| swiping Cohen | November 13th, 2007 |
We’re past due for a blog update, so I thought I’d mention the release of the Traditional Chinese edition of BLANKETS.
And here’s my preface.
It reads: “The closest that the rural Wisconsin town I grew up in got to China was the ginseng crops we exported — the principal agriculture of the region. During the years toiling in the fields, digging up the strangely humanoid ginseng roots, I dreamt of a day I could live as an artist rather than a farmhand. While drawing BLANKETS between 2000 and 2003, my main fear was that readers wouldn’t relate to this insular story of an isolated upbringing in the middle of America. Instead, the book has extended my boundaries — brought this awkward outcast a community across the world. Today it boggles my mind to see this work being translated into Chinese. I’m reminded of Leonard Cohen’s forward to the Chinese edition of BEAUTIFUL LOSERS. He acknowledges the great Chinese poets and zen teachers. To that, I add that China was the womb from which printmaking was born. Cohen says, ‘Dear Reader, please forgive me if I have wasted your time.’ With humility and honor, I echo that sentiment to you.” Posted in Uncategorized |
39 Responses to “swiping Cohen”Leave a Reply |
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November 13th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Wow… Blankets in chinese… Amazing!
November 13th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
i’ll tell my chinese friends about it
November 13th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
“Blankets” is perhaps one of my favorite literary works, and by far my most favorite graphic novel. I think it’s amazing when writing surpasses societal bounds and speaks to people on a humanistic level. This is the only black and white graphic novel where I saw vibrant color in the frames and gutters.
November 13th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
You must feel… well… rather accomplished in the career aspect of life.
November 14th, 2007 at 12:19 am
Congrats. The cover graphics look really slick.
November 14th, 2007 at 1:10 am
I love the cover designs, very very nice!
November 14th, 2007 at 7:16 am
Great covers! Did you do any part of it? Feels like this Chinese version gives Blankets a different dimension..
November 14th, 2007 at 8:46 am
That is wonderful! Now I am very curious as to how the Chinese characters would look with your art. Just wondering, did you have to redo certain panels to accommodate the Chinese text?
November 14th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Sweet!
What references am I missing in the bottom panel? Cohen and… traditionally dressed Chinese peasants… beside a frozen lake? Are those the poets and zen teachers?
November 14th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
I’m so glad that a wider audience can now discover the book I love. How languages has Blankets been translated into?
I also wanted to add that it was great to meet you at Wordstock. I was glad to make the drive up from Eugene.
November 14th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
Love these Chinese covers and preface! I just discovered your blog and read through the entire thing. I’m a huge fan of Blankets–it’s become a comfort re-read for me. I also love Carnet de Voyage and just re-read it recently–which made me wonder if you’d published your new book yet, which soon had me searching around the ‘net, which led me here!
Anyway, just wanted to say hi and thanks for your wonderful art, and I look forward very much to your next book (and until then, blog entry.)
;-)
November 15th, 2007 at 12:28 am
I just read about your compilation Kissypoo Garden also coming out in 2009.
I don’t remember hearing about it before! Or maybe I just forgot. Haha. Either way, sounds interesting.
November 15th, 2007 at 6:30 am
Am I the first Chinese reader here??
I just read your interview in today’s paper in Taiwan, and was attracted by your “Blankets” right away. So I immediately bought one on the internet. And can’t wait to read it!!
November 15th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Great! Have you thought that now you have one billion people more of potential readers?
congratulations!
November 15th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
Am I the only one that wonders where in rural Wisconsin you are from?
Maybe because I am also from rural WI….I love blankets and i feel like it kind of explains a part of me
November 17th, 2007 at 11:11 am
SO COOL!
I think it is amazing how this book travels and spreads, now its in china. Even just around my school, i bought the book and now half my friends have read and loved it. a fantastic amazing achievement!
November 19th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
so beautiful…i only hope habibi is that can reach across through the walls we have set up across the globe and really establish some kind of strong human connection and throw out all the senselessness thats plagued this world
November 19th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
what a sweet and grand thing to say as well in the preface Craig…i feel like things like that have more power than some people would like to admit
November 20th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Hello ,
First of all : congratulations !
)
If I’m right (seeing the two front pages): they split up the book in two separate stories? One about your youth and one about the teenage life? Or have they just choosen to make two volumes without changing anything at the way you made your history.
I loved the mix from the different periods in your life, thats why I wonder.
