In spite of cries about how we're losing the comics-end of things to the big film studios and the industry is on it's death bed, and the sky is falling, Top Shelf did positively o.k. and i personally had an absolute blast. The Eisner's specifically were truly awesome. I sat at the Top Shelf table with our man Leigh Walton, cartoonist Jeffrey Brown, long time friend and embedded comics journalist Heidi MacDonald, Nate Powell (who was nominated for no less than three awards) and his swell parents. AND, while i was making trips to the hotel bar for new frequent rounds of cocktails, i had a nice chat with industry legend Jim Shooter. AND, after Nate won the most prestigious award in the comics medium (the Eisner for Best Original Graphic Novel) for his book Swallow Me Whole, Nate's mom officially adopted me!! Oh, and for dinner before the ceremony i supped at a restaurant called the Yardhouse, which had 113 beers on draught!! Heeaavven. Post-Eisner's chatting with Denis Kitchen, Tom Devlin, Josh Dysart, Schreck and so many many more. Truly a beautiful evening.

Heidi and Brett

My table-mates

Nate, his righteous-cool folks, and the Eisner for Best Original Graphic Novel

Me and Schreck

Me and Shooter

At San Diego for the first time ever and manning the booth was Kevin Cannon, promoting his rollicking adventure story Far Arden. Here's a link to his photo set!

I mentioned that Kevin's book may just get nominated NEXT year for the award Nate just won, and Nate got a little protective of his new baby.

This here is my (former?) intern Emi Lenox, helping out at the Top Shelf booth.

Matt Kindt draws and watercolors Iron Man and Black Widow.

Here's Top Shelf's own Rob Venditti, and... some, uh, dude, who's gonna be in, some... movie i think?

Also had a swell time at Jah Furrie's party, co-hosted (i think) by Devil's Due. Hanging with Staros and Patrick Jodoin, watching Jim Mahfood, Scott Morse and Mike Huddleston rocking out live-art jams while Paul Pope was spinning records. Yeah. Catching up with pals like Henry Chamberlin and Jen Daydreamer, and Douglas (Oni) Sherwood and Kiel Phegley. Then, discovering the secret room back behind the separate downstairs club.

Pope

Jim Mahfood

Huddleston and Morse

Douglas and Kiel

• Moving on, Eddie Campbell (who we really missed in San Diego) recently wrote in with his itinerary for the next few months.

"...this has come about very quickly. Trip to italy for the Lucca festival, at the expense of my publisher there.

"This is nuts, but i've just discovered i've got three books out at once, final volume of Bacchus due in August from Edizioni BD, Black Diamond which has just turned up from Magic Press, and unknown to me, Disease of Language has been out since march or April. Add to that the perennial From Hell...

"... anyway, from there to London where i have a signing at Gosh on Saturday, November 7, and an interview at The ICA in the evening as part of Paul Gravett's Comica Festival."

I wish i could go to the Comica Festival!! And in case i haven't posted these exquisite covers enough times, check out these brilliant Alec cover designs by Eric Skillman.

• And speaking of Eddie Campbell's Alec, we recently printed a fancy little promotional chapbook at Portland indy powerhouse printer Pinball Publishing, and they gave the booklet a showcase on their blog! Check it out. If you email me at brett@topshelfcomix.com i'll send ya one.

• Here's a terrific essay by Frank Santoro on the Comics Comics site. Tastey food for thought.

I'm really digging on his comics history tree here.

• Inkstuds has a Renee French Playlist (Mix Tape). Tres chic.

• How cool is this ad Grant Reynold's made for the next issue of Diamond Previews, which will be listing his awesome book Comic Diorama.

• Comic soon: My list of San Diego loot. My months-late scene report from Sweden. (Seriously. It's entirely written. I just need to start a Flickr account so i can post the massive amount of photos i took.)