The blog of Richard Thompson, caricaturist, creator of "Cul de Sac," and winner of the 2011 Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

One Fine Sunday in the Funny Pages

John Read, the indefatigable editor, publisher and comics fan, is putting together a show of original comic strip art that you could call wide-ranging, if you were given to understatement. He picked the publishing date of April 11, 2010 (that's today) and asked as many syndicated cartoonists as he could think of (pretty much all of them) to lend that day's original drawing for a show that, well, here's what John says-
I’m beginning with an exhibit featuring currently-syndicated comic strips. This show will be a unique, one-of-a-kind collection of today’s comics, from the oldest, The Katzenjammer Kids and Gasoline Alley, to the newest, Dustin, and will be billed as “a celebration of a quintessentially American Sunday pleasure.” One Fine Sunday in the Funny Pages will feature the original art of 85 to 100 different comic strips and panels (that will have been) published in newspapers on the same Sunday (April 11, 2010). Alongside the framed “raw” art of the strips will be displayed the actual comics sections from newspapers across the country, giving people a behind-the-scenes, before-and-after experience. The first showing of One Fine Sunday will begin in late May/early June of 2010.
A mostly-complete list of those comics John's got lined up is here, though it's grown to over 100 by now, some by cartoonists who hadn't even been born when John first thought this up I'll bet. And, if it works, I understand there'll be a printed color supplement version of the entire show, a chromatic effulgence of such brilliance and radiance it should only be viewed through smoked glasses lest it drive the beholder mad. From what I've seen of John's ingenious schemes, they mostly do work.

Above is what I came up with. The original's a mess, blops of white-out and food stains (probably jelly) all over it. So I hope the frame John puts it in is nice.

8 comments:

chris said...

What a great strip!

Ben Carlsen said...

Are you referring to actual comics in this? Blondie and Pearls Before Swine come to mind from some of Alice's descriptions, but I couldn't place any of the others, especially the "ugly baby"...

Dan Steffan said...

Ahh, I enjoyed this one with my coffee and a bagel this morning. No jelly, however. I love inside jokes -- I need a sweater for outside jokes.

Am I correct that you are not responsible for the coloring of the Sunday Cul de Sac?

Dan

Lesley Vamos said...

Excellent strip! I love the expressions and energy ^_^

Barbara L. Hanson said...

Unless "travelling through the South" refers to south Brooklyn, I'm not going to get to see this exhibit. Rats.
I bet you were eating grape jelly while working on this particularly wonderful strip: I always find Welch's inspirational.

Mike Peterson said...

John also asked Facebook friends to send him the Sunday comics sections from their local newspapers, so, if you go to his exhibit, make sure you bring a magnifying glass!

richardcthompson said...

Arkholt, yeah, kinda, but not necessarily all of those referred to real strips. "Ugly baby" just sounded funny.

Dan, thanks! Yeah, I'm not doing the color; it's done by Melissa Mallory, who freelances for my syndicate, UPS. It's because I'm slow and lazy. And send me an email please! I've lost your address.

Leslie, thanks! I have to fake the energy, being slow & lazy.

Barbara, it might travel more extensively; deals are being made, maybe!

Mike, I understand those will be provided to visitors to the exhibit, for a nominal fee.

jf said...

One of that breed of comics that doesn't really "do" punchlines; you have the ostensible payoff (unfunny) followed by two or three anti-climaxes (also unfunny).