Thompson art for National Geographic's Everyday Science Explained

Yesterday, we took a look at the 2003 edition of the book New Everyday Science Explained, and I had a suspicion that the earlier Everyday Science Explained by Curt Suplee (National Geographic Society, 1996, ISBN 0-7922-3410-3) might have more images, and more in color (since Richard usually worked in color watercolor and never in grey washes that I can recall. I'm sure there's exceptions, but...)

As you'd expect from that opening, I was right, and thanks to a National Geographic contact, here are his illustrations in glorious color, along with a new dozen or so. More, bigger, and better!

 

Wasn't this version much nicer? Since they were already paying for full color pages, I have no idea why the publisher dropped the color on most of the images for the 2003 book.

Thompson art for National Geographic's New Everyday Science Explained

Yesterday would have been Richard's 62nd birthday. In honor of that, we've recently been told of a book where Richard contributed over a score of drawings, and we'll share some of them with you. Richard's drawings were used in the 1996 edition called Everyday Science Explained and then reprinted in 2003. His ability to do scientific cartoons was well established by this point as he'd been illustrating Why Things Are with Joel Achenbach for the Washington Post and Curt Suplee was a former science columnist for the paper. I don't recall seeing the originals to these, and don't know if they were in his archive when we were working on The Art of Richard Thompson.

In The New Everyday Science Explained, by Curt Suplee, National Geographic, 2003, ISBN 0-7922-7357-5, Richard Thompson is given credit for the following drawings (thanks to National Geographic collector Richard Kennedy for the list):

• p. 15 (bottom) Kicking soccer and bowling balls
• p. 20 Stepping from dinghy to dock
• p. 27 (left) Elastic vs. inelastic collisions with a tennis racket
• p. 30 (bottom) Car breaking down
• p. 32 (bottom) Archimedes on a lever lifting the world
• p. 68 Couple running on beach demonstrating convection of heat
• p. 76 (bottom) Man in elevator demonstrating acceleration
• p. 80 Bullet dropped and fired hit the ground simultaneously 
• p. 87 Couple demonstrating that opposites attract
• p. 94-95 House showing multiple motors
• p. 114 Man on sidewalk being bombarded by different electromagnetic signals
• p. 130 (bottom) Periodic table of elements in classroom setting
• p. 134 Man holding hoop with animals jumping through it showing the work of catalysts
• p. 144 Man adding water to glass tub of ingredients and creating a new person illustrating that our bodies are mostly water
• p. 168  (bottom) Fashion models on runway wearing barrels marked with artificial ingredients
• p. 186 Cafeteria "Build You Own PROTEIN at the Amino Acid Bar"
• p. 190 Hamsters on stadium seating holding panels that make a picture of a hamster
• p. 193 Three dogs showing chromosome transmittal to offspring
• p. 212 Flu viruses in front of "International Panel of Scientists"
• p. 237 (top) Man on assembly line demonstrating liver functions
• p. 244 Drawing of a person with body parts sized according to the number of sensory nerves they contain
• p. 246 Interior of head showing that images on the retina are upside down
• p. 264 Man in bed dreaming

We'll return to these two books and compare the contents of the 1996 and 2003 editions when we get a copy of the earlier book.

Amy and Richard Thompson help save local bookstore

One More Page Passes Fundraising Goal, Pays Bills

Airey

September 4 2019

https://www.arlnow.com/2019/09/04/one-more-page-passes-fundraising-goal-pays-bills/

"The highest bid item was an original cartoon by the late Richard Thompson, which was donated by his wife Amy Thompson — it sold for $1,111.50."

Lee Salem has died

Lee Salem, the man who convinced Richard to bring Cul de Sac to a wider audience than just the Washington Post passed away this weekend from a stroke.

His obituary can be found here:

Lee's Story

Lee Salem's Get Well Page August 22, 2019

https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/leesalemsgetwellpage

Danielle Corsetto remembers Richard via his original art

Danille Corsetto commented on some original Cul de Sac art she owns during her studio tour on her Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/dcorsetto , referring to it as among her 'fave original art!"

With her permission, we reproduce it here:

Cul de Sac comic strips and books auctioned to save bookstore

Several thousand dollars were raised today through auctions of Richard Thompson's Cul de Sac original art, books, and other works,to assist One More Page Bookstore in paying an unexpected large tax bill.

