Maggie Thompson facts for kids
Maggie Thompson, born Margaret Curtis on November 29, 1942, is an American editor and a big fan of science fiction and comic books. She was the longtime editor of a popular magazine called Comics Buyer's Guide, which shared news about the comic book world. Maggie is also a dedicated collector of comics.
Quick facts for kids Maggie Thompson |
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Thompson at Wizard World Chicago, 2017
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| Born | Margaret Curtis November 29, 1942 |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Writer, Editor |
| Pseudonym(s) | Arthur Judson (when collaborating with late husband Don Thompson) |
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Notable works
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Comics Buyer's Guide |
| Awards | Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award Eisner Award Inkpot Award Jack Kirby Award Harvey Award |
Contents
Maggie Thompson's Early Life
Margaret Curtis, known as Maggie, was born on November 29, 1942. Her mother, Betsy Curtis, was a science fiction writer. Betsy was even nominated for a special award, the Hugo Award for Best Short Story, in 1969 for her story "The Steiger Effect". She often wrote letters to other famous writers like Robert Heinlein.
Maggie and her husband, Don Thompson, were both huge fans of science fiction. They helped start what became known as comic book fandom in the 1960s. Fandom is a community of people who share a strong interest in something, like comics.
In 1960, Maggie and Don created a small, simple newsletter called Harbinger. This newsletter announced their plans for a new magazine called Comic Art. Comic Art was one of the first fan-made magazines about comics. They published seven issues of Comic Art between 1961 and 1968.
After Comic Art, they started a new fan magazine called Newfangles in 1967. This magazine was special because it focused on what was happening in the world of comic book fans, rather than just news about the comics themselves.
Maggie Thompson's Career in Comics
Maggie Thompson began working for a company called Krause Publications in 1983. She became the editor of two magazines: Movie Collector's World and Comics Buyer's Guide.
With her husband Don, Maggie wrote many articles and even some comic book stories. They also wrote several books together. These included The Official Price Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy and the Comics Buyer's Guide Annual. They also created guides for Marvel Comics and books about comic book superstars.
Maggie also worked with others to produce the Comics Buyer's Guide Checklist & Price Guide. This guide helps collectors keep track of their comics and their value. She also helped create the Standard Catalog of Comic Books.
Working on her own, Maggie created and edited Fantasy Empire magazine in 1981. She also wrote a series of comic books called Dark Shadows: Book Two - Lost in Thought in 1993.
Krause Publications later sold the movie newspaper, but Maggie continued to edit Comics Buyer's Guide. She kept working on it long after her husband Don passed away in 1994. The publication later changed from a newspaper to a monthly magazine. In 2013, Maggie started writing a column called "Maggie's World" for the San Diego Comic-Con's Toucan blog.
Maggie's son, Stephen Thompson, also became involved in media. He was an editor for The Onion and created The A.V. Club. Later, he moved to NPR, where he co-hosts a podcast called "Pop Culture Happy Hour." Maggie has appeared on this podcast many times.
Awards and Recognition
Maggie Thompson and the magazines she edited have received many important awards.
Awards for Comics Buyer's Guide
Under Maggie's leadership, Comics Buyer's Guide won the prestigious Eisner Award twice. The Eisner Award is one of the highest honors in the comic book industry.
Awards for Maggie Thompson
Maggie herself has received several special awards for her contributions. She was given the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award. She was also the very first person to receive the Friends of Lulu's Women of Distinction Award.
Joint Awards with Don Thompson
Maggie and Don Thompson received many awards together for their work in the comic book world. Some of these include:
- Inkpot Award, 1976
- Jack Kirby Award, Best Comics Publication, 1985
- Diamond Lifetime Fandom Award, 1991
- Eisner Award, Best Comics-Related Periodical, 1992
- Harvey Award, Comics Industry Pioneer Award, 2019
- Eisner Award, Hall of Fame, 2020
The Don Thompson Award
The Motor City Comic Con created an award in Don Thompson's honor. It was called the "Don Thompson Award" and was given out from 1992 to 1998. The name was changed to honor Don after he passed away in 1994.
