Team Cul de Sac

Team Cul de Sac book dust jacket

2012-02-24T14:42:00.002-05:00

Here is the dust jacket to the Team Cul de Sac book ( we might have a small change or two)
This has been such an honor to work with everyone involved.
The biggest Thank You goes to Richard Thompson in supporting me in this project. He is a saint to put up with me. Oh yeah order this cool book from me at : http://sparkingdesign.com/order-team-cul-de-sac-book/

Team Cul de Sac book Contributor list

2012-02-09T13:13:00.001-05:00

Here it is folks!

The List:

Amend, Bill

Anderson, Brian

Anderson, Mark

Aragones, Sergio

Artley, Steven

Auger, Michael

Basset, Brian

Belefski, Carolyn

Bell-Lundy, Sandra

Billadeau, Jeremy

Bolling, Ruben

Borgman, Jim

Boris, Daniel

Bratton, Doug

Browne, Chance

Burns, Jean

Carillo, Tony

Clark, David

Cole, Michael

Cole, Tyson

Conley, Steve

Conroy, John

Corsetto, Danielle

Cravens, Greg

Curtis, Stacy

Dale, Barbara

Davis, Nikki and Derek

Davis, Jim

Dembecki, Matt

Detorie, Rick

DiPerri, Nathan

Dodge, Jason

Dorkin, Evan

Duffy, Joe

Dunlap-Shohl, Peter

Eaton, Ken

Eliot, Jan

Evans, Greg

Farrago, Andrew

Faust, Craig

Ferdinand, Ron

Feuti, Norm

Fies, Brian

Fishburne, Tom

Fosgitt, Jay

Galiﬁanakis, Nick

Gallant, Shannon

Gammill, Tom

Garrity, Shaenon

Gilligan, Paul

Grall, Caanan

Griffin, Dawn

Guigar, Brad

Guisewite, Cathy

Hagen, David

Hallatt, Alex

Hambrock, John

Hansen, Frank

Harbin, Dustin

Harrell, Rob

Hatem, Rob

Held, Edward

Hinds, Bill

Holbrook, Bill

Holm, Matt

Janocha, Bill

Jantze, Colette and Michael

Jarrell, Sandy

Johnson, Aaron

Johnson, Ian

Johnson, Kerry G

Johnston, Lynn

Jones, Doug

Juliano, Phil

Keil, Birgit

Kellet, Dave

Kesel, Karl

King, Jamie

Kirkman, Rick

Koford, Adam

Konor, Susan Camilleri

Koutsoutis, Constatine

Krause, Peter

Langridge, Roger

LaRocque, Bill

Lazarus, Mell

Leach, “Tiki” Carol

Lemon, J.

Lewis, Donna A.

Libenson, Terri

Lintula, Samuli

Lopez, Rene

Lotshaw, John

Lunsford, Annie

Mahood, Jonathan

Malki, David

Mallett, Jef

Mastronianni, Mason

Mathias, Don

McDonald, Dave

McDonnell, Patrick

McNutt, Kelly

Mitchell, Bill

Mitchell, Bono

Moynihan, Dan

Oliphant, Patrick

Parisi, Mark

Pastis, Stephan

Peirce, Lincoln

Perry, Charles

Piccolo, Rina

Piro, Stephanie

Pittman, Eddie

Polk, Jerrard K.

Price, Hillary,

Reaves, Eric,

Rempe, Scott

Richmond, Tom

Rolfe, D.M.

Rose, John

Satz, Crowden

Schechner, Chris

Schweizer, Chris

Scott, Jerry

Sikoryak, R.

Sinnott, Adrian C

Snyder III, John K.

Soo, Kean

Sorensen, Jen

Sparks, Chris

Steibel, Robert

Stephens, Jay

Sutliff, Joe

Tallon, Sarah

Tatulli, Mark

Thompson, Dan

Tomaselli, David

Trap, Paul

Trudeau, G.B.

Turnbloom, Lucas

Villena, Jose

Walker, Brian

Walker, James Tim

Walker, Mort

Warnes, Tim

Watterson, Bill

Willems, Mo

Wilson, Emily

Wolfe, Ron

Wuerker, Matt

Yoe, Craig

York, Steve

Zinn, David

Pre-order your Team Cul de sac book

2012-01-27T16:11:00.005-05:00

Order Team Cul de Sac Book

Here is the link to sparkingdesign.com

http://sparkingdesign.com/order-team-cul-de-sac-book/

Pre-orders for the Team Cul de Sac book, to be officially released in June 2012.

When you order from us, a portion of the proceeds will go directly to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, to support Parkinson’s Disease research.

Regular Edition: $35.50

The price above includes US shipping and a $5 donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
The book will be signed by Chris Sparks.

Author Edition Signed and Numbered 1-150: $65.50

(signed and numbered 1-150 by author Chris Sparks)

The price above includes shipping and a $20 donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Use the Special Instructions form at Paypal checkout on how you want Chris to personalize your book.

If you have any questions about the book, a special request or needing to buy multiple copies please email Chris at: teamculdesac@gmail.com
Thank you for your support on the project!

Why we fight

2012-01-16T19:38:00.001-05:00

so nobody has write headlines like this -

'Cul de Sac' goes on hiatus as Richard Thompson receives Parkinson's treatment
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog January 16 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/cul-de-sac-goes-on-hiatus-as-richard-thompson-receives-parkinsons-treatment/2012/01/16/gIQAP9jR2P_blog.html#pagebreak

Richard Thompson on Ronald Searle's influence

2012-01-04T08:34:00.001-05:00

RIP, RONALD SEARLE: A cartooning star pays tribute to the 'tidal pull' of a British genius

By Michael Cavna

Washington Post Comic Riffs blog January 3 2012

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/rip-ronald-searle-a-cartooning-star-pays-tribute-to-the-tidal-pull-of-a-british-genius/2012/01/03/gIQAtQjRZP_blog.html

Team Cul de Sac stamp #4 now available

2011-12-14T20:51:00.001-05:00

Joe Sutliff's special Hanukah drawing of the Otterloop children and friend scan now be purchased at Zazzle, as of just a few minutes ago. Joe says, "I was baking dreidles for the Sunday school when I had this idea, so I just drew it."

Barbara Dale's TCDS stamp #2 went out on my Christmas cards today.

Joe Sutliff coughs up a late cartoon

2011-12-13T22:26:00.001-05:00

From: Joe Sutliff, "I was baking dreidles for the Sunday school when I had this idea, so I just drew it. I'll send the original to the auction as soon as I get a chance."

Joe's cartoon will be Team Cul de Sac #4 so we can get the influential Jewish cartoon stamp collector crowd's money before Hanukah.

Team Cul de Sac Zazzle stamps for sale

2011-12-08T14:02:00.001-05:00

Barbara Dale's stamp has been revised to lighten it up so you can see Alice better, and David Hagen volunteered his artwork for stamp #3. Collect them all! It's for charity!

Team Cul de Sac Stamp #2 (revised)

view product

Team Cul de Sac #3

view product

TCDS featured on CSOTD

2011-12-01T21:31:00.001-05:00

That's Comic Strip of the Day, and it was about a week ago.

Kal chimes in

2011-11-27T15:35:00.003-05:00

Artwork from the ace Baltimore editorial cartoonist Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher who's now appearing regularly in the Economist magazine. He's got a 2012 calender out too...

Tom Richmond is Madly on TCDS

2011-11-26T19:01:00.002-05:00

Tom Richmond has been the wonderful illustrator for Mad magazine since 2000. He has left his very wonderful touch on Mad. It is just some of the most amazing illustration work around. Now he has tackled Petey and this is just wonderful. Tom is also the president of the NCS so remember Tom, with great power comes great... well you know the rest. Thanks for being part of our team Tom!

