Top Shelf Productions

What a week! As we prepare for a giant San Diego Comic-Con, one of our most-anticipated graphic novels hits stores! From Robert Venditti, the writer of the New York Times bestselling series The Surrogates, comes a brand-new graphic novel with jaw-dropping artwork from Mike Huddleston. THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVE is a relentless thriller about privacy, national security, and technology's dark potential -- starring a researcher who, framed for murder and on the run from the government, discovers more than she ever imagined.

One of our most anticipated launches at next week's Comic-Con is Kagan McLeod's martial magnum opus, INFINITE KUNG FU. It's an epic saga over 10 years in the making, from one of the most talented illustrators of his generation.

Now, to help spread the word of this monster book, Kagan and his brother Sean have created the coolest "book trailer" video we've ever seen! CLICK HERE TO WATCH IT AT YOUTUBE, stay for the amazing ending, and please embed & share it with friends!

It's a great day -- Top Shelf's long-awaited book collections of two amazing webcomics are finally in stores everywhere!

For adults only, Jess Fink's Chester 5000 is a deluxe hardcover (complete with spot gloss and embossed cover) collecting her hit erotic webcomic into a sweet, silly, and sexy graphic novel. Stuffed with romance, action, drama, and a whole lot of lovin', it's the impossibly charming story of a Victorian sex robot and the woman who loves him. Check it out here and pick it up today from your comic shop! (if you don't see it, ask -- some retailers may have missed it since the book was listed only in Diamond's "Adult" catalog, but they can still order it now!)

Joining Chester is the much-beloved Gingerbread Girl by Paul Tobin & Colleen Coover! Previously serialized for free on our webcomics site Top Shelf 2.0, Gingerbread Girl follows the mysterious and charming Annah Billips, a 20something cutie with either a dark secret or a few screws loose. Join her girlfriend, her would-be boyfriend, her neighbors, innocent bystanders, and passing animals as they all attempt to piece together the mystery of Annah... and the Gingerbread Girl.

Pick up both of these great books today from your favorite store!

We're excited to announce that Top Shelf will be exhibiting for the first time at the Calgary Entertainment Expo this weekend (June 17-19), in Calgary, Alberta! Come join us and meet Top Shelf authors Jeff Lemire and Kathryn & Stuart Immonen!

Top Shelf will be set up with all our killer new releases -- The Homeland Directive, Lucille, Chester 5000, Gingerbread Girl, Liar's Kiss, Incredible Change-Bots Two, and more -- plus plenty of Essex County and Moving Pictures, to celebrate having Jeff Lemire and the Immonens in the house!

We've heard great things about this show for a while now, and Owly creator Andy Runton was very enthusiastic about his visit last year -- so here we come!

Variety broke the news this morning that Academy-Award-winning visual effects designer John Dykstra (Star Wars, Spider-Man 2, X-Men: First Class) plans to direct a film based on Tales From the Farm, the award-winning first volume of Jeff Lemire's much-acclaimed Essex County trilogy!

The film, currently using the working title "Super Zero," is adapted from Jeff Lemire's graphic novel by John Carr, and will be produced by Steven Gilder and Alec Chorches as well as Top Shelf Productions. Jeff had this to say: "I'm excited about the news and optimistic that John Dykstra will make an entertaining film that stays true to the heart of Essex County."

Tales From the Farm is the story of Lester, a 10-year-old boy coping with the death of his parents while isolated on his uncle's farm, escaping into fantasy games with retired hockey pro Jimmy Lebeuf. The book memorably launched the Essex County trilogy by winning the American Library Association's prestigious Alex Award (and instantly selling out its first printing). Essex County would go on to win the Doug Wright Award, the Joe Shuster Award, and a top 5 spot (and the People's Choice Award) on Canada Reads' Essential Canadian Novels of the Decade. Originally published in three parts, it's now available as a single 512-page volume.

You can meet Jeff in person at his summer convention appearances: he'll be in the Top Shelf booth at both the Calgary Entertainment Expo (June 17-19) and the San Diego Comic-Con (July 21-24). Hope to see you all there!

"MEDICAL RESEARCHER MISSING: New Book Alleges Conspiracy." So runs the front-page headline on our 2011 Top Shelf Tribune, the newspaper-style catalog we've been passing out all year long. What happened to microbiologist Laura Regan, and what does the federal government have to do with her disappearance? At last, the truth will begin to emerge this weekend, with the debut of Robert Venditti & Mike Huddleston's The Homeland Directive at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC!

Robert Venditti (The Surrogates, Percy Jackson & the Olympians) will be signing the debut copies of The Homeland Directive all weekend.

