Overview 'Quaint, meditative and sometimes dreamy, blankets will take you straight back to your first kiss. ' -The Guardian Blankets is the story of a young man coming of age and finding the confidence to express his creative voice. Craig Thompson's poignant graphic memoir plays out against the backdrop of a Midwestern winterscape: finely-hewn linework draws together a portrait of small town life, a rigorously fundamentalist Christian childhood, and a lonely, emotionally mixed-up adolescence. Under an engulfing blanket of snow, Craig and Raina fall in love at winter church camp, revealing to one another their struggles with faith and their dreams of escape. Over time though, their personal demons resurface and their relationship falls apart. It's a universal story, and Thompson's vibrant brushstrokes and unique page designs make the familiar heartbreaking all over again. This groundbreaking graphic novel, winner of two Eisner and three Harvey Awards, is an eloquent portrait of adolescent yearning; first love (and first heartache); faith in crisis; and the process of moving beyond all of that.
Beautifully rendered in pen and ink, Thompson has created a love story that lasts. Craig Thompson's Blankets is a big, hefty, slab of a graphic novel - the kind of book that requires you to develop strategies for holding it up when you're reading in bed or draping yourself over the edge of the couch. I found that the book was easiest to read in bed with my knees in the air.
That way, its massiveness could be propped up on my knees and the pages fairly easily turned. Blankets is an elegantly inked autobiographical coming of age story about a boy, Craig, who is dealing with mid-west mullet-sporting hicks, extremely overzealous Christians for parents, an only minimally explained instance of childhood molestation (by an apparent stranger with bad skin), much more direct and violent abuse from the before-mentioned extremely overzealous Christian father, and relief from all of this only in the form of church camp. When church camp spells your relief from it all, you know you're in trouble. The character Craig's childhood is rendered sweetly charming by the author Craig's portrayal of two brothers sleeping in the same bed together in a poorly insulated attic room and managing to weather the turmoil of the childhood they didn't choose for themselves or each other. They draw, but most of all, they summon creativity: that force kids can bring to life in even the worst of situations.
Blankets Craig Thompson Posters
At church camp one year, much later in his adolescence, Craig meets Raina, the alluringly drawn bad-for-a-Christian girl who Craig falls for and then the book falls for - about half of the text, right up until a very-nearly tacked on section at the end, is spent describing Craig's slow-boil relationship with Raina. By focusing on a two-week visit to Raina's house in Michigan (Craig lives on a farm in Wisconsin), the book manages to describe and show two teenagers all crazily obsessed with each other, their families, and the bible. This mixture of obsessions keeps Craig and Raina drawn to each other and kept distant because of a complex array of barricades. Spoiler Warning! When the two-week visit to Raina's house is over (look to this section of the book for some fairly scintillating teen-age heterosexual action), the book accelerates toward its closure. Craig and Raina fall apart - but it's not that tragic; I mean really, who can sustain a long-distance relationship while in high school?
Craig moves out of his parents' house at age 20, and in a revelation the entire perspective of the novel tells you is coming but is hard to imagine the particulars of, Craig falls away from the force that has captivated him his entire life: organized Christianity. In the final pages, too, we see Craig and his younger brother reconciling a bit, as the years of deprivation (emotional, mainly, but also environmental and cultural) had kept them from loving each other in the ways close brothers seem to ought to. The book ends with Craig treading softly through the rural landscape; we know him, in those final pages, to be living in a city far from it all - far enough t. It's hard to tell whether Thompson is an artist who happens to be a terrific storyteller, or a storyteller who happens to be a fantastic artist.
Either way, this is a wonderful, poignant story of a young man's first love and his questioning of faith. Throughout the book, Thompson very effectively jumps back and forth between his childhood and his teen years. Episodes in his life fold back on one another, with certain rhythms and patterns being formed. His relationship with his brother, Phil, is wonderfully explored as is, obviously, his relationship with his first girlfriend, Raina.
Craig's sensitive treatment of his parents is admirable, given their seeming propensity for over-the-top Christianity. I would offer up the observation that this memoir is to the world of graphic novels what Dave Egger's 'A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius' is to the world of young man's memoirs. Both were amazingly even-handed in their depiction of what could be considered difficult young lives. When you first come into physical contact with this book, taking this brick-sized 600 page monster into your hands and cracking open the covers - the heft alone should tell you that this is no ordinary graphic-novel/comic-book. A few pages into this book and you'll immediately be hooked. Your fingers will flip through page after page and before you know it you'll already have consumed several hundred pages of what will surely go down as a monument to the medium of the graphic novel the way Art Spiegelman's, 'Maus,' did in the 80's and Neil Gaiman's, 'Sandman' series offered throughout the 90's.' Blankets,' at its core is a simple, timeless story (coming of age, first-love, alienation, anxiety, pursuit of spiritual identity, teen-angst) told thousands of times over the millenia (books, poems, songs, movies, television) but perfectly captured, perhaps for the first time, in comic-strip form.