TCDS stamps on sale at Zazzle - almost 1/2 price

2011-11-23T12:12:00.001-05:00

Here's what they say:

A Thanksgiving Tradition: $8.80 Off Custom Postage Sheets! Use Code: ZPOSTAGESALE Ends Tomorrow!

http://www.zazzle.com/team_cul_de_sac_stamp_1_postage-172602866034688462

The Beat and Comic Riffs pick up on Galifianakis donation

2011-11-23T12:11:00.001-05:00

http://www.comicsbeat.com/2011/11/22/nice-art-nick-galifianakis-team-cul-de-sac-contribution/ from Heidi MacDonald's site.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/team-cul-de-sac-galifianakis-beautiful-nod-to-richard-thompson/2011/11/22/gIQAURexkN_blog.html#pagebreak from Mike Cavna's site.

Nick Galifianakis says and draws

2011-11-21T23:04:00.002-05:00

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.

Sergio Aragones Mad-Ly the best

2011-11-15T17:12:00.002-05:00

I have been a fan of Sergio Aragones since I was a kid. First Mad magazine, then Groo and then when I met him in 1995 I was in awe of what an amazing person he was. Sergio is larger than life. He is a real sage of the comics field but also of life. Sergio has been one of the biggest inspiration

in my life and help shape me into the person I am today. Without advice years ago, I am not sure I would have never been brave enough to take on a project as enormous as this one.

It was a pleasure to introduce Richard to Sergio at Baltimorecon in 2010. Thank you Sergio!

A Cul De Sac reference

2011-11-14T17:50:00.001-05:00

Masteribid sent in a tip:

"Adam @ Home" had a "Cul De Sac" reference Saturday.
http://www.gocomics.com/adamathome/2011/11/12

Chris Sparks drawing Cul de Sac?

2011-11-08T23:12:00.002-05:00

So I (Chris)decided to make some changes to my art and still decided to submit this to Andrews McMeel Publishing. I am not a cartoonist but I asked everyone else to contribute so I thought it was only fair to give everyone a laugh. I now have even more respect for everyone who contributed and to Richard Thompson. Damn, this is not easy. Thank you to everyone who contributed. We will have news about the book/auction and maybe some other cool surprises very soon!

Team Cul de Sac stamp #1 from Zazzle.com

2011-11-06T14:04:00.000-05:00

Team Cul de Sac stamp #1 from Zazzle.com

Do you need stamps for the Holidays?

2011-11-06T13:52:00.000-05:00

http://www.zazzle.com/team_cul_de_sac_stamp_1_postage-172602866034688462

Comic Riffs on Pearls Before Swine's Cul de Sac tribute

2011-10-16T20:30:00.001-04:00

Stephan Pastis' support for Team Cul de Sac -

ALICE BEFORE 'SWINE': Pastis' magnificent 'Cul de Sac' mash-up is our Cartoon of the Day
By Michael Cavna
Washington Post Comic Riffs blog October 15 2011
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/comic-riffs/post/alice-before-swine-pastis-magnificent-cul-de-sac-mash-up-is-our-cartoon-of-the-day/2011/10/15/gIQAGyWQlL_blog.html

Miami Herald on Richard Thompson and Cul de SAc

2011-10-15T00:25:00.001-04:00

Battling deadlines and Parkinson's with a quill and chatty kids
By Lomi Kriel
lkriel@MiamiHerald.com
Miami Herald October 14 2011
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/12/2453854/battling-deadlines-and-parkinsons.html

Oct 16: Moving Day fundraising walk in DC

2011-10-10T16:11:00.007-04:00

Richard Thompson, Chris Sparks and others of us from Team Cul de Sac will be in DC for the October 16th Moving Day walk. You can pledge money here .

Dave Kellett

2011-09-26T21:23:00.003-04:00

I met Dave Kellett at Comic-Con International San Diego a few years ago. He had this cool web comic called Sheldon and I bought the first trade of it and he has been getting my money ever since. I consider Dave one of the greats, not only in web comics but in cartooning.

www.sheldoncomics.com

www.drive.com

Please also check out his amazing comic documentary called Stripped! Yeah this guy needs something else to do so he was one of the first people I asked to donate art to Team Cul de Sac.

Dave, thank you so much for saying yes. It has been an honor to know you.

The R. Sikoryak

2011-09-26T21:11:00.003-04:00

So at this point in the TCDS project we are getting quotes from folks about their art, about Richard or Cul de Sac for the book and later on for the auction.

So to keep the interest up.I want to share this amazing art from the one and only the legend R. Sikoryak!

Please check out his links :

sikoryak.com
http://carouselslideshow.com
http://twitter.com/RSikoryak

http://www.facebook.com/MasterpieceComics and

http://www.amazon.com/Masterpiece-Comics-R-Sikoryak/dp/1897299842/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317086112&sr=1-1 I love that book!

Yeah I just hate seeing all this art hahaha! Thank you so much R. Sikoryak!

Richard 'Cul de Sac' Thompson in DC at National Book Festival on Sunday

2011-09-23T21:21:00.002-04:00

On September 25th, in the Graphic Novels tent, Arlington's own Ruben Award winner, Cul de Sac creator Richard Thompson, is speaking at 1 p.m. and signing at 2:30 p.m. This is on the National Mall, in front of the Smithsonians. It's the perfect time to get your tattoo design of Petey officially approved.

Mell Lazarus Is The Sweetest Guy

2011-09-22T17:44:00.003-04:00

So, Mell Lazarus sends me this collage of his favorite Cul de Sac moments, which I just loved. Little did he know, he sent it to me right after I left work. And I don't know about you, but when I leave work, I LEAVE WORK. I come back the next day to 4 voicemails from Mell. "Hello, Caty, I hope you don't think I'm crazy..." He just wanted to make sure I got it. He's not the craziest I've seen.
I think this piece is so fun. It reminds me of all of the silly, funny, charming and energetic vignettes I have enjoyed reading in the strip over the years. It reminds me of Mell. Thanks so much.

Team Cul de Sac zine available at SPX

2011-09-09T22:23:00.001-04:00

Craig Fischer will have copies of the TCDS fanzine for sale at SPX. You can certainly find him when he's moderating a panel for sure, or if you know Mike, buttonhole me and I'll lead you over to him.

Four years of Cul de Sac

2011-09-09T21:34:00.002-04:00

A big early congrats to our friend Richard Thompson on four years of syndication of his strip Cul de Sac. Boy, I am glad we still have papers! Here it is folks:

http://www.gocomics.com/culdesac/2007/09/10

Cathy Guisewite takes a day off from retirement

2011-09-09T11:41:00.003-04:00

Cathy was so nice to come out of retirement to do this wonderful art for Team Cul de Sac. Thank you so much Cathy! What a wonderful tribute to Richard and The whole Cul de Sac gang!

Chris Sparks is interviewed in hometown paper!

2011-09-05T19:37:00.003-04:00

OK folks, I was interviewed in my local paper! Can it get bigger? NAWWWW. In the print version you could see Petey and me standing together. Enjoying my movie star status..hahaha

Ok, enough of that, read below...

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20110903/NEWS/309030035/Asheville-man-rallies-comic-artists-raise-money-Parkinson-s-research

Chris Sparks Chats it up!

2011-08-31T18:13:00.000-04:00

A fun chat with Costa. What a great supporter of TCDS! I love to ramble... http://eatthefunnypages.posterous.com/i-sit-down-with-chris-sparks

Johnny Hart Studios on TCDS

2011-08-25T22:32:00.001-04:00

Click here to read what the Johnny Hart Studios says about TCDS.

TCDS T-shirt #1 available

2011-08-25T22:11:00.002-04:00

We've got a version of the t-shirt featuring Alice that people were stopping Chris Sparks to buy at Baltimore Comic Con. Order it at Zazzle now.

facebook here we come

2011-08-25T12:24:00.002-04:00

Please follow us on facebook and share with all your friends!

