Eisner and Thompson

The works of Will Eisner and Craig Thompson are sometimes non-existent, but sometimes uncannily parallel to each other. The similarities between the two graphic novels (Eisners Dropsie Avenue and Thompsons Blankets) are mostly due to Eisners lasting impressions in the comics world. Both graphic novels take a more autobiographical approach (Blankets more so), which makes both stories seem like documentations of a past they are trying to comprehend. The structure of both stories is set up in a way where the drawings support the text that is given. The drawing approaches are similar in construction, but not in design. Meaning that both works tended to break out of the confines of the panel, but are drawn in styles that are unique to the artist’s hand. For me, this makes the work feel more alive and in the moment, as each drawing bleeds into one another. The subject matters for both stories are also more mature. Violence (especially in Esiners work), and abuse are laid out to the audience in a way that can be stomached but not necessarily ignored. This gives the body of work a sort of message that Eisner and Thompson feel needs to be said. It makes both Blankets and Dropsie Avenue feel like a concentrated place with relatable and very realistic situations. There’s no real sugar coating, but the works don’t drown in complete cynicism either. There are moments in Dropsie Avenue where people are happy (getting married, etc.), and there are moments in Blankets where the fondness of a person and a memory are explored (his brother, and the girl that was his first love). These moments are what bring a dimensionality to the work that wouldn’t exist without them.