Blankets (comics)

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Blankets
Blankets cover.jpg
Cover art by Craig Thompson.
Publication information
Publisher Top Shelf Productions
Genre Autobiography
Romance
Drama
Publication date July 23, 2003
Creative team
Writer(s) Craig Thompson
Artist(s) Craig Thompson
Collected editions
Paperback ISBN 1891830430

Blankets is an autobiographical graphic novel by Craig Thompson, published in 2003 by Top Shelf Productions. As a coming-of-age autobiography, the book tells the story of Thompson's childhood in an Evangelical Christian family, his first love, and his early adulthood. Thompson has said that the novel grew out of a simple idea: to describe what it feels like to sleep next to someone for the first time. In 2005, Time chose it as one of the 100 best English language, graphic novels ever written.

Contents

[edit] Publication history

In late 1999, Thompson began work on the graphic novel, which was published three and a half years later in 2003.[1] Thompson produced the books as a way of coming out to his parents about no longer being a Christian.[2]

[edit] Main characters

  • Craig Thompson- Craig is the main character, who is depicted from childhood to a young adulthood. Craig struggles with his Christianity, and with his belief that the Christianity that he has been surrounded with his whole life is not what he believes it should be. At a Baptist Christian winter camp he meets a girl from a similar background named Raina who becomes his first love.
  • Phil - Craig's younger brother. Like Craig, he likes to draw, and the first portion of the story details their childhood together, though they later drift apart. Their adventures are also recalled at least once in each chapter throughout the book.
  • Raina - Craig's first love, a fellow Christian whom Craig first meets at a church camp. Like Craig, her family is not well-off financially, and her parents' divorce causes her stress. She also takes care of her mentally disabled sister and brother. Although she believes in God, she does not believe as strongly as Craig does.
  • Craig's parents - Craig's parents are strict, devoutly religious Christians who are not very tolerant of liberal Christianity.
  • Raina's parents - Their divorce place a lot of stress on Raina because she has to keep the rest of the family united.
  • Laura and Ben - Raina's adopted sister and brother.
  • Julie and Dave- Raina's sister and brother in law.
  • Sarah- Julie and Dave's daughter.

[edit] Synopsis

Childhood scene in Blankets in which Craig and Phil find a pair of animal skulls.

Blankets chronicles the Craig Thompson's adolescence and young adulthood, his childhood relationship with his younger brother, and the conflicts he experiences regarding his Christianity and his first love. Though written chronologically, Thompson uses flashbacks as a literary and artistic device in order to parallel young adult experience with past childhood experience. Major themes of the work include: first love, child and adult sexuality, spirituality, sibling relationships, and coming of age.

Thompson begins by describing his relationship with his brother during their childhoods in Wisconsin. Though their relationship is marked by typical sibling conflict, they are also very close, and their rapport helps them deal with verbal and physical abuse from their overly religious parents, and sexual harassment and abuse from bullies at school. During his preteen years, Thompson finds himself a misfit because of his physical appearance and home life. Through his teen years, he continues to find it hard to fit in with his peers, but at a Bible camp one winter, he comes to associate with a group of teens he feels he will fit in with, which includes Raina, a beautiful and interesting girl who captivates him. The two become inseparable and arrange to spend two weeks together at Raina’s home in Michigan. He meets Raina’s family, consisting of her separated parents, her adopted siblings Ben and Laura, her biological sister, and her infant niece Sarah. Because Laura is mentally retarded and Sarah is often ignored by her own parents, Raina feels the responsibility to take care of the both of them. Although she is extremely close to Craig while he’s staying with her, she feels she can’t handle one more person dependent on her and breaks up with him soon after he leaves. He becomes upset but they stay best friends. After deciding that Raina does have too much to handle without a relationship, and calls her and breaks up with her. He then destroys everything Raina had ever given to him, and every memento of their relationship, except for the quilt she had made for him. He stores it and other possessions in the attic in the house, and moves out to start his own life elsewhere. Thompson comes to terms with his religion and spiritual identity while away from his family. He returns to his childhood home after several years, seemingly a different person. He rekindles his old familial relationships, and the bonds between the family become stronger. The story ends with his finding peace with those he loves and himself.

[edit] Reception

Craig Thompson sketches Raina in a copy of the book at a September 20, 2011 book signing at Midtown Comics in Manhattan.