Blogger interviews Fischer on TCDS fanzine

2011-08-23T22:24:00.001-04:00

I sit down with Craig Fischer
Constantine Koutsoutis
Eat the Funny Pages blog August 11, 2011
http://eatthefunnypages.posterous.com/i-sit-down-with-craig-fischer

Artist August: Caanan Grall (Interview)

2011-08-23T20:31:00.002-04:00

Caanan is a TCDS contributor. Read an interview here. I love his art!

Team Cul de Sac Zazzle stamp now available

2011-08-17T21:08:00.006-04:00

Another TCdS fund-raiser!

Find more at Zazzle.

Share This! |

Team cul de Sac Sorting room,No drinks allowed!

2011-08-11T19:35:00.002-04:00

Just check this out folks! This is what team work can do! BAMM! This is amazing.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150352859160449.389065.718705448&l=e191c2ad4f&type=1

Kansas City Here I come!

2011-08-08T21:52:00.004-04:00

I am leaving the beautiful mountains of Asheville NC for a few days to fly out and see the one and only Caty Neis, the editor on our Team Cul de Sac book. I hope she left some boxes for me to open!

I will be taking a lot of photos and videos of the home office!

We will be doing all type of ..well you know...book stuff , Important book stuff! Stuff that I don't know about but boy do I have ideas!

I have never been to Kansas City but if all the folks are as nice as the ones I met at the Reubens, I will be well taken care of! Photos and drooling comments will follow over the next few days, weeks and months.

Happy Birthday Caty!

FAVORITES and Fantastic Four

2011-08-03T15:23:00.010-04:00

Craig Fischer here, reminding you that the Favorites zine is still available via PayPal for $6.25 per copy, and all proceeds go to Team Cul de Sac and research into a cure for Parkinson's Disease.

In Favorites, over thirty cartoonists, critics and bloggers write essays about super-cool comics, the comics they'd take to a desert island. A link to the list of contributors--and to the PayPal order button--is here.

Here is a Favorites outtake. When I was organizing the project, Andy Mansell, Heroes Discussion Group Leader extraordinaire, graciously agreed to contribute, and then got carried away and wrote two essays for the zine. Because of space considerations, I had to limit all the contributors to a single essay each, but I'm happy to present Andy's unpublished second essay below...because I love this comic as much as Andy does.

My Favorite Comic Book

I've read thousands of comics throughout my four-color life, but believe it or not, this choice was a no-brainer. I first read Fantastic Four #77 when (Hey Mom, can I borrow ten cents?) my Mom inserted her dime and my two pennies into the slots of the comic book auto-mat dispenser at the local drug store back in September of 1968 and down fell my no-longer mint copy of FF #77.

I was eight years old, and on that day I must've shrunk a quarter of a foot, because that beautiful tour-de-force of a comic book took the top half of my head off at the brain stem.

The plot: Reed, Ben and Johnny are off to Sub-Atomica to face the threat of Psycho-Man. They have to enter P-Man's realm by shrinking down and flying their shrunken space ship into a puddle of liquid on one of Reed's microscope slides. (Hey, Mom--can we get a microscope?) Awesome!

Meanwhile, the Silver Surfer is trying desperately to prevent the world-eater Galactus from devouring Earth. Awesomer!

Meanwhile, you ask, where's Sue Richards? She's bed-ridden in the Baxter Building because she's about to give birth--to a baby! (Hey, Mom--where do babies come from?) Even more awesomer!

It was Stan Lee at his most self-aggrandizing and hyperbolic! It was Jack Kirby creating entire worlds out of the worn stub of a Number 2 pencil! And it was Joe Sinnott making everything tight and consistent and perfect. He wasn't just the inker--he was The Embellisher! (Hey, Mom, what's an embellisher?)

And along with the friendly and over-the-top dialogue and explosive captions, the issue featured the fabulous Marvel Bullpen Bulletins page and the monthly checklist with all of those fifteen-word hyperbolic plot summaries that made your mouth water for every Marvel comic on sale (except Millie the Model #36--what a buzz kill!).

Stan the Man made every Marvel reader feel like they were a part of his family. It was just like the scene in Help when we're given proof that all four Beatles actually lived together in the same block of flats. Everything was copacetic in Marveldom. And I wanted Stan to christen me with a really cool nickname--but not "Andy Panda." (I was already Andy Panda.)

And then there were all of those comic-book ads (Hey, Mom, can I make some extra money selling Grit? And can we get some Sea Monkeys too so they can keep the goldfish company?). Oh, what this prepubescent wouldn't have done to procure a pair of X-Ray Specs (tm), but that's a different topic for a different day.

"Shall Earth Endure?" the cover of FF #77 dramatically inquires.

Pardon my French, but Hell yes! That is, if Stan and Jack and Joe along with that set of 100 green plastic soldiers storming a sand box recreation of Omaha Beach on the back cover (for only $1.99 plus S & H...Hey, Mom!) have anything to say about it!

I'm so there, and I still am!

-Andrew Mansell

Chance Browne helps us out!

2011-07-31T16:00:00.005-04:00

So I am a little slow in posting but it is worth it!

Not only am I a big fan of Hi and Lois that Chance Browne illustrates but his dad, Dik Browne was one of my favorite cartoonist ever! Chance I can never thank you enough for taking the time out to help!

This would be a great play group huh? Maybe we can have a longer crossover..

Chance and Richard...What do you think?

Tom Spurgeon's Team Cul de Sac Fanzine contribution now online

2011-07-20T21:41:00.001-04:00

You should still by the zine, however...

On Jaime Hernandez's The Death Of Speedy
By Tom Spurgeon
For Favorites, The Team Cul De Sac Favorite Comic Zine, 2011
http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/otbp_favorites_the_team_cul_de_sac_favorite_comic_zine/

Mark Parisi comes through

2011-07-19T20:06:00.000-04:00

Off the Mark

Hattip to Master Ibid for the link.

Lio and Rhymes with Orange strips appear today

2011-07-17T21:59:00.002-04:00

Today's Washington Post comics section had TCDS strips by Mark Tatulli for Lio and Hilary Price for Rhymes with Orange. Thanks!

Support Team Cul de Sac! Fanzine and print for sale!

2011-07-14T10:36:00.018-04:00

PRINTS SOLD OUT!

Team Cul de Sac Print

This is our limited edition Portfolio 11" x 13.06" print. Signed by Richard Thompson and numbered by the one and only Mike Rhode. This is limited to 25 prints. All proceeds (including any extra shipping charges) will go to Team Cul de Sac. We will be picking prints at random as they are ordered.
The prints are $50.00 each and $15.00 shipping.
I ( Chris Sparks) will also be more than happy to sign the prints.

Team Cul de Sac Fanzine

Above is the Richard Thompson-drawn cover to FAVORITES, a home-grown zine where notable comics critics, artists and bloggers write their individual answers to a single question: “What is my favorite comic, and why?”

The contributors are an all-star line-up: Derik Badman, Noah Berlatsky, Alex Boney, David Bordwell, Matthew J. Brady, Scott Bukatman, Johanna Draper Carlson, Isaac Cates, Rob Clough, Corey Creekmur, Andrew Farago, Shaenon Garrity, Dustin Harbin, Charles Hatfield, Jeet Heer, Gene Kannenberg Jr., Abhay Khosla, Susan Kirtley, Sean Kleefeld, Costa Koutsoutis, Andrew Mansell, Robert Stanley Martin, Chris Mautner, Joe McCulloch, Ana Merino, Mike Rhode, Jim Rugg, Frank Santoro, Chris Schweizer, Caroline Small, Tom Spurgeon, Ben Towle and Matthias Wivel.

FAVORITES is 40 pages long, and can be ordered via the PayPal button below. The cost is $5.00 plus $1.25 shipping and handling. (All the money that isn’t spent on envelopes and postage will go to Team Cul de Sac, and research into a cure for Parkinson’s disease.) Thank you for your support!

Stacy Curtis with Miss Bliss the teacher of the year

2011-07-14T09:46:00.005-04:00

Once again, we get blown away by wonderful work for Team Cul de Sac. Stacy Curtis went out of his way for Miss Bliss. Now its official. Miss Bliss is the Teacher of the Year. Thank you Stacy for contributing to Team Cul de Sac. We are so lucky to have you on our team!

