Why is the American agriculture story relevant to you (yes, you)? Is comic book a genre or a medium? Why should you care about where your food comes from? How does the story of an herbal root connect the United States and China?

This week, we chat with graphic novelist Craig Thompson about his latest autobiographical comic book series Ginseng Roots. Kevin stumbled upon an issue in the series and got super curious - what could an American artist possibly say about Northeastern China and an herbal root best known in Chinese medicine? He ended up loving the entire series. Ginseng Roots explores class divide, agriculture, holistic healing, the 300-year-long trade relationship between China and North America, childhood labor, and the bond between two brothers.

Craig Thompson is a cartoonist and the author of the award-winning books Blankets; Good-bye, Chunky Rice; and Habibi. He grew up in a rural farming community in Marathon, Wisconsin, world capital of ginseng.