Over at his “Doot Doot Garden Blog,” Craig Thompson posted today to let his fans know that he has confirmed with his publisher, Pantheon, that his new graphic novel, Habibi, will officially be released on 20 September 2011, the day before his 36th birthday.
“The book,” writes Thompson, “will be $29.95 — 672 b&w pages — clothbound hardcover with stamped gold foil, and look something like the mock-up above. ”
Near as I can determine, Thompson has been working on Habibi for almost six years. And in a mere eight months time, he will be able to enjoy the fruits of his labour — a lengthy publicity tour with hour upon hour of sketching in and autographing books for his fans. As an admirer of Thompson’s draughtsmanship and virtuoso brush-and-ink technique, I worry about the toll the tour will take upon the artist’s drawing hand, but so long as he doesn’t try to produce a second Carnet de Voyage at the same time, he should be all right. Right?
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UPDATE (23 January 2011):
According to the Random House online catalogue, Craig Thompson’s Habibi will be released on 20 September 2011 not only as a hardcover but also as an eBook.
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