Top Shelf Productions

"Heartbreaking and riveting, Jennifer Hayden's caustic, sarcastic wit streams through her quirky drawings, unfolding a survivor's tale and so much more. The Story of My Tits takes us from her flat-chested adolescence to small-boobed acceptance, then loss - until the dramatic reconstruction of Jennifer herself." —Marisa Acocella Marchetto, author of Cancer Vixen and Ann Tenna

"Hayden's work reminds me of why I began drawing comics, and why I continue... comforting, straightforward and strongly connected to life." — Gabrielle Bell, author of Lucky and Cecil & Jordan in New York

"Hayden's cheerful profanity and scratchy lines give the work a homey, intimate feel." — Publishers Weekly

"The central character is the author herself, and she's a joy... seriously fun, alive, and inspiring — as an artist, a writer, a woman, and a human being." — Under the Radar

When Jennifer Hayden was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 43, she realized that her tits told a story. Across a lifetime, they’d held so many meanings: hope and fear, pride and embarrassment, life and death. And then they were gone. Now, their story has become a way of understanding her story. Growing up flat-chested and highly aware of her inadequacies… heading off to college, where she “bloomed” in more ways than one… navigating adulthood between her mother’s mastectomy, her father’s mistress, and her musician boyfriend’s problems of his own—not to mention his sprawling family. Then the kids come along… As cancer strikes three different lives, some relationships crumble while others emerge even stronger, and this sarcastic child of the ‘70s finally finds a goddess she can believe in.

For everyone who’s faced cancer personally, or watched a loved one fight that battle, Hayden’s story is a much-needed breath of fresh air, an irresistible blend of sweetness and skepticism. Rich with both symbolism & humor, The Story of My Tits will leave you laughing, weeping, and feeling grateful for every day.

Release date: September 2015, ahead of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October).
Format: A 352-page softcover graphic novel with French flaps, 8” x 8”.
ISBN: 978-1-60309-054-4 Cover price: $29.99 (US)
Click here for preorder options and a 12-page preview!

A quarter-century after its first chapter appeared in Taboo magazine, From Hell is universally acclaimed as a landmark in the field of graphic novels. This sprawling epic of Victorian murder and human darkness, created by British comics legends Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, has racked up international awards, landed on bestseller lists, and spawned a Hollywood film.

Now, Top Shelf presents From Hell together with its indispensable From Hell Companion in a gorgeous new slipcase set! Get a jump on your holiday shopping with this September release and introduce a friend to a timeless masterpiece. Pre-order today!

Release date: September 2015
Format: Shrinkwrapped slipcase of two softcover books (572 + 288 pages), 7 5/8” x 10” x 2.25”
ISBN: 978-1-60309-374-3 Cover price: $49.99 (US)
Pre-order here or through your local comic shop!

July approaches, so it's time once again to prepare for the biggest convention of the year — but this year marks a special landmark: Top Shelf's first Comic-Con since joining the IDW Publishing family! To celebrate, we've teamed with IDW to bring you some gorgeous premium editions of Top Shelf's most beloved books, developed exclusively for San Diego Comic-Con International!

These exclusives are available for pre-order from IDW’s webstore beginning today, June 22. Fans that preorder will be able to pick up their books throughout the show from the Top Shelf booth #1721, the IDW booth #2743, or for the first time from the San Diego Comic Art Gallery located in Liberty Station in the Point Loma area of San Diego (Wednesday, July 8 through Monday, July 13).

Essex County — Deluxe Slipcase Edition (Comic-Con Exclusive)
Top Shelf celebrates the award-winning masterpiece that made Jeff Lemire a household name. This elegant, foil-stamped slipcase edition features an exclusive letterpress bookplate signed & numbered by the author! Don’t miss the chance to get a deluxe version of this intimate study of an eccentric farming community and a tender meditation on family, memory, grief, secrets, reconciliation — and hockey.
$75, Limited to 500 copies, 3 per person.
Also available in a super-limited edition with an original sketch by Jeff Lemire!
$150, Limited to 50 copies, 2 per person

Bacchus Omnibus: Volume One — Hardcover "Private Reserve" Edition (Comic-Con Exclusive)
Eddie Campbell’s Bacchus is a true epic, spanning a decade of work, over a thousand pages, and several millennia of alcohol consumption. Volume One collects the first half of the Bacchus saga with new notes and commentary by the author. This convention exclusive hardcover comes signed and numbered by Campbell!
$75, Limited to 250 copies, 3 per person.

Stay tuned for more Comic-Con news!

