News pg. 6

IN MEMORIAM: John Lewis

July 23, 2020 / More →

IN MEMORIAM: John Lewis: Congressman, Icon, Beloved Author. No words can express everything that John Lewis meant to the world. He changed the world in countless ways large and small... including the world of comics. We are forever grateful for the privilege of sharing his story with new generations. Those of us who met him have been permanently transformed by the experience, and through the work that he created with Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell, he will continue to meet and transform readers for generations to come. Thank you, Congressman.

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PENNY NICHOLS wins Oregon Book Award!

June 23, 2020 / More →

Image for PENNY NICHOLS wins Oregon Book Award!

Congratulations are in order for MK Reed, Greg Means, and Matt Wiegle! Their graphic novel Penny Nichols, recently announced as a nominee for two Eisner Awards, has just won the Oregon Book Award for Graphic Literature!

As summarized in the Oregonian's announcement, "This tongue-in-cheek tale about a very amateur effort to make a slasher flick is a hilarious ode to creativity, the can-do spirit and friendship."


TWO amazing Kochalka kids' books in September!

June 17, 2020 / More →

This fall... it's time to join the Glork Patrol! Plus, YOU can help Johnny Boo solve a mystery!

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THEY CALLED US ENEMY and PENNY NICHOLS Nominated for Eisner Awards!

June 4, 2020 / More →


The judges for the 2020 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards have just announced their nominations, and we're honored to report that three are for Top Shelf books!

They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker, is nominated for Best Reality-Based Work.

Penny Nichols, by MK Reed, Greg Means, and Matt Wiegle is nominated in two categories: Best Publication for Teens and also Best Writer.

“We’re so proud to have Penny Nichols and They Called Us Enemy honored with Eisner nominations,” says Top Shelf editor-in-chief Chris Staros. “Penny Nichols is a hilarious celebration of DIY creativity and a love letter to the comics community, so it’s wonderful to see that love being returned. And unfortunately, George Takei’s memories of legalized racism are still painfully relevant today, making They Called Us Enemy a vital book that calls us to build a better future.”


HOT OFF THE PRESSES: A Radical Shift of Gravity, Camp Spirit, Rascal, and The Lab!

April 8, 2020 / More →

Wishing health and safety to all of y'all out there. While COVID-19 reshapes our world, we're continuing to publish amazing comics, and we hope you'll support your comic shops and booksellers to the extent possible. Why not start with today's new release, A Radical Shift of Gravity?

"This beautiful book is very smart about global catastrophes and very honest about personal ones. For everyone asking ‘How can we raise a family in a world like this?’, A Radical Shift of Gravity offers a powerful answer.” — Jeff Lemire

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Watch Jared Cullum's stunning video trailer for KODI!

March 20, 2020 / More →

Kodi by Jared Cullum

ISBN 978-1-60309-467-2 • Diamond: FEB200686

$14.99 (US) • 176 pages

Full-color softcover graphic novel with flaps • For ages 9+ (including adults!)

Coming in August 2020!

The gorgeous story of two friends separated by everything in the world — except love. Readers and animal-lovers of every age will want to relive this journey over and over again.

"Jared Cullum brings to Kodi a fresh watercolor style that's brimming over with personality. His characters come alive in their world, and they'll convert a casual reader into a devoted fan." — James Gurney, creator of Dinotopia

"Kodi is the perfect combination of an exciting adventure and a heartwarming tale of friendship. Jared’s exquisitely painted pages bring his characters to life and invite you to get lost in the gentle embrace of this wonderful story. Even though Kodi doesn’t say a word, Jared uses every brush stroke to delicately communicate his very real emotions. I absolutely love Kodi and you will too!" — Andy Runton, creator of Owly

Watch the video trailer on YouTube!


Nate Powell talks with PBS about MARCH and COME AGAIN!

February 22, 2020 / More →

Image for Nate Powell talks with PBS about MARCH and COME AGAIN!

Nate Powell was recently featured on the PBS television show Articulate, talking about his long career as a cartoonist, musician, and caregiver — and you can watch the full segment now. Come for the artistic wizardry, stay for the goofy teen photos!

If you're craving more Nate, you can also check out his recent appearance on the podcast Make It Then Tell Everybody, talking with Dan Berry (co-author of The Three Rooms in Valerie's Head) and watch a 7-minute video of Nate inking and talking in his studio for Indiana station WTIU!


George Takei's THEY CALLED US ENEMY wins APALA Award!

January 27, 2020 / More →

Image for George Takei's THEY CALLED US ENEMY wins APALA Award!

PHILADELPHIA, PA (January 27, 2020) — They Called Us Enemy, the New York Times-bestselling graphic memoir of George Takei, was announced today as the winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature by the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), an affiliate of the American Library Association.