Stacy Curtis has illustrated over 25 books for children, including the "Raymond and Graham" series and "The 7 Habits of Happy Kids," a New York Times Best Seller, written by Sean Covey.Stacy lives in the Chicago area with his wife Jann and dog, Derby. Please check out his sites. His work is amazing!

website: www.stacycurtis.com
blog: stacycurtis.blogspot.com

Shaenon K. Garrity and Andrew Farago

2011-07-10T21:13:00.007-04:00

Ok, I finally met Andrew and Shaenon in Boston. They are just the nicest people. They were nice enough to hang out with me. I hope I didn't bore them too much. They have both been so supportive of Team Cul de Sac in so many ways. Thanks Shanenon and Andrew!

Andrew Farago is the curator of the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco. He has written for Marvel Comics, The Comics Journal, The Comics Reporter and Animation World Network, and is the author of The Looney Tunes Treasury. He lives in Berkeley with his wife, cartoonist Shaenon K. Garrity.

“Richard’s one of the greatest cartoonists of his era, and before long, he’ll be on the short list of the all-time greats. Shaenon and I are huge fans of Cul de Sac, and I think we’re even bigger fans of Richard himself. He’s even funnier and more charming in person than he is on paper, if you can believe that. I contributed to Team Cul de Sac mostly for selfish reasons, in that I’d like to see Richard cartooning for another hundred years.”

Shaenon K. Garrity is an award-winning cartoonist and scriptwriter best known for the online comics Narbonic and Skin Horse. She works as a manga editor for Viz Media and teaches at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. Her writing on comics appears in The Comics Journal and Comixology.com.

“Cul de Sac won me over from the first strip, and I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to draw the characters. In particular, I wanted to delve into the mystery of Petey’s possibly imaginary friend/supervillain Ernesto Lacuna. Thanks, Richard, for giving Andrew and me that chance!”

Craig Yoe! Knows...

2011-07-10T20:46:00.003-04:00

Craig is one of the most entertaining guys in all of comicdom, so for him to do this rare art for us is just a treat.

Craig Yoe is the co-creative director of YOE! Studio, which has been called "the premier design studio serving the entertainment industry." Animation magazine hailed Yoe as "Dr. Seuss on acid!"http://www.yoe.com/ Click the link already!

http://yoebooks.com/ makes some of the best freaking comic related books ...ever!

This little Book on Barney Google has one of the coolest intros ever in comics, thanks to Richard Thompson.

Craig, I am such a fan of your work, Its an honor to have you on the team!

Bill Janocha with Gamin and Patches meets Alice and Petey

2011-07-10T20:05:00.003-04:00

Bill Janocha has been Mort Walkers assistant starting in 1987 GAMIN AND PATCHES was a United Feature comic strip created by Mort Walker and was assisted by Bill. Bill was kind enough to do this wonderful art for us.
Bill is such a great guy and also a big fan of Cul de Sac. I also might add his son may know more about Cul de Sac than Richard Thompson! I was fortunate to meet Bill at the Reubens in 1997 in my home town of Asheville NC. Now years later we had a chance to hang out in Boston.

Bill, thank you for being such a big supporter of Team Cul de Sac and spreading the news.

In the news The Harvey Awards

2011-07-07T21:25:00.002-04:00

Thompson and other contributors are up for the harvey awards. I am hoping to be there!

http://www.harveyawards.org/

The Buckets by Greg Cravens

2011-07-07T20:52:00.001-04:00

Folks, I will be updating the blog more this weekend... yes I am behind but as a tease check this out. I think It is a four part crossover! Thanks so much Greg!

http://www.gocomics.com/thebuckets/2011/07/06

http://www.gocomics.com/thebuckets/2011/07/07

Dustin Harbin on TCDS

2011-06-21T22:27:00.001-04:00

Super-friendly cartoonist Dustin Harbin, the man who brought Richard to cons (specifically Heroes Con) profiles TCDS.

R.C. Harvey on Richard Thompson and Cul de Sac

2011-06-20T22:09:00.001-04:00

Fanfare: Open Access for our hare-raising report on the Reubens Weekend, May 27-29, during which the National Cartoonists Society bestows numerous awards, including the Reuben for "cartoonist of the year." Meet the Wimpy Kid's Jeff Kinney, freelancers Roy Doty and R.O. Blechman and Cul de Sac's Richard Thompson and read all the sordid details of the humiliation of the Happy Harv himself and other disgraces that transpired over the weekend. Plus—a plan to reform Congress!! This installment is open to all comers, whether you pay a $ubscription fee or not. This largess occurs only once or twice a year, kimo sabe, so don't miss out. Beam up by clicking below.

http://www.rcharvey.com/rantsraves.html

Stay tooned,
R.C. Harvey

For comics news and reviews, profusely dosed with cartooning history and lore, beam up to www.RCHarvey.com, where our online magazine, Rants & Raves, is posted every two or three weeks.

More art will be shown soon!

2011-06-20T20:52:00.003-04:00

I have more cool art to share with folks. Bill Janocha did us a beautiful piece that I just love.Shaenon K Garrity and Andrew Farago did another awesome piece of art for TCDS. The amazing Craig Yoe has

donated art to TCDS! Plus many other wonderful submissions that are still flowing in.

The real problem is I have been around so many artists the last year I have caught the deadline opps. I have some web projects that need attending to ASAP...so, I will be posting these and other amazing submissions at a slower rate the next week or so.

D-Day means Fox de Sac thanks to Bill Amend

2011-06-17T18:24:00.002-04:00

Bill Amend contributed this great piece. This is a fitting last art of the deadline day.

I was such a fanboy when I met him in Boston. The only thing I could say had to be something dumb...

Bill, I love Foxtrot but the math strips... I hate the math strips. God I hate math..blah blah blah.

So Bill, I am sorry I couldn't be a normal dumb annoying fan, I had to be a dumb incoherent math hating fan.

I cannot believe he did me a sketch, I am sure it was so I would just leave him alone. arghhh

Here I am rambling again....

Thank you Bill, you are such a legend and Im so glad you are part of Team Cul de Sac!

I really do love Foxtrot...except for......

D-Day

2011-06-17T15:05:00.006-04:00

Ok, everybody. Here it is, deadline day. I know a lot of people have been calling, emailing, printing and packaging to get their artwork here by today. Please don't worry if it isn't here yet. I have plenty to keep me busy for the next few days, and if your package comes Monday, Tuesday or at some point in the next week, you will still make it into the project. And if you haven't heard from me whether your package has made it, maybe you could see it in the picture. Wow. Just--wow.

Joe Sutliff donates to TCDS

2011-06-17T13:00:00.000-04:00

Joe sent us this very wonderful piece of art! he also had a few worlds about Richard. Enjoy!

"Richard is a cartoonist's cartoonist - I hear this time and again. His work is so finely crafted that sometimes it takes the experience of working in the medium to appreciate the complexity of his composition and writing, which appears so flowing and effortless. If I have one complaint at all about him, it is that Richard is too skinny. Whenever he travels to shows, he is forced to carry five pounds of pea gravel in his pockets to conteract sudden wind gusts. Next time you see him, ask to feel around in his pockets - you'll see."

John K. Snyder III paints for TCDS

2011-06-17T12:52:00.000-04:00

John K. Snyder III is on of the best cover illustrators in the comic world. We are very lucky to have him do this great rendition of Alice. Thank you John!

Here is a little more about John.

John has done covers for Harlan Ellison's Phoenix Without Ashes comic adaptation from IDW, the collection(with his cover) just recently was on the NYT bestseller Graphic Novel Hardcover list, and his Classics Illustrated adaptations of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent were just re-issued in France, as well as Jekyll/Hyde by Papercutz books here in the US--He also recreated the Doctor MidNite(along with Matt Wagner) character for DC Comics in 1999.

