Mostly I’ve been working, but a couple of days ago, I visited my friends Dan and Azure on the river,
and we tore down the highway on Dan’s blaze orange Harley trike. Overhead, some skywriting was
dissipating in the clouds, and all that was still legible was the word “ICECREAM” with an “M” the
length of a few football fields. The trike used to have deer antlers attached to the front, and I’ve
fond memories of riding it shirtless to the ol’ swimming hole last summer. (Dan can be seen in
that community college art scholarship link from twelve years ago.)
In recent comments, Tita asked if I’d attended the Haarlem festival. That photo with Hansje and
Charles Berberian is from Haarlem 2004, in fact. Afterwards, I traveled with Seth and Chris Ware
to a comics event in London at the Institute for Contemporary Art. Benoit (who I met in Brussels?)
asked about the “poo shirt” featured in that photo. The design is by my dear buddy Bwana Spoons
- a prolific and inspired painter, cartoonist, toy-making gnome. He has his own shop/gallery/studio
now called GRASS HUT CORPS where you can find other fancy shirt designs. Here’s a feeble drawing
I made this Tuesday of Bwana and my other dear friend Lark Pien at breakfast.
Lark has further descriptions of our breakfast and Bwana’s store at her blog. She, too, is a
brilliant painter, cartoonist, and sometimes toy-maker. Her visit was quite inspiring. Concerning
portraits of friends, you definitely have my permission to include my Aaron drawing on your site, Rama.
Finally, Jimmy asked about tattoos. Here’s a few that you kind fans have sent my way.
Jocelyn, Tawner, Amanda, Liz, and Ciera. Please remind me who that intense and
impressive leg tattoo belongs to. I know there’s more out there, from skin flashed
at signings and conventions, so feel free to send links to motivate Jimmy.
Leave a Reply
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August 10th, 2007 at 10:26 am
craig, have you seen mike allred’s latest issue of madman which has a tribute panel to you? the whole issue is fantastic in that it’s an homage to all of his favorite artists
August 10th, 2007 at 10:36 am
thanks so much, craig!
you can click here if you want to see the post!
August 10th, 2007 at 10:54 am
If you’re curious at all, the skywriting is explained in the comments of this blog post.
(On an unrelated note: As a fan of your stories and art, I’m very pleased that you started this blog. Keep up the great work!)
August 10th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
So awesome!!! Actual tattoos?? Holy crap!
August 10th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Thanks for the links ! I’m definitly buying a shirt from your friend (Just hope he ships his stuffs to Europe …)
Well actually we met in Paris, with David B. at that (tiny but damn cool) conference like 3 years ago. I still have some pictures if you’re interested.
See you.
August 10th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
I want a trike too! (If I didn’t have to report taxable income!)
August 10th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Hey Benoit,
I’d love to see photos from that David B. conference if you’re able to post a link. Thanks!
August 10th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
I feel special to have my tattoo mentioned/shown.
I may be getting a Good-bye Chunky Rice one soon…
August 10th, 2007 at 9:40 pm
!!!
that’s my arm/tree!
after two and a half years, it’s still my favorite.
thanks for posting, craig.
August 11th, 2007 at 5:18 am
@Craig
Sure, here you go :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11337966@N08/sets/72157601370888985/
August 11th, 2007 at 5:18 am
@Craig
Sure, here you go :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11337966@N08/sets/72157601370888985/
August 11th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Bonjour Craig, nice to meet you.
Je vis à Paris sur le Canal St Martin, d’après ce que j’ai lu de ton blog, tu dois connaitre un peu… Est ce que tu parles un peu français ? Do you speak french, a little ?
Have you ever read some Winshluss comics ?
August 11th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
craig, i noticed in Blankets as well as in random pictures of yourself that you have a tattoo, i was wondering what yours is of and how it came about. also thank you for Blankets, it is one of the single most greatest gifts a person has ever given to the world. i relate on so many levels to the religious confusion and confrontation.
thank you.
August 12th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Great drawings.
August 13th, 2007 at 5:57 am
Well, I’m a mexican, living in Spain. And to stay in contact with my friends I have a blog.
I’m not really elocuent, and words have never been the most easy way to explain myself. That’s why I use drawings.
Since I didn’t study ANY kind of drawings or paintings or anything, my kind of comic is HORRIBLE (hahaha), so I buy books that get me inspired, and I found yours (Blankets) in a shelf in Madrid. 5 hours later with a friends cat besides me (which I’m taking care of him now) I… just… began calling people to ask them to buy the book hahaha.
Well, my blog is mostly in spanish, or I should say “mausish”, but if you don’t have ANYTHING to do, I would be bliss if you visited.
