When I began writing about comics I was surprised by the many publishers I dealt with. Some were laid back and gave zero Fks, others were so worried you'd share their review items they'd send copies with covers torn off or written across the top with a sharpie, FOR REVIEW purposes only. Top Shelf Comix was professional, generous with their review products, and they produced work with a quality that remains vital, 19 years since I began this journey. I have found the Top Shelf Comix's line up of talent and works to
be of the highest quality.As a publisher how do you cultivate a corporate creative vibe? Do you think people of like minds gather around a publisher, or, do you actively engage and try to present opportunities to the people you most highly hold in esteem? Are there works you like personally but haven't gone forward to publish them? Why or why not?
We’re lucky to have been around for 25 years, and to have developed a reputation and friendships across the industry, so that we’re often a publisher of choice for people to submit to. We try really hard to have a third of our line focus on our big-name talent, a third of our line on long-term relationships with emerging talent, and a third of our line to introduce new creators to the world. As for which talent might “gather” at which publisher, I guess our house style could be summed up as unique, cartoony art styles, with stories full of subtext and heart (for mature readers and all-ages alike). And so, that’s the kind of material we seek out, and also the kind of material – if creators dig it – would likely be submitted to us.
Before the 1980s in America, the idea of a collected form of a comic run, or mini-series, and even, really graphic novels was rarely encountered. You and I, I think, are of similar age, so like me did you always pine for the more permanent format of comics, TPBs or OGNs as a reader?
Top Shelf was formed by Brett Warnock and myself in the 90s to primarily publish full-length graphic novels, and package them to be racked with and co-mingle with prose books in bookstores. We wanted to help the medium of comics break out of its monthly, floppy serials, and start to compete with film and literature for the population at large. We were part of that wave, which in a large part was successful. I mean, we still need to grow the “pie” some more, rather than fight over the slices, but the ship has turned in a new direction whereby we don’t have to explain the term “graphic novel” anymore, nor explain that comics aren’t just for kids. They’re universally accepted now, even if the audiences are still modest in size.
Did you find the revolution of mature content and better overall creative work and product (such as the better paper and digital colors) made comics in general better?
Top Shelf originally did focus on mature content for several years, as we were of the opinion back then that the medium of comics needed to grow up. But later, once literary accolades were happening industry wide, we realized we can’t forget the kids – as if you don’t grow up reading comics, you’ll never continue to read them through adolescence and adulthood. Nowadays, it’s nice that there’s so much good material for the entire spectrum. So, you can find something appropriate and challenging at any age now. And be a fan for life.
How do you, as a publisher see the future of the evolution of the medium. Do digital options (and possible theft due to that) change comics for all publishers? Are there new soon to bloom changes we will see happening?
Digital is a vital part of the future, simply because it’s another avenue to allow access to the material. Initially, like in every technology shift, there was a great fear that it would “take over” or “ruin” print publishing, but ultimately they’ve been a great help to each other. As people who become fans of something tend to buy it in all formats. Like how many bands did you have the 45s, LPs, 8-Tracks, Cassettes, CDs, and downloads for? Okay, I’m dating myself there!
I see the landscape of the comic world differently, I think than many who love mainstream comics, and superheroes. The educated and the reviewers of course loved Top Shelf, but a number of mainstream superhero fans seemed to have thought them to be shoegaze goth kid dark comics, without out being able to distinguish between the many offerings. As a publisher who wants to put out a work with a certain aesthetic, how do you enter the no fly zones of taste versus quality? Or, do you?
American comics fans are very loyal and dedicated, and they’re proud of that – whether they love Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Star Trek, etc., they stay true to their interests. I’m not judging, as I’m the same way with my love of Elvis. But that means it’s always a challenge to get people to try something different, and expand their horizons. And with Top Shelf mostly being a one-off graphic novel house, each project must start from zero and build an audience from there. Never the easiest road! But we’ve managed to help launch the careers of several talents that went on to reach a very wide and diverse audience (Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, and Robert Venditti, come to mind), and to also publish books like John Lewis’ MARCH and George Takei’s THEY CALLED US ENEMY, which bring in a whole new crop of readers to the medium, and help show the world what the potential of comics truly are.