Dustin Harbin hangs out with Dill

2011-06-17T12:18:00.000-04:00

I have known Dustin since we both had hair and when it wasn't grey. I could say so much about his talent and wit plus he is such a big supporter/fan/friend of Richards. I really want to say more but then he would be sooo hard to put up with!

Dustin Thank you so much. Thank you for using Dill... We need more Dill in our lives!Please check out http://dharbin.com/ to see some of his outstanding work.

You are just one of the best people to have in your comic life. Thank you.

Jan Eliot serves TCDS some Stone Soup

2011-06-17T11:57:00.000-04:00

My In Laws love Jan and Stone Soup! I just scored major points with them! Jan than you so much!

Jan Eliot Stone Soup Cartoons

www.stonesoupcartoons.com

Rina Piccolo waits on Petey

2011-06-17T11:52:00.000-04:00

I think Rina is one of the most talented and beautiful ladies I have ever met. She is so charming and witty that I just wish my time with her last year and been longer. Rina, Thank you !

A word from Rina...

Richard Thompson and “Cul de Sac”

“If I didn't know Richard, I would read "Cul de Sac"

and wonder about the man behind the characters. Is

he sensitive, intuitive, distinctively brainy? Or is he

just awesomely neurotic?

All of these things are true about Richard. He's the

spark that gives "Cul de Sac" its charm. I'm so glad to

know him.

Oh, and did I mention he's an alchemist at the

drawing board? Turns ink and paper into pure gold!”

Rina Piccolo

Mort Walker

2011-06-16T12:47:00.000-04:00

Thank You Mort!

Deadlines and being overwhelmed!

2011-06-16T10:25:00.000-04:00

Dear TCDS folks,

The support for TCDS has been greater than I could have ever dreamed of and the last few months have been amazing. From the Baltimore Comicon last year, then the Cartooning Festival at Ohio State U last fall, to the recent NCS awards in Boston(Congrats again, Richard), then Heroescon this month... I am so lucky to have met many of the artists who have contributed. Thank you all so very much.

The deadline for contributions is this weekend and feel free to mail the art ASAP. Contact Caty Neis or me if you are working on art and haven't mailed it yet. If we don't answer ASAP, it's because we are so lucky enough to have so much to do! I know Caty is still sorting packages and she is still being trapped by checking out all of the great art.

We are planning to have the art auction in the fourth quarter this year and the book will launch May/June next year.

I am working on having a big launch party at Heroescon 2012, June 22-24.

If I haven't posted your art yet, don't worry, I will post a few more, but remember I need to leave some shockers for the book!

I have asked Richard Thompson to create our cover. I cannot wait to see what he does for us!

Rick Detorie is always there.

2011-06-16T10:20:00.001-04:00

Rick has been such a supporter of ours from the start. This art shows you just how amazing an artist he is and what a wonderful man. Rick thank you so much for your support to TCDS and the friendship to Richard and myself. Rick ad a few words about Richard:

Richard Thompson draws funny.

By that I mean his drawings, with their loopy lines, scritchy scratchings, and omnifarious orbs, coalesce to form characters whose faces seem to have been channeled from ancient Inuit totems (or the lavatory wall of the Kerrville, Texas, Dairy Queen). They’re stand alone funny. You don’t even have to absorb the gag to be tickled silly.

But when you take these quirky characters, who are as familiar to us as members of our own family, (Come now, who doesn’t know a diffident Peter or an audacious Alice? Can someone hand me a mirror, please?), and place them in a whimsical world that’s really quite mundane, until soggy clumps of it are probed with precision by a masterful cartoonist who transforms them into tiny cluster bombs of insightful hilarity, then you get the magic that is “Cul de Sac.”

And it’s just so damn wonderful.

Rick Detorie is the cartoonist responsible for the comic strip “One Big Happy.” He is also author of the YA novel “The Accidental Genius of Weasel High.”

Hilary Price joins TCDS!

2011-06-16T10:11:00.000-04:00

I met Hilary last year at OSU and I think she is so talented . Her strip always makes me laugh and makes me wish I had a tenth of her wit. Rhymes with Orange is it!

Thank you so much Hilary!

Mark Tatulli LIO Teaser!

2011-06-16T10:01:00.000-04:00

I met Mark a few weeks ago in Boston and I think he is such an entertaining and smart and and and . It was such a treat to hang out with him. Mark thank you for being such a supporter of TCDS and for now this is a tease of the upcoming Sunday strip of LIO!

Carolyn Belefski says the Otterloops needs a date night!

2011-06-16T09:49:00.001-04:00

Ok, I think she is right! Maybe a date month? Is a night really long enough? Here is a little about Carolyn Belefsk, My date hero! Please follow more TCDS news on her blog!

WHY

For my Team Cul de Sac art, I wanted to create a story involving Richard's characters and my Curls character. I felt like the Otterloop parents needed to go on a date because they hardly have any time to themselves, so I wanted them to get-away and introduce Curls to look after Alice and Petey. Richard Thompson is a brilliant cartoonist. I admire his skills very much and I wish Team Cul de Sac the best of luck to raise money for Parkinson's Research.

BIO

Carolyn Belefski was nominated for Friends of Lulu's 2010 Kim Yale Award for Most Talented Newcomer. She displays a new Curls webcomic every Monday and Thursday at www.curls-studio.com/curls and collaborates with writer Joe Carabeo on the comic books Kid Roxy, Black Magic Tales and The Legettes. Carolyn’s illustrations have been published in USA WEEKEND Magazine, The Commonwealth Times, Magic Bullet, The Pulse on Comicon.com and more.

Big Nate + Cul de Sac= Love

2011-06-15T11:26:00.000-04:00

Big Nate is one of the biggest names in cartooning right now, thanks to best-selling books and an uncanny ability to delve deep into the psyche of an eleven-year-old. We thank him immensely for his contribution to the Team, and hope this piece goes to a loving home.

Dave McDonald's TCDS contribution

2011-06-14T15:27:00.001-04:00

Dave McDonald shared space with us at Heroes Con as a South Carolina member of the National Cartoonist Society chapter, and we twisted his arm into doing a piece for us. I'll leave his contact information here in case anyone wants to see more of his Hamster Sam.
--

Cartoonist & Teaching Artist
www.davemcdonald.com

Bill Mitchell's contribution

2011-06-12T17:54:00.001-04:00

Richard Thompson says "this is from my old friend Bill Mitchell, former DC resident and one of the first online editorial cartoonists. It's cool!"

From: Bill Mitchell

I've attached some snap shots of my contribution to the Team Cul De Sac auction. On Friday I received a very nice note from Caty Neis informing me that she'd gotten my package and that I would be published in your book! I'm very pleased to know I'll be included. I had thought that I might not make the cut - mainly because the thing is a paper sculpture and not as easily scanned (photographed) and a flat illustration.

Mike here - I think this is very cool too, and I'll be bidding on it (which shouldn't dissuade anyone because I have honestly liked EVERYTHING sent in so far, and can't afford it all).

B.C. art for Team Cul De Sac

2011-06-12T17:51:00.001-04:00

by Mason Mastroianni, B.C. head-writer and cartoonist.

Bio :

Mason Mastroianni has always been passionate about art. Born with one of those rare artistic gifts, Mason was seldom seen without pen and paper as a child. Growing up, Mason worked to hone and test his talent by entering and winning many local and state art competitions.

Mason attended illustration courses at the Rhode Island School of Design and then enrolled in The DAVE School (Digital Animation and Visual Effects) in Orlando. Upon graduation, he took a position as a CG animator in Minneapolis. Mason's work at Wet Cement Productions earned the company an Emmy award for computer graphic animation.

Mason's combination of raw talent and early exposure to the cartooning world through his grandfather, Johnny Hart, made him by far the best candidate to carry on the comic strip, B.C.

