Hilary Price on visiting Richard Thompson

Visiting the Inner Sanctum of Richard Thompson (The Cartoonist, Not The Singer)

by Hilary Price

October 29, 2014

http://rhymeswithorange.com/2014/10/29/visiting-the-inner-sanctum-of-richard-thompson-the-cartoonist-not-the-singer/

Howard U prof Marc Singer reviews Pax Americana

Pax Americana

Marc Singer

I Am NOT The Beastmaster blog November 24, 2014

http://notthebeastmaster.typepad.com/weblog/2014/11/pax-americana.html

 

A Thanksgiving for Richard Thompson, OR, Someday the true story will be told...

but for now, enjoy this first draft of history:

'THE ART OF RICHARD THOMPSON': How a team of friends brought strengths, passion to 'a long-overdue tribute'

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog (November 26, 2014): http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/11/26/the-art-of-richard-thompson-how-a-team-of-friends-brought-strengths-to-a-long-overdue-tribute/

The Post reviews The Penguins of Madagascar cartoon

Quirky quartet draws plenty of laughs [online as 'Penguins of Madagascar' movie review: Delightfully silly star turn for the quartet]

By Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post November 26 2014

http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/penguins-of-madagascar-movie-review-delightfully-silly-star-turn-for-the-quartet/2014/11/25/97dc2fe4-73ff-11e4-9c9f-a37e29e80cd5_story.html

Quirky quartet draws plenty of laughs [online as 'Penguins of Madagascar' movie review: Delightfully silly star turn for the quartet]

By Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post November 26 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/penguins-of-madagascar-movie-review-delightfully-silly-star-turn-for-the-quartet/2014/11/25/97dc2fe4-73ff-11e4-9c9f-a37e29e80cd5_story.html

The career trajectory of the four wisecracking cartoon penguins introduced as minor characters in "Madagascar" has been one of meteoric ascendancy, with return appear­ances in two sequels, a couple of stand-alone shorts and a television show. It's not an unusual path in animated Hollywood. We've seen it before with Scrat, the saber-toothed squirrel from "Ice Age," who parlayed a cameo in the first film into a cottage industry of increasingly annoying shorts and a camera-hogging turn in the second sequel, "Dawn of the Dinosaurs."

But unlike that acorn-obsessed, chipmunk-cheeked, paleo-rodent ham, the Flightless Four known as Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private are ready for their moment in the sun. "Penguins of Madagascar" is a delightfully silly star turn for this quartet of absurd little birds, who operate as a team of commandos.

There are several reasons why this works.

First is the voice talent. Although none of them is a marquee name, the actors who bring the penguins to life — Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Conrad Vernon and Christopher Knights — do so with verve. (Special credit goes to Vernon, who voices the almost nonverbal, but nevertheless vocally expressive Rico, who is often shown coughing up indigestible objects that he has swallowed.)

Other notably funny turns in "Penguins" include John Malkovich and Benedict Cumberbatch. Playing to type, the A-list actors provide the voices for, respectively, a villainous, emotionally unstable octopus named Dave and a heroic, cucumber-cool secret agent gray wolf whose name is classified. (That's right: The character's name is never given — "My name is classified" he tells us, in Cumberbatch's mellifluous British baritone — leading to some giddy "Who's on first?" confusion.)

Which brings me to the real reason for the movie's success: the writing of the story, which concerns Dave's plot to kidnap penguins from all of the world's zoos and turn them into monsters.

Fleshing out characters created by "Madagascar" directors and writers Eric Darnell and McGrath (whose voice propels Skipper's MacGyver-like can-do spirit), the screenplay by John Aboud, Michael Colton and Brandon Sawyer has a fizzy, pop-culture pizazz, tempered by a distinctly vaudeville sensibility. It's smart, but not brainy; dumb, but never inane.

Colton, who was an editor of the Harvard Lampoon in college, worked briefly at The Washington Post in the late 1990s before leaving to form the now-defunct online magazine Modern Humorist with Aboud. Their work with Sawyer, a children's TV writer whose credits include the "Penguins" series on Nickelodeon, is perfectly aimed at the target demographic of silly but savvy 10-year-olds. One recurring joke involves Dave barking orders to his tentacled henchmen, leading to a series of increasingly nutty puns name-checking famous movie stars: "Nicolas, cage them!" "Charlize, there on the death ray!" "Drew, barry, more!"

It's gloriously juvenile, but also very, very funny.

