Top Shelf Productions

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Top Shelf Productions
Type Comic publisher
Founded 1997
Founder Chris Staros and Brett Warnock
Headquarters Marietta, Georgia
Industry Comics
Website TopShelfComix.com

Top Shelf Productions is an American publishing company started in 1997, owned and operated by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock. The company is based in Marietta, Georgia.

Top Shelf publishes comics and graphic novels by authors such as Alan Moore, Craig Thompson, James Kochalka, Andy Runton, Jeffrey Brown, Nate Powell, Alex Robinson, and Josh Simmons.

Contents

The company was founded by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock after discussions between the pair at the 1997 Small Press Expo. Previously Warnock had used the Top Shelf name as the title for a self-published anthology, whilst Staros had worked in the industry representing Eddie Campbell in the United States and self-published a number of comics-based zines. The partnership evolved from combining Warnock's design skills and marketing abilities with Staros' talents for editing and book-keeping.[1] The name is a reference to the high-quality brands of liquor which are kept on the "top shelf" in a bar.

The first title to be published by the new imprint was Pete Sickman-Garner's Hey, Mister: After School Special, a collection of Garner's previously self-published comic books along with two new tales. Works by James Kochalka followed,[2] and then in 1999 the company published Good-bye, Chunky Rice, a work which saw its creator, Craig Thompson, win a Harvey Award and which helped establish Top Shelf's reputation for publishing works of merit,[3] with it being chosen as a book of the year by The Comics Journal (#220) alongside the Top Shelf distributed From Hell.[4]

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 the tagline "Your friend thru comics". The company launched at a recessional period for comics, and saw themselves as, together with Fantagraphics, Drawn & Quarterly and the now defunct Highwater, attempting to "change the public perception and face of comics altogether".[5] In 2000 Staros delivered the keynote speech at the Ignatz Awards, and argued that the industry must focus more on content, and that more works of the merit of From Hell and Jimmy Corrigan would help the public re-evaluate their perceptions of the medium.[6]

In April 2002 the collapse of the bookstore distributor LPC caused severe financial problems for the company. A $20 000 check the distributor had issued bounced. Investigation by Top Shelf revealed an LPC filing for Chapter 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 asked 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 both Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis disseminating the appeal through their online presences. The move created such an atmosphere that rival publisher and fellow LPC client Dark Horse felt moved to issue a statement to the effect that they were "in a profitable position."[7]

Top Shelf were unprepared for the response, with 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 told The 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.[7]

Top Shelf have slowly expanded their line and typically aim to launch works at conventions in order to generate a buzz.[8] The 2004 Comic Con International saw the company launch 8 books, of which two were immediate sell-outs.[9] This has at times caused unrest with retailers, particularly when Blankets was launched at the 2003 Comic Con International.[10] The company also followed this route with Lost Girls, launching it at the 2006 Comic Con International. The work had long been on the schedules of Top Shelf, initially intended as a three volume affair scheduled for a 2002 release.[5] and Chris Staros admitting that publication was "putting the whole company on the line".[11] Before publication fears were raised that the book would prove hard to sell given its nature, and that there may be legal implications.[11] However, the work received good reviews and the initial print run sold out in one day.[12][13] The work has yet to be distributed in the United Kingdom, as Great Ormond Street Hospital currently own the copyright to Peter Pan. Top Shelf have agreed not to distribute the work in the UK until after that copyright expires at the end of 2007.[12] They do, however, refute that the work breaches the copyrights held.[14]

Titles by Alan Moore include:

Titles by Craig Thompson include:

Titles by Andy Runton include:

  • Owly
    • The Way Home
    • Just A Little Blue
    • Flying Lessons
    • A Time To Be Brave

Titles by Jeffrey Brown include:

Titles by James Kochalka include:

Titles by Alex Robinson include:

Titles by Renée French include:

Titles by Jason Hall include:

Titles by Matt Kindt include:

Titles by Nicolas Mahler include:

Titles by Tom Hart include:

Titles by Rich Koslowski include:

Titles by Tony Consiglio include:

Titles by Dan James include:

Titles by Max Estes include:

Titles by David Yurkovich include:

Other titles by various authors include:

  1. ^ Contino, Jennifer M. (February 2002). Take It From The Top. Interview with Chris Staros. Sequential Tart. Archived from the original on [[November 19, 2005]]. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.
  2. ^ von Busack, Richard. "Georgia's small publisher Top Shelf Comics delivers the graphic goods", Metro, Metro Publishing Inc., March 4-10, 1999 . Retrieved on 2007-02-09. 
  3. ^ Comic Book Resources (August 2, 2002). "Top Shelf Expands Its Relationship With Diamond". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-02-09. “Top Shelf has risen to become one of the comics industry’s most respected publishers”
  4. ^ various (February 2000). "TCJ Books of the Year". The Comics Journal 1 (220): 14-26. ISSN 0194-7869. 
  5. ^ a b Clough, Robert (October 5, 2000). Interview: Chris Staros. Savant Issue 21. Savant. Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
  6. ^ Spurgeon, Tom (September 30, 2000). News: Ignatz Awards 2000. The Comics Reporter. Tom Spurgeon. Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
  7. ^ a b Dean, Michael (May 2002). "LPC's Chapter 11 and Top Shelf's Near-Death Experience". The Comics Journal 1 (243): 3-8. ISSN 0194-7869. 
  8. ^ Warnock, Brett (24 January 2006). convention season is upon us. company blog. Top Shelf Publishing. Retrieved on 2007-02-10. “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.”
  9. ^ Arnold, Andrew D.. "The Other Big Convention", Time Magazine, July 30, 2004. Retrieved on 2007-02-09. 
  10. ^ Staff writer (July 31, 2003). Innovative Graphic Novels Debut at San Diego. icv2.com. Milton Griepp. Retrieved on 2007-02-09. “Sales of Blankets 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.”
  11. ^ a b Wolk, Douglas. "Alan Moore's 'Literary' Pornography", Publishers Weekly, 5/1/2006. Retrieved on 2007-02-09. 
  12. ^ a b Template:Cite news first=Paul
  13. ^ 'Lost Girls' Sold Out. icv2.com. Milton Griepp (September 07, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
  14. ^ Top Shelf Settles 'Pan' Copyright Issue. icv2.com. Milton Griepp (October 27, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-10.

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