2011 | Page 3 | Craig Thompson

crash test dummy

April 11, 2011 craig Habibi, Travel

Hey, Gang! Time has evaporated as the book is tangled in production complications. The fine folks at Pantheon are wrestling to actualize
the design we envision. All I have to show for the moment is a glimpse of this “dummy” book – which has the first ten pages repeated
over and over, but approximates the bulk of the final object.

And below is a snippet of promotional graphics. I’ve been traveling a bit — Last week to Minneapolis to design a mural for my brother’s design studio.
As the painting progresses, I’ll post some photos. (Thanks, Andrew and Jon.) And next week, I’m flying to CHINA – which includes
research for an upcoming book project. More soon!

march madness

March 11, 2011 craig Blankets, Menomena, Misc

Happy Friday, Blog-friends! Another month has slipped away since posting. A few of you asked if I’d attend ComicCon on Thursday,
and the answer is YES. Top Shelf will be debuting new editions of BLANKETS (hardcover & softcover) to match the dimensions of HABIBI.

Sechan asked about posters and prints, and though none currently exist, I promise to have some by tour time. The past few weeks have
been crazy busy with promo materials and foreign translations and tour mapping, and many of the destinations you’ve asked about — Spain,
Brazil, Toronto — are on the list. (Colombia… who knows?) Finally, some folks recognized my brief, but crazed cameo as the ringside announcer
in Menomena‘s new TAOS video. It’s directed by Alicia J. Rose who also snapped some promo photos of me, including this one in Astoria, Oregon.

That last sketch is a sneak peek of a contribution for Giant-Sized MADMAN. Thanks to you all for staying in touch!

ripoffs & inspiration

February 12, 2011 craig Misc, Sketchbook

Like every cartoonist, I often reproduce paintings in my sketchbooks, trying to wrap my head around how another artist composes an image
or lays down a line. Here are some samples — from Viktor E. Popkov’s JULY, and an uncredited illustration for the SHÉHÉREZADE ballet.

Many of you asked about the upcoming HABIBI tour, and it’s safe to say I’ll be making it to many of the countries you mention —
appearances in France, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, London, Germany are already being mapped out. Nieva asked about the Philippines,
and Ada brought up Poland — both of which I’d love to include, but am unsure of yet. Definitely I’ll be at San Diego Comic Con
for at least Friday and Saturday (July 22nd & 23rd) — not with the book, but other treats.
If you have a book or comics store in the States, it’s worth getting in touch with my publisher Pantheon. More soon!

the final countdown!

January 20, 2011 craig Habibi

“Anxious” and “DjD” were the first to excavate HABIBI’s release date, even before it was known to me.
I confirmed with Pantheon that SEPTEMBER 20th, 2011 will indeed be the official debut day. THAT’S EXACTLY EIGHT MONTHS FROM TODAY.
Sounds like forever, I know, but fellow authors assure me this is how the book world operates, and that autumn is prime time.
I’m simply happy the debut lands one day before my 36th birthday. (Speaking of… happy birthday to JD and KB today!)

The book will be $29.95 — 672 b&w pages — clothbound hardcover with stamped gold foil, and look something like the mock-up above. On the
right are a handful of cover ideas that didn’t make the cut. Thank you ALL for your New Year’s greetings and your continued patience in this
long, drawn-out process. Thank you for not giving up on me after so many years. Looking forward to meeting and catching up on the upcoming tour.

happy new year

January 1, 2011 craig Habibi

Happy New Year, Blog-Friends! Though the HABIBI release date was promised more than a month ago, now it’s safe to say that PANTHEON will
announce it some time THIS January. Also, if I can get to it soon, TOP SHELF will publish new editions of BLANKETS (hardcover & softcover) in 2011.
And there’s at least two future books that I’m itching to start work on once everything is officially off to press with HABIBI.
Thank you all for your support in 2010. Hope you’re well in the new year. More soon!

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