He, his younger brother phil and his sister grew up in rural marathon, wisconsin, in a fundamentalist christian family. Around the time i was writing my critique of orientalism in craig thompsons habibi a strange thing happened. Apr 24, 2017 welcome to aprils edition of banned books, where beth and i read a banned book, once a month. Graphic novelist craig thompson on parental censorship. Bleeding cool with habibi, craig thompson elevates the graphic novel form to even higher levels. Habibi, by craig thompson, is a graphic novel set in a fictional islamic land filled with deserts, palaces, skyscrapers, and garbage.
Sprawling across an epic landscape of deserts, harems, and modern industrial clutter, habibi tells the tale of dodola and zam, refugee child slaves bound to each other by chance, by circumstance, and by the love that grows between them. It is a stark contrast to thompsons previous mammoth novel, blankets, a much gentler and highly personal autobiographical story about thompsons childhood, growing up in a very religious household while. Pdf habibi book by craig thompson free download 672 pages. Habibi written and illustrated by craig thompson book. On the other side, the book is quite controversial for its depiction of islam, arab, and arab culture. Craig thompsons graphic novel habibi is powerful and problematic.
Craig thompson discusses habibi the award winning cartoonist behind blankets and goodbye, chunky rice spoke in depth with cbr news about his new book, one of the most anticipated graphic novels of the year. Craig thompsons new graphic novel, habibi, is a masterpiece. Sep 19, 2011 mysterious habibi cuts to the core of humanity set somewhere in a modern yet resolutely mythical middle east, craig thompsons latest graphic novel is a love story that also tackles the roots of. Elle magazine exquisite habibi is a remarkable feat of research, care, and black ink, and a reminder that all people of the book, despite the division of their individual traditions, share a mosaic of stories. September 21, 1975 in traverse city, michigan is a graphic novelist best known for his 2003 work blankets. Habibi is a laboriously gorgeous comic, with beautiful drawings, inks and atmosphere. Do you understand or agree with any of the reasons for the book being. The first edition of the novel was published in july 1st 2003, and was written by craig thompson. Craig thompsons previous graphic novels include blankets for which he received three harvey awards for best artist, best graphic album.
His father was a plumber, and his mother alternated between working as a stayathome mom and a visitingnurse assistant for the disabled. Habibi is a masterpiece that surely is one of a kind. Habibi follows the success of craig thompson s multi awardwinning blankets. In the top ten most frequently challenged books in 2015. Its easy to inventory my feelings about craig thompsons habibi. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of habibi by craig thompson. Graphic novelist craig thompson on parental censorship, leaving christianity, and his epic, habibi. Craig thompson couldnt seem to find a way to get out from under blankets the cartoonists awardwinning 2003 graphic novel was a seismic event. Do you understand or agree with any of the reasons for the book being challenged when it was originally published. In 2007, his cover design for the menomena album friend and foe received a grammy nomination for best recording package. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 592 pages and is available in paperback format. I will get to how the book fails to escape many classic orientalist trappings soon, but first lets. Sep 29, 2016 one of the books i saw featured in the martin luther king jr. Thompsons art is simple black and white inking, yet his ink strokes convey a sense of live movement as if youre watching the characters move across the pagedont dismiss habibi as a book of pretty pictures.
Not only does craig thompson have the skill to render any scene at all that is real or that he could have imagined, but his lines are more and more masterful with each book. Craig thompson was born in traverse city, michigan in 1975. Thompsons blankets first graphic novel in seven years is a lushly epic love story thats both inspiring and heartbreaking, intertwined with parables from both islam and christianity. Oct 16, 2011 craig thompsons habibi is a work of fantasy about being ashamed of ones fantasies. Pdf blankets book by craig thompson free download 592. But at the end of the day, the general narrative helps the work transcend over such flak, and the artwork is typically thompsonian to be forgiven for other. Habibi is a blackandwhite graphic novel by craig thompson published by pantheon in september 2011. Memorial librarys display of the most frequently banned books last year was habibi, a graphic novel by craig thompson. With habibi, craig thompson elevates the graphic novel form to even higher levels. Thompsons subject matter, his skilful use of flashback, his graceful drawings and the staggering length of his book it came in at nearly 600. Even odds that thompson actually tried this out at some point in his life. Part adventure epic, part exploration of middle eastern folklore, habibi is a work of tremendous scope and jawdropping ambition habibi looks to be thompson s next great book. While the artwork is incredible, craig thompsons habibi is a book that will affect your heart.
Thompson has received four harvey awards, three eisner awards, and two ignatz awards. Habibi is a book marked by rape, slavery, castration, forced marriages, the murder of children, harems, and love. The main characters of this sequential art, graphic novels story are craig, phil. There are racial stereotypes and cultural inaccuracies in this book. Thompson s art is simple black and white inking, yet his ink strokes convey a sense of live movement as if youre watching the characters move across the pagedont dismiss habibi as a book of pretty pictures. Its not only that it has at its heart a sweet and touching love. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 672 pages and is available in hardcover format. Ever since craig thompson announced it on his blog years ago, i had been really excited. Craig thompson habibi read online rgno read graphic. In 2007, his cover design for the menomena album friend and foe received a grammy. The book is simply amazing as art the creation of so many expertly drawn scenes. Library journal, a highly anticipated new graphic novel.
