Thanks

 

I told Mike Peterson that I feel like Tom Sawyer must have felt when he attended his own funeral. A large dose of compliments can turn your head and right now mine's spinning.. We're currently in Duck NC where it's raining. More news as it becomes available.

Wash Post Blows the Lid Off Cul de Sac Shocker

Mike Cavna has the story here.

Last night he ambushed me with some gotcha questions-

1. Can you tell me how you came to this decision now? Was there a moment that this choice became clear, or has this been a long and gradual decision -- perhaps one that had a tipping point?

 A. I've known for a year or more that I was working on borrowed time.  My lettering had begun to wander off in 2009, but that could be fixed easily enough. But when Alice's and Dill's heads began to look under-inflated last winter I figured I was losing control of the drawing too. When I needed help with the inking (the hardest but most satisfying part of drawing the strip),well that was probably a tipping point. Parkinson's disease is horribly selfish and demanding. A daily comic strip is too and I can only deal with one at a time. So it was a long, gradual, sudden decision.

2. Was there one aspect of creating a daily comic strip that made you decide this was too much? Perhaps it was more the drawing, or the writing, and/or the deadlines? And did you consider letting an assistant -- perhaps Stacy -- carry the load for an extended period of time, or not so much?

A. The deadlines would be the obvious answer as I've hated and feared them all my life (true of most cartoonists, I've found). Yeah, I thought about passing along more of the drawing to Stacy. I thought he did a wonderful job inking my roughs. But I was having trouble separating the writing and the drawing. I found that one fed off the other more than I'd realized' that it was an organic process, to use pretentious art talk. Most of the time I'd start a strip with no clear idea where it was going, or There'd be an end without a beginning. And I'd figure it all out as I was inking it, which isn't the best way to work and would've driven a conscientious editor crazy. One reason I hate and  fear a deadline is that I can't finish a damn thing without one, and everything is mutable right up till the last minute. And often beyond..

3. How are you feeling these days? And what's next for you -- perhaps short- and medium-range -- in terms of treatment?

A. Well, I need some work. Last winter I took time off for a month of BIG therapy at Bodykinetics Rehab and it was tremendously helpful. Basically it recalibrates your body using big, exaggerated movements and yelling and silly walks. But then I went back to work and slacked off and began to decline physically. This was when it became clear Parkinson's didn't mesh too well with a daily deadline. I got wobblier and had a few falls, and I've pushed the meds as far as they'll go. So the next step is something called Deep Brain Stimulation, where they implant wires in your brain, adjust the current and Boom, you're good to go. It's a process that takes 4 to 6 months and I'm just starting out.

4. Is there an overriding emotion you feel now that you've made this decision? Relief? Sadness? Resigned joy? Deep gratitude?

A. All of those. Relief because I've not lived without a deadline of some kind hanging overhead for almost 30 years. Sadness because there was more I wanted to do with the strip that would only be possible with a daily format. Resigned joy because I don't know, because it sounds good. And deep gratitude because I fell into this dream job at the last possible moment and got to produce work I'll always be proud of and made friends I'll always respect.

5. Will you continue to draw (perhaps with less demanding deadlines) -- maybe freelance, magazine covers, back to drawing cows for the FDA or Milk Advisory Board *smile*?
Or are you hanging up your Hunt #101 Imperial for good?

A. I'm not ready to quit, but I'm sure my work will change. It may look like it was done by Cy Twombly using his sleeve.

6. How do you feel about having had the space and stage and opportunity to draw Cul de Sac for as long as you did -- as well as all the acclaim, respect, fandom (from book sales to the Reuben Award)?

A. Like I said above, I fell into drawing a daily comic strip more by luck than design. And that kind of luck is unimaginable, at least to me. I feel like I've squeezed a lifetime career into way too short a time (though I started working on Cul de Sac almost 10 years ago). It took me forever to figure out the Reuben, because it's one of those "not in my wildest dreams" things.  But I finally got it: it's like finding this fabulous object, an artifact of an ancient civilization that's far in advance of our own, and it's crashed in my backyard so I get to keep it.

Mostly, I'm grateful to all who pushed me into this. Starting with Tom Shroder and Gene Weingarten, on through Lee Salem, Rich West, Bill Watterson, Greg Melvin, John Glynn, John McMeel, Pat Oliphant, Amy, Emma & Charlotte Thompson, Mike Rhode, Nick Galifianakis,  Chris Sparks, Shena Wolf and ending maybe with Anna Glynn or Emily Sparks. Without them I'd still be doing covers for the Milk Advisory Board. And also my Mom, who told me years ago if I ever did a comic strip it'd be pretty wonderful, but I'd probably drive myself crazy.

