TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS
By Brad Collins.

The critically acclaimed anthology TOP SHELF first appeared in 1995, published by Brett Warnock, as an attempt to highlight upcoming cartoonists. At around the same time, Chris Staros was working hard representing international talent such as Eddie Campbell and Gary Spencer Millidge, and producing the annual industry publication THE STAROS REPORT. The two became friends and, in 1997, launched Top Shelf Productions, which has since grown to become one of the most important companies publishing comics today.

Top Shelf Productions works with some of the finest cartoonists in the industry to produce graphic novels and comics. The company takes great pride in the presentation of their books, which are often unusually sized and beautifully produced. Some previous efforts from the company include GOOD-BYE, CHUNKY RICE by Craig Thompson, THE PERFECT PLANET by James Kochalka, and HEY, MISTER by Pete Sickman-Garner. The company also continues to represent Eddie Campbell Comics, Highwater Books, Abiogenesis Press, Actus Tragicus, Red Ink, and Dee Vee Press.

The following year promises great things for Top Shelf, and the involved artists.

MAY 2000 - BUGHOUSE
by Steve Lafler
(http://world.std.com/~cathead/lafler.html)

Steve Lafler: "BUGHOUSE invites readers into a world based on Manhattan in the early 50's -- a time when bebop sent a jolt of energy through music and literature. Inspired by Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and the writing of the Beats, BUGHOUSE is a stylish "bug noir" world populated by a cast of jazz-loving human/bug hybrids."

JULY 2000 - FLIPPER 1 and FLIPPER 2
from Actus Tragicus ()

As of July, Top Shelf Productions adds the Israeli team Actus Tragicus to their roster of international clients. Actus Tragicus is comprised of five cartoonists who pool their resources annually to produce a series of books. This year, their books are FLIPPER 1 and FLIPPER 2, each containing two graphic novellas. The first book contains SPEAKING OF THE DEVIL by Itzik Rennert (an exploration of the reasons for good an evil through a student's eyes in Hell) and BLOOD ENGAGEMENT by Mira Friedmann (a Renaissance woman encounters a bloody proposal she simply can't refuse), as well as a supplement called DEEP STUFF, by Batia Kolton. FLIPPER 2 includes THE SISTERS D'ESPARD by Yirmi Pinkus (the tale of an opera diva addicted to seances, who comes to Tel Aviv to perform the role of a lifetime - the Night Queen on Mozart's Magic Flute) and BYGONE by Rutu (three tragically orphaned sisters run a theme hotel in a small town. When a handsome photographer comes to stay, he ends up awakening secrets from the past), as well as another supplement by Batia Kolton, LOSERS OF DOLLYLAND.

AUGUST 2000 - MONKEY VS ROBOT
by James Kochalka Superstar
(http://www.mp3.com/jks/)

James Kochalka: "MONKEY VS ROBOT started as a song that I wrote while at a party at my friends house. I got everyone in that rockin' party mood so I figured it was a good song, recorded it, put in on a CD and named the album MONKEY VS ROBOT. The response from fans and stuff was great. Three separate film students have now made their own MONKEY VS ROBOT videos based on my song which are making the film festival circuit this year. Which by pure coincidence just happens to be perfect timing as a promotional tool for my own project, the MONKEY VS ROBOT graphic novel due out from Top Shelf this summer. It tells the story of a colony of Monkeys who find their territory threatened by a factory of Robots. It's the classic nature vs. technology debate told as a rambunctious rumble in the jungle! Fun and funny, sad and scary, exciting and deadly, just like real life, but with cute drawings."

SEPTEMBER - HEY, MISTER
by Pete Sickman-Garner

September sees the latest issue of the continuing HEY, MISTER series, which follows the adventures of Mister, Young Tom, and Aunt Mary as they continue to ravage society.