Hail, symbionauts of the Neumod frontier: your time is at hand! After many years of development, Top Shelf Productions is organically proud to announce Junction True: the intoxicating new graphic novel by Ray Fawkes and Vince Locke, now open to pre-orders for an August 2015 release.

"It's the freaks who always change the world."

Naoko is a journalist... but these days, isn't everyone? Her friend Dirk has always been experimental, but this time, he may have gone too far. He'll do anything to prove his devotion to the woman of his dreams, even if it means submitting to the ultimate life-hack — to begin a new existence with the radical and highly illegal surgery they call JUNCTION TRUE.

In a twisted near-future where biology is open-source and body modification has evolved to shocking extremes, acclaimed creators Ray Fawkes (One Soul, Constantine) and Vince Locke (A History of Violence, Deadworld) present a mind-bending and hypnotic story of love, sex, and servitude.

Click through for an 8-page preview and pre-order now: the next step of human evolution begins in August!

Fans of digital comics rejoice! IDW Publishing and its imprint Top Shelf Productions have teamed up with Humble Bundle for an outstanding offer to download an outstanding library of graphic novels while at the same time providing books to kids in need.

Running through June 10th, this bundle allows readers to name their own price for some of Top Shelf and IDW's greatest books of all time — including work by Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill, Jeff Lemire, Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez, Jess Fink, Darwyn Cooke, Mark Russell & Shannon Wheeler, Liz Prince, and Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, & Nate Powell!

What's more, with each bundle, a portion of the funds (determined by each buyer) goes to support Traveling Stories, a nonprofit organization dedicated to "outsmarting poverty one book at a time."

To take advantage of this incredible deal, visit Humble Bundle — claim yours before time runs out!

"What were we doing out here...? What was the meaning of this trip? Did I actually have a big red convertible out there on the street? Was I just roaming around these Mint Hotel escalators in a drug frenzy of some kind, or had I really come out here to Las Vegas to work on a story?" — Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Marietta, GA (May 27, 2015) – Legendary journalist Hunter S. Thompson's genius was rooted in his ability to blend reality with fiction, serious cultural analysis with madcap escapades, astonishing words with unforgettable images. In that spirit, and in proud partnership with the Thompson estate, Top Shelf Productions is pleased to announce Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a delightfully bonkers graphic novel by Eisner-nominated artist Troy Little adapting Thompson's book of the same name.

"I'm so pleased that one of the first collaborative projects to come out of the Top Shelf / IDW relationship will be Troy Little's inspired take on a true classic of American literature," said Top Shelf Editor-In-Chief Chris Staros. "One of the most unforgettable writers turned loose in one of my favorite cities! We can't wait to show you what Troy's done with it."

The much-beloved Fear and Loathing, subtitled "A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream," follows Thompson analogue Raoul Duke on the mother of all Vegas benders, as he and his attorney Dr. Gonzo cover a motorcycle race, crash a drug-enforcement convention, and rack up obscenely large room-service bills, all while dosed to the gills on a truly spectacular assortment of mind-altering substances.

Troy Little's faithful adaptation, scheduled for October 2015, will capture the full gonzo experience in a glorious full color graphic novel. Little is previously known for the Xeric-award-winning graphic novel Chiaroscuro and for his Eisner-nominated series Angora Napkin, both from IDW Publishing. Now, his irrepressibly energetic cartooning brings a new level of manic energy to Thompson's rocket-fueled narrative.

"Buy the ticket, take the ride." Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas comes to a store near you this fall!

The sun is shining, the buds are blooming, and spring is here at last — but we're already leaping into summer! The new Diamond Previews catalog features two incredible debuts from Top Shelf, coming to your shelves in July — plus Jeffrey Brown reprints and more! And don't forget Free Comic Book Day this weekend...

After roaring success as a Top Shelf digital exclusive, Chris Sheridan is taking his over-the-top Mad-Max-meets-Kill-Bill thrillride to your bookshelf, with the print debut of The Motorcycle Samurai! This 176-page full-color graphic novel will hit stores in July.

“Motorcycle Samurai is exactly what I want from digital comics. Hell, it’s what I want from comics in general. It’s a great story that uses the medium in unique ways. More, please!” — Mark Waid

To celebrate, we're priming the pump with a FREE Motorcycle Samurai comic book, in comic shops everywhere this Saturday on Free Comic Book Day! Chris Sheridan himself will be signing copies and meeting fans all day at stores across Seattle - check his Twitter for details!

