Rest in passion, Tom...

by Michael Cavna

(reprinted with permission)

Tom Spurgeon, RIP

Photo by Bruce Guthrie at the 2019 Baltimore Comic Con.

Tom Spurgeon died yesterday, presumably in his adopted city of Columbus, Ohio where he was recruited by Jeff Smith to be the organizer of the Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) festival. He was literally one of the giants of the field of comics journalism (as he stood well over 6 feet tall), and his passing is a major loss to everyone who knew him, or appreciated his work. I think his editorship of The Comics Journal was its golden age. I followed his Comics Reporter religiously and I'll miss his knowledge of and love for the field.

Tom Spurgeon's Team Cul de Sac Fanzine contribution now online

You should still buy the zine, however...

On Jaime Hernandez's The Death Of Speedy
By Tom Spurgeon
For Favorites, The Team Cul De Sac Favorite Comic Zine, 2011
http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/otbp_favorites_the_team_cul_de_sac_favorite_comic_zine/

Comics Reporter interviews Rina Ayuyang, seen locally in Party Crashers exhibit

Spurgeon, Tom. 2010.
CR Sunday Interview: Rina Ayuyang.
Comics Reporter (November 28): http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/cr_sunday_interview_rina_ayuyang/

Death of USNWR lets Spurgeon dig up Richard Thompson's comics history

Tom Spurgeon looks at the end of US News & World Report through a peculiarly comics lens - he gets Richard Thompson to comment on his time working for them -

USN&WR Ending Its Print Iteration.
Comics Reporter (November 8 2010).

If you're not reading The Comics Reporter, you should be. It's one of three comics blogs I read every day.

Spurgeon, among others, urges Cul de Sac replace Cathy

Cathy Guisewite is retirng her strip Cathy. I've seen this comment more than once now, and here's Tom Spurgeon articulating it the best:

I urge every paper that is looking for a replacement to consider Cul-De-Sac. I think it's the finest strip going with a client list short of where it should be, but it really needs to sit in your paper for a while to have the best chance for people to pick up on its rhythms. It's not the kind of strip that benefits from replacing something that's been running and that has fans that could demand its return.

Richard Thompson interview by Tom Spurgeon online now

Tom Spurgeon interviewed Richard Thompson at Heroes Con last month, and has transcribed the interview - CR Sunday Interview: Richard Thompson (From Heroes Con 2010), July 4, 2010. Tom's a former editor of the Comics Journal and one of the more knowledgeable people who write about comics. I read his Comics Reporter every day and you should too.

Cul de Sac like "an anchor" says Comic Reporter readers

Tom Spurgeon often asks a Friday question of readers of his excellent The Comics Reporter blog (the only one I read 'cover to cover' although Journalista is a close second), and this past week he asked which five comic strips should be used to anchor a comic strip section. Many answered 'Cul de Sac' although there was a surprise 'Barney and Clyde' vote - a surprise since the strip didn't start until 3 days after the poll.

Peter Bagge strips from DC's Reason magazine collected

Peter Bagge's strips from DC's Reason magazine have been collected, I like these strips a lot - they're mostly cartoon journalism. Bagge spoke at Reason about 2 years ago and I went to their Dupont Circle location and enjoyed the talk.

The book, which I bought this week, is: Everybody Is Stupid Except for Me and Other Astute Observations, Peter Bagge, Fantagraphics, softcover, 120 pages, 9781606991589 (ISBN13), 2009, $16.99.

For a good interview, see Tom Spurgeon, "CR Sunday Interview: Peter Bagge," Comics Reporter (July 12 2009)

OT: Spurgeon's Batton Lash interview

I always enjoy the new Supernatural Law comic and Batton is one of the nicest guys you'd want to meet at a con. I usually try to buy anything new he's got at SPX, and this year got a guidebook to Supernatural Law while my daughter got some of the Archie comics he's writing. Here's a new interview with him by Tom Spurgeon:
CR Holiday Interview #9: Batton Lash, Comics Reporter (December 31 2008).

Spurgeon interviews Hellman

We've been seeing Danny Hellman's work regularly in the Post's Source section as well as in the City Paper. Here's a big interview with him by Tom Spurgeon. CR Sunday Interview: Danny Hellman. Comics Reporter (August 24 2008): http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/cr_sunday_interview_danny_hellman/

I've got an e-copy of the Typhon book to review, but right now am reading and planning on reviewing Who Can Save Us Now? a book of superhero short stories.

Rob Ullman comic reviewed by Comics Reporter

Tom Spurgeon looks at Rob Ullman's minicomic Crustacean Frustration. I must confess that I now barely glance at Savage Love in the City Paper without Rob's illustrations.

