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| Parent company | IDW Publishing (since 2015) |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Primal Groove Press |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Chris Staros andBrett Warnock |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters location | Marietta,Georgia |
| Key people | Chris Staros, Leigh Walton |
| Publication types | Comics |
| Official website | www |
Top Shelf Productions is an American publishing company founded in 1997, originally owned and operated byChris Staros andBrett Warnock with a small staff. Currently an imprint ofIDW Publishing, Top Shelf is based inMarietta, Georgia.
Top Shelf publishescomics andgraphic novels by authors such asAlan Moore,Craig Thompson,James Kochalka,Andy Runton,Jeffrey Brown,Nate Powell,Eddie Campbell,Alex Robinson,Jeff Lemire, andMatt Kindt.
The company was founded by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock after discussions between the pair at the 1997Small Press Expo. Previously, Warnock had used the Top Shelf name as the title for aself-publishedanthology, while Staros had worked in the industry representingEddie Campbell in the United States and self-published a number of comics-basedzines. The partnership evolved from combining Warnock's design skills and marketing abilities with Staros' talents for editing and book-keeping.[1] The duo started publishing under the name Primal Groove Press, but soon changed it to Top Shelf.[2]
The first title to be published by the new imprint wasPete Sickman-Garner'sHey, Mister: After School Special, a collection of Garner's previously self-published comic books along with two new tales. Works byJames Kochalka followed,[3] and then in 1999 the company publishedGood-bye, Chunky Rice, a work which saw its creator,Craig Thompson, win aHarvey Award and which helped establish Top Shelf's reputation for publishing works of merit,[4] with it being chosen as a book of the year byThe Comics Journal (#220) alongside the Top Shelf-distributedFrom Hell.[5]
Staros and Warnock have aimed to give their imprint a style "that is quite hip, but also quite endearing", and Staros regularly signs correspondence with thetagline "Your friend thru comics". The company launched at a recessional period for comics, and saw themselves as, together withFantagraphics,Drawn & Quarterly, and the now-defunctHighwater Books, attempting to "change the public perception and face of comics altogether".[6] In 2000 Staros delivered the keynote speech at theIgnatz Awards, and argued that the industry must focus more on content, and that more works of the merit ofFrom Hell andJimmy Corrigan would help the public re-evaluate their perceptions of the medium.[7]
In April 2002, the collapse of the bookstore distributor LPC caused severe financial problems for the company. A $20,000 issued by the distributor bounced. Investigation by Top Shelf revealed an LPC filing forChapter 11, a move which left Top Shelf in a perilous state: The company had issued checks based on the LPC check clearing. The company called upon the goodwill it had previously established in the comics market and issued a communication asking for help. They appealed to former customers to "find it in your hearts to each spend around fifty bucks ... this would literally pull us through". The communication swiftly spread across the internet, with bothNeil Gaiman andWarren Ellis amplifying the appeal through their online presences. The move created such an atmosphere that rival publisher and fellow LPC clientDark Horse felt moved to issue a statement to the effect that they were "in a profitable position."[8]
Top Shelf was unprepared for the response, drafting a volunteer drafted to help pack the orders. A second communication was issued a day later, declaring, "Top Shelf Saved by Comics Community Record 12 Hours." The move was greeted with envy by rival publishers, Tom Devlin of Highwater toldThe Comics Journal that although he viewed the move initially as maybe "a little pathetic", he later realized it as "the most remarkable marketing scheme", although qualifying that he didn't feel "there was a cynical moment" in Top Shelf's actions.[8]
Top Shelf have slowly expanded their line and typically aim to launch works at conventions in order to generate a buzz.[9] The 2004San Diego Comic-Con saw the company launch eight books, of which two were immediate sell-outs.[10] This has at times caused unrest with retailers, particularly whenBlankets was launched at the 2003 San Diego Comic-Con.[11] The company also followed this route with Alan Moore andMelinda Gebbie'sLost Girls, launching it at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con. The work had long been on the schedules of Top Shelf, initially intended as a three-volume affair scheduled for a 2002 release.[6] The eventual publication proved controversial, with Moore himself describing the work as "pornography"[12] and Chris Staros admitting that publication was "putting the whole company on the line".[13] Before publication, fears were raised that the book would prove hard to sell given its nature, and that there may be legal implications.[13] However, the work received good reviews and the initial print run sold out in one day.[14][15] The work has yet to be distributed in the United Kingdom, as theGreat Ormond Street Hospital currently owns the copyright toPeter Pan. Top Shelf agreed not to distribute the work in the UK until after that copyright expired at the end of 2007.[14] They do, however, refute that the work breaches the copyrights held.[16]
On January 6, 2015,IDW Publishing announced that it had acquired Top Shelf Publishing. Top Shelf co-founder Warnock announced his retirement from comics publishing, while Staros stayed on as Top Shelf's editor-in-chief.[17]
Titles byPete Sickman-Garner are:
Titles byAlan Moore include:
Titles byCraig Thompson include:
Titles byAndy Runton include:
Titles byJeffrey Brown include:
Titles byJames Kochalka include:
Titles byAlex Robinson include:
Titles byNate Powell include:
Titles byRenée French include:
Titles byJason Hall include:
Titles byMatt Kindt include:
Titles byJeff Lemire include:
Titles byNicolas Mahler include:
Titles byTom Hart include:
Titles byRich Koslowski include:
Titles byTony Consiglio include:
Titles byDan James include:
Titles byMax Estes include:
Titles byDavid Yurkovich include:
Other titles by various authors include:
Top Shelf has risen to become one of the comics industry's most respected publishers
we are obligated to launch certain books at conventions. This not only helps cover up-front costs, but i would posit that it ultimately helps retailers by building buzz around certain books. Buzz that might turn a one-time sale into a perennial seller.
Sales ofBlankets at the Top Shelf booth were strong enough to draw retailers' ire, since the title was so new that it hadn't been distributed to stores.
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