Also at the Top Shelf table is Owly creator Andy Runton, who drew the stunning poster artwork for Heroes Con's "Indie Island" zone! He'll have the new full-color Owly & Wormy picture book, as well as the full line of Owly books, merch, and even prints of the poster!

We're also happy to have writer/designer Eric Skillman in the house, promoting his awesome new book (with Jhomar Soriano), Liar's Kiss! Eric will be featured in a "Designing Comics" panel on Saturday with a lineup of other stellar designers.

Rounding out the crew are Top Shelf hero Duane Ballenger and friend of the family Van Jensen (author of Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer and more)! Don't forget to grab copies of the hot new books Chester 5000 (by Jess Fink), Lucille (by Ludovic Debeurme), and Gingerbread Girl (by Colleen Coover & Paul Tobin) as well!

Carolina, here we come!

Blankets fans, rejoice! One of the most beloved and best-selling books in Top Shelf's 14-year history is getting an upgrade.

Shipping in August, and available now for pre-order, are brand-new deluxe hardcover and softcover editions of Craig Thompson's award-winning graphic novel, Blankets. In addition to the gorgeous new cover design, the new Blankets features higher-quality paper, Smyth-sewn bindings, a spot gloss, and a slightly wider trim size.

Blankets is one of the most critically acclaimed graphic novels of all time, having won the Eisner, Harvey, and Ignatz Awards for Best Graphic Novel and Best Cartoonist. Wrapped in the landscape of a blustery Wisconsin winter, it explores the complex power of family and faith, the thrill of falling in love for the first time, and the coming-of-age of a remarkable young man.

If you're one of the countless readers who love Blankets, get ready to fall in love all over again, or share it with friends & family. And for those who've never read it, now is the perfect opportunity to discover this incredible graphic novel.

Pre-order your copy now from your favorite retailer (via Diamond PREVIEWS), or direct from Top Shelf here on our web site, and join us in celebrating the rebirth of Craig's awe-inspiring book!

[Click after the jump for bigger views of the new designs!]

Our hearty congratulations to Rich Koslowski for winning Best Artist in the 2011 Glyph Awards! The award recognizes his work on BB Wolf & the 3 LPs with writer J.D. Arnold. Previously BB Wolf won the Texas Library Association's Maverick Award and was named one of the American Library Association's Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

The Glyph Comics Awards celebrate the greatest comics created by, for, and about people of color. BB Wolf, a dark fairy-tale allegory for race relations in Jim Crow Mississippi, was nominated in four categories this year. For a list of all the nominees and winners, click here. Congratulations to all!

After Free Comic Book Day, our biggest TCAF ever, and Jeffrey Brown's Change-Bots gallery launch, the Top Shelf never-ending world tour rolls onward!

First, Eric Skillman plays hometown hero as he launches Liar's Kiss, his super-snazzy noir graphic novel with Jhomar Soriano, in Brooklyn this week! He'll be signing the book as well as some scorching-hot screenprinted posters and more, Thursday from 7-9 at Desert Island, Brooklyn, NY. For more on Eric and Liar's Kiss, check out this interview at the Criterion Collection and this blog post about how he and Jhomar created the book cover!

Then, on Sunday (May 22), Owly creator Andy Runton is the guest of honor at MECAF, the Maine Comics Arts Festival! It's 10am-5pm in Portland, ME and is a must for any fans in the Maine area. Come meet Andy and check out all the Owly books (including the new full-color picture book), shirts, plushes, and more!

It's that wonderful time of year - time to visit your local comic shop and get some FREE comic books! That's right, this Saturday, May 7, is Free Comic Book Day all over the world!

This year, Top Shelf is proud to announce the launch of the TOP SHELF KIDS CLUB -- a new umbrella covering all of our kid-friendly titles! So on Saturday, grab your free Top Shelf Kids Club comic book for a collection of new stories featuring:

• Owly by Andy Runton
• Korgi by Christian Slade
• Johnny Boo and Dragon Puncher by James Kochalka
• Upside Down by Jess Smart Smiley
• Pirate Penguin vs Ninja Chicken by Ray Friesen
• Okie Dokie Donuts by Chris "Elio" Eliopoulos
• PLUS: you can JOIN the Kids Club and get an awesome FREE POSTER featuring all the Top Shelf Kids Club characters, shipped right to your door, so sign up today!

