Here's everything Top Shelf has planned for 2010 (so far!) listed in order of release (i.e., January releases followed by February, etc.). Do yourself a favor this year and try some things that you're not that familiar with. You won't be disappointed.
-- With bluechips like MARSHAL LAW, LEAGUE III: 1969, BOJEFFRIES, and a new hardcover edition of BLANKETS; our first foray into Manga with AX; ground-breaking works like THE PLAYWRIGHT and MOVING PICTURES; cutting-edge releases like THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVE, SUPERF*CKERS, THE LOST DOSSIERS, UNDELETED SCENES, and INCREDIBLE CHANGE-BOTS TWO; an April Swedish Invasion featuring HEY PRINCES, THE 120 DAYS OF SIMON, and THE TROLL KING; new talent bringing outstanding works into the family such as BB WOLF & THE 3 LP'S, WE CAN FIX IT, CHESTER 5000, FINGER PRINTS, and NIGHT ANIMALS; and new all-ages graphic novels such as DRAGON PUNCHER (BOOK 1), JOHNNY BOO (BOOK 4), and KORGI (BOOK 3) -- it's going to be an amazing year!
And click on the hyperlinks for a quick look at the entire Top Shelf publishing schedule; our mature-reader perennials, and our all-ages perennials.
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 THE SWEDISH INVASION!
"The 120 Days of Simon is an alternately charming, funny and aggravating four month journal of a self-advertised, couch-surfing freeloader. Highly recommended!" -- Peter Bagge
The 120 Days of Simon began when Swedish cartoonist/rapper Simon Gärdenfors left his home to spend four months on the road. The rules were simple: For 120 days he wasn't allowed to return to his home, or to spend more than two nights at the same place. Otherwise, anything could happen... and it did.
This simple idea grew into an epic adventure across Sweden as Simon slept on strangers' couches, visited an ostrich farm, ate a psychedelic cactus, practiced free love, received death threats, was beaten up by teenagers, got adopted by a motorcycle gang, drank obscene amounts of alcohol, and sacrificed his underpants to the Nordic god Brage. And that's just for starters!
When this graphic novel was released in Sweden, it created a bit of a scandal. Some readers wanted to punch Simon in the face, while others hailed him as a hero. Top Shelf is proud to present this all-too-human journey to an English-speaking audience. … A graphic novel packaged in the style of a traditional pulp novel. -- A 416-Page Graphic Novel packaged in the style of a traditional pulp novel, 4.25" x 7"
SHIPPING IN APRIL!
  $14.95 (US)
Diamond: FEB10-1095 - ISBN 978-1-60309-050-6 |
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 "This impressive collection—a high-water mark in the graphic novel’s short history—confirms that no one else in the medium combines emotional truth, literary intelligence, and formal daring with such adroitness and elegance." -- Booklist (starred review)
"Witty and thoughtful ... a great and epic comic documentary novel like no other." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The fact that we are finally able to watch young Alec slowly evolve, page by page, from a cheeky wastrel into a mature artist deeply committed to his work and his family is nothing less than a revelation ... the three decades of mature, complex and emotionally compelling work compiled here represent a major accomplishment in comics storytelling, and in storytelling, period. It's nothing less than a modern epic of the everyday." -- Glen Weldon, NPR
"A profound piece ... Campbell makes it feel like the greatest adventure imaginable." -- Alex Pappademas, GQ
"Eddie Campbell’s Alec stories were among the first of the modern era of autobiographical comics, and they still rate among the best—witty, brilliantly illustrated, self-mocking without ever being mopey or pathetic, and most importantly, forever changing style to suit the needs of the story... Watching Campbell’s storytelling and approach to art progress and evolve as these stories unfold is as close as you can get to watching a real human life change on the page. One of the must-own releases of the year." -- The AV Club
"If autobiography is the lingua franca of the graphic novel form, Campbell is its undisputed Shakespeare." -- Richard Pachter, Miami Herald
"ALEC is magic, and even if I knew how all of it was done I'd be doing you a disservice if I pointed out the wires and mirrors. ... It is written by someone who obviously finds being alive an endless source of novelty and conundrum." -- Alan Moore
"Do you need me to tell you how good Eddie Campbell is? Or that ALEC is probably the best book-length comic about art and wine and midlife crises and families and friends and wine and love and art and saying goodbye and terror there is?" -- Neil Gaiman
For the first time ever, the groundbreaking autobiographical comics of master cartoonist Eddie Campbell (FROM HELL) are collected in a single volume!
Brilliantly observed and profoundly expressed, the ALEC stories present a version of Eddie's own life, filtered through the alter ego of "Alec MacGarry." Over many years, we witness Alec's (and Eddie's) progression "from beer to wine" -- wild nights at the pub, existential despair, the hunt for love, the quest for art, becoming a responsible breadwinner, feeling lost at his own movie premiere, and much more! Eddie's outlandish fantasies and metafictional tricks convert life into art, while staying fully grounded in his own absurdity. At every point, the author's uncanny eye for irony and wry self-awareness make even the smallest occasion into an opportunity for wit and wisdom. Quite simply, ALEC is a masterpiece of visual autobiography.
ALEC: THE YEARS HAVE PANTS (A LIFE-SIZE OMNIBUS) collects the previous Alec books THE KING CANUTE CROWD, GRAFFITI KITCHEN, HOW TO BE AN ARTIST, LITTLE ITALY, THE DEAD MUSE, THE DANCE OF LIFEY DEATH, AFTER THE SNOOTER, as well as a generous helping of rare and never-before-seen material, including an all-new 35-page book, THE YEARS HAVE PANTS. -- Softcover Graphic Novel with French Flaps, 640 pages, 7 1/2" x 10"
IN PRINT! (PUBLISHED JANUARY 2010)
 $35.00 (US)
Diamond: JUL091081 - ISBN 978-1-60309-025-4 |
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 Also available, a special HARDCOVER edition of ALEC: THE YEARS HAVE PANTS.
