News pg. 7

Happy Halloween! Tonight, JOHNNY BOO meets THE MIDNIGHT MONSTERS!

October 31, 2019 / More →


The best little ghost in the world — and his pet ghost, Squiggle — continue their award-winning adventures with a spooky story that can turn any night into Halloween!

Are you scared of the dark? Did you know that when the clock strikes twelve, that’s when the midnight monsters come out? Johnny Boo knows, but that won’t stop him from skateboarding on the back of a wild Tiger and plucking pumpkin ice cream from the gaping maw of a Spooky Tree. He does it all to impress Susie Boom, the cute little girl ghost who lives on the moon. Hopefully she’s watching everything with her telescope! “These are the kind of comics that win Eisner Awards,” says Eisner Award winner James Kochalka.

Read More →


COSMOKNIGHTS and Campbell lead a stellar SPX lineup!

September 11, 2019 / More →

We can't wait to see you this weekend at the Small Press Expo, September 14-15 at the Bethesda North Marriott outside Washington, DC.

As usual, Top Shelf will be represented by a stunning assortment of talent, in our booth and across the festival floor...

Read More →


Order Now the Signed & Numbered Edition of THEY CALLED US ENEMY — Still a New York Times Bestseller!

August 21, 2019 / More →

As George Takei's graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, hits its fifth incredible week on the New York Times Bestseller List, fans of the the iconic actor/author/activist have even more cause to celebrate.

While supplies last, Top Shelf Productions and IDW Publishing are now offering the exclusive signed & numbered edition of They Called Us Enemy to be ordered directly from IDW's web store for shipment worldwide.

Created to commemorate the book's launch at Comic-Con 2019, this deluxe paper-over-board hardcover edition (limited to 1,000 copies worldwide) features an individually numbered, sewn-in, letterpress bookplate hand-signed by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker, plus exclusive endpapers not found in the regular softcover:

They Called Us Enemy (Signed & Numbered Hardcover)

by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker

ISBN 978-1-60309-472-6 • not available in stores

$75.00 (US) • black & white interiors • YA and up

a 208-page hardcover graphic novel • 6.5” x 9”

Available now, direct from IDW Publishing, while supplies last!

Additionally, an unsigned hardcover is available in limited quantities. This deluxe paper-over-board hardcover edition features exclusive endpapers not found in the regular softcover:

They Called Us Enemy (Hardcover)

by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker

ISBN 978-1-60309-470-2 • not available in stores

$29.99 (US) • black & white interiors • YA and up

a 208-page hardcover graphic novel • 6.5” x 9”

Available now, direct from IDW Publishing, while supplies last!


LUPUS and A RADICAL SHIFT OF GRAVITY Bring Existential Sci-Fi to Fall 2019!

August 21, 2019 / More →

Read on for three haunting, unforgettable new books coming this fall:

Read More →


George Takei's THEY CALLED US ENEMY is a New York Times Bestseller! Watch him on the TODAY Show!

July 26, 2019 / More →

George Takei at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, photo by Sean Macgowan

It's been a big week for George Takei. To launch his graphic memoir, They Called Us Enemy, co-written with Justin Eisinger & Steven Scott and drawn by Harmony Becker, this iconic actor/author/activist:

  • appeared on The TODAY Show (unprecedented for a graphic memoir!),
  • flew to Comic-Con for a standing-room-only panel and two sold-out book signings,
  • was honored with Comic-Con's prestigious Inkpot Award,
  • held another sold-out signing at the Japanese American National Museum,
  • and finally returned home... as a New York Times bestselling author.

Although the Times removed its "Graphic Books" bestseller list in 2017, comics can now reach the "mainstream" lists if they are hugely popular — so They Called Us Enemy is now an incredible #2 in ALL Paperback Nonfiction, sitting above The Mueller Report and many modern classics of prose.

Additionally, They Called Us Enemy has already become:

  • an Amazon bestseller — #1 Graphic Novel, Top 10 in all books
  • a Barnes & Noble College bestseller — #9 in Paperback Nonfiction

Of course, as the "King of the Internet," Takei responded on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with heartfelt words:

Just one week after its release, I am astounded and grateful to learn that my graphic memoir, THEY CALLED US ENEMY, is a New York Times Bestseller! The story of the Japanese American internment MUST reach new generations — and with your help, it will.

Read More →


James Kochalka's JOHNNY BOO wins the Eisner Award!

July 23, 2019 / More →


James Kochalka came full circle last weekend at Comic-Con as he accepted the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award in Best Publication for Early Readers, honoring his book Johnny Boo and the Ice Cream Computer. Seven years ago, he won the Eisner in the very same category for Dragon Puncher Island, the second volume in his Dragon Puncher series. Now, his long-running Johnny Boo series has earned its own Eisner with its 8th volume, in which Johnny Boo invents a machine that turns anything into ice cream.

"They're like Oscars for comics," Kochalka explained to his hometown paper Seven Days, "but cooler, because it's comics."