7. Any final "Cul de Sac" thoughts or sentiments you'd like to say to your many fans?

A. Don't wander off yet1 There'll be a joke after the credits.

Two Ancient Cul de Sacs

From July 2004, when all the animals could talk and I didn't know what I was doing. Snakehead fish were popular that year.

Tonight!

                    
Chris Sparks, Steven Artley, Michael Auger, Carolyn Belefski, Michael Cavna,  Danielle Corsetto,    Barbara Dale, Peter Dunlap-Shohl, Nick Galifianakis, Shannon Gallant, Kerry G. Johnson, Jamie King, Donna Lewis, Annie Lunsford, Bono Mitchell, Joe Sutliff, Matt Wuerker and I will be signing the Team Cul de Sac book tonight at 7:00 at Politics & Prose. Lines formed at 5 this morning.

More Restaurant Closings Again

The last one may be real.

Wednesday Night!

Politics & Prose, DC's happeningest bookstore, will host a Team Cul de Sac group book signathon on Wednesday, July 11 at 7:00. I'll have a full list of cartoonists who're attending. Please come help make the audience more numerous than the cartoonists. Politics & Prose is conveniently located at 5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC.

Two Old Fourths

Quick before the power goes out again-

 

More Restaurant Closings

After three sweltering days without power I feel like closing some restaurants. Especially since the power came back on but the air conditioner didn't.

Note: the joke about the Starbucks-inside-a-Starbucks also appeared in the Onion about a year after I did this. Not that there's a chance in hell that the Onion swiped it from me. Some jokes are inevitable. But I got there first!

I Want to Join The Onion A.V. Club

Because then I could hang out with cool guys like Noel Murray, who wrote a nice review of the Team Cul de Sac book. Besides, if you're friends with book reviewers they'll sometimes give you free review copies when they're through with them.

Heroescon 2012

This weekend in Charlotte NC things get lively! Heroescon appears in the subterranean halls of the Charlotte Convention Center like a gaudy 3-day annual bloom. And, dammit, I'm not going!But I've got friends who are, and some of them are getting together in Room 206 on Friday at 4 for this-

 If you're at Heroescon please stop by and have a seat!

And while you're in Charlotte would you please stop by Mert's Heart & Soul and bring me a plate of shrimp and grits?

June 19th

If anybody sees Mr. Chris Sparks of Asheville, North Carolina today wish him a happy 42nd birthday for me, would you?

Launching a Book

Here's what it looked like Sunday night at One More Page books, once the mob had cleared and only cartoonists remained. More to come.

Tonight at One More Page

Sunday, June 10, from 5 - 7 pm:  Fundraiser celebration to launch the Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson's. Several of the contributors live here in the DC area and will be on hand to sign copies. Join us for wine and light snacks to celebrate the launch of the book!  A portion of the day's sales will go to Team Cul de Sac. Click here to see which cartoonists you might run into.  Whew!!!  Don't miss this great event! One More Page is located at 2200 N. Westmoreland Street, #101, in Arlington VA, phone 703-300-9746, just a few blocks west of the Lee Highway exit off Route 66.

(Swiped from One More Page's website)

tick tick tick

And this was 5 minutes ago! Go bid.

Team Cul de Sac Auction - The Last Two Days

Here we have a two-fer: brilliant cartoonist, cartoonist, cartoonist, critic and writer Shaenon K. Garrity and her husband the accomplished curator, cartoonist  and author Andrew Farago offer insights into Ernesto Lacuna. Look at the detailing and insight on this baby! It can be yours for a little more than $55! See here.

Team Cul de Sac Auction - The Last Two Days

Over the next two days I'm going to post some random selections from the auction just to gin up sales.

First up: the unique and ingenious R. SIKORYAK paints an Otterloopian parody of Picasso's the Three Musicians. Currently a mere $90! Chicken feed  to a person such as yourself! Go here.

Publisher's Weekly Says

And what Publisher's Weekly says, goes.

A Not-So-Gentle Reminder

Tomorrow, June 5, marks the launch of Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson's, Chris Sparks' magnum opus and labor of love, and if I didn't know Chris I would imagine he's exhausted. Actually he may be but who can tell? Being exhausted just seems to fire him up.

Today Chris passed along Michael J Fox's reaction to the book:

“Richard Thompson is lucky to have a friend like Chris Sparks. With this amazing collection, Chris is raising significant dollars and awareness for Parkinson’s — while proving comedy can help speed a cure. We’re grateful to have both Chris and Richard on our team.” – Michael J. Fox.