Jamie King's Alice and her awesomeness

2011-06-12T17:50:00.004-04:00

Jamie is one of the most amazing artist/designers I have met. She is also one of the best business partners and friends I could ever ask for. This was a nice surprise for me. She has been wonderful during all of the TCDS madness. Thank you Jamie for always being there for me and all of the madness.

Jamie was thrilled to meet Richard a couple of weeks ago and was very inspired by him. In her words:

"I went through a lot of ideas, but finally settled on oil pastel. They tend to take on a childish quality which I thought could be appropriate. I chose to depict alice, because I like her attitude she gets sometimes. And I put crayons on the table to suggest my own artistic frustration.:-)"

Heroes Con Drink and Draw pictures

2011-06-07T14:56:00.001-04:00

The indomitable Heather ran the money table for us and writes in:

I just loaded all the Drink and Draw pics on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/54091968@N04/sets/72157626784127815/

Drink and Draw Social Club art

2011-06-07T12:15:00.000-04:00

Here's some of the Drink and Draw Social Club charity artwork that I bought at Heroes Con on Friday night to raise money for Team Cul de Sac.

Captain Jack by Tom Zahler.

Roger Langridge's Burping.

Lois Lane by Thom Zahler

Nude by ? - let us know!

Heroescon update!

2011-06-06T20:14:00.000-04:00

Team Cul de Sac wants to give a big shout out to Shelton Drum who runs the best comic convention in America! His team of Rico, Seth and Heather helped us get the word out about Team Cul de Sac and provided both Richard and the Team with tables and support. Thank you all!

Dave Johnson, Jeff Johnson and Dan Panosian are co-founders of the Drink and Draw Social Club or D.D.S.C. for short invited Team Cul de sac and special Bartender Richard Thompson to join them. TCDS received all of the donations and tips from the event! We'd especially like to thank all the cartoonists that did spur of the moment drawings and donated them, while hanging around until late in the evening. (Perhaps we can get some of the ones that we bought scanned and put up here.) After buying t-shirts and special limited edition (of 25) prints to sell, largely due to the Drink and Draw Social Club, we cleared $900.00 for the Fox Foundation.

We still have a few signed and numbered prints ($50.00) and t-shirts ($20.00).

Don't forget we debuted our fanzine and it is still availiable for you to buy ($5.00). Stay tuned for a Paypal option to make buying tchotckes easier.

Richard Thompson featured in Charlotte Observer

2011-06-04T08:33:00.001-04:00

Richard Thompson is in Charlotte, NC, at Heroes Con - here's a local interview with him -

Cartoonist draws peace from imagination
By Mark Washburn
Saturday, Jun. 04, 2011

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/06/04/2349613/cartoonist-draws-peace-from-imagination.html

Sheldon and Frazz

2011-05-31T21:57:00.000-04:00

Dave Kellett draws Richard Thompson receiving the Rueben while Jef Mallett sneaks Dill into Frazz.

Richard Thompson wins cartooning's 'Oscar' award

2011-05-29T09:20:00.001-04:00

Richard Thompson won the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Award, named after legendary cartoonist Rube Goldberg, in Boston last night. Comic Riffs has the story and also points out that Gary Varvel who won the RFK Journalism Award for editorial cartooning here in DC, also won the NCS editorial cartooning division award.

Here are a few quick photos of Richard's wonderful evening, taken by Chris Sparks. Congrats !

John Glynn, Richard Thompson, Cathy Guisewite, Lee Salem, John McMeel, Garry Trudeau

Richard Thompson and Chris Sparks.

Richard Thompson and Lynn Johnston

Jerry Scott, Richard Thompson and Patrick McDonnell

Richard Thompson and Mort Walker

Jay Fosgitt contributed this fine gem

2011-05-25T06:56:00.001-04:00

Jay submitted this wonderful TCDS art for us. I can never say thank you enough to everyone who has helped us but I will try! Jay I think you have done a wonderful job in capturing the CDS kids in your style. It is awesome! Thank you again! Read below in what Jay had to say!

I'm a big fan of Richard Thompson's comic strip, "Cul De Sac", and also a big fan of Harper Lee's book (and the movie based on it), "To Kill A Mockingbird". When I first read Richard's comic, I was overwhelmed by the wonderful similarities of the two works, from characters to themes. Most noticeable for me were the shared ideals of hope and perseverance. With these tools, we can get past preconceived notions about folks in our community, or we can manage a public obo solo (without the aid of a security cape and Viking helmet) despite our fear of being stared at. Richard goes further to carry these strengths into his personal life, which not only inspires me as a cartoonist, but as a person.

Though I typically draw in pen and ink and color my work digitally, for this piece, I tried to suggest Richard's style by coloring with watercolor pencils. Hopefully I managed an faithful connection to Cul De Sac by employing this fun and challenging medium.

--Jay P. Fosgitt is the creator of the graphic novel "Dead Duck", and is a member of The National Cartoonists Society. You can visit his website at: www.jayfosgitt.com

Chris Schweizer jumps for TCDS

2011-05-25T06:23:00.001-04:00

I meet Chris last year at Heroescons. Not only did Chris,Shannon,Craig,Mike,Richard and I all have dinner together I got a chance to buy two books in the The Crogan Aventures series. Folks, these are a must read at any age! Chris is a big fan of Richards and I hope you check out http://curiousoldlibrary.blogspot.com . Chris, see you in about a week! Thank you for being such a big supporter of TCDS. Here is a note from Chris about Cul de Sac and a little bio on him.

My note on Cul de Sac:

Cul de Sac is, of course, the best drawn and funniest strip to come along since Calvin and Hobbes, and is one of the best ever made, which naturally earns Richard my respect. His handling of Alice, Dill, and Petey, however, has earned him my jaw-on-the-floor awe.

I genuinely believe that Richard understands children better than any writer - and not just of comics - that has come before him. I know that this is a grandiose statement, and I do not say it lightly. Most of us cartoonists are kids at heart, and hopefully have a little insight, but Richard so deftly presents the logic of the little that it makes the rest of us look like gripey old curmudgeons. For that, and for the hours of joy that come from reading his strip and sharing it with my family and friends, I offer him my sincerest thanks.

My bio:

Chris Schweizer is the author of The Crogan Aventures, a graphic novel series that chronicles the exploits of the fictitious Crogan family line at different points throughout history. He lives in Marietta, GA with his wife and daughter, and teaches comics at SCAD-Atlanta.

Favorite Comic Zine: Update

2011-05-24T21:49:00.000-04:00

Craig Fischer here. As I wrote in a previous post, I'm putting together a zine to sell in order to raise money for the Team. The zine, called Favorites, consists of essays written by comics critics, artists and bloggers about their most cherished comic strips, comic books and graphic novels.

I'm happy to report that the zine is on schedule to premiere at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC, coming up on June 3-5. Favorites will cost 5 dollars, and every cent of each sale will go towards research for a cure for Parkinson's disease. After Heroes, we'll make the zine available through the mail.

I'd like to thank the contributors to the zine, all of whom wrote sensational essays about some exceptional comics. I'd also like to thank some guy named Richard Thompson, who very graciously volunteered to draw the cover for Favorites. (Richard's cover illustration is at the top of this post.)

So stop by the Team table at Heroes, say hello, spend five bucks on our zine, and help us battle Parkinson's. See you then!

Raymond Jarrell is 8 yrs old and loves Cul de Sac

2011-05-23T00:35:00.000-04:00

I got this note from Raymond's Mom,Sandy about his love of Cul de Sac. What a great watercolor painting! Thanks Raymond!

Hi Chris-

My 8 year-old son Raymond is a huge CDS fan and wanted me to pass along his watercolor of Petey and Dill eating together. Petey's food is in separate little piles, Dill's is all mixed up and Petey is disgusted.

My boy understands the characters :)

Best/

Sandy

Petey meets Red and Rover by Brian Basset

2011-05-23T00:30:00.000-04:00

Brian Basset did this beautiful art for us. WOW! Thank you sir.

I think Petey needs a dog! Don't you?

