Fantagraphics Co-Publisher Kim Thompson Diagnosed With Cancer

Late yesterday afternoon Fantagraphics released a statement on behalf of co-publisher Kim Thompson, revealing that the longtime editor has recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, and will be taking a leave of absence from his post. You can read the full statement below.From Fantagraphics co-publisher and longtime Thompson partner Gary Groth:

Kim Thompson has been my partner at Fantagraphics Books for 35 years. He's contributed vastly and selflessly to this company and to the comics medium and worked closely with countless fine artists over that time. This is a tough announcement to make, but everyone who knows Kim knows he's a fighter and we remain optimistic that he'll get through this and report back to report to work, where he belongs, doing what he loves.

And here is Thompson's message, in full:

I'm sure that by now a number of people in the comics field who deal with me on a regular or semi-regular basis have noticed that I've been responding more spottily. This is because of ongoing health issues for the past month, which earlier this week resolved themselves in a diagnosis of lung cancer.

This is still very early in the diagnosis, so I have no way of knowing the severity of my condition. I'm relatively young and (otherwise) in good health, and my hospital is top-flight, so I'm hopeful and confident that we will soon have the specifics narrowed down, set me up with a course of treatment, proceed, and lick this thing.

It is quite possible that as treatment gets underway I'll be able to come back in and pick up some aspects of my job, maybe even quite soon. However, in the interests of keeping things rolling as smoothly as I can, I've transferred all my ongoing projects onto other members of the Fantagraphics team. So if you're expecting something from me, contact Gary Groth, Eric Reyolds, or Jason Miles and they can hook you up with whoever you need. If there are things that only I know and can deal with, lay it out for them and they'll contact me.

Thompson joined Fantagraphics in 1977, just a year after the company was founded. Among his many responsibilities, he is the translator for the majority of the European foreign-language cartoonists whose work Fantagraphics publishes. For nearly four decades he has played a vital role in introducing fans to beloved cartoonists whose art many of us otherwise likely wouldn't be aware of.

ComicsAlliance wishes Thompson all the best as he begins to undergo treatment. Anyone who'd like to reach out to Thompson to show support should feel free to send mail to him c/o Fantagraphics Books, 7563 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115, or email to fbicomix@fantagraphics.com.