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Fantagraphics Co-Publisher, Co-Owner Kim Thompson Passes Away
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
North American publisher Fantagraphics Books announced on Wednesday that Kim Thompson, co-publisher and co-owner, passed away on Wednesday morning after a battle with lung cancer.
Thompson was born in Denmark in 1956 and he started working for The Comics Journal in 1977 after his parents moved to Virginia. Thompson then became an owner of the magazine in 1978. Fantagraphics Books began publishing comics in 1982, and Thompson helped bring over selected European graphic novels for American publication during Fantagraphics first few years. Thompson also helmed the Amazing Heroes magazine until 1992.
Thompson may be best well known for working as an editor on Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo graphic novel series. He most recently helmed a line of European graphic novel translations, which included works by Jacques Tardi, Jason, and Guy Peelaert, among others.
Thompson was diagnosed with lung cancer in late February. He is survived by his wife, mother, father, and brother.
Fantagraphics Books has published Moto Hagio's A Drunken Dream and Heart of Thomas manga, Takako Shimura's Wandering Son manga, and the company also plans to publish Inio Asano's Nijigahara Holograph manga.
Photo by Lynn Emmert.
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