Review: INCREDIBLE CHANGE-BOTS Two Point Something Something

INCREDIBLE CHANGE-BOTS TWO POINT SOMETHING SOMETHING
TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS – @topshelfcomix

CARTOONIST: Jeffrey Brown
ISBN:  978-1-60309-348-4; paperback (November 2014)
224pp, Color and B&W, $19.95 U.S.

Jeffrey Brown is one of my favorite cartoonists.  As a reviewer, I have been fortunate to receive numerous books authored by Brown from his frequent publisher, Top Shelf Productions.  One of my favorite books by Jeffrey Brown is the recent Incredible Change-Bots Two Point Something Something, of which Top Shelf provided me a copy.

First, about Jeffrey Brown:  I imagine that many comics readers probably know Brown from his Star Wars young readers book series, Darth Vader and Son and Jedi Academy.  Brown has also produced a number of beautifully executed autobiographical comics that have been collected under such titles as Clumsy, Little Things, and Undeleted Scenes, to name a few.

The best description that I can give of Jeffrey Brown is “joyous.”  I don't know if he suffers for his art, but when I read his comics, I think of someone joyfully going about his art and craft.  Brown's Incredible Change-Bots comics personify that sense of joy.  The Incredible Change-Bots are Brown's nostalgic tribute and love letter to and parody of the Transformers.

Thus, the Incredible Change-Bots story is similar to that of the Transformers.  It begins on the planet, Electronocybercircuitron, where two factions of giant transforming, shape-shifting, changing robots – the Incredible Change-Bots – wage war.  The ostensible protagonists are the Awesomebots, and the bad bots are the self-interested, Fantasticons.  The two groups go to war over a disputed election, and promptly destroy Electronocybercircuitron.

Top Shelf Productions published two paperback collections, Incredible Change-Bots (2007) and Incredible Change-Bots Two (2011), that collected Brown's Incredible Change-Bots comics.  However, over the past decade, Brown has produced a lot of Incredible Change-Bot miscellany, including newsletter art, exclusive mini-comics, and custom original art for the Incredible Change-Bots Fan Club.

That fan club material and more are collected in the 5” x 6.5,” color, trade paperback, Incredible Change-Bots Two Point Something Something.  This book includes the first appearance of a Change-Bot (in Sulk Sketchbook #10).  There are also art show and commission drawings and Incredible Change-Bot art and comics produced for magazines and special edition comics books (like those produced for “Free Comic Book Day”).

I must hasten to add that Incredible Change-Bots Two Point Something Something is not a collection of throw-away stuff and odds-and-ends.  These are fully functional short stories and vignettes, and I had a blast reading this.  I have read Incredible Change-Bot comics before, but these short pieces are the best of this series/franchise, thus far.  The material in this collection is a mixture of black and white comics and full-color comics, and the color comics are gorgeous; an Eisner Award nomination for the coloring would be deserved.

The production, binding, and paper quality on Incredible Change-Bots Two Point Something Something is good enough to fool you into believing that this is one of those high-end archival projects.  I heartily recommend this book to Transformers fans, admirers of Jeffrey Brown's work, and readers looking for truly funny humor comics.

A

www.topshelfcomix.com

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux


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2013 Top Shelf Massive $3 Sale is On!

Once again, it is that time of year when we have football, a chance to buy great comic books and graphic novels at bargain basement prices, and an opportunity to keep one of the best publishers in America from going in the basement:

The 2013 Top Shelf Massive $3 Sale

Welcome to the 2013 Top Shelf Massive $3 Graphic Novel Sale, where you can pick up the year's greatest graphic novels at incredibly low prices by ordering direct from Top Shelf!

For the next two weeks — through Friday, September 27th — Top Shelf is having our annual $3 web sale. When you visit our site, you'll find 150+ critically acclaimed graphic novels and comics on sale — with over 100 titles marked down to just $3 & $1!