Kochalka and Johnny Boo show no sign of slowing down. Following The Ice Cream Computer, Johnny Boo Is King! was released in early 2019, and a 10th volume, Johnny Boo and the Midnight Monsters, will be out by the end of the year.


George Takei brings THEY CALLED US ENEMY to Comic-Con in three stunning editions!

July 10, 2019 / More →

"Moving and layered... Takei challenges Americans to look to how past humanitarian injustices speak to current political debates. Giving a personal view into difficult history, [They Called Us Enemy] is a testament to hope and tenacity in the face of adversity." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A compelling blend of nostalgia and outrage... this approachable, well-wrought graphic memoir is important reading, particularly in today's political climate. Pair with John Lewis’ acclaimed March series for a thought-provoking, critical look at the history of racism in American policies and culture." — Booklist (starred review)

"This evocative memoir shares stories of the nation’s past, draws heartbreaking parallels to the present, and serves as a cautionary tale for the future. For all readers old enough to understand the importance of our collective history." — School Library Journal (starred review)

"Emotionally staggering... They Called Us Enemy also inspires readers to engage through democracy to insist that we treat fellow human beings with fairness and dignity." — Amazon Best Books of the Month

"George Takei’s story reveals the important lessons of the WWII Japanese American Incarceration that still need to be learned today. They Called Us Enemy is a compelling must-read for all ages.” — Karen Korematsu, Founder and Executive Director, Fred T. Korematsu Institute

Read More →


San Diego Comic-Con 2019 is our biggest ever — with George Takei and so much more!

July 10, 2019 / More →


Who's coming to Comic-Con? Who ISN'T? Look at this incredible lineup:

George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, & Harmony Becker (They Called Us Enemy — click here for details)

Jarod Roselló (debuting Red Panda and Moon Bear)

Kim Dwinell (debuting Surfside Girls: Book Two)

Koren Shadmi (Highwayman)

MK Reed & Greg Means (Penny Nichols)

Eddie Campbell (From Hell: Master Edition, The Goat Getters, etc)

James Kochalka (Johnny Boo Is King!)

Shannon Wheeler (Sh*t My President Says, God Is Disappointed in You)

Mark Russell (God Is Disappointed in You, Apocrypha Now)

Erin Nations (Gumballs)

Maria & Peter Hoey (Coin-Op)

Dave Calver (Limbo Lounge)

Read on to see our complete signing and programming schedules!

Read More →


Jaw-dropping Fall books on the way!

June 14, 2019 / More →


Hannah Templer's Cosmoknights! Chris Gooch's Deep Breaths!
Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill's grand finale, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Tempest HC!
Read on for details...

Read More →


Numerous nods for Top Shelf talent at 2019 Eisner Awards!

April 26, 2019 / More →

Judges for the 2019 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards announced their list of nominees today, honoring a fantastic array of Top Shelf titles: 

Read More →


April solicits: A LETTER TO JO and JOHNNY BOO Book 10!

April 25, 2019 / More →


August and September bring the remarkable true story of A Letter to Jo and a spooky new Johnny Boo!

Read on for details...

Read More →


George Takei unveils first look at THEY CALLED US ENEMY

March 28, 2019 / More →


They Called Us Enemy brings to life the unforgettable memories of American icon George Takei. Watch him introduce this massively-anticipated graphic memoir in a must-watch video trailer!

Read More →


Hannah Templer's COSMOKNIGHTS begin their quest today!

March 8, 2019 / More →


The queer sci-fi action adventure is now a free webcomic at www.cosmoknights.space, where the entire book will be serialized before publication as a graphic novel this fall.

Read More →


Save up for Penny Nichols and three more amazing Spring books!

February 16, 2019 / More →


We've got a fantastic and diverse lineup in this month's Diamond Previews now for release in May and June: Penny Nichols (a hilarious love letter to indie/DIY culture), two delightful kids' books in Surfside Girls 2 and Box, and the final issue of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen!

Read More →


Hannah Templer's COSMOKNIGHTS storm the castle starting in March!

January 17, 2019 / More →

Image for Hannah Templer's COSMOKNIGHTS storm the castle starting in March!

Top Shelf Productions will publish the solo debut graphic novel by acclaimed cartoonist Hannah Templer (Jem and the Holograms, GLOW). Written, drawn, and colored by Templer, Cosmoknights is a thrilling galactic adventure set in a world where mech-suited warriors duel over the daughters of the aristocracy, and a fledgling resistance of lady knights aim to bring down the system from within.

Templer will serialize Cosmoknights on its own dedicated web site, www.cosmoknights.space, beginning in March 2019 (International Women's Month), leading to its print publication in Fall 2019. Many retailers are already taking online pre-orders, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, Hudson Booksellers, and Penguin Random House — or you can speak to your local shop.

For more on Cosmoknights, including an exclusive Q&A with Hannah Templer, visit today's article in The Hollywood Reporter!

Read More →