Kim Thompson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kim Thompson |
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Kim Thompson by Michael Netzer
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| Born | September 25, 1956 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Died | June 19, 2013 (aged 56) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Editor, Publisher |
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Notable works
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The Comics Journal Fantagraphics Books |
| Awards | Inkpot Award (2001) |
| Spouse(s) | Lynn Emmert |
Kim Thompson (born September 25, 1956 – died June 19, 2013) was an American editor and publisher of comic books. He was famous for being the vice president and co-publisher of Fantagraphics Books in Seattle. With co-publisher Gary Groth, he helped make "alternative comics" popular in America. Kim Thompson also worked hard to bring many European comics to American readers.
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Early Life and Interests
Kim Thompson was born in Denmark in 1956. Because his father worked for the government, Kim spent much of his childhood in Europe. He lived in West Germany and the Netherlands. His mother was Danish, so Kim grew up speaking Danish. This skill later helped him translate European comic books. He also spoke French very well.
Kim became interested in comics at a young age. Some of his favorite artists were André Franquin, Maurice Tillieux, and Jacques Tardi. As a teenager, Kim often wrote letters to the "letter columns" of American superhero comic books. His letters were published in popular comics like Amazing Spider-Man and Captain America.
Kim Thompson's Career
Working at Fantagraphics
Kim Thompson moved to the United States in 1977. Soon after, he met Gary Groth through a friend. Kim joined the Fantagraphics staff that same year. He quickly became a co-owner with Groth. In 1978, Kim even used his inheritance to save Fantagraphics from going out of business.
Kim was a regular writer for The Comics Journal, a magazine published by Fantagraphics. He started writing for it in 1977. Even though he was quiet in person, Kim was not afraid to share strong opinions in his writing. He reviewed many comics and sometimes debated with other creators about their work.
Kim also wrote for another Fantagraphics magazine called Amazing Heroes from 1981 to 1987.
Since 1982, Fantagraphics has published many comic books. Kim Thompson edited many of their most popular titles. These included Hate by Peter Bagge, Acme Novelty Library by Chris Ware, and Palestine by Joe Sacco. He also edited Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai and Castle Waiting by Linda Medley.
One of Kim's last big projects at Fantagraphics was a new edition of The Adventures of Jodelle. This was a famous graphic novel from 1966 by Guy Peellaert. Kim also translated this book from French for the new edition.
A Skillful Translator
Kim Thompson was a big supporter of European comics. He translated the work of many international cartoonists for Fantagraphics. He also translated material for The Comics Journal. He was the main translator for the Ignatz Series, which Fantagraphics also published.
Kim explained his translation work like this:
I translate almost every European foreign-language cartoonist we publish. The only exception is Matti Hagelberg from Finland, because Finnish is not my area of expertise. . . . I've worked on comics by Nikoline Werdelin (Danish), Joost Swarte (Dutch), David B., Emile Bravo, Killoffer, Jacques Tardi, and Lewis Trondheim (French). I've also translated works by Nicolas Mahler (German), Gabriella Giandelli, Igort, Leila Marzocchi, and Sergio Ponchione (Italian). Plus, Jason (Norwegian or French), Max (Spanish), and Martin Kellerman (Swedish). . . .
You might wonder, I don't actually speak all those languages. But I can read them, some better than others. . . . Danish is my first language. Swedish and Norwegian are very similar to Danish, so I can read them pretty well. I learned Spanish in high school and kept using it. I lived in Germany for six years and studied German in high school, so I remembered that too. I lived in Holland for three years. Italian is my weakest language. I usually work through it using French and Spanish, and a dictionary. But I always check my Italian translations with the authors.
Illness and Passing
On March 6, 2013, Kim Thompson shared that he had lung cancer. He took a break from Fantagraphics to get treatment. Sadly, he passed away on June 19, 2013, at his home. He was 56 years old. He was survived by his wife, Lynn Emmert, and also his mother, father, and brother.
Awards and Recognition
Kim Thompson received an Inkpot Award in 2001. This award honors people who have made great contributions to comics.
He was also nominated for a Will Eisner Comic Industry Award in 1996 for Best Editor. This was for his work on The Acme Novelty Library, Palestine, and Zero Zero.
Tributes to Kim Thompson
Many people in the comics world shared their thoughts about Kim Thompson.
Comics journalist Tom Spurgeon said:
. . . Thompson spent his last years helping transform the alternative comics company he co-owned. He made it into a strong publisher of comics, art books, and graphic novels. . . . He was one of North America's best supporters for translated books from the rich French-language tradition. He was also a talented editor, a great interviewer . . . and generally knew a lot about how the company worked. If Fantagraphics were a car, Kim would be the person always looking under the hood, making sure it ran well.
Comics critic R. Fiore shared:
If he had told you 36 years ago that he would one day publish Robert Crumb, Charles Schulz, Walt Kelly, Carl Barks, Harvey Kurtzman, Will Elder, Hergé, Jacques Tardi, and EC Comics, along with many other famous comics creators, you would have been amazed. . . . And yet, it all happened.
Most importantly, his passing will be a huge loss for French comics in English. . . . Even the best translations of French comics, like the famous work on Asterix, can sometimes sound a bit stiff. But Kim's translations sounded natural and like real English. If you were at Fantagraphics, this skill was just there, like water from a tap.
See also
In Spanish: Kim Thompson para niños