Couldn't have said it better myself!

And Hey! There's an auction going on!
 

A Gentle Reminder

Book Event | 6/10

Team Cul de Sac

Contributors to the new cartoon collection, "Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson's," a tribute to local cartoonist Richard Thompson, creator of the Cul de Sac strip, discuss their work and sign copies of the book as part of a wine and light fare reception. A portion of the book's sales will be donated to Team Cul de Sac, a division of Team Fox & the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Also, the Small Press Expo, a co-sponsor of the evening, will distribute passes to the SPX2012 with each book purchase. Call 703-300-9746 for details. One More Page Books 2200 N. Westmoreland St., #101, Arlington, VA | 703-300-9746

Today's Cul de Sac June 3, 2012

The banana smell must come from isoamyl-acetate, which I don't know much about it except it's nasty and it's in the spray fixative I used for years (Krylon). And it's also called banana oil, which I always thought was a Milt Gross joke.

Yet More Restaurant Closings

The theme here is: buildings are fun to draw. That's also the theme for Sunday's strip. And by "theme" I mean "excuse".

Exclusive Preview!

This is from Sunday's strip (I think it is, I get sloppy with dating things) and you get to see it first! What can it mean? Who can tell? It better be funny, that's all I'm sayin'.

MJFox Signed Book!

The star of Back to the Future and The Frighteners demonstrates superior penmanship in this signed copy of Team Cul de Sac and it can be yours!

Go Bid!

The Heritage Auctions Cul de Sac Auction is open for business!

Today's Cul de Sac, May 26, 2012

I've wanted to use this gag for a while and couldn't figure out how to present it. I'd planned it to be a Sunday strip and that's why I was having trouble. A Sunday page provides a bit more room to play with the layout and sometimes that's more of a distraction than an opportunity. In other words, I monkeyed around with the format so much the gag got lost, and it's a weird little gag. So it got moved to a daily which simplified it into coherency. The lesson we all learn from this is: Stop monkeying around when you don't have to. Life's hard enough as it is.

More Restaurant Closings

Jut when you thought it was safe to grab a bite. This one was probably the first one I did despite what I said before. I gotta start dating things.

Two Days!

In two days The Team Cul de Sac auction of original art begins! That's on Sunday, My 27th at Heritage Auctions. That's in two days!

Alan Gardner, Man of Taste

The first review is in, and it's by Alan Gardner, the hardest-working underpaid blogger in daily cartoonland. Go to the Daily Cartoonist for his thoughts on the book. And leave a nice comment, and/or some blog-support money.

Caricature by Mark Pett, who's up for a Reuben divisional award for illustrating The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes, and a swell guy. 

The Observer-Reporter Comes Through

Yesterday the Observer-Reporter, newspaper of record for Washington and Greene Counties in Pennsylvania, ran an editorial headlined Drawing on Humor to Combat Disease. The O-R carries Cul de Sac and came out four-square behind Team Cul de Sac, for which I'm hugely grateful (they should've mentioned Chris Sparks, who's out in Vegas representing the Team at the Reubens). And, hey, wouldn't now be a great time for some other newspapers of record to do likewise?

Report from Chris Sparks

Human fireball and Sparking Design co-CEO Chris Sparks reports-

Team Cul de Sac books have been ordered to fill our online orders and all the prepaid shipping envelopes have been ordered. I just need to the books and time. Remember, you can still order your signed copy at http://sparkingdesign.com/order-team-cul-de-sac-book/

Shipping should start around the beginning of June!  

That's practically tomorrow! So hurry!

CSOTD

I'm always glad when Cul de Sac makes Mike Peterson's Comic Strip of the Day. Mike is not only a newspaper man and comics lover of many years, he's also a former member of an Irish band. And he's a wise man (I don't think anyone else has name-checked Alice Roosevelt in reference to Alice Otterloop: Alice R gave me one more reason to choose the name for the O version- she was from DC and she was a hellion. Though you wouldn't know it from the above photo.)

Team Cul de Sac Book Iaunch

This is lifted from the Team Cul de Sac blog.

One More Page Books is close to my house and I hope to make it.  Other local cartoonists in the book will certainly be there. My deepest thanks to Terry Nebecker and Eileen McGervey.