Please check out his strip http://www.gocomics.com/redandrover/

Jonathan Mahood shares with us for TCDS

2011-05-20T22:27:00.001-04:00

Jonathan sent this awesome piece and share his thoughts on Richard and himself. This guy is such a class act. I am so glad he wanted to contribute to TCDS! Here is his little story about his love for Richard and Cul de Sac.
I started reading Cul de Sac when it first launched on GoComics in 2007 and I, like millions of other readers, have been a big fan ever since.
I'm a bit slow, so it took me a while to realize Richard also did the fantastic illustrations in The New Yorker that I enjoyed so much (...like I said, a bit slow.)
When the call went out for contributions to Team Cul de Sac I knew it was a great opportunity to support someone who had given me many laughs over the years.

Having suffered some permanent nerve damage that left my drawing hand partially paralyzed, I have some limited insight into what it's like when your wiring doesn't quite function properly. Drawing a simple circle can suddenly become extremely frustrating.
I also know that, while I was working through therapy and coping with this new reality, comics were a powerful source for that healing, both physically and mentally.
For that reason, I think comics provide an excellent and unique way to promote awareness and raise funds for Parkinson's research. I am very pleased to play a role and support Richard's Team Cul de Sac.
Dip those nibs people!

Washington Post Profiles Richard Thompson Update

2011-05-20T13:09:00.000-04:00

Here are the links to check out.

I was hoping to find out more dirt on this beloved cartoonist but there is nothing but praise from folks like Art Spiegelman, Mike Peters, Stephan Pastis, Pat Oliphant, Nick Galifianakis and Bill Watterson.

Profile and cool photos.

Enjoy folks.

Beautiful art from Adrian C. Sinnott

2011-05-20T13:02:00.000-04:00

Adrian met Richard at last year's Reuben awards and wanted contribute to TCDS.

Adrian is the Chapter Chair for the Berndt Toast Gang/Long Island Chapter of the NCS and am also a member of the Society of Illustrators. I do children's books, advertising illustration. I love this piece of art.

Check out the links below!

thank you so much Adrian!

Adrian C. Sinnott
Barking Hollow Studios, Inc.
www.adriansinnott.com
631-547-0778

My sketchy blog:
http://adriansinnott.com/wordpress/

Sandy Jarrell with Toad Zombies VS. Sootis

2011-05-20T12:53:00.000-04:00

Sandy is a fan of CDS and also trying to become a full time cartoonist. This is pretty impressive folks. Check out http://whamcomics.com/

Thank you so much Sir!

from Costa Koutsoutis TCDS contribution

2011-05-20T12:50:00.000-04:00

A big thanks to Costa for contributing to TCDS with some art but Costa is also in our Fanzine that will be making its debut in two weeks from today at Heroescon in Charlotte NC.

Thank you so much for all you do Costa. Please go to http://costak.wordpress.com/ to learn more about the incredible CK!

Washington Post Profiles Richard Thompson

2011-05-16T21:04:00.000-04:00

UPDATE:

In the May 22 issue of The Washington Post Magazine, writer/artist Michael Cavna profiles

"Cul de Sac" creator RICHARD THOMPSON, as the cartoonist discusses his professional and personal journey, the state of the comics industry, life with Parkinson's disease -- and the birth and growth of Team Cul de Sac.

Thats all I know folks. Sounds like some good reading!

Daniel Boris and Hoxwinder Hall beams into the Team CDS

2011-05-15T20:34:00.000-04:00

Daniel Boris is just a great cartoonist who has a bright future in front of him. His strip was

a Runner-Up winner in theCartoonistStudio.com on-line contest. He was

awarded the incredible prize of a 1-month mentorship with Rick Kirkman, co-creator of the very popular “Baby Blues” comic strip!

Good luck Daniel it is only a matter of time till we see you syndicated!

Daniel is a big fan of Richards and had this to say:

“Richard Thompson was one of the judges in the Washington Post’s “Americas Next Great Cartoonist” contest. I was a finalist in the contest, and Richard wrote some encouraging feedback to me. It was because of encouragement like his that I decided to keep going with my strip. A few months later, I got the opportunity to meet Richard at the Baltimore Comic Con. Richard spoke with me for what seemed like an hour, and endured all of my endless questions with a smile. Richard Thompson is one of the Good Guys, and his Cul de Sac a bright spot in the comics pages. Thank you, Richard!

I am currently working hard to get Hoxwinder Hall syndicated in newspapers everywhere.”

Deadline extention starts with Stephanie Piro

2011-05-15T19:45:00.000-04:00

So today was the official unofficial deadline for art. As noted in an earlier post, we will be extending it until Fathers Day Weekend. Why? Well, first I am going to the Reubens to find more contributers and meet the the find folks of Andrews McMeel Publishing. Oh yeah, I am also going to be sending Mr. Thompson good vibes that weekend. Richard is up for cartoonist of the year! Cul de Sac is up for the division award for newspaper strip of the year!

The following weekend Mr. Thompson will be making debut at Heroescon in Charlotte NC. OK, it will be his third time but who is counting! The Team Cul de Sac Fanzine will be making its debut at the show! A true collectors item and folks it will a grand ol time. More details on the Heroescon soon!

I can never thank Mike and Craig for all the help they do for Team Cul de Sac.

So now to catch up. Ms. Piro is the Queen and KingFeatures and we are lucky to have her on our team. Here is a little about her. Ms. Piro submitted her art a few weeks ago.. I am behind on my deadlines!

Stephanie Piro is a cartoonist, illustrator and designer. She

is one of King Features’ team of women cartoonists, “Six

Chix”. (she is the Saturday chick). She also does the cartoon

panel “Fair Game”. Her work appears all over the place from

books to greeting cards plus she creates lots of other stuff for

her business the Strip T’s Design Company. Visit her website:

www.stephaniepiro.com

and her blog: http://stephanie-piro.blogspot.com/

Contact her at: stephaniepiro@gmail.com

Jason Dodge Says

2011-05-14T23:01:00.000-04:00

Jason had so much fun.. he sent us another cool submission.

Jason Dodge is a very talented illustrator who is nice enough to help Team Cul de Sac out! I hope everyone enjoys this contribution! Here is a few words from Jason:

I have worked for some small local publications in the past. I'm a part-time freelance illustrator and cartoonist from Burlington, Vermont. I currently publish two web cartoons. Both of which are single panel gag cartoons. One for the Life With Dogs website (Fudge & Friends). This website is one of the top three dog related websites in the world. It gets tens of thousands of unique views each week and has several hundred thousand regular followers. This is why I chose my Fudge & Friends cartoon for your project (exposure for your auction and book).

The other cartoon I publish is called "To Err Is Bovine". It was named as one of the finalists in the recent Cartoonist Studios contest. I actually have a pretty funny idea for Team Cul De Sac using this one as well. It's a pretty new cartoon and does not get nearly as many views, but you can find it here: http://jasonsdrawingboard.blogspot.com/

Sneak at Stephan Pastis drawing Alice.

2011-05-13T14:37:00.000-04:00

Stephan is the first person that I asked to do art for Team Cul de Sac. He said YES and he would help in anyway he could. So, Stephan will be running this Pearls Before Swine strip sometime this summer in support of Team Cul de Sac! I am sure this will be a Gem in the auction. I hear that originals strips are almost impossible to come by. Bid often and bid a lot of gold on this one!

John Rose has Snuffy and Alice having a bodacious time

2011-05-13T13:10:00.000-04:00

Growing up,I loved Snuffy Smith. Snuffy was like most of my relatives in the mountains of Western North Carolina! So it was such a thrill when John rose wanted to donate art to Team cul de Sac. I am hoping Richard can incorporate the hat in future Cul de Sac Strips.

Here is a lil bio on John Rose:

Being the cartoonist for King Features' Barney Google and Snuffy Smith comic

strip has been the greatest joy of John Rose's professional career.

