforgettable characters all over again — or for the first time.

"A convincing, absorbing and satisfying fictional portrait of post-college life in New York City." — Publishers Weekly

"A salute to comics, an exploration of the human condition, and a solid, absorbing, and riotously snide tale about at least half of the things that make life important." — The AV Club

"Alex Robinson is pretty much king of the hill when it comes to slice-of-life comic book dramas, and Box Office Poison is a major reason why. This new mini-series is the perfect gateway for those who have never read the original graphic novel or those who want to experience an old favorite with a new coat of paint." — IGN

The first issue of Erin Nations' Gumballs is out — and readers love it!

"Gumballs #1 is funny, sincere, and just generally brilliant when dealing with autobiography, fake personal ads, or any number of other events. Nations is a promising new voice in comics, and you need to read Gumballs #1." — ComicsVerse

"Gumballs #1 lays bare a lot of serious, complicated stuff and presents it with a frankness and humor that really moved me to my core." — Comicosity

You can meet Erin, learn more about his work, and get your comics signed at Floating World Comics in Portland, Oregon next Wednesday, January 18, 2017. For details or to RSVP, see Erin's web site.

NEW YORK (November 17, 2016) — Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell received an unprecedented honor last night, as their book March: Book Three became the first graphic novel to ever receive the National Book Award.

The March trilogy, published by Top Shelf Productions / IDW Publishing, depicts Lewis’s firsthand account of the Civil Rights Movement, reflecting on the role of young people in the “nonviolent revolution” of the 1960s and its direct legacy in the modern day. Its previous honors include the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, the Eisner Award, two Harvey Awards, and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor. March is rapidly being adopted by universities and public school systems from New York to San Francisco, and recently spent six continuous weeks holding the top 3 spots on the New York Times Bestseller List.

“This is unbelievable,” said Congressman Lewis after receiving the award from Katherine Paterson, chair of the Young People’s Literature award jury. His voice shook with obvious emotion as he recalled a childhood visit to the public library in rural Alabama, where “we were told that the library was for whites only and not for coloreds. Now, to come here and receive this award, with these two… it’s too much.”

Nate Powell dedicated the award to his children “and their generation that will inherit this earth,” as well as to the incoming president of the United States, expressing a wish that it might transform his heart.

“There are two important lessons from this,” concluded Andrew Aydin, after many thank-yous. “One is that the story of the Movement must be told. We all must know it, if we are to understand the politics of today. And two: let the prejudice against comic books be buried once and for all.”

Archived video of the ceremony’s livestream is available online at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/92795242.

The three volumes of March are available wherever books are sold, separately as well as together in a slipcase set.

2017 will be here before we know it — and Top Shelf is delighted to be launching our year with a witty and wise debut from Brooklyn cartoonist Lauren Purje!

You Might Be an Artist If..., now available for pre-order, is a charming hardcover collecting years of Lauren Purje’s addictively relatable comic strips about the ups & downs of life as an artist. Flights of fancy, bitter grumblings, pep-talks, self-doubt, inspiration, procrastination, and more are all captured with a wry and relatable sense of humor.

Capturing the moments that remind us why we take art seriously — but not TOO seriously — Purje’s comics are a perfect handbook for anyone living the creative life.

You Might Be an Artist If... by Lauren Purje
$19.99 (US) • ISBN 978-1-60309-406-1 • Diamond order code: NOV16-0483
144-page hardcover graphic novel, 5.75" x 8.25"

Scheduled for release in January 2017, but you can check out an 8-page preview and pre-order it now from your favorite retailer!

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the award-winning March graphic novel trilogy is being adopted in seventh-grade English Language Arts courses across Atlanta Public Schools. The series, created by Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell, has already been adopted by major public school districts such as New York City and San Francisco. Now, APS brings the bestselling story of John Lewis to schools throughout Atlanta, a landmark nexus of the civil rights movement as well as Aydin's hometown and Lewis's constituent district.

Up next for March: the authors travel to New York City to accept their Finalist medals from the National Book Awards, and see whether March: Book Three will become the first graphic novel ever to win!