Really, I wish you the best, and I hope you don’t mind I keep coming to see how you’ve doing!
August 13th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
the blankets tattoo is epic.
August 13th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Hey Craig! I read Blankets recently. The hole story was so captivating that it was simply impossible to lay the book down untill I had read the whole thing. I read it in one night! It’s not often I read something that touches me as much as this book did, so I just wanted to say thank you. I must admit I haven’t read any of your other works, but I’m definitely looking forward to doing so.
Keep on doing what you’re doing. You’re truly a great artist!
August 14th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
hey craig.
I just discovered your blog.
I devoured Blankets and Carnet (not to be confused with pigs in a blanket), and was wondering whether you could share a synopsis on Habibi. Perhaps it’s already here somewhere on elsewhere on the net, feel free just to point me to a link.
thanks,
-a fellow Stumptown-er
August 15th, 2007 at 12:27 am
Cool tattoos and nice drawings!
I’ve always said that if i ever had a tatoo made it would be a spiral on the back of my neck. But never had the guts to do so…
August 15th, 2007 at 3:03 am
I really love that tree tattoo!! But I am really just stopping by to say that I love Stumptown.
August 15th, 2007 at 11:09 am
Hi Craig! Don’t know if you remember me.
I just discovered your blog! Beautiful work as always. Amazed to see how small you worked for Blankets! That’s teeny tiny.
Been away from the comics scene for a while, and I just started to get back into making comics. Wasn’t so happy with my previous output. If you’d like to take a look–
Starts here:
http://jedalexander.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html
Continues here:
http://jedalexander.blogspot.com/2007/04/by-popular-demand-big-post.html
August 16th, 2007 at 8:09 am
Hello Mr Thompson,
I contact you to ask you a very small interview (3-4 questions).
The interview will be for this site: http://www.actubd.ht.cx
I hope that you will accept. Cheers, Russeldark.
August 16th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Hey Craig, how come you aren’t showing up at TCAF this year? Carnet de Voyage is one of my favorite books.
August 16th, 2007 at 9:11 am
Hello from France!
I’ve just read another time “Blankets”. It is such a touching story, very sincere. I like it because it is so true to life, the pictures really reflect the emotions, I was really moved. It must be tough writting his all life without avoiding the worse parts, remember the past. I’m waiting for the next comic!
August 16th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
hi craig! I’m so happy to see that you have a blog! I’ve discovered it today from the Drawn! article… finally I’ll read lots of infos about one of my fav comics drawers
good luck for everything!
giulia
from Italy
p.s. I don’t think that you can remember me but I met you at Lucca comics 2006 and I gave you a copy of my last little comic (Decay Delay Attack)…
August 19th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
very impressive. looking at that i start to think about tattoo too.
August 21st, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Hello Craig !
Thanks for your blog… I love your “Good-bye, Chunky Rice”, even if i didn’t understand all, because I’m french. I bought it when I was a student, it wasn’t translante, but I felt in love with…I would like to live in your world, sometimes it’s so difficult not to live in (sorry for the mistakes!). Thank you, and Blutch, David B., Christophe Blain, Nicolas de Crecy, Manu Larcenet, Trondheim, Junko Mizuno, Boilet, Florence Dupre la Tour, Morgan Navarro, Winshluss, Aurelia aurita, Carlos Nine, Baudoin… Je vous aime tant…
I hope you’ve had nice holidays ! Bye
August 25th, 2007 at 11:35 am
gosh! that’s my arm!
thanks for posting it!
September 19th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
hi craig! here’s one more:
(it’s an old picture, but i got so excited seeing this blog that i wanted to post it imediately!)
it was my first tattoo and will always be my favorite.
September 19th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
hi craig! here’s one more:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/aretwodeetoo/DSCN1728.jpg
(it’s an old picture, but i got so excited seeing this blog that i wanted to post it imediately!)
it was my first tattoo and will always be my favorite.
ciera
September 21st, 2007 at 10:29 am
Thank you, Ciera! You’ve been added. And Jocelyn credit, too. And now we just need to track down that guy in the skull underwear…
October 2nd, 2007 at 6:04 pm
ohhhh it’s skull underwear! i stared at that picture for 2 minutes trying to figure out what it is (and 2 minutes is a long time to stare at a picture.)
also, that picture was taken about 3 years ago, right after it was finished- here is it now all healed and such. http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v11/aretwodeetoo/?action=view¤t=MyPicture.jpg
ps- i also have a chunky rice friendship tattoo on my other arm.. its unfinished though, so you’ll get a picture later…
March 9th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30379892&l=5329f&id=146700155
I just got this done saturday. and wanted to share.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30379890&l=524ef&id=146700155