The power of the internet.
So. Early Wednesday morning I get this email Chris Staros, Brett Warnock’s better half over at Top Shelf Comics, had sent to various and sundry fans and industry types. Top Shelf’s book trade distributor had just announced they were filing for Chapter 11, which meant (even though they were good guys, and downright necessary in an industry pretty much controlled by one distributor) that the $80,000 Top Shelf had been hoping to see, they probably wouldn’t, which (in turn) meant that Top Shelf was in serious trouble. Staros was basically asking that everyone who could buy a Top Shelf book or three directly from them, to provide what they call an infusion of cash and keep the wheels turning and the fires lit and all that. And believe me, there are books on the Top Shelf list I want to order. So Jenn and I sit down and tick off a couple of things (mostly, we need to get the Strangehaven collections, but I wouldn’t mind a couple of the Hey, Mister books we don’t have yet), and I thought maybe I’d mention something here and maybe try to write up a squib for Plastic.com—you know, get the word out to the 20-some-odd people I can reach.
Well.
Thursday night, I get this email from Chris Staros (whose better half, you know, is Brett Warnock). Seems—thanks to mentions in such places as Neil Gaiman’s journal, and Warren Ellis’s world-shaking forum—Top Shelf comics had gone from out of business to more business they could handle in, like, 12 hours.
Twelve. Not even a single goddamn day.
Staros counsels patience, as they work diligently to fill the sudden flood of orders; but if you haven’t, go anyway and pitch in. Us, we’ll be ordering stuff probably this weekend, so Chris, Brett: be patient yourselves. And congratufuckinlations. Couldn’t happen to a nicer couple of comics publishers.
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