"If there was ever a true 'all-ages' book, this is it. Korgi hits every note perfectly, and can hook readers all across the spectrum with its tantalizing suspense and action.... The art is spectacular." — School Library Journal's Good Comics for Kids

“Guaranteed to be loved by children. Its Disney-esque beauty and Bone-like comic timing and fantasy adventure are thoroughly enjoyable, and Slade’s black-and-white draftsmanship is impeccable.” — The AV Club

"In many ways, Korgi is a prime example of how to handle an all-ages book. With just the right level of surprise and adventure, it’s determined to hook older readers just as quickly as children." — Read about Comics

Korgi (Book 4): The Problem with Potions by Christian Slade
$9.99 (US) • ISBN 978-1-60309-403-0 • Diamond order code: AUG16-0471
120-page softcover graphic novel w/flaps, 6.5” x 8.5”

Magic potions can be powerful stuff, but they don't always turn out like you want. Our canine hero, Sprout the Korgi, learns this the hard way — and goes through quite the transformation — in his latest adventure! This mixed-up woodland fairy tale features Ivy's first meeting with Sprout, a surprisingly musical new trick, an undead unicorn, more of those pesky Creephogs, and at least one giant boulder.

As always, the story unfolds in lovingly detailed pen-and-ink drawings. From the heart, mind, and hands of Christian Slade comes the most fantastic and creative chapter yet from the enchanting world of Korgi.

In stores now — click here for a 6-page preview, and don't miss the first three Korgi adventures from Christian Slade!

NEW YORK (October 10, 2016) — Return of the Dapper Men, the Eisner-award-winning graphic novel by Jim McCann and Janet Lee, will be republished in a deluxe new edition in summer 2017 from its new home at Top Shelf Productions, an imprint of IDW Publishing.

The deal, announced yesterday at New York Comic Con, also includes the long-awaited expansion of the Dapper Men story into a trilogy. McCann and Lee reunite for an all-new sequel, Time of the Dapper Men, which will be released in summer 2018.

“After seeing three disparate pieces of Janet's art one Christmas I couldn't get them out of my head," says writer Jim McCann. "In my mind they fit into a story, and that tale became the Dapper Men saga. I'm so lucky Janet said yes to taking this journey together, and now, thanks to Top Shelf/IDW, our characters get to continue their journeys in the trilogy we envisioned."

Artist Janet Lee adds, “From the very first, Jim and I dreamed that the adventures of Ayden, Zoe, and the inhabitants of Anorev would be told in a trilogy of books. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be working with the folks at Top Shelf to make that happen. Top Shelf is the home of comics that changed my life. Now my beloved characters have a home there too.”

“Jim and Janet have created a world of wonder that appeals not only to children but to the child inside all of us," says Top Shelf editor-in-chief Chris Staros. "I’m very pleased to be working with them as they bring the world of the Dapper Men to new life at Top Shelf.”

McCann adds a few hints about what comes next for the world of the Dapper Men: "We will see more whimsy, more choices to be made, more challenges to overcome, lessons to learn, and of course more new characters for Janet to draw in Time of the Dapper Men. I'd tell you about the final book, but let's just say the ending of Time will have you guessing and gasping for more. And you'll get it. Finally."

NEW YORK — This morning the National Book Foundation announced the finalists for the 67th Annual National Book Awards — including, for the first time since 1957, a sitting member of Congress.

Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell are now National Book Award finalists in the Young People’s Literature category, for the concluding volume of their bestselling graphic novel trilogy March. The autobiographical series, which depicts Lewis’s firsthand account of the Civil Rights Movement, has previously won such honors as the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, the Eisner Award, two Harvey Awards, and a Coretta Scott King Author Honor. It is rapidly being adopted by universities and public school systems from New York to San Francisco, and recently spent six continuous weeks holding the top 3 spots on the New York Times Bestseller List.

“This is amazing to me,” said Congressman Lewis. “I’m overwhelmed and deeply moved that March: Book Three is a finalist for the National Book Award. It is my hope that this honor inspires many more young people, and people not so young, to read March and to learn the transformative lessons of our ongoing struggle to create the beloved community.”

Co-writer Andrew Aydin had this to say: “When I found out, I cried. I couldn’t help it. This is such an unbelievable honor. It’s been an incredibly long and difficult journey to get to this point, and I am deeply, deeply grateful to the judges and supporters who have gotten us here.”

Artist Nate Powell added, “We're all blown away by how deeply this trilogy has been embraced. It's never been more urgent to understand and apply the Movement's history and perspectives — this work is for the unwritten future. We're grateful to be able to help those voices be heard.”

Few graphic novels have previously reached NBA Finalist status, including such acclaimed works as American Born Chinese and Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang, Stitches by David Small, and Nimona by Noelle Stevenson. Other notable finalists include The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Profiles in Courage by Senator John F. Kennedy, who is himself a character in March.