To celebrate Free Comic Book Day, our authors will be making appearances all over the country:

• Andy Runton (Owly) - Coca-Cola Space Science Center in Columbus, GA
• Christian Slade (Korgi) - Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, MI
• Jess Smart Smiley (Upside Down) - Dragon's Keep in Provo, UT
• Ray Friesen (Pirate Penguin vs Ninja Chicken) - Collectors Paradise in Canoga Park, CA
• Paul Tobin (Gingerbread Girl) - Things From Another World in Portland, OR
• Robert Venditti (The Homeland Directive, The Surrogates) - Richard's Comics and Collectables in Greenville, SC
• Jeffrey Brown (Incredible Change-Bots, Clumsy) - Comix Revolution in Evanston, IL
• Rich Koslowski and J.D. Arnold (BB Wolf & the Three LPs) - Comicopolis in Santa Cruz, CA
• Jeremy Tinder (Black Ghost Apple Factory) and Grant Reynolds (Comic Diorama) - Quimby's Bookstore in Chicago, IL
• And Top Shelf pal Duane Ballenger representing the Top Shelf Kids Club - Heroes and Dragons in Columbia, SC!

Meanwhile, a whole gang of authors will be in Toronto for TCAF, all weekend (May 7-8): Ludovic Debeurme (Lucille), Jess Fink (Chester 5000), Eric Skillman (Liar's Kiss), Jeff Lemire (Essex County), Matt Kindt (Super Spy), Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole), and Kathryn & Stuart Immonen (Moving Pictures)!

AND publishers Chris Staros and Brett Warnock will be in Stockholm for the Swedish Small Press Expo!

So basically, just walk out your front door on Saturday and you'll probably bump into somebody from Top Shelf. Hope to see you soon!

If you've followed Jeffrey Brown's blog, you may have seen the amazing Change-Bots-themed art he's been creating lately to celebrate the release of Incredible Change-Bots Two.

Well, if you live near New York, now's your chance to see it (and him) in person! Jeffrey will appear at Scott Eder Gallery Friday night, May 13 to open a monthlong exhibit of his art from Change-Bots Two, which runs through June 23.

THEN, join Jeffrey for a signing the next night, Saturday, May 14, at Desert Island in Brooklyn!

Click "Read More" to see the flyer for the event, as well as a photo of Bew! Bew! Bew!, the giant battle drawing he'll unveil at the gallery!

On May 7-8, Ludovic Debeurme and Jess Fink will join us in Toronto for the Toronto Comics Art Festival, where we will debut both Lucille and Chester 5000.

Ludovic and Jess are part of a killer Top Shelf lineup at TCAF, including Matt Kindt (Super Spy), Jeff Lemire (Essex County ), Kathryn & Stuart Immonen (Moving Pictures), Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole), and Eric Skillman (Liar's Kiss, which made a big splash at its debut at MoCCA just a couple weeks ago).

In anticipation of the American release of his award-winning graphic novel Lucille, French cartoonist Ludovic Debeurme is making a few US appearances this week! Those in the New York area will get an early look at Lucille at these events, part of the PEN World Voices Festival. (The rest of us can read an excerpt on the PEN web site!)

First up is a free lunchtime conversation between Ludovic and Norwegian novelist Kjersti Annesdatter Skomsvold, at La Maison Française in New York City! Tuesday, April 26 at noon. Details here.

Then on Saturday, April 30, Ludovic joins a host of comic-book talent including Kate Beaton, Nick Bertozzi, Michael Kupperman, R. Sikoryak and more, in "Comic Books Come Alive on Stage" at Cooper Union in New York! This multimedia show begins at noon and tickets are $15/$10. Details here.

Then on May 7-8, Ludovic will join us in Toronto for the Toronto Comics Art Festival, where we will debut his incredible book Lucille! You'll fall in love with its young heroes, Lucille and Arthur, and see for yourself why their story won the Goscinny Prize and the Angouleme Essential award in France.

Now, we wouldn't presume to make that call -- there are tons of talented folks in the Twin Cities, including Will Dinski, Tim Sievert, Lars Martinson, and plenty more. Top Shelf co-publisher Brett Warnock saw firsthand what a hopping comics town Minneapolis is at the MIX expo last year!

But CityPages just announced their 2011 Best Of awards, and we can't help but celebrate with Kevin Cannon as he landed the "Best Cartoonist" crown! CP has praise for his thrill-a-minute Top Shelf graphic novel debut, Far Arden, "which started out as a rollicking Arctic adventure story and bloomed into a narrative that was surprisingly affecting and devastating," as well as the many & varied other projects he's worked on.

Congratulations, Kevin!

To Celebrate, we're offering $5 off all our books by Minneapolis cartoonists! Take a chance and try something new from this great scene.