Monday, March 22, 2004
AGGIELIf
THE BATTALli
“Blankets”
by Craig Thompson
Top Shelf
live at
Reed Arena
7 pm
Thursday, April 1
ON SALE NOW!
Tickets available at
Reed Arena Box Office,
MSC Box Office,
all Ticketmaster locations,
including Foleys, 979.268.0414,
or ticketmaster.com
Show contains adult language.
For Craig Thompson, love is a wonderful thing filled with pain
and joy. The innocence of first love is countered at every turn by the
haunting warnings of temptation that the Bible has taught since his
childhood. In “Blankets,” an almost 600 page autobiographical
comic book, Thompson recounts his first love among other memo
ries of his childhood.
“Blankets” begins plainly, with a simple panel that reads: “When
we were young, my little brother Phil and I shared the same bed.”
The simplicity of this panel is a good indication of what comes next
in Thompson’s touching rendition of his youth.
Throughout the graphic novel, the reader is introduced to a
wide variety of characters that orbit around young Thompson.
From his wild brother Phil to his sometimes cruel father,
Thompson reflects upon the past with enough sincerity that read
ers will be tempted to take everything he says for granted, no ques
tions asked. When Craig and his brother would fight over who was
hogging the sheets at night, his father’s solution was to throw lit
tle Phil into a hole in the wall for the night. Craig and Phil's
babysitter once took each of them aside and exposed himself.
Whether these events actually took place is never questioned
as one reads “Blankets.” Thompson utilizes such an honest nar
rative voice, readers will not bother to question what is being pre
sented to them.
“Blankets’” main story surrounds Thompson’s emotionally tur
bulent first love. Thompson meets Raina at church camp and togeth
er each finds in the other comfort and peace that they had been lack
ing. Thompson had always been an outside, and in Raina he discc v-
ers a friend who makes any other person obsolete. Raina comes
from an emotionally-distant family in which she was given an over
load of responsibility at a young age.
From their first encounter, each finds a serenity that they embrace
along with each other. Thompson details his descent into love with
a poetic meter that will remind readers of a love song. Not all things
are rosy for the young lovers, though. Thompson is constantly at
odds with his upbringings and battles with the dual nature of love,
striving to find a balance between worship and lust.
The use of beautifully symbolic illustrations helps to tie together
his love with the undertones of his faith. The story' of Thompson and
Raina’s love is bookmarked with reflections about growingupij
his brother and their adventures and misadventures.
Thompson’s illustrations perfectly convey the innocence
childhood with almost a cartoonish atmosphere that is balanced!
with the many touches of intricate detail and deftly drawn emotiin
The simplicity of snow is turned into masterful artwork withcb
panel layouts and creative uses of negative space. The black
white nature of the illustrations actually works well tocotro
black and white nature of remembrance. The past is theonlyil
clear to Thompson as he looks back on his year with Raina.
“Blankets” is a story of love and loss that is not only an
read, but a poignant one as well. Everybody who has experienc
the bitterness that comes when a relationship that once
thought would last forever begins to fall apart will be touched
they read Thompson’s autobiography. Fans of pop art willapp
date the beauty found in the simplicity of Thompson’s
“Blankets” is, in short, an excellent read that manages to oft
incredible insight into the life of a normal teenager experience
life, in all its wonderful pain.
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Robert Sana
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Use this as firestarter
Read only when insomnia hits
Buy it at a used bookstore
Buy it in hardback
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Buy a copy for your coffee table,
nightstand, and bookshelf
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
presented by
Clooney raises funds for
father’s congressional bid
FORT MITCHELL. Ky. (AP) - Actor George
Clooney helped raise about $140,000
Saturday at private fund-raisers for his
father's congressional campaign.
Nick Clooney, a longtime Cincinnati televi
sion personality, is the lone Democratic can
didate for the 4th District seat of retiring U.S.
Rep. Ken Lucas.
George Clooney spoke briefly at two events
in northern Kentucky, but stayed away from
making political statements. Instead, he
talked about his father and how he wanted to
help him with the election.
“It's great having my son come in to help,"
Nick Clooney said. “It's family. Whennp
and my daughter show up and help me.
means a lot and it shows me this is morette
just politics. We still matter to one anota
About 150 people paid $250 each to mins
with the actor at The Oriental Wok, a res-
rant in Fort Mitchell. In another fund-*
about 100 people paid $1,000 each to s
the actor at a private home.
department
of
health &
kinesiology
$
ms*
MSC
OPAS
uu
enlighten entertain | inspire
Present
rh,
Faculty Performing
An Arts Showcase
Can your dance professor
perform Swan Lake?
Ever wondered if your Shakespeare
professor longs to play Hamlet?
Can your Music profs prove
they can play the mandolin?
Saturday, March 27
7:30 PM
Rudder Auditorium
Come see your professors practice
what they teach!
FREE - No ticket needed - FREE
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