"It's wonderful and inspiring to see a generation of authors with no preconceptions about what comics should be, and what sort of stories they should tell, flourish in this new golden age. Tim Ginger is an understated, wryly observed, and welcome addition to this gathering of new voices." — Dave McKean

We're delighted to introduce you to Julian Hanshaw, a thoughtful and witty cartoonist with a painter's eye and a poet's heart. His new graphic novel Tim Ginger, a character study of a widowed ex-test pilot, is full of rich desert colors, childless couples, haunting dreams, and exhausting conspiracy theorists. For fans of Jeff Lemire, Alex Robinson, or Eddie Campbell, don't miss Tim Ginger — click here for an interior glimpse, and pre-order today!

The award-winning creators behind the landmark March series returned triumphantly to The Rachel Maddow Show last week to promote March: Book Two, as Maddow brought their work to life with a stunning blend of archival footage, animated art from the book, and live studio interviews.

Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell had fond memories of the show, having appeared together once before in November 2013 for March: Book One. But nothing could have prepared them for the amazing segment that awaited.

After setting the stage with a recap of Gandhi's techniques of nonviolent activism, Maddow discussed the implementation of those techniques by Lewis and his allies in the civil rights movement. She recapped March: Book One and then walked viewers through key moments from March: Book Two, including the terrifying violence unleashed by the 1961 Freedom Rides and the backstage disputes about Lewis's electrifying speech at the 1963 March on Washington.

Maddow then spoke with all three creators of March, discussing the widespread adoption of the series by schools, libraries, and awards, the responsibility the authors feel to be candid, and the reaction from young readers whose passion for civil rights is ignited after reading it.

Both books continue to ride the New York Times bestseller list for Graphic Books, and also for the first time landed on the Times' monthly list for Race & Civil Rights bestsellers. Watch the segment now and grab your copy today!

The hits keep on coming! No sooner have we published the final chapter of the acclaimed League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: NEMO trilogy (Nemo: River of Ghosts) than it's time to announce two long-awaited Top Shelf releases — the gorgeous Omnibus Edition of Eddie Campbell's sprawling mythological epic Bacchus and the boundary-breaking crossover of James Kochalka's beloved series for kids, Johnny Boo Meets Dragon Puncher!

"Bacchus mixes air hijacks and ancient gods, gangland drama and legends, police procedural and mythic fantasy, swimming pool cleaners and classics. It shouldn't work, of course, and it works like a charm. ... Eddie Campbell is the unsung King of comic books. ... The man's a genius, and that's an end to it." — Neil Gaiman

"A story of surprising richness and gravity… Bacchus stands as one of Eddie Campbell’s crowning achievements as writer, artist, and executive creator." — The Comics Journal

“Campbell is one of the premier cartoonists of his generation.” — Publishers Weekly

"No one else in the medium combines emotional truth, literary intelligence, and formal daring with such adroitness and elegance." — Booklist

Eddie Campbell’s Bacchus is a true epic, spanning a decade of work, over a thousand pages, and several millennia of alcohol consumption.

In Bacchus, the visionary behind From Hell (with Alan Moore) and Alec: The Years Have Pants presents his version of “an American-style comic book,” filtered through his own brilliant, whimsical, and wide-ranging sensibility. With a fine blend of action, comedy, suspense, and an ear for a great story, Bacchus brings the gods and myths of ancient Greece to modern life, as if they had never left.

The 560-page Volume One collects the first half of the Bacchus saga and will hit stores in JUNE!

“A landmark book for the kindergarten crowd.” — School Library Journal
"A true crowd-pleaser.” — Kirkus Reviews
"Magically captures the exact sense of zaniness often discovered in [backyard] playtime... and with huge panels and spare dialogue that will amuse kids and adults, it’s also the rare graphic novel that makes an excellent read-aloud." — Booklist

James Kochalka's totally-bonkers comics for kids recently earned him the Eisner Award (Best Publication for Early Readers)... now he's celebrating with the craziest concept yet — a crossover between his beloved Johnny Boo and Dragon Puncher series!

When Johnny Boo Meets Dragon Puncher, the result is an explosion of adventure and fun.

Click through for more details and sample pages, and pre-order now from your favorite retailer for release in JUNE!

