Co-publishers Chris Staros and Brett Warnock have sold one third of their comic book/graphic novel publishing company Top Shelf Productions to new media entrepreneur John S. Johnson and film producer Anthony Bregman. Johnson will get a seat on the board of directors, and Bregman’s production company, Likely Story, will get a first look at all new Top Shelf publications for possible film or television development.
Staros and Brett emphasize that they remain the majority stockholders, and “firmly in control of the company,” but add that the deal “brings to bear the resources, skills, and connections of [Johnson] and [Bregman] in helping the company expand and grow over time.”
Staros says of the deal, “I’ve personally been friends with producer Anthony Bregman for over five years, and have looked up to him as a mentor and advisor over those many years. Every time we’d meet in New York or talk on the phone—despite the ‘two zeros’ difference in our budgets and revenues—we recognized the fact that we were kindred spirits, shepherding projects to the world that we simply believed in. Top Shelf and Likely Story both put art before commerce, but also celebrate those magical moments when art meets commerce, and a project that was built from the ground up becomes a success.
“Two years ago, I casually mentioned that while I loved every aspect of running Top Shelf, Brett and I were starting to get worn out with being the ‘personal banks’ for the company, and by the stress that this brought during the rocky periods that publishing undergoes. Coincidentally, at that time, John S. Johnson, a long-time friend of Anthony’s (and big fan of literary graphic novels) mentioned to him that he was toying with the idea of graphic novel publishing, to possibly make it a part of his other new media interests. Anthony suggested we all meet, and over the last couple of years, our mutual friendship, common interests and goals, and respect for each other developed to the point that we decided to work together as partners in the future of Top Shelf.
“Behind the scenes, Top Shelf has been presented with several investment proposals over the years, but most of them were either proposals to buy out the company, purchase a controlling interest, or use the name of the company to do something different than what we had built our reputation on. What we really wanted, and what we have now, are people who believe in what we do and want to help it grow without changing what we are doing. The deal that is in place now leaves Brett and me firmly in control of the company, and simply adds the capital, resources, and connections for new media and film that John and Anthony bring to the table.
“As a result, Anthony Bregman will get a first-look at all new Top Shelf publications for possible development in Hollywood, and John S. Johnson, as the primary financier of the deal, will become a member of the Board of Directors (along with Brett and I), and the key link to all the online and other new media applications for the Top Shelf line.”