Other ingredients in this self-referential pop-culture puree include a cameo by the German director Werner Herzog, voicing the filmmaker-narrator of the penguin documentary that opens the film in Antarctica, where its prologue is set. Observing that our four heroes are "frozen with fear" on an icy precipice, Herzog orders his sound man to "give them a shove," in order to increase the drama.

And increase it he does. One of those early scenes features a leopard seal eating a seagull. It's an indication of the dark edge that will give the story its slightly grown-up astringency. "Penguins of Madagascar" is by no means inappropriate for kids, but there's a coolly self-aware smirk to it that makes it palatable to people with driver's licenses, too.

And, oh yes, the 3-D animation is a treat.

But the real charm of the film is its stars. As Skipper says, "A good plan is about more than effecty stuff and big words." That's equally true of a good movie.

Catching up with Zoey and The Roarbots

I'm sure her dad, Jamie Greene, wrote some of these...

5 Questions with G. Willow Wilson

November 3, 2014
http://theroarbots.com/2014/11/03/5-questions-g-willow-wilson/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42kHqy_GcWw

5 Questions with Kevin Conroy

  November 25, 2014
http://theroarbots.com/2014/11/25/5-questions-kevin-conroy/#more-1936
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozfneR-43YA

5 Questions with Peter Beagle

November 11, 2014
http://theroarbots.com/2014/11/11/5-questions-peter-beagle/#more-1879
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llkSGGX5jcE

Avengers STATION

http://theroarbots.com/2014/11/12/avengers-station/#more-1889

Disney's The Little Mermaid

http://theroarbots.com/2014/11/25/disneys-little-mermaid/#more-1930

Frozen merchandising at Target

Disney's 'Frozen' juggernaut rolls into town for Christmas.

Art of Richard Thompson flyer at Columbia Pike library

David Apatoff's Illustration blog on The Art of Richard Thompson, day 2-3

http://illustrationart.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-art-of-richard-thompson-day-2.html
http://illustrationart.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-art-of-richard-thompson-day-3.html

Robin Ha interview online at City Paper

Robin Ha Explains Korean Food in Cartoons

Mike Rhode on Nov. 26, 2014
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/visual-arts/2014/11/26/robin-ha-explains-korean-food-in-cartoons/

Rodriguez on NHPR's 'Word of Mouth'

Jason Rodriguez talks about his comics anthology Colonial Comics on New Hampshire Public Radio's 'Word of Mouth':

"Writer and editor Jason Rodriguez is re-examining the era with an unusual collection called Colonial Comics: New England, 1620 – 1750.  From Thomas Morton: Merrymount’s Lord of Misrule, to the story of Eunice Williams, a colonist captured and raised by Native Americans – this illustrated collection, opens up under appreciated stories from New England’s rich colonial history."

(To hear the interview, click here and scroll down on the page.)

Photo courtesy of Jason Rodriguez

Flugennock's Latest'n'Greatest: "The Only Good Protester..." [editorial cartoon]

"The Only Good Protester..."
http://sinkers.org/stage/?p=1605

So, the Ferguson grand jury let that murdering pig walk. Disgusting, but not surprising.

Now the people's rage is spilling into the streets, and the corporate media -- and their Liberal flunkies -- are trying to divide the people's movements against each other with that tired old bullshit about "good protesters" and "bad protesters" -- with "bad protesters", in this case, being anyone who actually does something to disrupt the status quo to bring about real change instead of just standing around with a sign singing "We Shall Overcome".

Mike Flugennock, flugennock at sinkers dot org
Mike's Political Cartoons: dubya dubya dubya dot sinkers dot org

Art of Richard Thompson ad

On bulletin board in Shirlington library.

The Art of Richard Thompson press release

Explore the creative and compelling work of beloved artist and Cul de Sac creator Richard Thompson in the collectible The Art of Richard Thompson
(Andrews McMeel Publishing, $35.00, November 25, 2014). Divided into six sections, each beginning with an introductory conversation with Thompson and
world-renowned cartoonists including Bill Watterson, Gene Weingarten, and Nick Galifianakis, the book showcases Thompson's exquisite illustrations, caricatures,
watercolor designs, and more, providing an intimate portrait of the depth of talent of this esteemed artist. The diversity of the work showcased in The Art
of Richard Thompson will delight established Cul de Sac fans and cast a wider net far beyond, with readers captivated by the sheer beauty of Thompson's work.
Renowned among cartoonists as an "artist's" cartoonist, Thompson is noted not only for his humor and intelligence, but also for his fun, imaginative artwork.
Thompson's illustrations, along with his pitch-perfect timing and gentle humor, have helped to establish many of Thompson's works as instant classics that
continue to inspire as well as entertain. Produced on fine artpaper to showcase Thompson's unique art, The Art of Richard Thompson will be a welcome addition to libraries and collections everywhere.