We're all just one big incestous group of Thompson fans

In a column today entitled, "Twelve Mostly Overlooked Comics Published In The Last Twelve Or So Years," Tom Spurgeon listed Richard's Poor Alamanac. The permalink isn't working, but it's his July 25th column. He writes, "The great, emerging star of this decade's newspaper strip scene, Richard Thompson hasn't stopped doing his Richard's Poor Almanac work in favor of spending more time getting Cul De Sac out. This collection of those works from a few years back shows that were he to abandon the Almanac for any reason it would be a total shame. Trenchant and exceedingly wry, this book may frighten if like me you realize that these comics have been around for as long as they have without your being aware of them."

And he hasn't even seen the color ones. You can see some of them on Richard's blog. I've read about 1/2 of Tom's other recommendations.

Meanwhile over in Gene Weingarten's June 24th chat, someone who wasn't me said:

Arlington, Va.: Today as I was reading through the comics, I exclaimed out loud when I saw Cul de Sac. It's about time! I have no idea why it took the Post so long to pick it up, but I'm glad they finally did.

Gene Weingarten: It happened a year too late. This is not just one of the best new strips out there, it is one of the best strips out there. Richard Thompson is a genius.

Thompson transported from Heroes Con directly to Washington Post

Richard and I drove in from a great time at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC (posts and pics to follow) to discover that his strip Cul de Sac has taken the spot of the canceled Single And Looking strip in the Post as of today. Whoo-hoo! He's finally in his hometown paper every day. And now twice on Wednesday and Saturday. Hmmm... Has anyone ever seen him and Donald Graham at the same time?

In the meantime, Tom Spurgeon's coverage of Heroes Con largely mirrors mine, except he knows and interviewed more people. Richard and I had a very pleasant conversation in him at the Westin's bar on Saturday night, and we both agree that Tom's one of the best writers and critics around. We both read his site every day, and you should too. And I'm not just saying that because he likes Cul de Sac - some of the very best years of The Comics Journal (which has had a lot of great material in it) were when he was editing it.

Our man Thompson interviewed at Comics Reporter

This is going to be good. Tom Spurgeon's one of the best writers and interviewers about comics, talents honed as the editor of the Comics Journal.

Richmond's Chris Pitzer interviewed

Chris runs Adhouse Books in Richmond and has published some lovely stuff recently including books on Paul Pope and James Jean. Chris is a regular at SPX which is where I got to know him better this year, especially at the underattended Matt Wagner signing at Big Planet comics. He publishes absolutely gorgeous books. Check out Tom Spurgeon's "CR Holiday Interview #8: Chris Pitzer," Comics Reporter (January 4 2008).
Then go buy those two books in particular.

Tom Spurgeon memorializes SPX

Tom's posting links for what he calls "Collective Memory," a nice term. Since it's a local event, I'll just link to his Memory.

Boy, that "link to his Memory" sounded depressing, didn't it? It's not. As an archivist (professionally) and comics bibliographer (dilettante), it's very interesting to see how information sharing is evolving.

Comics Reporter's Postcards review

Tom Spurgeon bats the book around. Ouch. Sorry guys.

April 28 Nick Bertozzi at Big Planet Bethesda UPDATED

Nick Bertozzi signed his two new books Houdini and The Salon, as well as the older Boswash and The Masochist at Big Planet today. A few non-comics readers stopped in and bought The Salon, which I think is one of the best graphic novels of the year. Nick was very pleasant and it was a joy to talk with him. His 6-year old daughter was there, and was helpful in pointing out when your drawing was dry and you could take your book. ;^) Nick talked a little about his books - showing me the page of The Salon that's gotten Gordon Lee in trouble in Georgia (it shows Picasso's penis swinging as he jumps across his studio) and saying that he never wants to draw another bowler hat after Houdini's crowd scenes.

Nick's got an interesting question he asks when he meets you - I won't give it away except to note that answers were INXS / PIL; Clapton or Jason and the Scorchers; and The Who opening for Herman's Hermits. His next project, which should be excellent, is a graphic novel on Lennie Bruce with Harvey Pekar.

This was a good signing - Nick says he'll be at SPX in the fall - if you didn't make this, go to that. And Tom Spurgeon's got a new interview up.

Cartoon America - ABC News review

Tom Spurgeon pointed this out on his Comics Reporter blog.

ABC News covered the exhibit with a report by LAURA MARQUEZ - "Vietnam War Jabs and Washington Spending: The Art of Editorial Cartoons - New Exhibit Traces History of Political Drawings, Reflecting Little Changes in Washington."

The two-page article also links to a slideshow Cartoons Through War & Scandal.