Great Craig Thompson Habibi Talk on Video

Panel from Craig Thompson's Habibi

I found a series of Craig Thompson youtube videos that document a talk he delivered last year, right after Habibi was released. Looks like the talk is from October 2011, delivered at MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design.)

Thompson discusses his process for creating Habibi, which included plenty of blocks and turns. The talk includes slides of his drawing studies, early thumbnails, sketchbooks and more. (A few of his preliminaries are online here, but it’s great to hear him walk us through the process.) The video production values aren’t great, but I found it a revealing window into the processes used by a creator who I think is phenomenal. 

Craig Thompson’s Lush New Comic Book Novel Habibi

three panel sequence from Craig Thompson's Habibi

I just finished reading Habibi a new comic book novel by Craig Thompson. Thompson is one of the most masterful storytellers of the contemporary comics world. His work is very much for adults: no superheroes, mature themes (sex, religion), thoughtful, and moving. His novels are long and sweeping; Habibi is nearly 700 pages, every one of them precious.

His earlier semi-autobiographical novel Blankets is a favorite of mine, too, so I was eagerly awaiting the new piece. Habibi takes place in an unnamed middle eastern land. It’s the story of a young woman, Dodola, and her companion, Zam, also called Habibi. Dodola is sold into slavery, escapes, and runs away with Zam an abandoned child nine years younger than she. The two grow up taking care of each other, and their lives are intertwined throughout the novel.