Media Release -- Top Shelf Productions is proud to announce that three SURROGATES books will debut at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 23-26, and series writer and artist, Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, will be at the Top Shelf booth (#1721) the entire weekend signing all three:

-- THE SIGNED & NUM LIMITED ED OF "THE SURROGATES OWNER'S MANUAL"
[the special Hardcover of Vols 1 & 2 combined, limited to 1000]

-- THE SURROGATES (VOL 2): FLESH AND BONE
[the all-new prequel to the hit graphic novel]

-- THE SURROGATES (VOL 1) [new cover edition]
[the original graphic novel soon to be a major motion picture]

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Media Release -- Top Shelf is pleased to announce that the buzz-building for September's SURROGATES film has begun in earnest! Last night, movie audiences nationwide saw the debut of the official Surrogates trailer, attached to select reels of Terminator: Salvation. Based on the graphic novel The Surrogates by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele, the upcoming Surrogates film stars Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Radha Mitchell, and Rosamund Pike and debuts from Touchstone Pictures on September 25! For more movie coolness, check out the Virtual Self Industries web site at ChooseYourSurrogate.com.

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by Andrew@TFAW

Top Shelf Productions has long had a reputation as a publisher of deeply personal, multi-faceted, intelligent comics and graphic novels that might be broadly classified as “comics-lit.” I for one find that term a tad pejorative, but that’s neither here nor now. Blessed with an expansive stable of creators whose numbers include Alan Moore (From Hell, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole), Jeff Lemire (Essex County), and Craig Thompson (Blankets), it’s easy to understand why one might be tempted to shelve (pun intended) them away as the “smart comics company.”

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Media Release -- To support the September 25th release of THE SURROGATES MOVIE, starring Bruce Willis (from Touchstone Pictures), Top Shelf is proud to release in July not one, but three (!) Surrogates graphic novels:

THE SURROGATES (VOL 2): FLESH & BONE by Venditti and Weldele
-- The All-New Prequel to the First Surrogates Graphic Novel
-- $14.95 (US), Diamond: MAY091035, ISBN 978-1-60309-018-6

THE SURROGATES OPERATOR'S MANUAL by Venditti and Weldele
-- The Limited Hardcover Edition of Volumes 1 & 2 Combined
-- $75.00 (US), Diamond: MAY091036, ISBN 978-1-60309-045-2

THE SURROGATES (VOL 1) by Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele
-- The New-Cover Edition
-- $19.95 (US), Diamond: MAY063435, ISBN 978-1-891830-87-7

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The Surrogates #1 (of 5)/24 pgs. & $2.95 from Top Shelf/words by Robert
Wenditti; art by Brett Weldele/sold at wwwtopshelfcomix.com and comics
shops.

In the future, almost everyone owns a surrogate, an android who does
everything one doesn't want to do, and some things one doesn't want to get
caught doing.

An android is a robot that looks like a human. Regrettably, in this exciting
new mini-series, they act like humans as well. As proof, two androids whom
are about to have sex in an alley are
murdered…if one can murder something that isn't really alive.

Well written, and drawn in an effective, abstract style, one of the
strengths of this new SF series is its willingness to tackle tough political
and moral questions without preaching to a reader.
In addition, and worthy of praise, is the restraint used by the creative
team when handling sexual issues and violence. Less is always more; nothing
in literature is more powerful than the human
imagination.

Surrogates is highly recommended for mature readers. MV

Tales of the Terminal Diner/96 pgs. & $9.95 from Sonic Comics/various
writers and artists/sold at comics shops and www.sonicpublishing.com.

Terminal Diner is an anthology of tales told over coffee at a restaurant
located at the corner of Unreal and Real. You are as likely to buy a donut
as an order of barbequed dragon wings.

These pithy stories cover the gamut of literary genres and styles of art,
and more than one is likely to be your cup of tea. None will offend anyone
but the weakest of hearts.The only disappointment is that the diner doesn't
feature an All You Can Read buffet.

Terminal Diner features the work of professionals including Michael T.
Gilbert, Don Lomax, Steve Skeates, Fred Hembeck, and the last story written
and drawn by Oklahoma Cartoonists Museum associate, Richard "Grass" Green.
MV

Order you copy of the all-Vance horror paperback Apocris 1 at
http://www.lighthousemediaone.co.uk/FutureProjects.html

Interested in the exciting Oklahoma Cartoonists Collection and Toy and
Action Figure Museum? Go to fourcolorcommentary.blogspot.com/