The Virginia-born Rose graduated from James Madison University in 1986 with

a bachelor of fine arts degree, double-majoring in art and art history. He

joined Byrd Newspapers of Virginia in 1988, starting at the Warren Sentinel

in Front Royal and then moving to the Harrisonburg Daily News-Record. His

cartoons have won awards from the National Newspaper Association and the

Virginia Press Association. Besides appearing in the Byrd Newspaper chain,

his editorial cartoons are distributed by the Scripps Howard News Service.

He has had two editorial cartoon collections of his work published, the most recent being titled

Now This Is Where I Draw The Line! His cartoons have also been featured in the Best Editorial

Cartoons of the Year collections (Pelican Publishing) each year since 1994.

Since 1991, Rose has been creating Kids' Home Newspaper, a weekly children's

cartoon/activity page that is syndicated with Creators Syndicate. This

feature has spawned three activity books: Fun With Pup!, More Fun With Pup!

and Christmas Fun With Pup! (Pelican Publishing Company). He is also a contributing

writer and inker for Archie Comic Publications.

Since mid-1998 John Rose has been working on the Barney Google and Snuffy

Smith comic strip. First, as an inking assistant to cartooning legend, Fred

Lasswell and then as the strip's cartoonist after Lasswell's death in March

of 2001.

Rose enjoys meeting Snuffy Smith readers and frequently does Snuffy Smith

Cartooning Chalk Talks for civic organizations, corporate groups, schools

and festivals. Rose is a member of both the National Cartoonists Society and

the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists. He lives with his wife,

Karen and daughters, Meredith and Sarah in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Norm Feuti “Alice’s Song”

2011-05-13T13:04:00.000-04:00

Norm sent us “Alice’s Song” to blow everyone away. Norm this is just so creative and beautiful. Thank you so much! Look at the border folks!

Norm said:

"I wanted to create an homage to Richard’s characters out of the very media he enriches every day with his brilliant comic strip. The piece is entitled “Alice’s Song” and was inspired by the final panel of a strip from the first Cul De Sac book."

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Norm Feuti is a syndicated cartoonist, author, and freelance artist living in Plainville, Massachusetts.

Norm’s syndicated comic strip, Retail, presents a humorous look at the retail industry by chronicling the daily events at the fictitious Grumbel’s department store. Drawing from his 15 years of experience working in retail management, the humor of Retail plays out through the day-to-day trials and triumphs of four main Grumbel’s department store employees (Marla, Cooper, Val, and Stuart) and the customers they encounter. Retail is distributed worldwide by King Features. Retail can also be read daily on www.retailcomic.com.

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My professional website is www.normfeuticartoons.com

Phil Juliano from my hometown of Asheville

2011-05-10T20:42:00.000-04:00

Phil ,Bill LaRocque and I all live in Asheville North Carolina. I met both guys at the monthly cartooning meeting last year. Bill has been friends with Richards for a billion years. Phil is an admirer of Richards and wanted to contribute to Team Cul de Sac. I just stalk Richard.

Phil will be attending the Reubens in a few weeks and will be my roommate. I am very lucky to have met Phil and I think he is going to be a big star one day. Years from now I can tell everyone I spent the night with Phil... back in the day.

Please check out his work http://bestinshowcomic.com/wordpress/.

Thanks buddy! See you in a few weeks! Now a few words about Phil.

Phil Juliano is a cartoonist and member of the Southeast Chapter of the National Cartoonist Society. He draws cartoons for twelve independent newspapers, magazines and web sites around the east coast and mid west. His comic strip, Best In Show, reflects his place in modern society...beer snob, coffee addict, baseball fan, victim of technology...He lives in Asheville, NC where he indulges in the city's greatest commodity...BEER.

Robert Steibel contributes!

2011-05-10T20:39:00.000-04:00

Growing up in the DC area, there were always copies of the Washington Post piled around the house, so I've been a big fan of Richard Thompson's brilliant illustrations for many years. I recently heard Richard and some of his friends are starting a project called Team Cul de Sac where they're collecting original comics art to be auctioned off for the benefit of Parkinson's disease research. I just started doing my first official comic strip last week, so I feel pretty silly submitting a piece of my own work, but at least I have an excuse to send Richard this cartoon as a simple way of saying thanks for all of his great work over the years. Best wishes to Richard, his family, and everyone involved with Team Cul de Sac.

Bio:

Robert Steibel writes and draws the daily comic Apple Creek at <http://www.gocomics.com/apple-creek> You can see his other new comics projects like Wild Life at <http://www.robertsteibel.com/> Steibel also writes the daily Kirby Dynamics weblog for the Jack Kirby Museum and Research Center at <http://kirbymuseum.net/blogs/dynamics/>

Team Cul de Sac deadline has been extended!

2011-05-09T13:09:00.000-04:00

We have extended the deadline until June 17th! we did this for a couple of reasons. Lee Salem, Caty Neis, Richard Thompson and Chris Sparks ( thats me folks) will all be at the Reuben awards in less than three weeks. I will personally be asking cartoonist to contribute to Team Cul de Sac. Richard will be juggling, Caty might be Singing. It's going to be a great circus show for all ages..

I can't wait to meet everyone who has contributed so far!

The following weekend please visit heroescon in Charlotte NC. Team Cul de Sac will be releasing The Fanzine for the ages! Craig Fischer is putting all of this together for us. This is just an amazing con. I have been going since 1994 and hope to continue till 2194. Shelton Drum is not only the best at putting on a great show but also always helping whenever he can. Thanks Shelton!

The contributors are an all-star line-up: Derik Badman, Noah Berlatsky, Alex Boney, David Bordwell, Matthew J. Brady, Scott Bukatman, Johanna Draper Carlson, Isaac Cates, Rob Clough, Corey Creekmur, Andrew Farago, Shaenon Garrity, Dustin Harbin, Charles Hatfield, Jeet Heer, Gene Kannenberg Jr., Abhay Khosla, Susan Kirtley, Sean Kleefeld, Costa Koutsoutis, Andrew Mansell, Robert Stanley Martin, Chris Mautner, Joe McCulloch, Ana Merino, Chris Pitzer, Mike Rhode, Jim Rugg, Frank Santoro, Chris Schweizer, Caroline Small, Tom Spurgeon, Ben Towle and Matthias Wivel.

The Zine will be a word-packed 40 pages, topped off by a cover by some fledgling artist named Richard Thompson.

We should have a table close to The one and only Richard Thompson. Please come buy and say hi to Craig, Mike Rhode , Richard and myself.

Buy our fanzine, donate money to Team Cul de Sac, or heck buy us food a drinks!

I just want to say thank you to everyone who is helping us. If you haven't yet....get busy!

Thanks,

Chris

Paul Gilligan sent this fun art to TCDS

2011-05-07T21:28:00.000-04:00

Paul is another wonderful supporter of TCDS. Here is what he had to say about Richard.

When I was a kid, I used to lie on the living room carpet with the comics
page and get inspired. I knew what I wanted to be. I went to my room and
started drawing.

As time went by, I drew more and laid on the floor less. Most of my
inspirational heroes of the comics page stopped producing, and I had
deadlines, cartooning had become my job.

The moment I saw Richard's work, I was back on the living room carpet again.
He's the reason cartoonists cartoon. Thanks for that, Richard.

John Hambrock had this to say

2011-05-07T21:19:00.000-04:00

John Thank you for submitting the great art to Team Cul de Sac!

“One of the best things about being a cartoonist is knowing people like Richard.

His personality and wicked sense of humor never fail to put a smile on my face.

It’s an honor to be a part of Team Cul De Sac.”

A little about John:

In 1999, John began developing the idea of a boy genius character named

Edison. He spent ve years honing his drawing and writing skills, occasionally

submitting samples to King Features Syndicate for development consideration.

King Features saw potential in the precocious 10-year old and in November 2006

launched “The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee” in newspapers. Three short years

later, the feature was nominated “Best Comic Strip 2009” by the National

Cartoonists Society in 2009.