VARIOUS STUFF

Monday, February 13, 2012

Eight


Cul de Sac is now eight years old, having launched in the Washington Post Magazine in its 2004 Valentine's Day issue. Above is the first sketch and the drawing used on the Post Mag cover the week it debuted. Originally it was going to be on the plastic bag holding the paper too, but that didn't happen. Which is a relief, as it might've scared away Post readers and depressed sales.

This proto-Alice is a little weirder looking than the more recent model. But I like the sketch a lot, and I wish I could draw the strips so loosely. Drawing things in little boxes cramps looseness and forces the lines to behave and stay in place. Especially when they have to share the available space with words which, for reasons of coherence, get more elbow room and the choice spot in each panel.

10 comments:

  1. Happy birthday, Alice!

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  2. Happy Birthanniversevalentine! and thank you for the lovely gift of Cul de Sac. Those of us out here in Readerland truly appreciate and love it!

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  3. Happy anniversary! I hope the therapy is going well, and hope all your readers are enjoying Petey's return visit to PJ Piehole's as much as I am.

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  4. Congratulations! Shaenon and I got married on Valentine's Day in 2004, so it was a good month for a lot of people.

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  5. Happy Anniversary Cul de Sac. Mornings just wouldn't be the same without you. Evenings too for that matter, when I look at the strip for a second time. Thank you Richard.

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  6. How come the cartoons in the paper have been reruns as of late?

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