“These are Victorian-influenced pulp fiction tales, and that’s enough, but they are also monuments to world-building as Moore and O’Neill construct enormous fictional amalgamations from the literature of the past. No one else has ever done it nearly as well as these two.” — Comic Book Resources

“Perfect, potent adventure comics, cramming in crazy amounts of characters while maintaining an addictive forward plot momentum.” — Heeb Magazine

“A wonderful concluding chapter to an excellent series. Moore and O’Neill have done that rare thing of creating a spinoff that actually betters the original.” — Pipe Dream Comics

Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen reaches a new milestone today, as Top Shelf Productions releases the grand finale of the Nemo spinoff trilogy, a pulse-pounding 56-page hardcover entitled River of Ghosts.

In 2012, with the stunning conclusion of Century, the top-selling third volume of the League saga, creators Moore and O’Neill brought their literary-crossover saga to an incredible climax. Critics called it “magnificent,” a “glorious creative tapestry,” and “arguably one of the greatest comics of all time.” The authors might have been tempted to stop there and rest on their laurels... but one character, Captain Nemo’s steel-hearted daughter Janni, demanded the spotlight for herself, and a spinoff was born!

With a classic two-fisted spirit of adventure, the NEMO graphic novels have followed the terrifying pirate queen in her confrontations with unearthly Antarctic horrors (in 2013's Heart of Ice) and mechanical metropolitan monstrosities (in 2014's The Roses of Berlin).

Now, Top Shelf Productions and Knockabout Comics present what may be the Captain’s final voyage! It’s 1975, and our aging heroine is beginning to display a tenuous grip on reality. Pursuing shadows from her past—or her imagination—Captain Janni Nemo steers her wondrous ship Nautilus on an obsessive journey into the tropical mysteries of the Amazon, in a last attempt to put to rest the blood-drenched spectres of old. What awaits? New allies, outrageous enemies, inscrutable youths, impossible creatures, and a truly flabbergasting final battle. Don't miss Nemo: River of Ghosts — available today wherever books and comics are sold!

Last night, Congressman John Lewis continued his mission to share the legacy of the civil rights movement with today's youth, making his first appearance as a guest on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Lewis discussed his award-winning graphic novel series, March (co-written with Andrew Aydin and drawn by Nate Powell), which is swiftly becoming an essential resource for bringing the past alive to new generations and inspiring readers to carry on the powerful tradition of nonviolence.

In an episode fully devoted to Lewis, the congressman walked host Jon Stewart through some of the many civil rights milestones he witnessed and led throughout his astonishing career. “People must understand," he said. "And that’s why we did these two books here, March: Book One and Book Two, to tell the story, so our young people — our children, and their children — will understand what happened and never forget it.”

The next morning, Congressman Lewis continued the conversation and discussed March on CNN's New Day.

March: Book One and the new March: Book Two, called "essential reading" by dozens of outlets including USA Today and The Washington Post, have spent a combined 50 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List. Among other honors, March: Book One is a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, the freshman reading selection at several major universities, and the first graphic novel ever to receive a Robert F. Kennedy Book Award.

Ever since he first joined Top Shelf with the 2006 autobiographical collection Please Release, Nate Powell has been one of the most fascinating cartoonists we've had the pleasure to publish. Longtime fans have joined us in watching his career unfold: winning the Eisner Award for Best Graphic Novel, speaking at the United Nations and on The Rachel Maddow Show, bringing the award-winning March saga to life, and much more.

Now, following the release of the New York Times bestseller March: Book Two, Powell looks back on the past decade and has assembled a stunning collection of seventeen short works. Coming in May 2015 and open for pre-orders now, you mustn't miss You Don't Say.

"You Don't Say is more than just a collection of immaculate stories; it's also a glimpse at the evolution of one of today's most gifted storytellers." — Scott Snyder

"Haunting, poetic, and visually lyrical, You Don’t Say will get stuck in your head — you’ll be humming its tunes long after you’ve closed the book." — Becky Cloonan

A celebrity glares. A community burns. A child’s heart breaks. A recipe summons a ghost. A dying woman makes her peace. An art form sustains the spirit.

In You Don't Say, award-winning graphic novelist Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole, March) collects a decade of powerful short works. Autobiography, fiction, essay comics, collaborations, and more fill these thoughtful, pitch-black pages, comprising rare and previously unreleased material from 2004-2013.

Click here for an 8-page preview, and pre-order now with your favorite retailer for release in May!

U.S. Congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis has brought his award-winning and best-selling graphic novel series March to the Bay Area this week, with a visit to Apple headquarters and speeches to thousands of students at San Francisco State University and San Francisco Public Library, as part of the launch tour for the new March: Book Two.

