Cartoonist Craig Thompson Gives Grammys the Tiniest Smidgen of Cred

Amid all the Foo Fighters, Kanye Wests, and Beyoncés nominated for Grammys this year, one name really sticks out to nerds like us: Craig Thompson. Yes, that Craig Thompson, the indie cartoonist whose 2003 memoir of growing up in love with Jesus and girls in the upper Midwest, Blankets, is about the perfect graphic novel — beautifully drawn, passionately written, and endlessly surprising. He’s nominated for his design of the album cover for Menomena’s excellent album Friend and Foe — an elaborately drawn, intricately die-cut piece of work that offers near-limitless visual permutations.

Thompson notes in an interview with the Oregonian that the band explored even crazier ideas for the album’s design, including reducing an entire Bible in size so it could fit in the CD booklet. He also freely admits that he really wants to win: “I wanna get it! I think it would be very funny to be a cartoonist with a Grammy.” We can’t believe we’re saying this, but: Nice one, Grammys.

Craig Thompson talks about Grammy nomination [The Oregonian via The Beat/PW]
Earlier: Grammy Nominations Announced: Chris Daughtry and The Boss Having, Like, the Worst Day Ever