Laughter, Doing Good and Then a Weekend of Murder Come out with your friends to any/all events!                May 16, 2012 TONIGHT Wed, May 16, 7 pm Meredith Goldstein - The Singles     Get ready to laugh with your friends when advice columnist and entertainment reporter for The Boston Globe Meredith Goldstein discusses her new book, The Singles.    "Back in her single days - before she met the man of her dreams - Beth "Bee" Evans hated being forced to attend weddings solo. Determined to spare her friends the same humiliation, she invites everyone on her list with a guest. Much to her chagrin, however, Hannah, Vicki, Rob, Joe, and Nancy insist upon attending Bee's lavish Chesapeake Bay nuptials alone. The frustrated bride dubs them the "The Singles" and their collective decision wreaks unintended havoc on her otherwise perfectly planned wedding weekend." JUST ADDED!!   (and we're so excited) TEAM CUL DE SAC BOOK LAUNCH!!  On Sunday, June 10, from 5 - 7 pm, Terry is taking over the store for a fundraiser celebration to launch the Team Cul de Sac Collection. Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson's contains original artwork from cartoonists and illustrators inspired by the comic strip Cul de Sac, including Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes) and Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury). The originals will be sold at an online auction to raise money for Team Cul de Sac, which is part of the Michael J. Fox Foundation.    The Tribute Collection comes out June 5 and we'll have them available at the launch event.  Several of the contributors live here in the DC area and will be on hand to sign copies.    Join us for wine and light snacks to celebrate the launch of the book!  A portion of the day's sales will go to Team Cul de Sac.  We love Richard Thompson and Cul de Sac - he was one of the first authors to visit our store - he's amazing!  More details to follow.  Plan to be here - we all will be!      Thurs, May 17, 6:30 pm St. Charles Haiti Committee Fundraiser   Join us for the St. Charles Haiti Committee Fundraiser, featuring a wine and chocolate tasting followed by a discussion of activities supporting the community of Cavaillon in southern Haiti.   Sample wine and fair trade chocolate while learning about Haiti and the work being done in Cavaillon.  A portion of the evening's proceeds will be donated to the St. Charles Haiti Committee to aid development in Cavaillon and surrounding communities. Click here for details. Sun, May 20, noon - 2 pm Calling All Mystery Lovers! Join us for a party to celebrate the release of This Job is Murder, the 5th installment of the award-winning Chesapeake Crimes anthologies. This anthology features short stories by a number of our favorite Sisters in Crime mystery writers.      Twelve of the 14 authors whose works appear in the anthology are expected to attend: Donna Andrews, David Autry, Jill Breslau, Karen Cantwell, Leone Ciporin, E.B. Davis, Barb Goffman, Smita Harish Jain, C. Ellett Logan, Shari Randall, Harriette Sackler, and Cathy Wiley. This event will take place in the WestLee Party room.  Are you interested... in a book group for 7-9 year olds?  If so, email us.  Also, let us know what time would be good time to meet. Upcoming Events and Author Visits May Tues, May 22, 7 pm: Spiritual/Philosphy Book Club discusses Just One Thing: Developing A Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time Wed, May 23, 7 pm: Garrett Peck discusses books, The Potomac River: A History and Guide and Prohibition in Washington, DC: How Dry We Weren't Thurs, May 24, 7 pm: Just in time for the 40th anniversary of the Watergate break-in, Max Holland shares from Leak: Why Mark Felt Became Deep Throat.   Mon, May 28, 4:30:  No Kids Book Group due to Memorial Day holiday Wed, May 30, 6:30: Join us for our Educator Appreciation Evening - Click here for details! Thurs, May 31, 7 pm: Ken Budd discusses The Voluntourist: A Six-Country Tale of Love, Loss, Fatherhood, Fate, and Singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem. See the side bar for more info about Ken's book. June Sun, June 3 at 3 pm: Amanda Hodgkinson discusses her novel, 22 Britannia Road, a heartbreaking novel about wartime secrets   Thurs, June 7 at 7 pm: Join us for a unique event, The Book as Art, with an artist, Alla Proskuryakova, and author/illustrator and artist, Sallie Lowenstein who have created books that are truly works of art - stay tuned for details!  Fri, June 8 at 11 am:  Author Siobhan Fallon joins our Daytime Book Group to discuss her book, You Know when the Men are Gone   Fri, June 8 at noon: Mysterious Women Who Know their Place -    Former White House staffer, author Karna Bodman; Agatha Award winner Marcia Talley, journalist Ellen Crosby, and award-winner Donna Andrews deconstruct their mystery-thriller books which all feature D.C., VA and MD locales. Mystery fiction scholar/editor Elizabeth Foxwell moderates. PLEASE NOTE: This event is off-site at the American Women Writers National Museum, 1275 K St NW, Suite 102  Fri, June 8 at 7 pm: Patti Dobrowolski joins us to discuss Drawing Solutions: How Visual Goal Setting Will Change Your Life. See side panel for a link to Patti's TEDx talk.  Sat, June 9 at 6 pm:  New York Times Bestselling Author and Screenwriter John Gilstrap invites you to celebrate the publication of his latest thriller, Damage Control at a launch party at One More Page     NEW!!  Sun, June 10 from 5-7 pm: Join us for a special event to celebrate the launch of "Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson's" to honor award-winning cartoonist Richard Thompson.  See side panel for details of this event we're so fortunate to host. Wed, June 13, 7 pm:  Daniel Kalla discusses his new book, The Far Side of the Sky     Remember, in addition to street parking, there is limited retail parking available in the WestLee garage while you are shopping at One More Page.  Follow the store signs to our back door, ring the buzzer and we'll welcome you in. We are 6 blocks from the East Falls Church Metro!  Go to the right as you exit the Metro station and then go right on 19th Street.  As the road curves, the name changes from 19th street to N. Westmoreland Street. Our store is on the left hand side of the street.  Click here for directions from the Metro or if you are coming by car.  Please call (703)-300-9746 or Email if you have any questions.   In This Issue This Week New Book Group for Kids? Upcoming Events Team Cul de Sac Authors in the Media Our Book Groups Upcoming Authors in the Media  Meredith Goldstein (The Singles) in NY Times At OMP- Wed, May 16, 7 pmKen Budd (The Voluntourist) in the NY Times Travel Section and  his interview on Fox 5. At OMP- Thurs, May 31, 7 pmSee Patti Dobrowolski's (Drawing Solutions: How Visual Goal Setting Will Change Your Life) TEDx talk At OMP-Fri, June 8, 7 pm Our Book Discussion Groups        Our next Book Club with Jenn is Mon, June 18 at 7 pm when we discuss The Language of Flowers: A Novel by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Please note date change!    Our next Non-Fiction Book Group is Tues, June 12 at 7 pm to discuss Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time by Mark Adams. Don't miss our next Daytime Book Group meeting at 11 am on Friday, June 8.  Author Siobhan Fallon joins us to discuss her book, You Know when the Men are Gone.    The next meeting for our Mystery/Suspense Book Group is Tues, June 19, when we discuss Ratking (An Aurelio Zen Mystery) by Michael Dibdin.   The next meeting for our Philosophy/Spiritual Book Group is Tues, May 22 when we discuss Just One Thing: Developing A Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time by Rick Hanson. Quick Links Our Website  Our Blog   On Tumblr Follow us on Twitter at justonemorepage Join us on Facebook: One More Page Books & More

