Hey, Bartender! The Top Shelf Blog

Kochalka! Kochalka! Kochalka!

Brett Warnock@www.topshelfcomix.com — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:00:00 PST

Yeah, that's right... James is all over the place. I'm most excited about James coming to Portland in the next couple weeks as a guest of the Stumptown Comics Fest. (He's even going to do a mini workshop & reading with my son's 2nd grade class! Yay!)

There's two new episodes of SuperF*ckers! at Cartoon Hangover.

"Dawn of Omnizod"

"Greatest Story Ever Told"

If you've never read the comics the cartoon are based on — and you don't offend easily — there is no better time that the present to rectify the matter. Buy the collected edition pronto!

• Here's a link to James' most recent miniature paintings at a recent Giant Robot show had called 'Facial Recognition' (with Matt Furie and Mark Todd).

Oof!...

Brett Warnock@www.topshelfcomix.com — Wed, 3 Apr 2013 00:00:00 PST

That was rough, our website being down for so long. But, we are back, and all y'all have probably seen the press release from Chris (your friend through comics) Staros about Jeffrey Brown's forthcoming book, A Matter of Life.

Meanwhile, i just got wind that Nate Powell is selling original art by way of his new Etsy store. This is original art by a master cartoonist, illustrator, and writer, folks; his brushwork is decidedly Scrumpdillyicious, and worth so much more than what he's asking.

O.k., and just to toot this horn again, can i tell you how much i love this show poster by Maryanna Hoggatt for her Animal Battle show coming up in less than a month? It reminds me of one of my favorite authors ever, Richard Scarry.

Brett Warnock@www.topshelfcomix.com — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 PST

A little Christmas love from our great friend and cartoonist Gregory Benton. Thanks, G!

Brett Warnock@www.topshelfcomix.com — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:00:00 PST

Lizz Lunney is the BEST! Not only does she produce wonderfully odd, funny, cute & charming comics and stickers and postcards and stuff, but she always sends out THE best promotional holiday gift package ever. And damn, how gorgeous is this cover to her new mini, At the... End of Your Garden.

Comics Lifestyle

Brett Warnock@www.topshelfcomix.com — Fri, 7 Dec 2012 00:00:00 PST

Old pal John Weeks has been busy! He's made his new issue of Quick Draw available on many digital platforms. John is one of those awesomely wonky comics brains we should all be paying more attention to. Here's what he has to say:

"I've released QuickDraw #6 as an early holiday tidbit for 'Free Comics Friday', in English and Khmer. If Amazon and the iBookstore are going to hold such a large amount of the playing field I'm going to suit up and get in their face. (I'm using the site 'BookBaby.com' as a one-stop shop for digital distro.)

"Very keen to get some translated Khmer comics online, this first foray is a test run for translated Khmer comics.
E-Comics aren't terribly lucrative, but they seem like a good angle coming from Cambodia where shipping overshadows print costs."

SuperF*ckers!

Brett Warnock@www.topshelfcomix.com — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 PST

Folks, i've gotta say i'm getting really really really fucking stoked for the launch of James Kochalka's insanely funny SuperF*ckers on Cartoon Hangover! James has been busting balls, as evidenced by this outstanding interview at Verbicide Magazine.

I know this has been trotted out in dozens of places, but if you haven't seen the trailer yet, feast your eyes!

• Also, make sure to read this terrific David Lasky interview at The Comics Journal. He talks about his new book The Carter Family, and also name-drops myself, and my attempts to coerce him in publishing a Boom Boom Omnibus.

Glorkbot's Mini-Adventure

Brett Warnock@www.topshelfcomix.com — Thu, 1 Nov 2012 00:00:00 PST

This is boss!

Glorkbot's Mini Adventure (Alpha Trailer) from Miles Tilmann on Vimeo.

Brett Warnock@www.topshelfcomix.com — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 00:00:00 PST

APE was this last weekend. I know, i was there. It was also New York Con as well... Leigh and Leah were there. That's right, represent!

• Moving right along, how cool is this swell Cleveland Library Card, drawn by Joseph Remnant!

• And oh how sweet is this wonderful drawing James Kochalka made for a forthcoming edition of digital American Elf!

Brett Warnock@www.topshelfcomix.com — Fri, 5 Oct 2012 00:00:00 PST

Cartoonist Diana Thung and designer Chris Ross are really working together well, and producing some real sweet covers for Diana's work.

August Moon

Requiem for a Golum
{Coming soon as a digital exclusive}

Splendour in the Snow
{Coming soon as a digital exclusive}

Brett Warnock@www.topshelfcomix.com — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00:00 PST

"James Kochalka, mark my words, is our Proust."

• SPX was amazing this year. I hadn't been since the 2008 election cycle, and the return trip was energizing. My thanks to Warren Bernard, Kevin Panetta, Mike and the crew. I FINALLY met two of the people i publish, in Jennifer Hayden and Jess Fink (NSFW!), both of whom are super cool. It really is an honor to work with so many authentic and exceptional people.

Also got to meet and hang with Andrew Aydin, who is co-authoring March, with Congressman John Lewis.

Top Shelfers Grant Reynolds, Tom Hart, and Nate Powell were all on hand, either at the booth or their own tables. (Look how fancy Nate looks here with Andrew Aydin and Rep. John Lewis. Nice suit, m'man!) And of course, Leigh Walton and his girlfriend Leah rocked the booth all weekend.

Saw a lot of people briefly: All of the Fantagraphics crew (Groth & Thompson, Eric Reynolds, Jacq Cohen, and newbie Jen Vaughn), Tom Galambos, Jim Rugg, Dan Zettwoch, Theo Ellsworth, and man, so many more people. Current intern Joyana McDiarmid, former intern Andy Kettler, Jesse Reklaw, Hazel Newlevant, and on and on. If only there was more time. Sigh...

Had the very good fortune of fine conversation with: Annie Koyama, Sean T. Collins, Tom Spurgeon, Chris Pitzer, Ethan Rilly, Renee French, Warren Craghead, Tom Neeley, Sam Arthur (NoBrow), Jim Dougan, Chris Duffy.

Gratitude to everyone with whom i crossed paths.

• Nate Powell's Frech Edition of Any Empire looks pretty rad, i'd say. And did you know, he's been publishing comics for twenty years! WTF?!

• I've been immortalized in another diary comic, this time in Jennifer Hayden's Rushes blog.

• How gorgeous is Garret Izumi's Chinese Calendar. (I know know, 2012 is almost over… it's not my fault! My sister had been holding onto this for months. Really. You can ask Garret.)

• Scott Allie with an outstanding blog on comics storytelling.