How to Identify a Top Shelf Productions First Edition

How to identify a first printing

• Book-format graphic novels: the copyright/indicia page of a first printing typically states 'First Printing' (often with the year) and carries no later-printing statement; subsequent printings add an explicit 'Second Printing' (or higher) line.
• Some collected editions also carry a descending number line on the copyright page; when present, the lowest digit indicates the printing (a '1' present = first printing). Treat the explicit printing statement as the primary point and the number line as corroborating.
• Post-2015 (under IDW ownership) editions follow IDW's dated printing-statement convention; pre-2015 independent editions carry the original Top Shelf indicia. Match the specific publisher and edition rather than the title alone.

Notable points & cautions

• Founded 1997 by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock (out of discussions at the 1997 Small Press Expo). Acquired by IDW Publishing in January 2015; Warnock left comics publishing and Staros stayed on as editor-in-chief.
• Marquee titles include 'Blankets' (Craig Thompson), the Top Shelf collected 'From Hell' (Moore/Campbell), 'March' (John Lewis), and 'Essex County' (Jeff Lemire); these went to multiple printings, so the stated first-printing line is the decisive point.
• 'From Hell' has a layered edition history: originally serialized in the anthology Taboo, then issued in single volumes via Tundra and Kitchen Sink Press, first collected by Eddie Campbell Comics in 1999, with Top Shelf publishing the U.S. trade edition. Identify the exact publisher and edition before treating any copy as a 'first.'

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my Top Shelf Productions book is a first edition?

Check the copyright page. Book-format graphic novels: the copyright/indicia page of a first printing typically states 'First Printing' (often with the year) and carries no later-printing statement; subsequent printings add an explicit 'Second Printing' (or higher) line. Some collected editions also carry a descending number line on the copyright page; when present, the lowest digit indicates the printing (a '1' present = first printing). Treat the explicit printing statement as the primary point and the number line as corroborating.

Does Top Shelf Productions use a number line?

Some collected editions also carry a descending number line on the copyright page; when present, the lowest digit indicates the printing (a '1' present = first printing). Treat the explicit printing statement as the primary point and the number line as corroborating.

Is a book-club edition a Top Shelf Productions first edition?

No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1997 by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock (out of discussions at the 1997 Small Press Expo). Acquired by IDW Publishing in January 2015; Warnock left comics publishing and Staros stayed on as editor-in-chief.

What era does this cover?

This covers Top Shelf Productions (1997-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.