Blankets and Chunky Rice

Last year, the graphic novel was one of the new genres I started getting hooked on, and Craig Thompson has fast become one of my favorite graphic novel writer-illustrators.

I’ve been salivating over Blankets at the bookstore for years now, but it’s waaay out of my budget, and so it remains on my wishlist. A couple of years back, though, I was able to mooch Thompson’s Goodbye, Chunky Rice, and so I started with that.

Late last year, I finally got the chance to read Blankets, when Flipper friend Mike (aka GNP, or Geek and Proud) lent me his copy, along with his prized volumes of Maus. Of course, before I read Blankets, I felt a reread of Goodbye, Chunky Rice was in order, so I could review the two books side by side before I finally return Mike’s book this weekend (I returned Maus earlier), with gratitude for entrusting one of his favorite books to me for several months now.
Goodbye, Chunky Rice is a 1999 graphic novel by Craig Thompson, his debut work that bagged him the 2000 Harvey Award for Best New Talent. It’s the story of a turtle named Chunky Rice, who has to say goodbye to his best friend, a mouse deer named Dandel, and all things familiar to him as he sails off into self-discovery.

Chunky Rice tells a tender story about friendship and goodbyes, with flashbacks in the narrative that give us a deeper look into the characters — Chunky, Dandel, and even the longshoreman and his pet bird Merle.  It is unsaid why Chunky Rice has to go away, but he feels the need to, destination unknown, to start a new chapter of his life. It is said to be semi-autobiographical, symbolizing Thomson’s move from his family and hometown to Portland to start his illustration career.

The graphic novel is stunning in black and white, in Thompson’s signature thick outlines. The chibi-like characters are the picture of wide-eyed innocence, belying the deeper message the book sends.

This was one of the first graphic novels I thoroughly enjoyed, because I’m not a big fan of (er, still acquiring the taste for) action graphic novels. I’m also not a big fan of talking animals, but I like the anthromorphicity of Chunky and Dandel; they’re cute but not cutesy.

There is an undercurrent of sadness that reverberates throughout this novel, but it still stays positive as a whole, and I like that. The sincerity in Thompson’s work strikes a chord with the reader, and makes it easy to empathize with the characters.

Blankets, Thompson’s second graphic novel, bagged even more awards, including the 2004 Harvey Awards (Best Artist, Best Album of Original Work, Best Cartoonist); the 2004 Eisner Awards (Best Graphic Album and Best Writer/Artist); the 2004 Ignatz Awards (Outstanding Artist and Outstanding Graphic Novel or Collection); and the 2005 Prix de la Critique. Blankets also made it to Time Magazine’s Top Ten Graphic Novels of All Time.

Blankets is another autobiographical work by Thompson, this time chronicling his childhood, adolescence, and passage into young adulthood, as well as his discovery of sexuality and falling in love.

Craig grows up in a not-so-happy Christian household in Wisconsin with his brother Phil. He has issues with his spirituality and he has trouble fitting in at school so he pours his emotions into his artwork. At church camp, Craig finds solace in the company of other outcasts, including Raina, the girl he falls in love with.  Craig spends spring break at Raina’s house and their relationship deepens, and this changes the course of their future.

This was such an intense, gripping read that I spent the most part of the day curled up in blankets with Blankets. I felt that Thompson poured so much of himself into this book, going deeper into himself in this book than in Chunky Rice, you can almost feel it pulsing with emotion.

I like how this book seamlessly weaves many different themes — family, religion, fitting in with peers, special children, first love, sexuality, and spirituality — into a story that’s sensitive and beautiful and poignant all at the same time.

And I’m not normally into spiritual books, but I like how Blankets approaches spiritual issues truthfully and realistically, without intimidating readers of different faiths.

The blankets serve as a timeline in the story, guiding us through the important points in Craig’s life, from the blanket he shares with Phil, the blanket wrapped around him and Raina, and the quilt Raina makes for him. (Hmm, look carefully in the Chunky Rice frames above, where the quilt makes an appearance. Coincidence? I don’t think so :) In a Maus-like way, I think Craig is Chunky Rice and Raina is Dandel!)

Iwish-slash- hope-slash-pray I get a copy of Blankets soon.

***

My copy: Chunky Rice, Pantheon paperback; Blankets, on loan from Mike

My rating: Chunky Rice, 4/5 stars; Blankets, 5/5 stars

books #135-136 for 2009

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