Fantagraphics co-publisher Kim Thompson has passed away.
He was born in Denmark, but moved to the United States in the late 1970s where he edited The Comics Journal and Amazing Heroes. During his tenure at Fantagraphics, he worked with a wide range of influential artists and writers. His obituary shared some of his life’s work:
Among Thompson’s signature achievements in comics were Critters, a funny-animal anthology that ran from 50 issues between 1985 to 1990 and is perhaps best known for introducing the world to Stan Sakai‘s Usagi Yojimbo; and Zero Zero, an alternative comics anthology that also ran for 50 issues over five years — between 1995 and 2000 — and featured work by, among others, Kim Deitch, Dave Cooper, Al Columbia, Spain Rodriguez, Joe Sacco, David Mazzuchelli, and Joyce Farmer. His most recent enthusiasm was spearheading a line of European graphic novel translations.
(Link via Sarah Weinman, photo via Lynn Emmert)