Craig Thompson's Blog, page 3

translating dumplins

The first translated volume of DUMPLINS, Rizzoli’s POLPETTE SPAZIALI, debuted this past weekend at LUCCA Comics Festival in Italy. It’s 100 pages longer than the US edition, because of extra “making of” material.

Also, hot-off-the-press is Reprodukt’s gorgeous German edition of WELTRAUMKRÜMEL, in paperback and limited edition hardcover, meticulously hand-lettered, including the sound effects. And soon to be released is Casterman’s French edition of SPACE BOULETTES which will also debut in paperback and special edition hardcover. The latter has an acetate overlay cover, an in-depth interview, and extra pages of “making of” material.

In March & April of 2016, I’ll be in Europe to promote all of these along with Faber & Faber’s UK edition, and Astiberri’s Spanish edition of ALMÓNDIGAS DEL ESPACIO.

canadian dumplins!

Up next is the Canadian portion (and Philadelphia) of DUMPLINS (and D&Q Blankets) book tour!

Sunday, October 25th, 3 PM : Librarie D&Q, 211 Bernard Ouest, MONTREAL

Monday, October 26th, 7 PM : Librarie D&Q, 211 Bernard Ouest, MONTREAL

Wednesday, October 28th, 6 PM : Palmerston Public Library, TORONTO

Thursday, October 29th, 3 PM : University of Toronto, TORONTO

Friday & Saturday, October 30th & 31st, Locust Moon Comics Festival, PHILADELPHIA

Halloween… might be a good time for SPACE DUMPLINS cosplay, hint hint…

These early sketches reveal that the FISHIN’ BUDDIES from SPACE DUMPLINS were directly inspired by Canadian influences: part Bob & Doug McKenzie from STRANGE BREW, part Barf the Mog (played by my fave comedian as a child, John Candy)  from SPACE BALLS!

blankets new home

Just a reminder to all my loyal readers and retailers that BLANKETS is now published by DRAWN & QUARTERLY. I couldn’t be happier working with them!

Paperbacks and hardcovers available here:

gertie & hapy bare

Touching base at home for a handful of days before continuing DUMPLINS book tour. The last leg brought me to Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado… TEN school visits, four book stores, two festivals, one library. The trip launched with CXC, Comics Crossroads Columbus – the inaugural comics festival organized by Jeff & Vijaya Smith and Tom Spurgeon – which will easily become the favorite comics show of cartoonists, like the classic days of SPX. A highlight was touring the largest archive of comics art in the world at the Billy Ireland Museum, where I held the actual hand-drawn frames of Winsor McKay’s GERTIE THE DINOSAUR (1914).


At one of the school visits in Hoffman Estates, a gang of young cartoonists gifted me a 90 page, full-color graphic novel. This is the actual original art pages, so I feel like I need to donate it to the Billy Ireland archives for long time preservation as these artists, Ryan Ahn and Vikram Palani, become FAMOUS!

dumplins in the midwest!

The next leg of DUMPLINS’ book tour takes me to the Great Lakes region of the midwest.

OCT 2 & 3, COMIX CROSSROADS in Columbus, Ohio. Speaking/signing with Kate Beaton & Jeff Smith on Friday night, and throughout the day on the convention floor Saturday.

OCT 4, ANDERSON’S BOOKSHOP in Naperville, Illinois. 2 PM.
OCT 5, QUIMBY’S in Chicago, Illinois. In the afternoon, I’ll drop by to sign stock and greet fans in the neighborhood.
OCT 6, A public event at LINCOLNWOOD LIBRARY at 4 PM. https://www.facebook.com/events/415204841937500

OCT 7, BOOKS & COMPANY in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin at 6:30 PM.

OCT 8, THE BOOKIES in Denver, Colorado at 4 PM.
OCT 9, MOUNTAINS & PLAINS Tradeshow 4 PM event.

On top of that, I’ll be visiting schools in Hoffman Estates, Oak Park, Highwood, Glenview, Wales, Hartland, Denver, and more!

Pictured above: Art from a young fan in Walla Walla, Washington. And young fans obsessively rereading DUMPLINS! Do send me similar photos!

space dumplins book tour!

Here, as promised, are the upcoming SPACE DUMPLINS BOOK TOUR dates (thus far)!

September 6 • DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL

September 11 • Portland, Oregon – A CHILDREN’S PLACE Bookstore • 5:00PM

September 12 • BRIDGE CITY COMICS • 11:00AM

September 12 • POWELL’S BOOKS, Burnside • 2:00PM

September 16 • Seattle, Washington • UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE • 7:00PM

September 17-19 • Walla Walla, WA • WHITMAN COLLEGE 

September 20 • San Francisco, CA • COMIX EXPERIENCE

September 24-26 • (pending) Salt Lake City Comic Con

October 1-3 • Columbus, OH • CARTOON CROSSROADS (Jeff Smith’s comic festival)

October 5 • Naperville, IL • ANDERSON’S BOOKSHOP • 2:00 PM

October 6 • Winnetka, IL • The BOOK STALL

October 7 • Oconomowoc, WI • BOOKS & COMPANY Bookstore

October 9 • Denver, Colorado • MOUNTAINS & PLAINS Independent Booksellers Association Tradeshow • 3:00 PM

October 10-11 (pending) New York Comic Con

October 13 OR 14 (pending) Once Upon a Time bookstore, Montrose, CA 

October 16 • Minneapolis, Minnesota • WILD RUMPUS Children’s Bookstore

October 17 • Minneapolis, Minnesota • TWIN CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL

More to come for late October and part of November.

Endless thanks for your patience while I road tripped across the US with Edmond Baudoin. It was completely crazy of me to be working on the NEXT book when my latest debut needed promotional attention. But I’m home now & refueling to hit the road again. Looking forward to seeing you!

cambridge punting

Presently punting in Cambridge, UK with Sierra, the first leg of post-DUMPLINS vacation. But the big news in my world is that we’re MOVING to LA, packing up almost two decades of living in Portland, Oregon. The process is GOOD-BYE, CHUNKY RICE all over again. That book was drawn when I was 21 and first moved to Portland from Milwaukee, Wisconsin; emotionally devastated from missing my friends. Now I’m nearly forty, but feeling the same. Big love to my Portland posse, and to my extended community of friends & readers around the world.

(Also see, bamboo rafting in China.)

drawing brothers

Happy 73rd birthday to EDMOND BAUDOIN – mentor, friend, and collaborator on my NEXT book project, working title “DRAWING BROTHERS”.

trike

As ever, production & design on the book is full of headaches, but the author photo shoot this weekend was refreshing.

Here’s an outtake with my photographer buddy Joshin Yamada on my friend Dan’s Harley/VW TRIKE.

finish line stretch

SCHOLASTIC officially announced the August 25th release date for SPACE DUMPLINS, just as I was finishing the inks for the FINAL CHAPTER.

I’m not in the clear yet… there’s still book design, and pages upon pages of copyedits/corrections/redraws, but getting close! For Scholastic, this marks the tenth anniversary of their GRAPHIX line, which I’m honored to participate in. Happy New Year, Dear Readers. More soon!