The Art of Richard Thompson short video

The Art of Richard Thompson

 GVI November 2014
http://www.g-v-i.com/page_2.asp?ID=44
 

Richard Thompson has been called a "cartoonists' cartoonist." Find out why in this warm and moving portrait.

Roger, Houston, Richard Thompson has landed

The Art of Richard Thompson! A box of contributor copies arrived yesterday!

Richard Thompson is on a blogging roll

Richard Thompson is on a blogging roll and has had some excellent posts lately. Read them immediately:

Creating Character

Agreed; The Specific is Funnier Than The General

Small things

Your Unnecessary Magazine Illustration for Today

Art in Illustration

Watterson's comic art to benefit Parkinsons research in honor of Richard Thompson

Bill Watterson's return to comics: Pearls Before Swine comic art auctioned for Parkinson's research

The reclusive creator's artwork from the recently finished three-day collaboration with Stephen Pastis on Pearls Before Swine will sell Aug. 8, 2014 at Heritage Auctions, proceeds to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

DALLAS – The original artwork for the recent three comic strip collaboration between Bill Watterson, the cartooning genius behind the much-loved Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, and Pearls Before Swine cartoonist Stephen Pastis – taking place in a three day run in June 2014 in Pearls – will be sold at Heritage Auctions on Aug. 8, 2014, with proceeds from the sale benefiting The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

"Anytime original Bill Watterson comic art shows up for auction it's a huge deal," said Todd Hignite, Vice President at Heritage Auctions. "His collaboration with Stephan Pastis was an unexpected treat for his millions of fans. Now, thanks to this auction, fans will get to take the original art home while raising money for a great cause."

The collaboration between the two artists came at the suggestion of Watterson and was immediately embraced by an overwhelmed Pastis, who, like some many modern cartoonists, was greatly influenced by Watterson and Calvin and Hobbes. The trajectory of the three strip arc follows Pastis' comic strip alter-ego as he turns the drawing of the comic over to a precocious second-grader named Libby for three days. The results are both wickedly funny and uniquely Watterson, while remaining true to the sharp humor that defines the Pearls Before Swine strip.

At Watterson's request, the artwork is being sold on behalf of Team Cul de Sac, a non-profit charity established by editor/designer Chris Sparks on behalf of  Cul de Sac cartoonist Richard Thompson, who is battling Parkinson's Disease – a piece of artwork done by Watterson depicting one of Thompson's Cul de Sac characters sold in 2012 as part of a charity auction to benefit Team Cul de Sac – and the profits from the sale of the original art (Heritage is waiving the seller's fee on the artwork and will also contribute half of the Buyer's Premium) will be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

Heritage Auctions is the largest auction house founded in the United States and the world's third largest, with annual sales of more than $900 million, and 850,000+ online bidder members. For more information about Heritage Auctions, and to join and receive access to a complete record of prices realized, with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HA.com.

A few pictures of Al Feldstein

AP is reporting that the great Mad Magazine editor Al Feldstein has passed away. I knew him slightly. He used to send seriously leftist emails to people he knew. I will set about saving them for a the Billy Ireland Library at Ohio State.



That's Craig Fischer, Richard Thompson, Roger Langridge and Al.


Mike Rhode with Al Feldstein at Baltimore Comic-Con 2007


Al and a fan at Heroes Con.


Al and Ben Towle at Heroes Con.

More pictures from the 2008 Heroes Con are here.

Shelton Drum's original comic art exhibit in Southern VA

"Heroes Aren't Hard to Find: The Comic Art Collection of Shelton Drum" exhibit at the William King Museum, Abingdon, VA, is absolutely fantastic, especially for someone around age 50-60. Shelton bought the art that we all would have, especially Spider-Man pages. Here's a set of pictures I snapped quickly, which don't do the art justice.

Why mention this on ComicsDC? Because local hero Richard Thompson is represented with two Cul de Sac strips.

Richard Thompson's medical status

I've just spoken to Richard's wife Amy and found out that he'll be discharged from the hospital to a local nursing facility for days of physical, occupational and speech therapy. He did fine with his first day of a new hip, but of course the Parkinsons that caused the fall will not make this recovery easy.

She's also planning on giving him his iPad soon so he'll be able to read email directly, without responding in his morphine dreams.

Mike

'Complete Cul de Sac'/show with Watterson in 2014

Look for the 656-page Complete Cul de Sac (Andrews McMeel Publishing) in May 2014, reports Reuben Award-winning cartoonist Richard Thompson on his blog. “Annotated, copyedited, collated, and now covered. The only thing left to be done is the printing and gluing it or sewing or whatever they do to make it hold together. And, of course, buying it,” Thompson writes. Now the second big announcement: Thompson will join cartoonist Bill Watterson (yes, of Calvin & Hobbs fame) for a two-man exhibit in 2014 at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University.

Santa Clinton?

Here's a special Christmas treat for ComicsDC readers.

Anybody have any idea what this cartoon is from, and who did it? (don't click through to see the original yet)



No? How about this one?



This?



Or these?













They were originally grouped like this:



Scroll down for the answer:

Give up? It's a shopping bag from Tyson's Corner mall from 1994. 

 

According to Kirstin Downey Grimsley in the Washington Post (November 1, 1994), "This year Tysons Corner Center is unveiling something specially designed for the mall. Mall spokesmen are calling it 'A Capital Christmas,' and it will offer a whimsical greeting tied to the region's role as nation's capital."Apparently that included a shopping bag with "cartoon illustrations of President Bill Clinton portraying Santa Claus." The cartoons (in this order) are by local creators Richard Thompson, Kevin Rechin, Nick Galifianakis, Joe Azar, Ron Coddington, Peter Steiner, Sam Ward, Mike Lane and John Kascht - some of whom have since moved out of the area.

