Comic Culture at HeroesCon 2024, part 4 [Team Cul-De-Sac]

terence dollard

May 14, 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCxNqIT97uE

Part four of Comic Culture's annual pilgrimage to the largest comic-only convention, HeroesCon. Discover the charitable side of the convention, Team Cul-De-Sac, and more interviews from the show floor. Comic Culture is directed and crewed by students at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. I'm posting the video as producer/host and not as an official University publication.

Jason Chatfield: "I consider Richard Thompson to maybe be one of the best cartoonists that ever lived."

Jason Chatfield did a live drawing talk on one of his Substacks today.

I asked him to draw Mr. Danders - he pulled out Richard's Poor Almanac (9:15), and said, "I keep this book at arm's reach from my drawing board at all times... I consider Richard Thompson to maybe be one of the best cartoonists that ever lived. Up there with Ronald Searle, Sergio Aragones, Steadman, Scarfe... these guys who have their very distinct styles... This book - on days when I don't feel like being creative or drawing - I just flip through it and snap myself out of my funk. If you haven't heard of Richard Thompson, I'm jealous that you get to discover his work for the first time. If you have, I implore you to go back to it."

And then he drew Mr. Danders from memory.

"I really, really adore Richard Thompson."

See the whole video at:

Jason Chatfield

DMA#1: Draw Me Anything!

Process Junkie! Apr 3, 2025
https://www.process-junkie.com/p/dma1-draw-me-anything

PS. I subscribe to Jason's other Substack, New York Cartoons @ https://www.newyorkcartoons.com/

Pete Docter shout-out to the world’s greatest unknown cartoonist

Oscar-Winning Pixar Animator Pete Docter On 30 Years of 'Toy Story,' the Future of AI in Animation and New Sequel (Exclusive)
Danielle Directo-Meston
March 24, 2025

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/shopping/toy-story-5-pete-docter-interview-future-of-pixar-animation-new-products-1236170265/

Lastly, what are those two pieces of art hanging on your wall behind you?

This is from the world's greatest unknown cartoonist, it's called "Cul de Sac" by Richard Thompson. And if you're not familiar with it, check it out. It's brilliant. The other one is Mary Blair, she was a brilliant animator at the Disney Studios, and this was from Saludos Amigos. I just love the character of those birds.

 (courtesy of Pete, here's the strip)

Richard's art from the January/February 1993 issue of Contingencies Magazine

Thanks to Joe Sutliff.

 

Nancy Beiman's FurBabies pays tribute to Cul de Sac

Pop Culture and a little tribute to another cartoonist
Nancy Beiman

FurBabies Jan 05, 2025

https://nancybeiman.substack.com/p/pop-culture

Click through the link to spot Petey and Alice in her strip, 2nd tier, first panel.

In her Substack email, Ms. Beiman noted,

One of my favorites, Richard Thompson's CUL DE SAC, is a good one to study. It had a short run, only six years, since Richard sadly left us at an early age. You can see it from beginning to end and two collections feature the original weekly strips that appeared in the Washington POST for comparison together with informative interviews with Thompson. The characters changed slightly (he eliminated Mr. Danvers the talking guinea pig fairly early on) but he never lost the focus on the eccentric children and equally eccentric adults. I've read about his working methods and discovered that he also sometimes had trouble coming up with new ideas for his projects. We all do. That doesn't always make me feel better but it helps me think in a new way.

So, there is a little 'tribute' featuring Alice and Petey Otterloop in today's strip. I figured that Mrs. Oldman could have traveled to Washington, D.C. for a Santa Claus parade that was affected by cutbacks.

I think the collections she refers to are The Complete Cul de Sac and Compleating Cul de Sac that is available for purchase online and benefits Team Cul de Sac for Parkinson's disease research.

Danielle Corsetto would save her Richard Thompson artwork

From her Patreon page - Happy Pre-Halloween Dailies Day! (used with permission)

No offense, Fennel.

I can't share this comic without sharing the original art I'd regret losing. My beloved Richard Thompson originals (forgive the reflections):

Dave Kellett's original Richard Thompson art at 1 hr 57 minutes

COMIC LAB CROSSOVER (GUIGAR + KELLETT) | PENCIL TO PENCIL } 9/18/24

JAMAR NICHOLAS, STEVE CONLEY and MIKE MANLEY

Pencil to Pencil

Sep 18, 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY_TO1X4ois

WELCOME BACK to Pencil to Pencil, the creative livecast where YOU, dear viewer, get to interact LIVE with expert comic book creators. This week, your hosts, JAMAR NICHOLAS, STEVE CONLEY and MIKE MANLEY have an epic podcast crossover with the titans of creativity, BRAD GUIGAR and DAVE KELLETT of COMIC LAB PODCAST! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Guigar (Evil, Inc.) and Kellett (Sheldon, Drive, STRIPPED) are master modern cartoonists and have become a noted source on the business of comics and doing business in a changing landscape. What happens when we put our peanut butter in their chocolate?

Jason Chatfield quotes Richard Thompson 3x in his new newsletter

Jason (if I may) talks about meeting one of Richard's heroes, Edward Sorel, and then looks to Richard for some nib thoughts.  Read it here at 

'How do you decide who you're going to be when you get up in the morning?'

How one piece of advice from Edward Sorel changed my career and helped me finally find my own style.

JASON CHATFIELD

AUG 13, 2024

https://www.process-junkie.com/p/how-do-you-decide-who-youre-going

Team Cul de Sac fundraiser t-shirt by Sergio Aragones info

Hi everyone, Chris Sparks. 