I think you do try, since I remember the Surrogates blowing me away. I gave away more than 100 copies of issues 1 and 2, found that no matter how many copies and gave to people to get them interested, the response was either, I never heard of the publisher but this is great stuff, or hmmm, not sure I think of Top Shelf when I think of this kind of comic. Is it that I just gave books out to morons, or can a publisher challenge the status quo by the content they publish?
Often when I teach a class at a University for emerging comics talent, the first question I ask is “How many of you have heard of me or Top Shelf?” And often, maybe I’ll get 15%-30% of the students to raise their hands. And I don’t do that for ego’s sake – as those results would have the opposite effect! – but to let them know, that Top Shelf has been at it for 25 years, has the reputation as being one of the best guerrilla marketing operations, with many literary accolades and hits, and yet most of you STILL haven’t heard of us. To break in to any artistic career, you have to be willing to dedicate 10 years of your life to just get into the game, and then becoming noticed and successful is another thing entirely. That’s why the “overnight success” is the biggest misnomer, as anyone who suddenly becomes successful has put YEARS of work in ahead of that.
You are now offering mentoring, portfolio reviews, and more services utilizing your knowledge and skills in the world of comics. Do you see a lot of people enter the world of comics without such skill sets and business naivety? How do you perceive this new service working?
I learned when I was young that you get the biggest compliments from the drunkest people. In other words, your friends and peers will often not give you honest or useful feedback on your work, either because they value the relationship with you, or they’re simply too busy doing their own projects to dive that deep into yours. A good editor is that private confidant who can help you see the strengths and problem areas of a work, and help you come up with solutions on how to make it tighter. To take a formative work and turn it in to a definitive one. And do that all, behind the scenes, without any credit – and be happy about that.
Only a month in to the program, I’ve already booked over 60 sessions, completed half of them, and everyone so far is eager to dive into their 2nd drafts and show me their improvements at our next round. It’s been a lot of fun.
I've been told that in my other role as a writer, I tend to not understand that publishers offer aspects of the writing world that can't be written off. Do you see PR and Edits and quality standards in the new writers or self-published creatives lacking? How will you change their path forward?
Some projects need no editing, and other projects need 8-10 rewrites to get into shape. For me, it’s all in service of the story and to help the creator get where they want to be. So, it’s never about me leaving my stamp on something. If it’s already great, then I won’t touch it. At that point, I’ll just help shepherd it to the market, and get it distributed and out into the world.
Tell me where readers of this can find you online (your corporate and personal twitters and other links), and what do you, as Top Shelf Comix guy have brewing that will be exciting to hear?
Top Shelf can always be found at www.topshelfcomix.com, and our latest season/year of titles is always here: www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog
And then my own private mentoring service for aspiring comics professionals can be found here: www.chrisstaros.com, more specifically, www.chrisstaros.com/consulting.
All the best, Chris Staros
Top Shelf was formed by Brett Warnock and myself in the 90s to primarily publish full-length graphic novels, and package them to be racked with and co-mingle with prose books in bookstores. We wanted to help the medium of comics break out of its monthly, floppy serials, and start to compete with film and literature for the population at large. We were part of that wave, which in a large part was successful. I mean, we still need to grow the “pie” some more, rather than fight over the slices, but the ship has turned in a new direction whereby we don’t have to explain the term “graphic novel” anymore, nor explain that comics aren’t just for kids. They’re universally accepted now, even if the audiences are still modest in size.
Did you find the revolution of mature content and better overall creative work and product (such as the better paper and digital colors) made comics in general better?
Top Shelf originally did focus on mature content for several years, as we were of the opinion back then that the medium of comics needed to grow up. But later, once literary accolades were happening industry wide, we realized we can’t forget the kids – as if you don’t grow up reading comics, you’ll never continue to read them through adolescence and adulthood. Nowadays, it’s nice that there’s so much good material for the entire spectrum. So, you can find something appropriate and challenging at any age now. And be a fan for life.
How do you, as a publisher see the future of the evolution of the medium. Do digital options (and possible theft due to that) change comics for all publishers? Are there new soon to bloom changes we will see happening?
