The blog of Richard Thompson, caricaturist, creator of "Cul de Sac," and winner of the 2011 Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Bugs
My studio is in the basement and I see these things sometimes. This time of year they're revolting little harbingers of Spring
Kim Jong il, Bobblehead
Back when the Almanac was printed wider, and sometimes even in color, I did a few cut-out bobbleheads of newsworthy individuals. And who's more newsworthy than weirdly foreshortened megalomaniac Kim Jong Il? Actually I'm just posting this as a consolation toy for all of you who didn't want to cough up $48 for a tiny rubber Raymond Scott.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Art
I swiped a bit of dialog for today's Cul de Sac (above) from an illustration I dId for Why Things Are at least 14 years ago (below). The small girl in the illustration, who's something of a proto-Alice, is my then-expected older daughter Emma, who turned out to look only slightly like that. What I like best is the drawing Emma's done. I wish I could draw like that all the time. It's probably dangerous to think you're drawing with childlike innocence and immediacy; dangerous only in that you're just kidding yourself. Adult perspective is not so lightly overthrown. But maybe if you think of it as post-expressionism it's okay, and by you of course I mean me. Wouldn't it be fun to draw the whole strip in this style? And by fun I mean for me. Probably less so for you, or for the people who complain about stylistic changes in comic strips.
And, seriously, that's a little better than most four year olds draw, if I do say so myself.
Labels:
fine art,
stupid baby carrots,
stupid naps
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Raymond Scott, Bath Toy
In honor of the centennial of the birth of musical mad scientist Raymond Scott, the toy company Presspop has produced an action figure of the poor unsuspecting man. It's terrifyingly realistic, and includes a CD, a clavivox and a pointing finger to play the clavivox with.
You know Scott's music whether you know it or not. Likely it's permeated your consciousness through its use in old Warner Brother's cartoons via Carl Stalling. And there are a dozen or more CDs of Scott's music, some performed by him and his quintette, others by bands like the Beau Hunks. Scott himself made an appearance in Michael Chabon's Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, at a party where Salvador Dali wore a deep sea diving suit. And now you can have your very own six inch tall Raymond Scott to fill that Raymond Scott-size space on your shelf.
Today's Poor Almanack
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Cul de Sac on YouTube, Updated Slightly
This is pretty cool!
Well, it was pretty cool, but it's gone now. More later.....
Update: it should be up again next week. I'll let you know.
Comic-Con Magazine
A few months back I did a joint interview with the below-mentioned genius, Stephan Pastis, for Comic-Con Magazine, courtesy of the gracious Gary Sassaman. Well, the whole magazine is online here. You can turn the pages and everything, and little lap cards fall out of your computer screen. You'll instantly notice that Stephan is better-spoken, better-groomed and generally more thoughtful than I am. I think he's taller, too.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
What Stephan Pastis Does While Waiting for his Tuna Sandwich
Stephan Pastis, the genius behind Pearls Before Swine, orders a tuna sandwich for lunch, and amuses himself unconstructively by doing this.
Today's Poor Almanack
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Mardi Gras Parade 2009
The First Family makes its way down Wilson Blvd on Fat Tuesday (photo thanks to Jennifer Hart, Arlington), and they're followed by Gov. Palin, below (photo thanks to Bono Mitchell). I appreciate these as I was stuck at home and missed all the fun. My daughter Charlotte represented the family, kindly chaperoned by Mike Rhode and his daughter Claire.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Awaiting the Parade
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Today's Poor Almanack
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Mardi Gras Parade 2009
When Worlds Collide, Part Three
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
When Worlds Collide, Part Two
Since I've got nothing to say and no time to say it, I'll just post the week's Cul de Sacs. Here are Tuesday's and Wednesday's. A commenter on gocomics suggests the P.J. stands for pepperjack, which seems reasonable.
Monday, February 16, 2009
When Worlds Collide
This week the Otterloops go to P.J.Piehole's Family Restaurant, which I stole from the Poor Almanac. It's my futile attempt to better integrate my personality.
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