Each year Top Shelf uses this sale to help spread the word about our incredible new releases, and raise funds to “kick start” a full rollout for next year. With your help, we'll keep publishing some of the most beloved graphic novels on earth — from award-winning masters and exciting new talents (and yes, even Members of Congress!). Now's your chance to support a great independent publisher and expand your graphic novel collection at the same time.

To go directly to the list of items on sale at the Top Shelf website, just click here:

Buy here or http://www.topshelfcomix.com/specialdeals

But here are a few examples to get you started:

Slashed prices on brand-new releases and beloved perennials!
-- Slashed Prices: March, A Matter of Life, Monster on the Hill, and more!
-- Slashed Prices: Nemo: Heart of Ice, God is Disappointed in You, and more!
-- Slashed Prices: Lost Girls, From Hell, League Century 1910/1969/2009, and more!
-- Slashed Prices: Blankets, The Underwater Welder, Any Empire, and more!
-- Slashed Prices: We Can Fix It, Blue, August Moon, Infinite Kung Fu, and more!
-- Slashed Prices: Unearthing (HC), Super Spy, Crater XV, Heck, and more!

Acclaimed graphic novels from world-class talents for $3!
-- $3 Titles: The From Hell Companion, Unearthing (SC), and more!
-- $3 Titles: The Lovely Horrible Stuff, Upside Down, The Ticking, and more!
-- $3 Titles: Ax, Voice of the Fire, The Homeland Directive, and more!
-- $3 Titles: Gingerbread Girl, Liar’s Kiss, Undeleted Scenes, and more!
-- $3 Titles: Incredible Change-Bots, Night Animals, Underwire, and more!
-- $3 Titles: Lucille, BB Wolf, Pirate Penguin, and more!

Discover a new favorite with these great $1 books!
-- $1 Titles: The Playwright,Tales of Woodsman Pete, Sulk (Vols 1/2/3), and more!
-- $1 Titles: Regards from Serbia, Lone Racer, Van Helsing's Night Off, and more!
-- $1 Titles: SuperF*ckers #1-#4, The Surrogates #1-#5, Beach Safari, and more!
-- $1 Titles: Hutch Owen, Hello Again, Okie Dokie Donuts, Yam, and more!
-- $1 Titles: The Octopi & the Ocean, Conversations #1 & #2, and more!
-- $1 Titles: Comic Diorama, The Man Who Loved Breasts, Hey Mister, and more!

Please note that Top Shelf accepts PayPal, as well as Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and Discover — all secure — and that this sale is good for retailers as well (and comic book shops will get their wholesale discount on top of these sale prices):

Buy here or http://www.topshelfcomix.com/specialdeals

And please feel free to share & re-post this announcement, so your friends can find out about it as well!  

Your friend thru comics,
Chris Staros

Top Shelf Productions
PO Box 1282
Marietta GA 30061-1282
USA

The Top Shelf Annual $3 Sale Has Started

THE 2012 TOP SHELF MASSIVE $3 SALE

For the next two weeks -- thru Friday September 28th -- Top Shelf (@topshelfcomix) is having its annual $3 web sale. When you visit the site, you'll find 170 graphic novels and comics on sale -- with over 100 titles marked down to just $3 & $1! Each year we use these funds to help clear the decks on our current amazing releases, and “kick start” a full rollout for next year. So, thank you in advance for your support, as we wouldn’t be here without you!

To go directly to the list of items on sale at the Top Shelf website, just click here: http://www.topshelfcomix.com/specialdeals

But here are a few sample sale items:

-- Slashed Prices: The Underwater Welder, Lost Dogs, League 2009/1969, and more!

-- Slashed Prices: From Hell, Blankets (HC&SC), Carnet de Voyage, and more!

-- Slashed Prices: Wizzywig, Lovely Horrible Stuff, Any Empire, Clumsy, and

more!

-- Slashed Prices: Chester 5000, SuperF*ckers, Moving Pictures, and more!

