Nick Galifianakis says and draws

Thank you Nick..Nick Galifianakis says and draws his tribute to his friend Richard Thompson.

"The Searleing of Richard Thompson," or, "The Blessing of the Heir" There are very few geniuses in the world. The rest of us can aspire only to recognize one, and I've had the rare privilege of doing so in my longtime friend. For 25 years, I have been in Richard Thompson's studio to witness his evolution, from lavish pencil drawings to rich oil caricatures through to his brilliant comic strip. His depth of talent, diversity of vision and unique interpretation of the world around him are so rare that I can only think of one other artist whom I would equate with Richard -- the great Ronald Searle. It's not my intention to diminish other talented and important cartoonists, though contemporary greats already agree that Thompson's work merits special distinction. As such my illustration depicts the acknowledgment of his place in the history of what we do: Surrounded by a pantheon of cartoonist gods, Searle blesses his heir. Of course, there are giants of cartooning missing. Where are Rowlandson and Nast? Trudeau, Breathed, Chast or Trondheim? The virtuoso, Chuck Jones? They're all there, represented by the anonymous cherub clinging to the master's shoulder. And so the mantle passes from Searle to Thompson... my grandiose tribute to the humblest of men.