Craig Thompson

This article is about the novelist. For the soccer player, see Craig Thompson (soccer). For people called Craig Thomson, see Craig Thomson (disambiguation).

Craig Thompson
Thompson at the 2011 Brooklyn Book Festival
Born	September 21, 1975 (1975-09-21) (age 36) Traverse City, Michigan, United States
Occupation	Graphic novelist
Influenced by	Taro Yashima Daniel Clowes Chris Ware Joe Sacco

Craig Matthew Thompson (born September 21, 1975) is a graphic novelist best known for his books Good-Bye, Chunky Rice (1999), Blankets (2003), Carnet de Voyage (2004) and Habibi (2011). Thompson has received four Harvey Awards, two Eisner Awards, and two Ignatz Awards. In 2007, his cover design for the Menomena album Friend and Foe received a Grammy nomination for Best Recording Package.

Early life

Craig Thompson was born in Traverse City, Michigan in 1975.^[1] He and his brother grew up in rural Marathon, Wisconsin, in a fundamentalist Christian family. His father was a plumber, and his mother alternated between working as a stay-at-home mom and a visiting-nurse assistant for the disabled. Media such as films and televisions shows were screened or altogether censored by their parents, and the only music allowed was Christian music. Thompson's only access to the arts were the Sunday funnies and comics, since they were assumed to be for children, to which Thompson attributes his early affinity for the medium. Thompson and his brother were particularly enamored of black and white independent comics in the 1980s, such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the do-it-yourself ethic that they embodied.^[2]

In high school Thompson entertained dreams of becoming either a small-town artist or a film animator. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Marathon County for three semesters, during which he began writing a comic strip for the college newspaper and "just kind of fell in love with [comics], suddenly. It filled all my needs -- I was able to draw cartoons, to tell a story; but I also had total control, and I wasn't just a cog in some machine somewhere."^[3] After spending a semester at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Thompson left his hometown in 1997 and settled in Portland, Oregon.^[4][5]

Career

Thompson worked briefly at Dark Horse Comics, drawing ads, logos, and toy packaging for the company while working on personal projects at night. After developing tendinitis, Thompson left Dark Horse and devoted his time to his own work.^[4]

2003 self-portrait depicting Thompson illustrating a scene similar to the ones seen in his graphic novel Blankets

His debut graphic novel was the semi-autobiographical Good-bye, Chunky Rice (1999), which was inspired by his move to Portland and "cute cartoony stuff" from his childhood such as the work of Jim Henson, Dr. Seuss, and Tim Burton.^[3] As a result of Chunky Rice, Thompson won a 2000 Harvey Award for Best New Talent and received a 2000 Ignatz Award nomination for Outstanding Artist. Thompson followed Chunky Rice with the mini-comics Bible Doodles (2000) and Doot Doot Garden (2001).

In late 1999, Thompson began work on a 600-page autobiographical graphic novel Blankets, which was published three and a half years later in 2003 to critical acclaim.^[6] Time magazine named Blankets its #1 graphic novel for 2003,^[3] and Thompson won two 2004 Eisner Awards, for Best Graphic Album-New and Best Writer/Artist,^[7] three Harvey Awards, for Best Artist, Best Cartoonist, and Best Graphic Album of Original Work,^[8] and two Ignatz Awards, for Outstanding Graphic Novel or Collection and Outstanding Artist.

Thompson said that he believes Blankets was a success because he was "reacting against all of the over-the-top, explosive action genre [in alternative comics, and] I also didn’t want to do anything cynical and nihilistic, which is the standard for a lot of alternative comics."^[6] As a result of Blankets, he rose quickly to the top ranks of American cartoonists in both popularity and critical esteem. Pulitzer Prize-winning comic artist Art Spiegelman sent him a long letter of praise for Blankets,^[2][4] and in mock-jealousy, Eddie Campbell expressed a temptation to break Thompson's fingers.^[9] Time magazine dubbed Blankets the year's best graphic novel. Despite the praise, the book, which was Thompson's way of coming out to his parents about no longer being a Christian, resulted in tension between him and his parents for a couple of years after they read it.^[2]

Thompson followed Blankets with 2004's travelogue Carnet de Voyage, which received Ignatz Award nominations for Outstanding Graphic Novel and Outstanding Artist. He also contributed numerous short works to Nickelodeon Magazine, as "Craigory Thompson."

In 2007, Thompson created the artwork for the Menomena album Friend and Foe, which was released on January 23 from Barsuk Records. Thompson's design received a Grammy nomination for Best Recording Package, to which he responded, "I wanna get it! I think it would be very funny to be a cartoonist with a Grammy...if nothing else it helps bring attention to the band."^[10]

In late 2004, Thompson began working on Habibi, a graphic novel published by Pantheon Books, in September 2011.^[6][11] The book is influenced by Arabic calligraphy and Islamic mythology: "I'm playing with Islam in the same way I was playing with Christianity in Blankets," as he said in a 2005 interview.^[12] The book was praised by Time magazine,^[13] Elle magazine,^[14] Financial Times,^[15] Salon,^[16] The Independent,^[17] NPR,^[18] The Millions,^[19] Graphic Novel Reporter,^[20] and The Harvard Crimson.^[21] Other reviewers, such as Michael Faber of The Guardian, and a six-person roundtable discussion of the book conducted by Charles Hatfield of The Comics Journal, while lauding the quality of Thompson's visuals and his use of various Eastern motifs, narrative parallels and intertwining plots and subplots, had negative reactions to the book's length, or the degree of sexual cruelty inflicted upon the main characters.^[22][23]

