Goodbye, Chunky Rice

Summary

Goodbye, Chunky Rice is a bittersweet allegory about friendship, loss, and the inevitability of change. The story follows Chunky Rice, a small turtle who leaves his best friend, a deer mouse named Dandel, to journey across the sea in search of a new life. While Chunky seeks adventure, Dandel grapples with loneliness and the pain of separation. Their parallel stories are joined by vignettes of other quirky characters, including a grieving widower and a pair of Siamese twins, all of whom underscore the book’s central themes of love, departure, and healing. Thompson’s expressive linework and tender storytelling balance whimsy with melancholy, creating a poetic meditation on how departures shape relationships. Though slim in size, Goodbye, Chunky Rice remains a powerful debut that established Thompson as a major voice in independent comics.