OCTOBER - SPEECHLESS
by Peter Kuper (http://www.peterkuper.com)

Peter Kuper: "SPEECHLESS- Tales from the System: What began as a follow up to my graphic novel THE SYSTEM metamorphosed into a mid career retrospective. The backbone of the book is a dozen or so full color wordless strips, many never published before now, including JUNGLE LAND, TKO, and BOMBS AWAY. Separating longer strips are chapters that include books I've produced over the last few decades like THE JUNGLE, GIVE IT UP and other short stories by Kafka, STRIPPED (my Auto Bio work) and a section on my travel sketchbooks. In each of these sections I have written accompanying text about the process of producing a project including rough sketches, step by step and reference material. Throughout SPEECHLESS I have peppered my illustrations that have appeared in ROLLING STONE, NEWSWEEK, THE NEW YORK TIMES, and TIME among others. There is also a section devoted to my illustration work that includes breakdowns and commentary on the development of covers for THE VILLAGE VOICE and TIME magazine. There are essays I've written for various publications as well. Included are articles on WORLD WAR THREE ILLUSTRATED (a magazine I co-founded 20 years ago) and the trial of Mike Diana, the first artist in US history to be jailed for his art work. I was flown to Florida as a defense witness by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund back in 1994. Throw in a complete illustrated chronology from birth to now in this 112-page full color oversized hardcover book, and you'll find yourself... Speechless."

NOVEMBER - BIG CLAY POT
by Scott Mills (http://www.bubbaandsmoot.com)

Scott Mills: "An historical graphic novel taking place in pre-historic Japan, BIG CLAY POT follows the trials and tribulations of Korean immigrant Sun Kim as she learns to come to terms with her mysterious past and a possible future with an old Japanese fisherman, Kokoro. Weighing in at a whopping (for me) 144 pages, this is my most thoughtful work since my Xeric award-winning mini-comic CELLS. It will debut at the Expo in Bethesda and be available in comic and book stores in November."

DECEMBER - THE COLLECTED HUTCH OWEN
by Tom Hart (http://www.newhatstories.com)

Tom Hart: "THE COLLECTED HUTCH OWEN is at once hilarious and enraged, snotty, and smart. These acclaimed dregs-of-society farces skewer the multinational, mega-merging, corporate forces that control our lives. Tom Hart's popular vagrant/rebel Hutch Owen rages while the world around him builds, merges, attends marketing seminars and goes IPO. The streets and alleyways that are his bedroom and study are now invisible beneath a coat of crude and insulting ads. His may be the only dissenting voice left! When the first tale, HUTCH OWEN'S WORKING HARD, was released in 1994, it created an underground sensation and gained Tom Hart a die-hard following. Here are the 2 previously published stories with two full-length brand new ones, never before seen. Feel the Power! Catch the Wave! Join the Splurge!! Gotta get Two!!!"

FEB 2001 - THE BILLY DOGMA EXPERIENCE: BOY IN MY POCKET
by Dean Haspiel
(http://keyhole.wraithspace.com/dean/)

Dean Haspiel: "BOY IN MY POCKET - In the exciting debut of Dean Haspiel's new series THE BILLY DOGMA EXPERIENCE, did the broken and battered Billy Dogma really escape the hospital to woo his beloved Jane Legit at her job, or was it all a cruel fantasy? Spend the afternoon with Jane as she daydreams and worries about her career, her love life, and the wrath of her obnoxious boss!"

APRIL 2001 - BOX OFFICE POISON TPB
by Alex Robinson
(http://members.aol.com/BOPalex/)

Alex Robinson: "I started BOX OFFICE POISON as a mini comic in 1993, and after doing 10 issues as a mini, Antarctic Press picked up the series in 1995. The story deals with Sherman Davies, a bookstore clerk who wants to become a writer, and his friend Ed, who recently got a job as an assistant to Irving Flavor, a bitter old cartoonist from the "golden age." The series chronicles Sherman's life with his new--and some say evil--girlfriend Dorothy and Ed's job with Mr. Flavor. The series will run with Antarctic Press until the end of the story with #21 (#18 is due out this month) and in April of 2001 the complete story will be published in one volume by Top Shelf.

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There are also a number of other projects to come from Top Shelf throughout the rest of 2001, including Reneé French's THE SOAP LADY, Dylan Horrocks' DIRTY COMICS, and BLANKETS, the new graphic novel by Craig Thompson.

If you're interesting in more information about Top Shelf's upcoming releases, or anything in their back catalogue, the company website is at http://www.topshelfcomix.com

Brad Collins is the Features Editor at PopImage.

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