-- Slashed Prices: Alec, American Elf, The Ticking, Far Arden, and more!

-- Slashed Prices: Owly, Korgi, Johnny Boo, Dragon Puncher, and more!

-- $3 Titles: Ax, Lucille, Undeleted Scenes, and more!

-- $3 Titles: Gingerbread Girl, The Homeland Directive, Liar’s Kiss, and more!

-- $3 Titles: Incredible Change-Bots, Night Animals, Underwire, and more!

-- $3 Titles: Voice of the Fire, The Playwright, Fingerprints, and more!

-- $3 Titles: BB Wolf, Three Fingers, The Surrogates (V1&V2), and more!

-- $3 Titles: Pirate Penguin, Okie Dokie Donuts, Pinky & Stinky, Yam, and more!

-- $1 Titles: Sulk (Vols 1, 2, & 3), SuperF*ckers #1-#4, and more!

-- $1 Titles: The Surrogates #1-#5, The Sketchbook Diaries #1-#4, and more!

-- $1 Titles: Lower Regions, Feeble Attempts, Conversations #1 & #2, and more!

-- $1 Titles: Comic Diorama, The Man Who Loved Breasts, Doublecross, and more!

-- $1 Titles: Tales of the Great Unspoken, Black Ghost Apple Factory, Dang!, and

more!

-- $1 Titles: Mephisto & The Empty Box, Hey Mister, Yearbook Stores,and more!

**********************

Please note that Top Shelf accepts PayPal (as well as Visa, MasterCard, Amex, and Discover -- all secure), and that this sale is good for retailers as well (and comic book shops will get their wholesale discount on top of these sale prices).

http://www.topshelfcomix.com/specialdeals

Top Shelf Announces 2011 Lineup

From Chris Staros:

Top Shelf announces 2011 lineup!

Hey friends,
Happy new year to you all! We hope your 2011 is off to a great start. Here at Top Shelf, we have a wonderful year planned -- and after much preparation, we're finally ready to announce our complete 2011 lineup!

It's a wide assortment that includes new books from your favorite Top Shelf authors (including Alan Moore, Jeffrey Brown, Robert Venditti, and Nate Powell), amazing new authors from all over the world (including Ludovic Debeurme, Jessica Fink, Jennifer Hayden, Kagan McLeod, and Eric Skillman), and a huge number of all-ages books to celebrate the official launch of the Top Shelf Kids Club!

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!
In fact, we're so proud and excited about these books, we decided to share some of the fun with you as well! That's why we've whipped up a special treat: the 2011 Top Shelf Tribune. So, not only is our complete 2011 line of books available for browsing and pre-order in our web catalog, but all year long we'll be giving away the tongue-in-cheek Tribune at conventions and through your local comic shop! It's packed with news, jokes, charts, facts, teaser images, and more, all about the Top Shelf books & authors coming out this year. And the whole thing is up on our web site as well, for you to enjoy and share with your friends! The 2011 Top Shelf Tribune : Real Books. Fake News.

NO GROWN-UPS ALLOWED! WELL, MAYBE IF YOU BEHAVE YOURSELVES...
For years, some of our greatest books have been graphic novels for all ages: Owly, Korgi, Johnny Boo, and more. In 2011, we're taking the plunge and expanding that line in a big way, with the official launch of the TOP SHELF KIDS CLUB! Our Free Comic Book Day book will kick things off in May (featuring Owly, Korgi, Johnny Boo, as well as the all-new Okie Dokie Donuts, Pirate Penguin vs. Ninja Chicken, and Upside Down: A Vampire’s Tale ), followed by an amazing EIGHT new releases for kids! You can meet them all on page 3 of the Top Shelf Tribune, or visit them online in the Top Shelf Kids Club section of our web catalog!

Undeleted Scenes' Short but Sweet Stuff

I read Undeleted Scenes

I posted a review at the Comic Book Bin.  This is a new collection from Jeffrey Brown, featuring shorter works produced in the last decade.