About Richard Thompson
Richard Thompson is the creator of Cul de Sac and winner of the 2011 Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year. His illustrations have appeared
in numerous publications, including U.S. News & World Report, National Geographic, and The New Yorker. In September 2012, Cul de Sac was one of the
most popular and respected comic strips in newspapers when Thompson retired, due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. Since Thompson's announcement of his diagnosis, his friends have successfully rallied other cartoonists and illustrators to contribute to the Team Cul de Sac project to benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

The Art of Richard Thompson by David Apatoff, Nick Galifianakis, Mike Rhode, Chris Sparks and Bill Watterson
Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 978-1-4494-4795-3
Price: $35.00 U.S. ($40.00 Canada) • Hardcover: 9 x 11 ⅛, 224 pages

Comic Riffs talks to New Yorker's McCall about his Redskin cover

BENEATH THE COVERS: The real story behind The New Yorker's Thanksgiving/Redskins cover ['So arrogant and clueless' a mascot 'that it lends itself to some kind of exposure']

By Michael Cavna

Washington Post Comic Riffs blog November 24 2014

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/11/24/beneath-the-covers-the-real-story-behind-the-new-yorkers-thanksgivingredskins-cover-so-arrogant-and-clueless-a-mascot-that-it-lends-itself-to-some-kind-of-exposure/

Another Frozen story, this one starting at George Mason University

How Disney Turned 'Frozen' Into a Cash Cow

By BINYAMIN APPELBAUM

New York Times Magazine

A version of this article appears in print on November 23, 2014, on page MM18 of the Sunday Magazine with the headline: Cold, Hard Cash.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/23/magazine/how-disney-turned-frozen-into-a-cash-cow.html

Superhero Christmas ornaments in Target long before Thanksgiving

 These are in the Target at Skyline / Bailey's Crossroads, VA.

Comics Riffs on Mutts and 2014's superhero stories

MUTTS ADO ABOUT 'NOTHING': Patrick McDonnell gives the gift of warmth in wonderful 'Mutts' musical's Kennedy Center world premiere

By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog November 22 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/11/22/mutts-ado-about-nothing-patrick-mcdonnell-gives-the-gift-of-warmth-in-wonderful-mutts-musicals-kennedy-center-world-premiere/

BEST OF 2014: Comic Riffs' Top 10 graphic novels and superhero comics

By Michael Cavna and David Betancourt
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog November 22 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/11/22/best-of-2014-comic-riffs-top-10-graphic-novels-and-superhero-comics/

The Post on Frozen spinoffs - 3 stories in 3 days

Disney's global success with 'Frozen' took lots of translation, investment

By Cecilia Kang
Washington Post November 20 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2014/11/20/disneys-global-success-with-frozen-took-lots-of-translation-investment/

'Frozen' might be everything that's wrong with the U.S. economy

By Jim Tankersley Washington Post November 21 2014
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/storyline/wp/2014/11/21/frozen-might-be-everything-thats-wrong-with-the-u-s-economy/

Hour of Code to feature 'Frozen' characters

By Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post November 19 (in print November 24)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/local/wp/2014/11/19/hour-of-code-to-feature-frozen-characters/

The Art of Richard Thompson table of contents

4 Introduction by Nick Galifianakis

8 Richard Thompson: A Brief Biography (With a Few Observations Mixed In) by David Apatoff
19 "Can he draw something during the operation?" by Richard Thompson
20 "Alice was looking underinflated ... " Parkinson's disease discussion with Nick Galifianakis

22 Illustration Interview by Peter de Seve
68 Bono Mitchell recalls Richard's early illustrations
74 My New Favorite Nib by Richard Thompson

82 Richard's Poor Almanac Interview by Gene Weingarten
89 Below the Beltway by Richard Thompson
99 "Slinky McBits" and one of my favorite Almanacs by Richard Thompson

134 Caricature Interview by John Kascht
153 Hopeful Monsters, or, Caricaturing Berlioz by Richard Thompson
164 Music, a dilettante's love story by Richard Thompson

182 Cul de Sac Interview by Bill Watterson
191 Historic Otterloop Artifact by Richard Thompson
193 Early Cul de Sac
197 The primeval Cul de Sac by Richard Thompson
215 A master of the art form ... by Lee Salem

222 Contributor Biographies