This book is exquisitely plotted, paced, written and drawn and by the end of it all one can't help but be left dazed at the sheer artistic excellence demonstrated by Thompson, from start to finish, through thousands of panels. Visually, the black and white artwork is a stunner but perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of all is Thompson's gift for prose with not a wasted word to be found in his minimalistic narrative that still manages to be filled with layer after layer of subtext.This truly is a title not to be missed by anyone with an appreciation for the written word, not to mention the graphical novel format. The stylish cover design and paper quality also lends itself very well as a gift-giving item. I have long been a fan of comics, graphic novels, penny dreadfuls, whatever you decide to call them. I've read a lot of exceptional comics; Sandman, Jimmy Corrigan, Maus, Watchmen.the list goes on. However, none of thses books, with the possible exception of Maus, touched me on such a personal level. 'Blankets' is a masterfully told tale of love and loss, a beautiful story rife with powerful imagery, incredible storytelling and a looming sense of inevetibility.
Craig Thompson, on an artistic level, may well be the next Art Spiegelman. Spiegelman has long been the best in my mind, in his inate ability to draw anything. Craig Thompson follows in his footsteps with the incredible art in this heartbreaking book.
When 'Blankets' first arrived on my doorstep, i had thought the art to be ridiculously cartoony and the writing to be almost trite. That was the first page. After that, i fell into a moving, realistic and wonderfully non-pretentious story that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go even after you've closed the book. Craig's doomed romance with Raina, the failing relationship of her parents, the awkward atmosphere between Craig and Raina's adopted brother Ben, and characters that moved and spoke realistically enough to make the entire world that Craig Thompson tells his story through entirely believable, a spitting image of our own, flaws and all.
The other wonderous thing about his world is that his art really works with his characters. He's not one of those artists who draw cartoon people and photorealistic buildings, or vice versa.
His world looks like his characters would actually live there. The story was almost too real for the art, however.
His conservative christian life was utterly believable, as was his relationship with other people and especially the way they talked. Not like Alan Moore dialogue, like realistic, but more like his people did not ask stupid questions that are all too common in most mainstream comics. Each character had their own voice, and they never lost it throughout. The end of the story honestly made me cry. More than the despair of Maus or the intensely depressing story wraught by Jimmy Corrigan, this story made me cry at the end because the end was not sad.
It was hopeful, and said that even after the things that happened, even after events unfolded the way they did, the world did not end. This story alone continued past the pages for me. Fairway solitaire hd crack. I saw the miracles Thompson spoke so reverently of, and felt that things would just keep on going beyond the eye of the mind. Easily the best effort made in comic form in memory. BUY THIS BOOK!!
Hasp parallel driver windows xp. Much has been made in recent years of how the graphic novel-and as a result, the comic book-has matured and come into its own. This is indeed, true, as subject matter and approach in the comics industry has become much more fluid.
Yet, most stories were still serialized before they were printed in book form, and the ones that struck out on their own and did it in one-go (including some by my own company, Oni Press), were significant, but not yet reaching the full breadth that the word 'novel' implied.Enter Craig Thompson. Nearly five years ago, he released his first major work, GOODBYE CHUNKY RICE.
It was an excellent piece of sequential fiction, but much like, say, the first album by Nirvana or Andi Watson's SKELETON KEY (or even THE COMPLETE GEISHA) or Todd Haynes' POISON, it was only a glimmer of what was to come. Since that time, Thompson has locked himself away and honed his first masterpiece-an ambitious narrative clocking in at nearly 600 pages. Sure, you can write it off as a coming of age story (a coming of age story in an art form that still is coming up with its standards for most literary genres, and thus still coming of age itself), but that would be to say THE BELL JAR is merely the story of a depressed poet or GOODFELLAS about a guy who gets an interesting job. BLANKETS is the story of an artist in a state of becoming, a boy walking down a road where people in the houses on either side are attempting to get him to stop and play in their yard. It's the tale of said boy figuring out how to stick to the middle, and stay true to himself.Semi-autobiographical, BLANKETS outstrips the standard coming-of-age novel by giving it a perspective that only the comic book would allow him. Magicfeatures software plugin for magicjack.
Not even in movies could the story of an artist have that artist's vision so expertly rendered (think of how, in CRUMB, Zwigoff had to look over Crumb's shoulder to see what the illustrator saw). While the narrative thread of BLANKETS is straightforward, Thompson uses his pen to bend the world he portrays. Thus, you can step into an abstract world in the short span of a panel, see it as Thompson sees it himself. And there you get what makes the difference. The story of a boy discovering who he will be is also a book where an artist discovers a new form of expression.And there we are, back to the beginning. This is a comic book that understands what a novel is, and a novel that has figured out how to be a comic book.
There is going to be a lot of hype about this one, and the sorts of people who read and talk about 'comix,' needing the crooked letter to make them feel cooler, will likely come down on BLANKETS for not being cool enough, but ignore all that and trust yourself and trust the book. It's emotional and expressive and engrossing, and possibly the best thing you'll read this year-in any medium.
