Comic Culture at HeroesCon 2024, part 4 [Team Cul-De-Sac]

terence dollard

May 14, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCxNqIT97uE

Part four of Comic Culture's annual pilgrimage to the largest comic-only convention, HeroesCon. Discover the charitable side of the convention, Team Cul-De-Sac, and more interviews from the show floor. Comic Culture is directed and crewed by students at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. I'm posting the video as producer/host and not as an official University publication.

Tom King talks about Supergirl on i09

The Team Behind Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Looks Back on Kara's Legacy, and Her Future

Tom King, Bilquis Evely, and Matheus Lopes sit down with io9 to discuss shaping Supergirl's modern legacy in Woman of Tomorrow.

By James Whitbrook 

io9 March 28, 2025

https://gizmodo.com/supergirl-woman-of-tomorrow-interview-tom-king-bilquis-evely-matheus-lopes-2000582142

Jason Chatfield: "I consider Richard Thompson to maybe be one of the best cartoonists that ever lived."

Jason Chatfield did a live drawing talk on one of his Substacks today.

I asked him to draw Mr. Danders - he pulled out Richard's Poor Almanac (9:15), and said, "I keep this book at arm's reach from my drawing board at all times... I consider Richard Thompson to maybe be one of the best cartoonists that ever lived. Up there with Ronald Searle, Sergio Aragones, Steadman, Scarfe... these guys who have their very distinct styles... This book - on days when I don't feel like being creative or drawing - I just flip through it and snap myself out of my funk. If you haven't heard of Richard Thompson, I'm jealous that you get to discover his work for the first time. If you have, I implore you to go back to it."

And then he drew Mr. Danders from memory.

"I really, really adore Richard Thompson."

See the whole video at:

Jason Chatfield

DMA#1: Draw Me Anything!

Process Junkie! Apr 3, 2025
https://www.process-junkie.com/p/dma1-draw-me-anything

PS. I subscribe to Jason's other Substack, New York Cartoons @ https://www.newyorkcartoons.com/

Pete Docter shout-out to the world’s greatest unknown cartoonist

Oscar-Winning Pixar Animator Pete Docter On 30 Years of 'Toy Story,' the Future of AI in Animation and New Sequel (Exclusive)
Danielle Directo-Meston
March 24, 2025

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/shopping/toy-story-5-pete-docter-interview-future-of-pixar-animation-new-products-1236170265/

Lastly, what are those two pieces of art hanging on your wall behind you?

This is from the world's greatest unknown cartoonist, it's called "Cul de Sac" by Richard Thompson. And if you're not familiar with it, check it out. It's brilliant. The other one is Mary Blair, she was a brilliant animator at the Disney Studios, and this was from Saludos Amigos. I just love the character of those birds.

 (courtesy of Pete, here's the strip)

Richard's art from the January/February 1993 issue of Contingencies Magazine

Thanks to Joe Sutliff.

 

Nancy Beiman's FurBabies pays tribute to Cul de Sac

Pop Culture and a little tribute to another cartoonist
Nancy Beiman

FurBabies Jan 05, 2025

https://nancybeiman.substack.com/p/pop-culture

Click through the link to spot Petey and Alice in her strip, 2nd tier, first panel.

In her Substack email, Ms. Beiman noted,

One of my favorites, Richard Thompson's CUL DE SAC, is a good one to study. It had a short run, only six years, since Richard sadly left us at an early age. You can see it from beginning to end and two collections feature the original weekly strips that appeared in the Washington POST for comparison together with informative interviews with Thompson. The characters changed slightly (he eliminated Mr. Danvers the talking guinea pig fairly early on) but he never lost the focus on the eccentric children and equally eccentric adults. I've read about his working methods and discovered that he also sometimes had trouble coming up with new ideas for his projects. We all do. That doesn't always make me feel better but it helps me think in a new way.

So, there is a little 'tribute' featuring Alice and Petey Otterloop in today's strip. I figured that Mrs. Oldman could have traveled to Washington, D.C. for a Santa Claus parade that was affected by cutbacks.

I think the collections she refers to are The Complete Cul de Sac and Compleating Cul de Sac that is available for purchase online and benefits Team Cul de Sac for Parkinson's disease research.

Danielle Corsetto would save her Richard Thompson artwork

From her Patreon page - Happy Pre-Halloween Dailies Day! (used with permission)

No offense, Fennel.

I can't share this comic without sharing the original art I'd regret losing. My beloved Richard Thompson originals (forgive the reflections):