Craig thompson working on the comic book habibi craig thompsons epic new graphic novel habibi detail of craig thompsons illustration see more when the world is on its last breath, however, the masses will need something to distract them from the destruction and my body will still be a commodity. Part adventure epic, part exploration of middle eastern folklore, habibi is a work of tremendous scope and jawdropping ambition habibi looks to be thompsons next great book. While the artwork is incredible, craig thompson s habibi is a book that will affect your heart. Mysterious habibi cuts to the core of humanity set somewhere in a modern yet resolutely mythical middle east, craig thompsons latest graphic novel is. The main characters of this sequential art, graphic novels story are. The book is phenomenal and received many praises, especially for its marvelous artworks.
The book s inclusion in the exhibit didnt surprise me. Aug 05, 20 beware this talk will make you rethink your entire life and work life changer duration. The spectre of orientalism in craig thompsons habibi medium. Thompson has received four harvey awards, two eisner awards, and two ignatz awards. It begins in the baking deserts of arabia, where the land blisters beneath a drought and a young girl, dodola, is sold.
Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Beware this talk will make you rethink your entire life and work life changer duration. But this is simply one more example of the shallowness that undergirds the entire work. From the internationally acclaimed author of blankets, a highly anticipa. Habibi, based on a middle eastern fable, tells the story of dodola, who escapes being sold into slavery and rescues an abandoned baby she names zam. The books inclusion in the exhibit didnt surprise me. I hardly see how his art can improve, unless he were to change his style entirely. The 672page book is set in a fictional islamic fairy. First published in 2011, habibi is an epic graphic novel written and illustrated by craig thompson, american artist and author famous for his work blankets. While the artwork is incredible, craig thompsons habibi is a.
Habibi from the internationally acclaimed author of blankets a triumph for the genre. I had loved goodbye chunky rice, liked blankets, and was sure that thompson would craft a beautiful story with all the care that it would require. Its a difficult line to draw and that thompson illustrates it so well ably demonstrates why he is one of the leading auteurs in the medium. Craig thompson s new graphic novel, habibi, is a masterpiece. Through a mutual acquaintance and a series of chance convention runins at san diego comic con and the alternative press expo in san francisco, we became casual acquaintances. Apr 18, 2017 first published in 2011, habibi is an epic graphic novel written and illustrated by craig thompson, american artist and author famous for his work blankets.
Welcome to aprils edition of banned books, where beth and i read a banned book, once a month. May, 2017 habibi craig thompson epilogo literatura duration. His massive new book, habibi, is an orgy of art for its own sake. A conversation about habibis orientalism with craig thompson.
Sep 22, 2011 blankets is craig thompson s most definitive book. Habibireem01 craig thompson this book truly is an artistic masterpiece, an overload of obsessive details and rich visual content. One of the books i saw featured in the martin luther king jr. And habibi is generally underrated, and often for quite good reason. Habibi, based on a middle eastern fable, tells the story of dodola, who escapes being sold into slavery and rescues an abandoned baby. Banned books 2017 april read habibi by craig thompson. Photos of craig thompson at the book signing event will be included with the signed book. Sprawling across an epic landscape of deserts, harems, and modern industrial clutter, habibi tells the tale of dodola and zam, refugee child slaves bound to each other by chance, by circumstance, and. Habibi follows the success of craig thompsons multi awardwinning blankets. Habibi by craig thompson 2011, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. Craig thompsons dark graphic novel draws on the thousand and one nights, orientalist paintings and r. Craig thompsons habibi is a work of fantasy about being ashamed of ones fantasies.
Its what you feel in a cathedral, and with that final. In his story, thompson weaves elements of religious texts and. His work has received four harvey awards, three eisner awards and two ignatz awards. This anxiety is native to comics, or at least to the broad strain of american comics written by white. Habibi stands as a new masterwork in american comics, and a graphic novel seriously worthy of sharing shelf space with salman rushdie and umberto eco. Whether you believe in god or not, this mystery is real. The 672page book is set in a fictional islamic fairy tale landscape and depicts the relationship between dodola and zam, two escaped child slaves, who are torn apart and undergo many transformations as they grow into new names and new bodies, which prove to be obstacles to their love when they. Habibi comic by thompson, craig 1975 and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Habibi tells the story of dodola, a woman living in a fictional middle eastern country, who, at nine years old is married off to a much older man.
144 960 685 1040 702 959 666 1452 1466 686 567 1466 1084 554 1399 156 659 1453 1128 856 571 1154 291 577 724 405 764 1212 948 461 1288 532 83 299 1310 339 56 319 1008