Sergio Aragones was kind enough to do the art for our Team Cul de Sac shirt to raise funds for Parkinson's research.

 

I have a few xs,s and m left and more of the large, xl and 2x.

It's $35 a shirt including the shipping, supplies and fees, in the USA. 

Email me at teamculdesac@gmail.com

If you want a shirt and my PayPal email is JEDITRUE@GMAIL.COM

I will contact you as I work through the orders and wait for payment. 

I accept paypal goods and services unless it's a friend we can do friends and family.

All the shirts are WHITE. The back has the Heroescon logo! On front, it's a logo that Richard Thompson did in his own style for his first appearance in 2008.

If you have never been to Heroescon, you should plan for next year. 

Oh BTW, we made 20k at this year's drink and draw!!!!! All for Parkinson's research!

If you need multiple shirts I can do 3 per box. 

Remember, we only have White shirts. 

Invoices will be sent through my personal pp account jeditrue@gmail.com. 

Thank you Christen Ryan-Sanchez and Sergio Aragones!!!!

Richard Thompson original art including in Chris Schweizer's graphic novel exhibit

It's at minute 45.

ART OF THE KIDS' GRAPHIC NOVEL Exhibition Virtual Visit

Chris Schweizer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WReewXGnbAU

A live walk-through of the Glema Mahr Center for the Arts's ART OF THE KIDS' GRAPHIC NOVEL Exhibition, with curator Chris Schweizer

Jason Chatfield on seeing Richard Thompson originals

from his Dispatches from NancyFest 2024 on Substack, and reprinted with his permission. Subscribe here - https://www.newyorkcartoons.com/

When I was here 6 months ago for Cartoon Crossroads Columbus —my first as a guest presenter— I got to see an extra special selection of art by my favourite cartoonist, Richard Thompson. Jenny had pulled them out, especially for me ahead of time.

Seeing Original Richard Thompson art up close is a pretty special experience. Five Stars. Highly recommend.

When I eyeballed Richard's original art for the first time I thought I was having heart palpitations. I pored over the Cul De Sac strips with a magnifying glass, forensically studying his line like Sherlock Holmes trying to solve A Scandal in Bohemia. I can't quite describe how important it is for artists (especially younger artists) to see original art, up close: white-outs, pencil marks and all. I never attended art school, but I've learned more from mushing my eyeball against great art than from any drawing class I've ever tried.

New Team Cul de Sac site launches

Team Cul de Sac

Cartooning Against Parkinson's Disease

https://teamculdesac.com/

Richard Thompson drew About Schmidt

Courtesy of his friend Joe Sutliffe, here is a drawing that Richard did for an article on the movie About Schmidt and actuaries in films for Contingencies Magazine July/August 2003, p. 33.

The article is "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi" by Joseph C. Higgins, p. 32-34.

Team CDS drawings by Jon Esparza for this year's auction

 Jon's always been great about donating artwork for the annual auction at HeroesCon. Here's 2 pieces he did this year. The Mr. Danders balloon was photographed when Chris unwrapped the art and unfortunately has a reflection of packing material as a result. I bought the Alice and put it on the scanner when it arrived from Chris this week (we operate on Thompsonish time scales).

And a real quick page addenda for your existing book:

New book from Richard's friends Watterson and Kascht

They met as we were all working on The Art of Richard Thompson.  At some point during that, they decided to work together. Their new book is The Mysteries.

You can hear them talking on this new video, which is about the process of making the book, and fascinating:

Collaborating on The Mysteries - Bill Watterson and John Kascht

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=HHND7L1wUl0

CdS daily page sells at auction

Last night a Little Neuro strip sold for a piece that would have shocked Richard, but made him proud.

Bonotom Studio design samples book

Richard's freelancer employer Bono Mitchell hired him frequently for magazine illustrations for her Bonotom Studio, which she ran with Tom Specht. I scanned a booklet of their work today, although there's nothing by Richard in it. There is a Guy Billout illustration for Contingencies magazine.

Richard lifting his mother's Suitcases (updated)

One of Richard's earliest jobs, done in a style he never returned to, was illustrating his mother's autobiography, The Suitcases. His mother, Anne Hall Whitt, spent some time in an orphanage in Charlotte, NC. The book is touching and worth reading. 

 The first time we went to HeroesCon, Richard and I visited the site (pictures now included below), and he was very moved by it. Here's some images from Bono's copy of the book, along with some material from Mrs. Whitt-Thompson's funeral that was laid in.

 

 

 

Richard at the orphanage site, June 6, 2010 (updated3/10/23):

 

 

 

The following letter and photo layout are from Richard's father -

 

Richard Thompson, Chameleon

  

Richard wasn't really a chameleon - he was pretty much a WYSIWYG, except for a couple of minor things.

If he said, "Bless your heart," as a true Southerner's son, he may have either meant it, or "Damn you to Hell."

He was modest, but also he knew his value. He knew he was good, but didn't crow about it.

He also liked orange food, which may or may not be an attribute of chameleons.

Anyway, this is a project that he was part of in 1999. Can you tell what section he did?

He was the face. The other creators were Jeanne Turner, Annie Lunsford, Richard Steadham, Bono Mitchell, Dana Verkouteren, Ken Krafchek, and Patricia Cullen-Clark.

I know some of the group - Krafcheck teaches art at MICA, Verkouteren is a courtroom artist and caricaturist, and Mitchell and Lunsford have passed away. 

Here's Diane Rickenbaugh for HOW Nov/Dec 1999 on the project:

I'll put a pdf of the article and larger versions of the poster on the Internet Archive later tonight.

This year's Team Cul de Sac donation link

 https://give.michaeljfox.org/team/474477