Blankets received considerable attention in the comics and mainstream book press; it was extremely well received and eventually won numerous awards (see below). Most critics considered it a milestone in the progress of the American graphic novel, not only in length but also in visual grace and technique. Critics have further hailed it as one of the best graphic novels in recent years, claiming that the book will be remembered for its superb execution a decade after publication. The Bloomsbury Review called it "a superb example of the art of cartooning: the blending of word and picture to achieve an effect that neither is capable of without the other." Time stated that Thompson's work "has set new bars for the medium not just in length, but breadth" and listed it as #1 in its annual Best Comix of the Year list.[3] The book was called a "magnum opus" in the inaugural issue of (Cult)ure Magazine.[4] 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 the work,[2][5] and in mock-jealousy, Eddie Campbell expressed a temptation to break Thompson's fingers.[6]

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."[1] Despite the praise heaped upon the book, it resulted in tension between Thompson and his parents for a couple of years after they read it.[2]

In October 2006, a resident of Marshall, Missouri, attempted to have Blankets and Fun Home by Alison Bechdel removed from the city's public library.[7] Supporters of the books' removal characterized them as "pornography" and expressed concern that they would be read by children.[8] Marshall Public Library Director Amy Crump defended the books as having been well-reviewed in "reputable, professional book review journals," and characterized the removal attempt as a step towards "the slippery slope of censorship".[7][8] On October 11, 2006, the library's board appointed a committee to create a materials selection policy, and removed Blankets and Fun Home from circulation until the new policy was approved.[9][10] The committee "decided not to assign a prejudicial label or segregate [the books] by a prejudicial system",[11] and presented a materials selection policy to the board.[12] On March 14, 2007, the Marshall Public Library Board of Trustees voted to return both Blankets and Fun Home to the library's shelves.[13]

[edit] Awards

[edit] Editions

Covers of the French, Spanish and Italian editions of Blankets (from left to right)

Editions are available in English, Catalan, French, Spanish, German, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Czech, Polish, Slovenian, Greek, Norwegian and Portuguese. Additionally, the English and Dutch[18] versions were available in a limited-edition hardcover volume and Polish was available with special cover jacket for those who preordered the book. There is also an accompanying soundtrack, recorded by the Portland, Oregon-based band, Tracker. The French, Spanish and Italian editions all have different cover art. The first Italian edition has a red spine, while subsequent editions have a blue one.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Heater, Brian. "Interview: Craig Thompson Pt. 1 (of 2)". The Daily Cross Hatch. 2007-05-07. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
  2. ^ a b c Mechanic, Michael. "Craig Thompson—The Devil Made Me Draw It". Mother Jones. September/October 2011
  3. ^ Arnold, Andrew. "Top 10 Everything 2003: 1. Blankets by Craig Thompson". Time. accessed September 21, 2011.
  4. ^ Johns, Kevin. "Sexuality, Art and Religion in Craig Thompson's Blankets". (Cult)ure Magazine. September 2007. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Eddie Campbell. The Comics Journal. issue 266.
  7. ^ a b Sims, Zach (2006-10-03). "Library trustees to hold hearing on novels". The Marshall Democrat-News. http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1171005.html. Retrieved 2006-10-08. 
  8. ^ a b Sims, Zach (2006-10-05). "Library board hears complaints about books/Decision scheduled for Oct. 11 meeting". The Marshall Democrat-News. http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1171432.html. Retrieved 2006-10-08. 
  9. ^ Brady, Matt (2006-10-12). "MARSHALL LIBARAY BOARD VOTES TO ADOPT MATERIALS SELECTION POLICY". Newsarama. http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=87365. Retrieved 2006-10-12. 
  10. ^ Sims, Zach (2006-10-12). "Library board votes to remove 2 books while policy for acquisitions developed". The Marshall Democrat-News. http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1172698.html. Retrieved 2006-10-12. 
  11. ^ Harper, Rachel (2007-01-25). "Library board ready to approve new materials selection policy". The Marshall Democrat-News. http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1186860.html. Retrieved 2007-01-26. 
  12. ^ Harper, Rachel (2007-02-08). "Library policy has first reading". The Marshall Democrat-News. http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1188755.html. Retrieved 2007-03-05. 
  13. ^ Harper, Rachel (2007-03-15). "Library board approves new policy/Material selection policy created, controversial books returned to shelves". The Marshall Democrat-News. http://www.marshallnews.com/story/1193923.html. Retrieved 2007-03-15. 
  14. ^ a b c "2004 Harvey Award Winners". The Harvey Awards. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
  15. ^ a b 2004 "Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards". Hahn Library. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
  16. ^ a b "2004 Ignatz Award Recipients". Small Press Expo. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
  17. ^ Brown, Tyler. "Blankets". Kansas State Collegian. December 7, 2010
  18. ^ Two Dutch versions at Zilveren Dolfijn comics database
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