IN PRINT! (PUBLISHED JANUARY 2010)
$49.95 (US)
Diamond: JUL091082 - ISBN 978-1-60309-047-6 |
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 Edited by Sean Michael Wilson
Stories compiled by Mitsuhiro Asakawa.
"Ax lives up to its name - sharp, cutting-edge, a bit scary and dangerous, slicing through formula and genre. Ax is the hub of the latest indy auteur Japanese comics that I've been longing to see brought out in English. So far we've only seen the tip, so grab this collection and prepare to be astounded as you dig deeper than ever into the massive iceberg that is manga." -- Paul Gravett, author of Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics
Ax is the premier Japanese magazine for alternative comics. Published bi-monthly for over ten years now, the pages of Ax contain the most creative and cutting-edge works of independent comics from the world's largest comics industry. Now Top Shelf presents a 400-page collection of stories from ten years of Ax history, translated into English for the first time! This groundbreaking book includes work by 33 artists, including Yoshihiro Tatsumi (A Drifting Life), Imiri Sakabashira (The Box Man), Kazuichi Hanawa (Doing Time), Akino Kondoh, Shin'ichi Abe, and many many more! -- A 400-Page Softcover Graphic Novel with French Flaps, 6 1/2" x 8 1/2"
SHIPPING IN JULY!
$29.95 (US)
ISBN 978-1-60309-042-1 |
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 From the award-winning creator of Three Fingers and The King, and the writing talents of J.D. Arnold, comes an all-new, pop culture thriller. Set in the Mississippi Delta of the 1920s, B.B. WOLF & THE 3 LP’S is a classic story of racial injustice, murder, revenge, and music … all told through the clever re-telling of a timeless fairy tale. … A farmer and family man by day, blues musician by night, and a drinker of fine spirits at any hour, B.B.’s life seemed simple. But this fragile peace comes crashing down when the LPs decide to take his land by any means possible. When all is lost, B.B. lashes out, setting into motion acts of revenge that only a big bad wolf could unleash. -- An 96-Page HARDCOVER Graphic Novel, 6" x 9"
And be sure to check out the dedicated BB Wolf website HERE.
SHIPPING IN MAY!
$12.95 (US)
ISBN 978-1-60309-029-2 |
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 People have described The Bojeffries Saga as being about "urban decay" or "the demise
of the nuclear family," as if getting a handle on this oblique entity would somehow make it fair game for intellectual scrutiny. But what the Bojeffries set out to do was simply poke fun at
the British -- which is what the British do best.
This edition includes the evolutionary development of the principal characters, as well as an all-new story (as if the Bojeffries were living in modern times). Alan and Steve both agree that modern Britain is on a fast track to nowhere, yet Alan's affectionate and penetrating understanding of human nature creates a kind of desperate poignancy in the characters; and Steve's deft and articulate line work brilliantly echos this throughout the collection.
It's all there, untutored, unpolished, ramshackle and always on the edge of collapse. Very much like Britain itself.
SHIPPING IN 2010 - 2011!
ISBN 978-1-60309-063-6 |
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 And the second delightfully fresh & sexy debut from Jess Fink, CHESTER 5000-XYV, a wordless Victorian erotic romp!
"Liquid and elegantly stylized." -- Alan Moore
THE YEAR: 1885, a time of industrial revolution and sexual frustration.
THE HEROINE: Pricilla, a beautiful woman who knows what she wants...and wants it ALL the time.
THE HUSBAND: Robert, a scientist and inventor -- unfortunately, the only thing he can keep on his mind is his work. Ah, but what does a scientist love more than a problem to solve? Some gears, some springs, the proper appendages, a little extra lubricant, and a little extra love and voila! Chester 5000-XYV is born. Chester is the perfect tool to soothe Pricilla's desires... but what if Chester is more than just a machine? What are the consequences of attempting to engineer love?
A sepia-toned delight for adult readers of all stripes, Jess Fink's Top Shelf debut reads like a whimsical love-child of steampunk, silent film and erotic comics.
CHESTER 5000-XYV: Because sometimes love comes with detachable body parts.
-- A deluxe 144-page hardcover graphic novel, 7" x 7", FOR ADULTS ONLY
SHIPPING IN AUGUST!
$14.95 (US)
ISBN 978-1-60309-066-7 |
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 "Kochalka channels his inner child as well as any comic book creator who has ever lived." -- Timothy Callahan, Comic Book Resources
"Kochalka's work makes me feel like I did when I was six years old. He brings the joy back to comics." -- Frank Miller, creator of Sin City, 300, and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
From the fertile mind of James Kochalka (Johnny Boo, Pinky & Stinky) comes an all-new fantasy adventure for all ages!
Meet the Dragon Puncher, a cute but ruthless kitty in an armored battle suit, dedicated to defeating dangerous dragons wherever they may be. The Dragon Puncher and his would-be sidekick Spoony-E (a fuzzy little fellow armed with a wooden spoon) confront a gigantic, drooling dragon and have a ridiculous, hilarious brawl.
Boldly combining Kochalka's signature cartooning with hilarious photography, Dragon Puncher is also a unique visual treat. Kids will go nuts for this goofy backyard adventure. -- A 40-Page Full-Color Hardcover Graphic Novel, 6" x 9"
SHIPPING IN JULY!
$9.95 (US)
ISBN 978-1-60309-057-5 |
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