Blankets by Craig Thompson
While I had some free time in my hectic semester that I’m sure many of you can relate to, I took the time to pick up a charming book I had been hearing about in circles on the Internet; that book was Blankets by Craig Thompson. At first glance, you may not even realize that the book you see is a graphic novel, considering its spine’s width is around two inches. However, once you take the time to sit down and read Blankets, you’ll see that it is far more than some ‘book’.
The story within isn’t filled with shenanigans and tightly-clothed super-powered brings, instead Craig Thompson chose to write a memoir concerning the universal subjects of looming adulthood and teenage first love. It’s hard to describe to you just how emotionally wrought Thompson’s story is; all I can really say is he correctly gets every damned feeling from that time in one’s life down on paper. As the narrative ebbs and flows from childhood to adulthood, the reader can clearly identify the emotional feelings in every single scene whether heart-pounding infatuation or dark childhood memories. As far as story is concerned, Craig Thompson hit a home run.
Now we have to address the other side of the coin when comics are concerned…the art! Some ventures into graphic storytelling have creative teams, but on a project this personal Craig Thompson decided to go the lone wolf route and cover all bases himself. Thompon’s art carries a warm familiar feeling by mixing realistic bases with more artistic and/or cartoonish trappings. One thing I’d like to note is Thompson’s lines form; the way his lines wane from thick to thin give all of his forms a sense of flowing movement.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough; I actually didn’t want it to be over when I knew I was nearing the end. If you want proof of this graphic novel’s credibility, you can find that it won the Harvey, Eisner and Ignatz Awards in 2004; it was won the Prix de la Critique in France in 2005. So if you’re ready to explore outside the written word for more, or if you’re wanting to expand your understanding of the comics art form, Craig Thompson’s Blankets is one book that is definitely worth your time.