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Craig
Thompson's graphic novel Blankets could easily be considered
the magnum opus of his career so far. He serves as both author
and illustrator, producing a deeply personal work.
Blankets
details Thompson's childhood spent in a world defined by Christianity,
his outlook skewed by religion. His parents find a sketch
of a naked woman penned by the constantly drawing Thompson,
and tell him he has sinned. From then on, Thompson struggles
to right his wrongs. His religious education classes teach
him that his prerogative is to serve God and that all other
relationships are secondary. Hence, he separates himself from
the normal social realm. His social outcast mystique leads
him to an unexpected connection with another teenager, Raina,
at winter church camp. They both see through the group mentality
that the camp imposes and bond immediately.
Raina
and Craig continue to stay in touch, and as Raina's home life
becomes turbulent, the two convince their parents to let them
spend two weeks together, hoping it will alleviate the troubles
in their lives. The bulk of the novel details those two weeks
and Thompson's inner battle between religion and love, as
he debates how to go about his relationship with Raina and
how to win back Jesus's approval
The storyline
itself is very simple, with Thompson's drawings bringing true
life to the piece. Luscious illustrations span the nearly
600 pages that comprise the semi-autobiographical novel. The
art speaks with emotion independent of the work's text. Though
Thompson's emotional voice is established through art, his
literary merit is unquestionable. He accomplishes perfect
harmony between the words—either dialogue or narration—and
the illustrations, always providing vivid scenes. Because
Thompson need not describe a scene with words, he gains the
freedom to explore the essence of human interaction through
both conversation and body language.
Thompson
changes his drawing style to represent various moods, personalities,
and emotions. Subtle nuances of Craig's relationships with
those close to him are represented perfectly through realistic
dialogue and honest, sometimes heart wrenching, facial expressions.
The adults in the book are drawn rough and square, while he
and Raina are smooth and whimsical. The swirls and curves
used to illustrate their relationship provide delicacy and
aesthetic pleasure, providing stark contrast to the chiaroscuro
of some of the religious passages.
Craig
Thompson also never feels the need to keep his drawings inside
the box. Brilliant, unique, paisley patterns weave through
panels while characters take trips in and out of panels and
pages, which provide the piece with a rhythm and flow. Thompson
seamlessly weaves together the stories of his childhood and
his teenage romance with Raina without any sense of jerking
through time. Story threads tie together and have purpose.
Emotions ebb and flow throughout the novel and give it a genuine
feel.
The organic
flow of the story and fantastic illustrations make the reader
easily lose sense of time, making this behemoth of a book
a one-sitting read.
(June,
2007)
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