APALA's literary awards were announced at ALA's Midwinter Meeting, marking a milestone new achievement for the acclaimed bestseller by Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker. In They Called Us Enemy, the iconic actor/author/activist revisits his haunting childhood in American concentration camps, as one of 120,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned by the U.S. government during World War II, while reflecting on how that experience shaped America and his own astonishing life. 

Published in July 2019 by Top Shelf Productions (an imprint of IDW Publishing), They Called Us Enemy immediately debuted at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and stayed on the list for more than 10 weeks. It has been declared one of the year's best books by such institutions as Amazon, NPR, New York Public Library, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, IGN, and Forbes.

A Spanish translation of They Called Us Enemy, entitled Nos llamaron Enemigo, will be published in June 2020. Readers can also take a deeper dive into They Called Us Enemy when a deluxe hardcover edition, packed with unseen bonus material, hits stores in July.


Kochalka's epic MONKEY VS. ROBOT is reborn! Pat Grant's THE GROT and more...

January 24, 2020 / More →

Two landmark Top Shelf books — Monkey Vs. Robot and From Hell — are finding new life in masterful new editions! And Pat Grant turns a sharp eye to a pair of grifters in a scorched swamp in his new must-read, The Grot. All coming soon, so now's the time to pre-order them from your favorite shop.

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COSMOKNIGHTS and THEY CALLED US ENEMY win Top 10 honors from YALSA!

January 14, 2020 / More →


For over a decade, the American Library Association's teen services division, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), has published an annual list of recommended Great Graphic Novels for Teens — an important pillar in the phenomenal growth of graphic novel popularity and recognition that we've witnessed in this millennium. This year, Top Shelf is honored to have two books in the Top 10!

*Cosmoknights: Book One. By Hannah Templer. Art by the author. Top Shelf Productions, an imprint of IDW Publishing. 2019. $19.99. ISBN: 978-1603094542. Pan lives a very ordinary world on a planet called Verdian. She spends most of her time working in her father's shop and hanging out with her friend, Tara, who is a princess. But when Tara's life takes a very different turn, Pan gets a chance to bring down an archaic medieval-type jousting tradition.

*They Called Us Enemy. By George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker. Top Shelf Productions, an imprint of IDW Publishing. 2019. $19.99. ISBN: 978-1603094504. Before he was Sulu on the starship Enterprise, boldly going where no one has gone before, actor George Takei was a little boy struggling to understand why his family was packing up and going to live in a horse stable. Readers see history in a clear, concise, compelling context and follow Takei on his journey from childhood ignorance to righteous teenage anger and finally to a life of dedicated activism.

Congratulations to all the creators of the honored books, and to the lucky teens who get to read such wonderful comics!


IDW and Smithsonian Enterprises Announce Groundbreaking Graphic Novel Publishing Program

January 8, 2020 / More →


This interpretation of the landmark Smithsonian Institution Building was drawn by Nate Powell, National Book Award-winning artist of IDW’s March trilogy.

SAN DIEGO, CA (January 8, 2020) – IDW Publishing, a division of IDW Media Holdings Inc. (OTC: IDWM), and the Smithsonian Institution are proud to announce a multi-year global publishing program, which will create an unprecedented library of graphic novels built on the cultural and scientific knowledge of the world’s largest museum, educational, and research complex.

Beginning in fall 2020, IDW and the Smithsonian will invite readers on a voyage of discovery with a comprehensive range of graphic books in a variety of formats. Among the planned product lines are: “Time Trials,” a middle-grade graphic novel series inspired by the National Museum of American History video series; original graphic novels focused on landmark events and individuals, in the tradition of IDW’s acclaimed March and They Called Us Enemy; coloring books in both the youth and adult categories; picture books for young readers; and more.

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Top Shelf's graphic novels are the Best Books of the Year!

December 18, 2019 / More →


But you don't have to take our word for it! Among the very best books of 2019 are:

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A summer of fun, flirting, & fear: where's your CAMP SPIRIT?!

December 16, 2019 / More →


A spooky LGBT hard-rock rom-com by Axelle Lenoir!



Summer camp is supposed to be about finding nirvana in a rock garden…

But Elodie prefers Nirvana and Soundgarden. Can she confront rambunctious kids, confusing feelings, and supernatural horrors all at once?

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Explore stunning new realms of Australian imagination in Campbell Whyte's HOME TIME II!

November 26, 2019 / More →


Return to the astonishing world of talking peaches, magic tea, frightening wildlife, and threatening lizard tribes! The fantasy adventure too epic for one graphic novel finally reaches its conclusion.

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IDW Publishing Launches Spanish Language Graphic Novel Program in North America

November 22, 2019 / More →

We at Top Shelf are thrilled that two of our books, They Called Us Enemy and Red Panda & Moon Bear, will be published in Spanish next year as part of IDW Publishing's new in-house translation program. See below for details and watch for them in 2020... though you can already pre-order from your favorite retailer!

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