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From the author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling graphic novel, Good-Bye, Chunky Rice, comes Craig Thompson's all-new masterpiece. Blankets the most anticipated graphic novel of the year is already being regarded as THE defining moment of this comix generation. Wrapped in the landscape of a blustery Wisconsin winter, Blankets explores the sibling rivalry of two brothers growing up in the isolated country, and the budding romance of two coming-of-age lovers. A tale of security and discovery, of playfulness and tragedy, of a fall from grace and the origins of faith. A profound and utterly beautiful work. 'In this book, Craig Thompson emerges as a young comics master.
In the purest narrative form he tells a highly charged personal story, crammed with pain, discovery, hi-jinx, penance, religious conviction and its loss.and along comes self-loathing. In this story of family and first love, that which goes awry in life, goes well as art. Thompson is slyly self-effacing as he bowls us over with his mix of skills. His expert blending of words and pictures and resonant silences makes for a transcendent kind of story-telling that grabs you as you read it and stays with you after you put it down.
I'd call that literature.' Jules Feiffer, Pulitzer Prize-Winner Review.
'Craig has documented his youth in the most honest of ways. Not too warm and fuzzy nor too harsh and cold, showing us the insecurities of growing up in what is often a strange and sometimes painful world. The perfect marriage of words and pictures.
It's as if Francios Truffaut had written and drawn his own comic with the artistry of Will Eisner. His sense of timing is impeccable, always knowing when not to hit you with a heavy hand. It's the genuine article.'
Bob Schreck, Group Editor, DC Comics Review. 'It's a fast read, but Blankets is worth revisiting, if only to luxuriate in its astonishing imagery and pick up all the details you missed the first time when you were too eager to find out what happens next. Thompson's layouts are intricate and organic; instead of the rigid six- or eight-panel pages of standard comics, he varies the shape, size, even the borders of his panels, frequently achieving a collage-like effect that would simply be impossible in any other medium. Like the best comix stories, Blankets emphasizes the medium's exclusive strengths.
Thompson's illustrations pack more beauty and power than much prose or poetry, and the frozen images allow the reader's gaze to linger, to examine, to climb inside the picture in ways that film cannot.' Chris Bolton, Powells.com Synopsis. Named one of Time's top 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time.A rarity: a first-love story so well remembered and honest that it reminds you what falling in love feels like.achingly beautiful.-Time magazine Wrapped in the landscape of a blustery Wisconsin winter, Blankets explores the sibling rivalry of two brothers growing up in the isolated country, and the budding romance of two coming-of-age lovers. A tale of security and discovery, of playfulness and tragedy, of a fall from grace and the origins of faith. A profound and utterly beautiful work from Craig Thompson. At 592 pages, Blankets may well be the single largest graphic novel ever published without being serialized first. Craig Thompson was born in Traverse City, Michigan, in 1975 and raised outside a small town in central Wisconsin.
His first graphic novel, Good-Bye, Chunky Rice, won the 1999 Harvey Award for Best New Talent along with nominations for Eisner, Ignatz, Firecracker, and Eagle awards. While working on Blankets, Craig paid the bills writing, drawing, and designing comics and illustrations for Nickelodeon, DC, Dark Horse, Marvel, OWL, National Geographic Kids, and a myriad of other publications. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon. Beautifully written and illustrated, this is the book I wish I had when I was sixteen, and is the kind of book I would want my own teenager to read as well. I literally could not put this book down. Some of the topics may be sensitive or mature for some readers (molestation, teenage love and sexuality), and as a graphic novel, be prepared for images to accompany these topics. It is in no way pornographic, however.
Blankets is a bittersweet story of a boy becoming a man, falling in love for the first time, and struggling with his religious beliefs. The relationship between the Craig and his girlfriend is very sweet, and thankfully very honest and healthy: something many books geared for teens abysmally fail. Was this comment helpful?. Craig Thompson's 'Blankets' is an extraordinary autobiographical sketch which shares the experience of growing up in a rural, conservative, fundamentalist Christian world. The author's spiritual awakening and rebellion against the status quo are detailed in a series of beautiful images. This graphic novel seamlessly integrates flowing images with panels to tell the story.
Coming-of-age is a central part of this story, yet Thompson manages to hit on subjects which resonate beyond the 'Catcher and the Rye' group. In short, beautiful story, innovative and unique graphics. Was this comment helpful?. Blankets is by far the best graphic novel I've ever read! It is so deeply personal and moving - you feel so much empathy for the protagonist, Craig. Reading the book will make you grab for a warm, fleecy blanket to protect you not only from the Wisconsin winter that is depicted so perfectly on the page, but also to block the icy chill that Craig's classmates and Bible Camp campers constantly inflict upon him. I read the book because of hearing about recent challenges to the book in local communities and I was curious.
Now I will fully recommend it to readers who want a thoughtful and heart-wrenching story of a boy becoming a man in a tough world. Was this comment helpful?.