Succes,
Mira, a reader from Belgium (and seen on the map not that important as China…
November 20th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Hi Craig,
I feel kinda weird leaving this here on your blog, but whatever…
I’m looking for someone who might be able to help me with a project that I’m working on for school (Oberlin College) this winter, and I was wondering if you’d be interested. Back in May I was fortunate enough to have Menomena play for a charity concert that I organized, and Danny Seim said that this would be the best place to get in contact with you. Now I’m looking to spend my winter term drawing and writing comics. Please let me know if you’d be interested, and would like some more details. Thanks, Dash Robb
November 22nd, 2007 at 10:25 am
Great stuff, great blog!
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:08 am
Congrats on the ever-expanding literary juggernaut known as Blankets.
I’ve recommended this masterpiece to countless friends, all of whom have had glowing reviews afterwards.
I will also recommend this to my father-in-law, who travels to China multiple times a year. Hopefully he will pass this recommendation onto his Chinese colleagues.
November 24th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
Craig! i’m so sorry i dropped off the map, i moved house and have been sans internet for absolutely forever.
thanks so much for the post, it was really inspiring.
So, the tattoos fully planned out, should be going on somewhen between january/february time, whenever my finances will allow.
It’s the right page of this:
http://moblog.co.uk/blogs/1210/moblog_afae1354cd8d7.jpg
(not my blog, but its nice to steal bandwith.) and she’ll be wrapped around some lyrics.
Hope everythings cool my friend and habibi is keeping you busy!
Happy holidays!
Jimmy
November 25th, 2007 at 6:31 am
Hello -
I would like to invite you to join in on a little portrait-drawing-fun … please drop by here: http://www.udgang99.dk/pdm
The site is just starting out, but it’s looking promising already, I think!
Kim Larsen
udgang99@gmail.com
November 26th, 2007 at 10:16 am
Thanks for this blog. your work is an inspiration…looking forward to the new book!
November 26th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
hey craig,
i picked up ur sketchbook from europe back in ‘04
its great, i love reading it on my way to work. it gets me inspired to do it myself
cheers
hope to see anyone like it
-josh
November 27th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Hey Craig,
I saw in an earlier post a photograph of your wooden drawing table. i thought it was so beautiful I had to ask where did you find it and about how much did it cost you?
Thank you so much!
-Stuart
November 28th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Cool, China! I’ll look for it the next time I’m back in the homeland.
Odd thought - Blankets reminds me of Blue Like Jazz, by Donald Miller…
November 30th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
great work! I love your drawings! very nice.
send by:
www.ruisousaartworks.blogspot.com
December 6th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
I just bought Blankets today and found it a fantastic work, deeply moving, probably the very best graphic novel i’ve read so far. I cant count the number of friend who will get it as a Christmas present from me : )
December 7th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Hi Craig,
Did “Blankets” were also published in China? I thought they’re only published in Taiwan since they’re all translated in traditional Chinese, and the people in China only read simplified Chinese.
I finished reading the 2 volumes in vary short time and was deeply touched.
December 7th, 2007 at 9:09 am
Thanks Tsai Chiung-I,
I’ve just updated the opening sentence to clarify…
December 8th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
Congrats on your grammy nod!!!!!
December 11th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
hi craig, i read blankets a few months ago: Thank you.
December 13th, 2007 at 3:31 am
I bought Blankets about 2 years ago, completely “blind” - no idea what it was about, and my bookstore here in Singapore didn’t have a sample open (I was too lazy to line up at the counter to get it open and browse while the salesperson stared at me reading.)
Thank you for the book. Your Christian experiences echo mine - although my experiences improved over the years that I’ve been in the church.
Keep drawing, and I’ll keep reading.
December 13th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Craig! It’s been a month since your last entry, where are you? We miss you!
December 21st, 2007 at 3:13 am
I can’t imagine how tired you are of hearing this,
but I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t let you know that I know that
that is exactly what it feels like to sleep with someone for the first time.
You got it.
January 17th, 2008 at 8:05 am
I’m a Taiwaness(Chiness) and I love this “Comic” very much.
It’s hard to describe my feelings about your story……I cant use English just like an American, not to mention the difficulty of
conmunicate between tow men .
I believe in God, and I underwent the guilty of sex(maybe a unfaithful love to God).
When I embraced my girl, the world became so lightly to me, and there was no more burden…..
I think that was the way God love me, so I think she is my real angel.
Do you still keep the blanket now ?
(Sorry for my poor English ^^)
March 17th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
oh sweet! in Chinese! It looks like its in traditional chinese. How’s it doing in Taiwan?