As the bookstore faced a Draconian tax increase, books Richard had signed before his death, along with 2 strips newly donated by Amy Thompson, sold to fans of the cartoonist, including one strip to local cartoonist Daniel Boris. A quick calculation is that Richard provided about $2500 in sales or 12.5% of the auction proceeds (but check the math before quoting me).

One More Page was dear to Richard, hosting him for their first booksigning (before the store had even opened), for his first Cul de Sac collection. After he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, the store held fundraisers for Team Cul de Sac to raise money for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Richard passed away just barely over three years ago.

The store's auction site described the original art as such:

American illustrator and cartoonist Richard Thompson was best known for his syndicated comic strip Cul de Sac. Richard received the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year in 2010. We are huge fans of Richard's work and were thrilled when he agreed to do an event at OMP when we first opened. Over the years, he was a invaluable supporter, promoting OMP and signing countless books to be shipped to fans worldwide.

Richard's wife, Amy, generously donated this original artwork of a panel of Cul de Sac ("Trick or Treat" panel #111031), his strip which focused on a four-year-old girl, Alice Otterloop, and her daily life at preschool and at home. Cul de Sac was published in more than 70 newspapers by the fall of 2007 and was distributed nationally as both a daily and Sunday strip by Universal Press Syndicate.

Bill Watterson, created of Calvin and Hobbes, praised Thompson's work: 

"I thought the best newspaper comic strips were long gone, and I've never been happier to be wrong. Richard Thompson's Cul de Sac has it all—intelligence, gentle humor, a delightful way with words, and, most surprising of all, wonderful, wonderful drawings."

"Cul de Sac's whimsical take on the world and playful sense of language somehow gets funnier the more times you read it. Four-year-old Alice and her Blisshaven Preschool classmates will ring true to any parent. Doing projects in a cloud of glue and glitter, the little kids manage to reinterpret an otherwise incomprehensible world via their meandering, nonstop chatter. But I think my favorite character is Alice's older brother, Petey. A haunted, controlling milquetoast, he's surely one of the most neurotic kids to appear in comics. These children and their struggles are presented affectionately, and one of the things I like best about Cul de Sac is its natural warmth. Cul de Sac avoids both mawkishness and cynicism and instead finds genuine charm in its loopy appreciation of small events. Very few strips can hit this subtle note."

1996 article on Richard Thompson winning NCS awards

Take it on Faith - art from 1999

Richard did this piece for E.J. Dionne Jr.'s Chattering Class column for the Washington Post Magazine on June 20, 1999. That's the Washington National Cathedral in the drawing.

I don't recall ever seeing the original in his files.

Silent Auction continues with signed Richard Thompson books at One More Page Books

They're not making any more of these, folks. I guarantee it. They've got Richard's Poor Alamanac, The Art of Richard Thompson, and The Complete Cul de Sac.

Plus more upcoming events, new in stock, staff recommendations, and book clubs

Upcoming Events The auction site is live! You have until 5 pm on August 18th to bid on the AMAZING items, experiences, and services donated by staff, authors, local businesses, customers and friends! We appreciate all of your continued support in response to the recent property tax increase from Arlington County. Learn More info@onemorepagebooks.com 703-300-9746 www.onemorepagebooks.com Monday through Saturday 10am to 8pm, Sundays 12 noon to 5pm CONNECT WITH US

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

More "lost" Richard Thompson art

Last week saw two people reach out to me with "lost" art by Richard.

From Richard's old friend Brian Nicklas:

O - M - G !!!  I found I had two more [pieces of original art]. And one I even have the page out of WaPo [aka Washington Post] that it was done for. Yippee!

And from Anita Finkelstein comes an 11x14" page of the Ugly Truck of 1993 from the 1993 Ameriprint calendar. Bono Mitchell says this was originally done for one of the Bonotom client magazines.

If you're interested in purchasing one of the 1993 calendars in mint condition, which also has pieces by 11 other artists, contact Chris Sparks via Team Cul de Sac.

"New" Richard Thompson art

From Richard's old friend Brian Nicklas:

 I found a scan of the original art Richard did for me for my talk on the History of Aviation and Photography.

This was for a talk I gave at ISAP (International Society for Aviation Photography) V held March 3-5, 2005 in Chantilly, VA.

So, as you know Richard - it was done in February, 2005.

This was shown after the image of the Wright's Dec 17, 1903 first flight taken by Coastguardsman John T. Daniels.

