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, August 12, 2019
Thursday, August 8, 2019
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.
I don't recall ever seeing the original in his files.
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
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.
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Monday, June 3, 2019
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.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
"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."
Friday, March 22, 2019
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.
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)
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
&
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)
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Will Henry liked Cul de Sac
New kid on the block: Will Henry's 'Wallace the Brave' joins Savannah Morning News' comics lineup
Savannah Morning News Feb 23, 2019
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."
Thursday, January 31, 2019
The Art of Richard Thompson is available in French
As of last fall, The Art of Richard Thompson is available in
French (in Europe at least) from Urban Comics of Paris. They have done
an excellent job on the book production. Cul de Sac is also reprinted by
them in three volumes. The American version is sold out from Andrews McMeel. The Incomplete Art of Why Things Are (The Richard Thompson Library Volume 1) is still currently available.
The note says that translated versions of the comics have been added at the back of this edition. |
Monday, January 14, 2019
Cartoonist RJ Casey would like to teach Richard Thompson's humor
Dreaming in Comics: Alumni Interview with RJ Casey '09
Hope College's English Department blog January 11, 2019
The editor of the relaunched Comics Journal magazine was asked about teaching:
If you could teach any English class, what would be the title?
It would sure have a niche audience, but "Reconsidering the Comics Canon."
and continued:
The uncanny humorous work of M.K. Brown, Richard Thompson, and Sasaki Maki...
Click through to read the whole article of course.
Friday, June 8, 2018
Bill Watterson art auction for Team Cul de Sac - information on bidding
In honor of Arlington's Richard Thompson who passed away two years ago fro Parkinson's disease, Bill Watterson has donated a signed sketch in The Complete Calvin and Hobbes book vol. 1
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