Style and influences

Thompson at home in front of his drawing table in 2009

Thompson has acknowledged the influence of graphic artists Taro Yashima, Daniel Clowes, Chris Ware, and Joe Sacco.^[4] Thompson has said that, in his composition process, pages are initially composed "in a very illegible form, a shorthand where words and pictures blur into alien scribbles...I'm working with words and pictures right from the beginning, but the picture might not look any different from a letter, because they're just a bunch of scribbles on a page." Then he rewrites those sketches into "a detailed thumbnail with clear handwriting, and that way I can go back and edit." Even on his long works, Thompson drafts the entire book in ballpoint pen before beginning the final brush-inked version.^[12]

Personal life

Thompson has explained that he is no longer a Christian, a status that evolved gradually beginning with his high school years, during which he became disenchanted with the church and its dogma, though he still agrees with Jesus' teachings.^[2]

Awards

• 2000 Harvey Award for Best New Talent for Good-bye, Chunky Rice^[2][24]
• 2004 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album for Blankets^[25]
• 2004 Eisner Award for Best Writer/Artist for Blankets^[25]
• 2004 Harvey Award for Best Artist for Blankets^[8]
• 2004 Harvey Award for Best Cartoonist for Blankets^[8]
• 2004 Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album of Original Work for Blankets^[8]
• 2004 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Artist for Blankets^[26]
• 2004 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Graphic Novel or Collection for Blankets^[26]
• 2005 Prix de la critique^[27]

Nominations

• 1999 Harvey Award for Best New Talent for Top Shelf, Doot Doot Garden, et al.^[28]
• 2000 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Artist for Good-bye, Chunky Rice^[2][29]
• 2000 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Artist for Carnet de Voyage^[30]
• 2000 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Graphic Novel for Carnet de Voyage^[30]
• 2007 Grammy Award for Best Recording Package for Friend and Foe^[10]

Bibliography

Graphic novels

• Good-bye, Chunky Rice (1999)
• Blankets (2003)
• Carnet de Voyage (2004)
• Habibi (2011)

Mini-comics

• Bible Doodles (2000)
• Doot Doot Garden (2001)

References

1. ^ Thompson, Craig. 2011. Habibi. 2011. Pantheon Books. Page 672.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Mechanic, Michael. "Craig Thompson—The Devil Made Me Draw It". Mother Jones. September/October 2011
3. ^ ^{a b c} Kross, Karen L. "An Interview with Craig Thompson", Bookslut, February 2004. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Gallivan, Joseph. "Blankets’ statement: Craig Thompson’s new graphic novel is the epic story of his younger self losing his religion". Portland Tribune. 2003-08-15. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
5. ^ Heater, Brian. "Interview: Craig Thompson Pt. 1 (of 2)". The Daily Crosshatch. May 7, 2007
6. ^ ^{a b c} Heater, Brian. "Interview: Craig Thompson Pt. 1 (of 2)". The Daily Cross Hatch. 2007-05-07. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
7. ^ "It’s DC’s Night at the 2004 Eisner Awards". Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
8. ^ ^{a b c d} "2004 Harvey Award Winners". The Harvey Awards. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
9. ^ Eddie Campbell. The Comics Journal. issue 266.
10. ^ ^{a b} Lopez, Luciana. "Craig Thompson talks about Grammy nomination". The Oregonian. 2007-12-07. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
11. ^ Habibi by Craig Thompson Pantheon Graphic Novels. accessed September 21, 2011.
12. ^ ^{a b} Hatfield, Charles. "The Craig Thompson interview." The Comics Journal #268 (June/July 2005). Seattle: Fantagraphics. 78-119. Unprinted excerpts of the interview appear on The Comics Journal website.
13. ^ Wolk, Douglas. "The Line of Beauty: Habibi a graphic novel worthy of Scheherazade". Time magazine. October 3, 2011
14. ^ Shea, Lisa. "A Magic Carpet Ride". Elle. September 19, 2011
15. ^ Mukherjee, Neel. "Habibi". The Financial Times. September 23, 2011
16. ^ Miller, Laura. "The Best New Graphic Novels". Salon. September 26, 2011
17. ^ Iserles, Inbali. "Habibi, By Craig Thompson: An enchanting epic of love and survival emerges from the desert sands". The Independent. September 25, 2011
18. ^ Weldon, Glen. "Mysterious 'Habibi' Cuts To The Core Of Humanity". NPR. September 18, 2011
19. ^ Lambert, Jacob. "The Greatest Story Ever Drawn". The Millions. September 22, 2011
20. ^ Hogan, John. "Game Changers". Graphic Novel Reporter. August 25, 2011
21. ^ du P.C. Panno, Natalie. "'Habibi' Gracefully Subverts Orientalist Tropes". The Harvard Crimson. September 20, 2011
22. ^ Faber, Michel. "Habibi by Craig Thompson – review". The Guardian. September 16, 2011
23. ^ Hatfield, Charles. "A Habibi Roundtable". The Comics Journal. October 27, 2011
24. ^ "2000 Harvey Award Winners". The Harvey Awards. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
25. ^ ^{a b} "2004 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards". Hahn Library. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
26. ^ ^{a b} "2004 Ignatz Award Recipients". Small Press Expo. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
27. ^ Brown, Tyler. "Blankets". Kansas State Collegian. December 7, 2010
28. ^ "1999 Harvey Award Nominees". The Harvey Awards. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
29. ^ "2000 Ignatz Award Recipients". Small Press Expo. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
30. ^ ^{a b} "2005 Ignatz Award Recipients". Small Press Expo. Retrieved November 14, 2011.

External links

• Doot Doot Garden Blog Craig Thompson's official website
• Interview with Craig Thompson for "Habibi"
• Excerpt from "Habibi" in Guernica
• Top Shelf Catalog for Craig Thompson

Persondata
Name	Thompson, Craig
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 21, 1975
Place of birth	Traverse City, Michigan, United States
Date of death
Place of death