Thanks to Richard Thompson for the gift of the bag and to he and Nick for identifying some of the cartoonists. Easier-to-read greyscale illustrations can be seen here.

Get a Cul de Sac ornament for 50% off tonight

Richard Thompson has an ornament of Alice dancing on the manhole cover for sale at Cafe Press. Tonight you can get it for 1/2 price ($6.25) by putting in the code SPRUCE at checkout. I assume Richard still gets his full share of the sale.

Keeping up with Cyborg Richard Thompson's treatment part 2

Nick Galifianakis @ 11:25

 Another Cartoonist Brain Update:

Surgery started at 9:35. Richard is conscious (yoicks!) and doing great; they're testing as they go, and everything is good so far. They are about to start on the second hemisphere. The next update will probably include comments from the surgeon.

For those of you that have not had this kind of brain surgery: Richard is having a chip implanted in his brain in hopes of greatly alleviating his Parkinson's symptoms. Because everyone is different, his brain must be "listened to" and monitored while they search for just the right spot for maximum impact.

More later...

and Amy, Richard's wife has reported now that he's out of surgery, and "Everything went great!"

Cul de Sac test run in Winston-Salem Journal

Ask SAM: Straight Answers
By: JournalNow Staff | Winston-Salem Journal February 22, 2012
http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2012/feb/22/wsmain02-ask-sam-straight-answers-ar-1957387/

Just on Sundays at first, replacing the cancelled Elderberries.

Local cartoonists and the 9-11 comic strip

Comic Riffs recently ran an article about comic strips doing a 9-11 commmemorative. We've got four strip local creators, so I asked them - are you doing a 9-11 strip?

Donna Lewis of "Reply All":

Yes. :-)

USA Today has a preview panel here and they included a panel of mine. :-) (very honored).

Richard Thompson of "Cul de Sac":

No, I didn't do one. I couldn't find a graceful way of putting a 9-11 comment into the small world of Cul de Sac that didn't diminish the commentary and the strip. The one cartoon on 9-11 that's stayed with me over the last decade is a Tom the Dancing Bug from a few weeks after the actual event. It's here. I couldn't offer anything as eloquent as that. For what it's worth I'm going to post three old cartoons I did on 9-11 on my blog.

Gene Weingarten, writer of "Barney & Clyde":

Yep, we have one.

Kevin Rechin, artist of "Crock" could not be reached for comment.

Cul de Sac and Reply All pick up papers

Congratulations, friends!

Meet Lizzie, the latest addition to the Pioneer Press comics page lineup (this is an interview with Donna)
By Molly Guthrey, Pioneer Press 08/27/2011
http://www.twincities.com/life/ci_18763817?nclick_check=1

'Cul de Sac' returns to E-N; Sunday strip that ran on a trial basis in 2008 chronicles the life of a chatty preschooler.
By René A. Guzman
 San Antonio Express-News August 28, 2011
 http://www.mysanantonio.com/life/article/Cul-de-Sac-returns-to-E-N-2141635.php

Richard Thompson wins cartooning's 'Oscar' award

Richard Thompson won the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Award, named after legendary cartoonist Rube Goldberg, in Boston last night. Comic Riffs has the story and also points out that Gary Varvel who won the RFK Journalism Award for editorial cartooning here in DC, also won the NCS editorial cartooning division award.

And here's Richard's blogpost on winning. And here are Chris Sparks' pictures from the ceremony.

"A portrait of ‘Cul de Sac’ cartoonist Richard Thompson" photos online

A portrait of 'Cul de Sac' cartoonist Richard Thompson

Dustin Fenstermacher
Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/a-portrait-of-cul-de-sac-cartoonist-richard-thompson/2011/05/18/AFHTxQ7G_gallery.html#photo=1

and there's a big article coming this weekend.

Cul de Sac ranking in Knoxville News-Sentinel poll

The Knoxville News-Sentinel published its comic strip poll which had Cul de Sac ranked.

Cul de Sac was 10th with women, but not in the top ten for men.

For Under 18, it was number 5.
For 18-34, it was number 8.

It didn't place in the top ten for anyone older than 35.

Overall it was number 19 with 202 loving it and 419 hating it.

March 8: Arlington's Mardi Gras parade

Richard Thompson's done the poster again.

I'll be there. He might. I'll sign his name if you'd like.

UPDATE - he wasn't there. I was. Nobody asked me to sign his name. However, I did find out that Bono Mitchell of Bonotom Studio, who always commissions these drawings from Richard, colored this one, in spite of being nervous about it. I think she did a great job - I didn't realize it wasn't his coloring.

Richard Thompson's popping up all over the place

You can see a poster he did for Arlington's Mardi Gras - St. Patrick's Day extravaganza.

Tom Richmond's drawn a caricature of him leading the pack to the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben awards.

We launched the Team Cul de Sac blog tonight to try to get more regular updates about this great project out to you.

Team Cul de Sac launches for Parkinson's Disease fundraising

Chris Sparks, Cul de Sac's webmaster, has launched Team Cul de Sac to raise money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Parkinson's Disease research. You can read Richard Thompson's take on it or just go right to the charity's main page and pledge some money. If you're a cartoonist, rather than contributing money, you may wish to participate in an art auction. Chris wants to raise $250,000 and has gotten commitments from excellent artists already (some of whom aren't even Richard's friends!), and Andrews McMeel will be publishing a collection of the artwork which I'm really looking forward to.

Thank you all for any support.