Digital is a vital part of the future, simply because it’s another avenue to allow access to the material. Initially, like in every technology shift, there was a great fear that it would “take over” or “ruin” print publishing, but ultimately they’ve been a great help to each other. As people who become fans of something tend to buy it in all formats. Like how many bands did you have the 45s, LPs, 8-Tracks, Cassettes, CDs, and downloads for? Okay, I’m dating myself there!
I see the landscape of the comic world differently, I think than many who love mainstream comics, and superheroes. The educated and the reviewers of course loved Top Shelf, but a number of mainstream superhero fans seemed to have thought them to be shoegaze goth kid dark comics, without out being able to distinguish between the many offerings. As a publisher who wants to put out a work with a certain aesthetic, how do you enter the no fly zones of taste versus quality? Or, do you?
American comics fans are very loyal and dedicated, and they’re proud of that – whether they love Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Star Trek, etc., they stay true to their interests. I’m not judging, as I’m the same way with my love of Elvis. But that means it’s always a challenge to get people to try something different, and expand their horizons. And with Top Shelf mostly being a one-off graphic novel house, each project must start from zero and build an audience from there. Never the easiest road! But we’ve managed to help launch the careers of several talents that went on to reach a very wide and diverse audience (Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt, and Robert Venditti, come to mind), and to also publish books like John Lewis’ MARCH and George Takei’s THEY CALLED US ENEMY, which bring in a whole new crop of readers to the medium, and help show the world what the potential of comics truly are.
I think you do try, since I remember the Surrogates blowing me away. I gave away more than 100 copies of issues 1 and 2, found that no matter how many copies and gave to people to get them interested, the response was either, I never heard of the publisher but this is great stuff, or hmmm, not sure I think of Top Shelf when I think of this kind of comic. Is it that I just gave books out to morons, or can a publisher challenge the status quo by the content they publish?
Often when I teach a class at a University for emerging comics talent, the first question I ask is “How many of you have heard of me or Top Shelf?” And often, maybe I’ll get 15%-30% of the students to raise their hands. And I don’t do that for ego’s sake – as those results would have the opposite effect! – but to let them know, that Top Shelf has been at it for 25 years, has the reputation as being one of the best guerrilla marketing operations, with many literary accolades and hits, and yet most of you STILL haven’t heard of us. To break in to any artistic career, you have to be willing to dedicate 10 years of your life to just get into the game, and then becoming noticed and successful is another thing entirely. That’s why the “overnight success” is the biggest misnomer, as anyone who suddenly becomes successful has put YEARS of work in ahead of that.
You are now offering mentoring, portfolio reviews, and more services utilizing your knowledge and skills in the world of comics. Do you see a lot of people enter the world of comics without such skill sets and business naivety? How do you perceive this new service working?
I learned when I was young that you get the biggest compliments from the drunkest people. In other words, your friends and peers will often not give you honest or useful feedback on your work, either because they value the relationship with you, or they’re simply too busy doing their own projects to dive that deep into yours. A good editor is that private confidant who can help you see the strengths and problem areas of a work, and help you come up with solutions on how to make it tighter. To take a formative work and turn it in to a definitive one. And do that all, behind the scenes, without any credit – and be happy about that.
Only a month in to the program, I’ve already booked over 60 sessions, completed half of them, and everyone so far is eager to dive into their 2nd drafts and show me their improvements at our next round. It’s been a lot of fun.
I've been told that in my other role as a writer, I tend to not understand that publishers offer aspects of the writing world that can't be written off. Do you see PR and Edits and quality standards in the new writers or self-published creatives lacking? How will you change their path forward?
Some projects need no editing, and other projects need 8-10 rewrites to get into shape. For me, it’s all in service of the story and to help the creator get where they want to be. So, it’s never about me leaving my stamp on something. If it’s already great, then I won’t touch it. At that point, I’ll just help shepherd it to the market, and get it distributed and out into the world.
Tell me where readers of this can find you online (your corporate and personal twitters and other links), and what do you, as Top Shelf Comix guy have brewing that will be exciting to hear?
Top Shelf can always be found at www.topshelfcomix.com, and our latest season/year of titles is always here: www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog
And then my own private mentoring service for aspiring comics professionals can be found here: www.chrisstaros.com, more specifically, www.chrisstaros.com/consulting.
All the best, Chris Staros