 I said to Richard I needed something to show how amazing it was that we had an image of the moment of invention. It would be like a caveman having one of those "Flintstones' cameras to take an image of the first wheel.

So here we have the Cronk brothers, Murray and Oog - on the first wheel - as depicted by the much loved "R.T."

Rarely-seen Richard Thompson cartoon in upcoming Billy Ireland exhibit

by Mike Rhode

A never-before-seen piece of Richard Thompson's original artwork, rarely seen even in publication, is about to go on display in Columbus, Ohio.

Upcoming exhibitions at The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library &Museum

DRAWING BLOOD: COMICS AND MEDICINE
&
FRONT LINE: EDITORIAL CARTOONISTS AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT

On display April 20, 2019 – October 20, 2019

DRAWING BLOOD: COMICS AND MEDICINE: This exhibit traces the history of comics’ obsession with medicine from the 18th century to today. The earliest cartoonists frequently satirized a medical practice dominated by bloodletting, purging, and other largely ineffective treatments. Over the next two centuries, modern medicine would go through remarkable transformations. Comics were there for the good and the bad, helping to rebrand the doctor from quack to hero, but also critiquing a medical system that often privileged profits over patients. Drawing Blood highlights the sometimes caustic eye of cartoonists as they consider doctors, patients, illness, and treatment in the rapidly changing world of medicine—one which continues to present new possibilities and new challenges. The exhibit features work by a wide array of creators, from pioneers of cartooning like James Gillray, William Hogarth, Thomas Nast, and Frederick Opper to contemporary greats like Richard Thompson, Carol Tyler, John Porcellino, Alison Bechdel, and Julia Wertz.

Curated by Professor Jared Gardner, OSU Department of English

I received the above notice the other day and have already pointed out that the second exhibit is co-curated by Ann Telnaes.  I also reached out to ask my friendly acquaintance Dr. Gardner what piece of Richard Thompson artwork he was including in the show. Curator Caitlin McGurk and the Billy Ireland did a very nice show of Richard's artwork a few years ago, and he donated material to them before he passed away, so I was curious what Jared had chosen.

The press release says you have a piece by Richard Thompson in it. Can you tell me what it is?

The piece by Richard is a loan from Kevin Wolf— it a small cartoon he did for an actuarial magazine he regularly did spot-illustration and cover work for over the years.

What spoke to you about the art? Were you previously a fan of Richard's?

I’ve long been a fan of Richard’s work, and getting to meet him briefly during his visit to the exhibition of his work at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum was an incredible honor.

How did you select it for the exhibit, especially since it wasn't in the pieces he donated to the Billy Ireland?

Kevin Wolf, the owner of this particular piece, shares my interest in comics and medicine and is a regular attendee at the Graphic Medicine conference. He shared the cartoon with me, a really fun gag cartoon of a knight trying to figure out insurance policy options, and he generously offered to lend it for the show. It will be featured in a section dedicated to medicine and humor, a section that will also include an early doctor’s visit by Bill Watterson’s Calvin and an page from Mad Magazine poking fun at doctors.

I know the piece. As you note, it was done for Contingencies Magazine, art-directed by Richard's old friend Bono Mitchell. We considered it for The Art of Richard Thompson book but it didn't make the final cut. There was too much to choose from. Below is a scan we made for the book.

Anything else you'd like to add about the exhibit?

I guess the only other thing to add is that the exhibit begins in the 18th century with Hogarth and co. and ends with the modern “graphic medicine” movement that was kicked off with Justin Green’s Binky Brown and which is today a veritable flood of remarkable graphic memoirs and other comics about illness and healing.

(published simultaneously on ComicsDC and Cul de Sac blogs)

Will Henry liked Cul de Sac

New kid on the block: Will Henry's 'Wallace the Brave' joins Savannah Morning News' comics lineup

By Heather Henley

Savannah Morning News  Feb 23, 2019

https://www.savannahnow.com/news/20190223/new-kid-on-block-will-henrys-wallace-brave-joins-savannah-morning-news-comics-lineup

Henry lists a range of influences for the strip, from Bill Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" and Richard Thompson's "Cul de Sac" to George Herriman's "Krazy Kat" and the work of Rhode Island-based artist Don Bousquet.

"The quaintness and elegant simplicity of it was what I was trying to capture," he said of "Cul de Sac."