Top Shelf Productions

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!

With the stunning conclusion of Century, the top-selling third volume of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, creators Alan Moore and Kevin 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." Moore and O'Neill 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 Heart of Ice) and mechanical metropolitan monstrosities (in 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 — preorder now for release in March!

Two Industry Leaders Combine Forces

SAN DIEGO, CA - Leading comic book and graphic novel publisher IDW Publishing announced today that it has acquired Top Shelf Productions, the award-winning independent publisher of graphic novels, including the #1 New York Times and Washington Post bestseller March by Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell, Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (with Kevin O'Neill) and From Hell (with Eddie Campbell), Craig Thompson's Blankets, Nate Powell's Swallow Me Whole, and Jeff Lemire's Essex County.

"The acquisition of Top Shelf is a milestone for IDW," said Ted Adams, IDW CEO and publisher. "We looked a very long time for a company that would complement our own publishing line-up, and in Top Shelf we found the ideal match. The addition of Top Shelf's library further positions IDW's leadership role among the top powerhouses in comics."

Top Shelf will remain a distinct imprint within IDW and co-founder Chris Staros will join the company as Editor-in-Chief, Top Shelf Productions. Top Shelf's fans can expect the same independent editorial approach that has garnered industry-wide awards and made it an envy among its peers.

"IDW is committed to preserving and growing the Top Shelf brand, which we've long admired," said IDW president and COO Greg Goldstein. "Chris and his team have built a great working relationship with creators, fans, and retailers alike, and IDW will work diligently to expand Top Shelf's publishing capabilities and market reach while further developing those relationships."

Founded in 1997, Top Shelf Productions offers a broad library of comic books and graphic novels from dozens of the industry's top independent creators. Following the acquisition, Top Shelf's headquarters will remain in Marietta, GA.

"Top Shelf and IDW complement each other perfectly," said Top Shelf Productions co-founder and publisher Chris Staros. "We both started around the same time, and when I would watch IDW over the years, as a fellow publisher, I'd see them making smart move after smart move. Now I'm extremely excited to combine their talents and resources with Top Shelf's award-winning literary approach to comics. And believe it or not, the idea to join forces hit us both at exactly the same time. Last year, as I was about to pitch Ted and Greg this 'crazy' idea, they approached me to suggest the same thing! How's that for a good omen? Together, we're going to be able to publish some incredible work. I'm really looking forward to this."

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.