Congressman Lewis and co-author Andrew Aydin spoke to Apple employees in Cupertino and beyond, following an introduction from Apple CEO Tim Cook, who said: "My hope is that everyone reads this, & I would love to see the day that it's required reading in every school." Later, Cook tweeted his support of the trilogy:

Honored to host @RepJohnLewis at Apple today. His 50-year march for justice and equality inspires us. @MARCHTrilogy pic.twitter.com/I5ye7OdIDi

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 17, 2015

Cook's praise for March now joins the chorus from other major figures and media outlets:

"Congressman John Lewis has been a resounding moral voice in the quest for equality for more than 50 years, and I'm so pleased that he is sharing his memories of the Civil Rights Movement with America's young leaders. In March, he brings a whole new generation with him across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, from a past of clenched fists into a future of outstretched hands." — President Bill Clinton

"A riveting and beautiful civil-rights story… Lewis's gripping memoir should be stocked in every school and shelved at every library." — The Washington Post

"Essential reading... the story of a true American superhero." — USA Today

"A riveting chronicle of Lewis’s extraordinary life… it powerfully illustrates how much perseverance is needed to achieve fundamental social change." — O, The Oprah Magazine

"An astonishingly accomplished graphic memoir." — NPR

Written by Lewis & Aydin and drawn by award-winning artist Nate Powell, March has become a cultural phenomenon, an instant #1 New York Times bestseller, and the first graphic novel to ever receive a Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. Today, as we head into the 50th anniversary of the landmark "Bloody Sunday" march in Selma that he led with Hosea Williams, the story of March is more essential than ever.

It's fitting that, just as Lewis and his generation were inspired by the 1950s comic book "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story," Lewis is now performing the vital work of educating young people about the past and inspiring them to build the future — through the transformative power of nonviolence.

Bring out the palms and break into psalms for Mark Russell and Shannon Wheeler, as the audiobook version of God Is Disappointed in You has been nominated for the Audie Award, often called "the Oscars of the audiobook industry"!

Congratulations and best of luck to Mark, Shannon, and narrator James Urbaniak (The Venture Bros.) — with fellow nominees including Amy Poehler, Jim Gaffigan, and Dave Barry, it's fine company to be in.

God Is Disappointed in You is the tongue-in-cheek "condensed" version of the Bible you never knew you needed -- hilariously modern, but surprisingly authentic -- written by Mark Russell and packed with cartoons by Eisner-award-winner Shannon Wheeler. After the smash-hit sellout of its first printing, it's been "resurrected" in a revised new printing and is now available in stores everywhere!

“With March, Congressman John Lewis takes us behind the scenes of some of the most pivotal moments of the Civil Rights Movement. In graphic novel form, his first-hand account makes these historic events both accessible and relevant to an entire new generation of Americans.” — LEVAR BURTON

"Essential reading... March is a moving and important achievement." — USA Today

"Riveting." — O, The Oprah Magazine

An astonishingly accomplished graphic memoir." — NPR

"Visually stunning… This insider’s view of the civil rights movement should be required reading for young and old; not to be missed." — School Library Journal (starred review)

John Lewis has been many things in his career: a civil rights activist, a featured speaker at the March on Washington, a leader of the "Bloody Sunday" march in Selma, a respected member of Congress, a recipient of the Medal of Freedom, and a worldwide symbol of the power of nonviolent protest.

With his latest project, he's added "#1 bestselling author," as his multi-part graphic novel autobiography, March, has become a smash success. Today, the long-awaited March Book Two reaches store shelves, poised to be even bigger than its predecessor — and perhaps even more relevant to this day and age. With March: Book Two, Congressman Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell give us a first-hand experience of milestone events that transformed the nation, including the 1961 Freedom Rides and the 1963 March on Washington.

At a time when, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the majority of states earn a D or F grade in teaching the Civil Rights Movement to their young people, March has quickly become a key resource for schools, libraries, activists, and the general reader. It’s been adopted in classrooms nationwide, spent 40 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List, and even become the first graphic novel to win a Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. What's more, three major universities planned their freshman orientations around March, compelling 15,000 students nationwide to read and discuss it in a single month.

Why a graphic novel? Because John Lewis remembers the impact that a 1957 comic book "Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story" had on him and his whole generation, inspiring them to take up nonviolence and join the civil rights movement. Now he's having the same impact on young people today.

As America continues to grapple with issues of race and the legacy of the civil rights movement, March offers an unforgettable success story and a way forward — one that's already been embraced by countless readers who are looking for hope today.

Congressman John Lewis is an international icon, and his story is now more essential than ever. See why this project has become such a phenomenon — join the March!