The March team will travel to New York City to join this year's other finalists for two days of festivities November 15th and 16th. For more details, visit http://www.nationalbook.org.

The enormous New York Comic-Con is this weekend — and we'll be there! Catch all these authors at the Top Shelf / IDW Publishing booth (#1844) all weekend long, with official signings Friday 10am and Sunday 12pm:

• Steve Nedvidek & Jack Lowe (The Jekyll Island Chronicles)
• Benjamin Frisch (The Fun Family)
• Van Jensen (Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer)
• Koren Shadmi (Love Addict: Confessions of a Serial Dater)

Plus don't miss Top Shelf's Leigh Walton on the IDW Publishing: Indie Books On The Rise panel (Sunday Oct 9, 1:30–2:30 pm in Room 1A02) for the scoop on what's next from Top Shelf — including a very exciting announcement from an Eisner-winning project!

October has arrived, and pumpkin lattes aren't the only new thing on the menu! The latest catalog from Diamond Comic Distributors features upcoming titles for December 2016 release, which for Top Shelf means the launch of a very special new series.

Pop in your quarters and see what pops out of Gumballs — a brand new one-man anthology comic from Portland cartoonist Erin Nations! His bright, candy-colored palette and crisp linework pop off the page, while his stories reflect a fascination with humanity in all its diverse foibles — hinting at one of his earliest creative influences, Matt Groening’s The Simpsons.

In Gumballs #1, Erin serves up a delicious variety of stories: recollections of growing up as a triplet, interactions with oddball grocery-store customers, the adventures of clueless dork Tobias, painfully funny faux Personal Ads, and “Tales of Being Trans” -- reflections on Erin’s true-life journey of gender transition.

Gumballs tips its hat to the classic alt-comic tradition of Eightball, Optic Nerve, and Box Office Poison, but speaks with a delightfully fresh voice for the modern age.

Gumballs breaks new ground as Top Shelf's first project from an openly transgender cartoonist, but it's also our first new project in the comic book format in over a decade. The last comic book series launched under the Top Shelf banner was The Surrogates by Robert Venditti & Brett Weldele, which went on to become a New York Times Bestseller and inspire a hundred-million-dollar movie... so clearly the future is bright for Erin Nations and Gumballs!

Before the series launches in December, get to know Erin with this Buzzfeed profile, and ask your favorite retailer to pre-order Gumballs today!

An icon of the civil rights movement is now on his way to one of the nation's most prestigious literary prizes.

As the March trilogy celebrates five continuous weeks of holding the top 3 spots on the New York Times Bestseller List, news broke this morning via the New Yorker of the National Book Awards Longlist for Young People's Literature — featuring March: Book Three! Congratulations to Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell for this great honor.

March: Book Two recently received the Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work and two Harvey Awards, but this is the first award to feature March: Book Three, and the first National Book Award nomination for all three of the creators. In fact, John Lewis is the first sitting member of Congress to be nominated for the National Book Award since John F. Kennedy in 1957 for Profiles in Courage.

The current "longlist" of ten books will be narrowed to five finalists on October 13th, before the final award ceremony November 16th. We wish them the best of luck!

Congratulations are in order for Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. Their award-winning March trilogy has struck another milestone, as March: Book Three makes its debut appearance on the New York Times Bestseller List at #1.

In fact, the entire trilogy takes the top three slots, while March: Book One celebrates a full year of Bestseller status with its 52nd week on the charts, coming full circle from its own #1 debut.

In the wake of Book Three's release, demand for March has been staggering, selling out multiple printings. For several days in a row, each of the three volumes of March outsold every other book in America aside from J.K. Rowling's new Harry Potter adventure.

This triple-bestseller status is only the latest in a string of recent honors for March, the three-volume graphic novel memoir which brings the history of the civil rights movement to urgent new life through the eyes of John Lewis. In May, the nation's largest public school system, New York City Schools, announced the addition of March to their official "Passport to Social Studies" curriculum. A few weeks ago at Comic-Con, the authors accepted an Eisner Award (often called "the Oscars of comics") and led a commemorative "children's march" joined by hundreds of students and readers, with Congressman Lewis in "cosplay" as his younger self complete with trench coat and backpack. A recent New York Times article profiled the series' phenomenal success and its real-world impact on students across the country — including young activists who are being inspired by March to take up the mission of nonviolent protest in their own communities.

At last, the March trilogy is complete — but as Congressman Lewis reminds us, the march continues.