One More Page | 2200 N. Westmoreland Street | #101 | Arlington | VA | 22213

Visit to Tai Shan

This ran in the Post Magazine in January 2006 when Tai Shan mania gripped DC in a relentless hug. I'd developed an antipathy to pandas for no good reason and about the time the National Zoo was paying the Chinese through the nose to rent a coupla pandas I did a poem in the Almanac trash talking the lumbering brutes. I can't find that drawing, but part of it went "Pandas are boring, tedious and blah, Great big two-tone fuzzy cures for insomnia." It didn't do any good: the Zoo is at it again.

Farewell to Maurice Sendak

 

Peter Dunlap-Shohl drew this wonderful piece on the death of Maurice Sendak last week, ingeniously mashing up the Seventh Seal and the Wild Things. I especially like the casually tossed-away cane at far left. I was going to link to a documentary by director Spike Jonez where he visits Sendak at his home but it's been taken off the web. I will link to a great tribute by Philip Nel at the Comics Journal. Phil's been working on a massive biography of Ruth Kraus and Crockett Johnson and he knows his children's literature.

Two Brand New Old Cul de Sacs

Both of which have something to do with motherhood.

The above is from May 16, 2004. I didn't like Madeline's job that much. It seemed too sitcommy.

Marcus has always had a difficult relationship with his mom. This appeared August 19, 2005.

The Complete Collection of Mother's Day Poor Almanacs

Assembled by looking up old posts and copying & pasting.

 

Savings Galore

If you're buying the Mighty Alice on Amazon, why not save all kinds of money and get Children at Play for the low low price of only $5.20! Quick, while supplies last!

More Restaurant Closings

And more reasons to enjoy a home cooked meal.

Reminder

Hey! It's almost May 8th, the official release date of The Mighty Alice!