Craig Thompson
An American cartoonist whose lush, emotionally raw graphic novels like 'Blankets' transformed the medium into literary art.
Born 1975 (age 51)·American graphic novelist·Birthday: September 21·Generation X
Biography
Craig Thompson emerged from the Wisconsin winters to become one of the most eloquent voices in American comics, a draftsman of breathtaking skill who channeled memory, faith, and desire into sweeping visual narratives. His breakthrough, 'Blankets,' was a tender, achingly personal coming-of-age story that won mainstream acclaim and awards, proving the graphic novel could handle intimate autobiography with profound depth. He followed it with the monumental 'Habibi,' a stunningly intricate fable weaving Arabic calligraphy and Islamic themes into a story of love and survival. Thompson's work is defined by its physicality—the scratch of a pen, the weight of a blanket, the curves of script—and a fearless exploration of the spiritual and sensual self, pushing comics far beyond the confines of genre.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Craig was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Craig Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Craig's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Started school
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His graphic novel 'Blankets' (2003) won multiple Eisner and Harvey Awards and is a landmark work in autobiographical comics.
- Published the epic graphic novel 'Habibi' (2011), a six-year project noted for its intricate artwork weaving Arabic calligraphy and visual storytelling.
- Received a Grammy nomination in 2007 for Best Recording Package for his cover design of the Menomena album 'Friend and Foe'.
- Has won a total of four Harvey Awards and three Eisner Awards for his work.
Did You Know?
He grew up in a conservative evangelical Christian family in rural Wisconsin, a background deeply explored in 'Blankets'.
Much of 'Habibi' was drawn with a hand-cut reed pen, mimicking traditional calligraphy tools.
He is a co-founder of the comic book publisher Uncivilized Books.
“Comics are a way of thinking, a way of organizing thoughts, a way of telling stories.”
