Reflecting on 2012

Chris Sparks here,with only hours left in 2012, I wanted to send a note thanking  the contributors, auction winners, book buyers, donors, cheerleaders,all of the fine folks at the Michael J Fox Foundation, anyone I forgot to mention and of course Richard Thompson.

From that moment, the wheels were turning and with Richards blessing Team Cul de Sac started in 2010 with a donation to Team Fox for $50.00 from me to start Team Cul de Sac.

In 2011, we sold prints signed by Richard, TCDS t-shirts and had a drink and draw evening at Heroescon . We raised over four thousand dollars.

This year we had many ways to raise money for Michael J Fox Foundation. We had a wonderful auction, the book was released, a drink and draw and Heroescon, donations from Sparking Design who donated money from book sales from our website, the TCDS fanzine, we even had a few signed copies by Richard, Bill and Nick. Also a bunch of folks donated money to Team Cul de Sac.

My favorite moments for Team Cul de Sac in 2012:

Opening the advance copies of the book in May!  This was a very satisfying moment seeing everything coming together.

Meeting or receiving emails from friends, family members and folks with Parkinson’s. Their love and friendship made this journey so meaningful.

Sneak peak of the book to the contributors and other cartoonists and the NCS awards in Las Vegas.

I signed the first copy of Team Cul de Sac to Michael J Fox and I attended the MJFF Gala in NYC. A special thank you goes to Katy Robbins Reitz for all of her hard work at Team Fox.

Engineering a Bill Watterson and Richard Thompson gathering. Without a doubt, two of the greatest cartoonists to spill ink on paper. Fun times for all.

I had my first book signing with Richard and having over ten other TCDS contributors at One More Page in Arlington VA.

Watching the end of the auction unfold and amazed by the money we made!

Having Jennifer my wife, Emily my daughter and my business partner Jamie, at the book signing at Politics and Prose in Washington DC.

Being a guest at Heroescon (plus drink and draw for Team Cul de Sac) and being a guest at Baltimorecon and the Harvey Awards. FUN times and great support from so many people!

Meeting contributors throughout the year and knowing we will have made over $100.000 with the matching funds this year.  

Thank you to everyone who made this year a success and raising awareness for Parkinson’s research. Big thanks to Craig,Katy,Mike(s),Nick Bill and Richard. 

Much love and admiration,

Chris

Stay tuned to our blog and facebook page for news on upcoming news!

Dec 2: JK Snyder III at Capicons convention

Baltimore artist John K Snyder III is appearing at Capicons on December 2.

• 2148 Gallows Road
• Dunn Loring, Virginia 22027

http://capicons.com


John did a lovely page in the Team Cul de Sac book, so you should buy a copy and have him sign it. He's appearing on behalf of Hero Initiative charity.

TCDS made the Comics Reporter Shopping Guide

Thank you to Tom For picking our TCDS book in his shopping guide for the holidays!http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/the_comics_reporters_black_friday_holiday_shopping_guide_2012actualpublish/

Also, don't forget to order from Chris at http://sparkingdesign.com/order-team-cul-de-sac-book/

E&P interviews Thompson on ending his strip

Syndicates: Richard Thompson On Ending His Beloved Comic Strip 'Cul de Sac'
by: Rob Tornoe
Editor and Publisher  10/16/2012
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/Newsletter/Columns/Syndicates--Richard-Thompson-On-Ending-His-Beloved-Comic-Strip--Cul-de-Sac-

Keeping up with Cyborg Richard Thompson's treatment part 5

Nick Galifianakis @6:49 pm on October 12:

First message from Richard Thompson post-brain surgery!:

"Hey guys, you gotta ret this. It's delightful."

Nick Galifianakis @ 8:59 on October 12:

Okay, the latest is that RT is resting comfortably, more alert than you think - more for you tomorrow.

Thank you so much for the warm thoughts and kind words...he will see and hear all of it, I promise.

Nick Galifianakis @ 11: 30 on October 13:

New Update: Richard Thompson was moved to his room, finally and had an otherwise uneventful night and a good breakfast this morning. Strength in the extremities is good, he's alert, his voice is still very soft and he can only speak in rhymes. The last part I made up.

If all continues to evolve smoothly, he will be, remarkably, released later today.

Keeping up with Cyborg Richard Thompson's treatment part 4

Nick Galifianakis wrote at about 5 pm:

Richard is doing well enough to be released from the recovery room but there isn't a room available for him yet in the neuro ICU.

His vitals are all good (although he keeps setting off the low-heart-rate alarm because he has the resting heartrate of a hibernating whale). He's hungry but they haven't signed off on him having solids yet. Ginger ale is the only treat.

He currently looks like a Buddhist monk.

Meanwhile, Amy Thompson says:

Richard is awake and looks a little bit like a very skinny Dalai Lama. One of the first things he told me (other than it was the weirdest thing he'd ever been through) was that the neurosurgeon told him he had a very active thalamus. We think that's a good thing.

Keeping up with Cyborg Richard Thompson's treatment part 3

Nick Galifianakis @ 11:59

Here's a cartoon Richard drew while people were poking his brain with a stick. We'll get a better scan of it soon--this was taken with a cellphone and is pretty blurry.

Re: Keeping up with Cyborg Richard Thompson's treatment

Nick Galifianakis

11:25

 

Another Cartoonist Brain Update:

Surgery started at 9:35. Richard is conscious (yoicks!) and doing great; they're testing as they go, and everything is good so far. They are about to start on the second hemisphere. The next update will probably include comments from the surgeon.

For those of you that have not had this kind of brain surgery: Richard is having a chip implanted in his brain in hopes of greatly alleviating his Parkinson's symptoms. Because everyone is different, his brain must be "listened to" and monitored while they search for just the right spot for maximum impact.

More later...

 

and Amy, Richard's wife has reported now that he's out of surgery, and "Everything went great!"

Keeping up with Cyborg Richard Thompson's treatment

Cartoonist Nick Galifianakis is one of Richard's best and oldest friends and is with him today during the surgery. Nick's posting updates on Facebook about Richard's treatment today:

 

I try and keep this a "cartoons only" site. And since my pal, Richard Thompson, one of the giants in my field, is having brain surgery today, I'll stray a tiny bit to periodically update folks on his condition.

 

As of a few minutes ago:

Head shaved, halo attached, been through MRI, unconscious, surgeon about to scrub in.

 

The doctor agreed to let him draw a cartoon during surgery while they're testing out the placement of the electrodes. I told Richard to think of something worthy of posterity, as it will certainly be historic.

 

It will be posted on his blog ASAP, of course.

 

He has not yet put a hankie on his head and has told the brain specialist that his "brain hurts."

 

More later....

Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki Challenge

I just wanted folks to read this about the MJFF https://www.michaeljfox.org/get-involved/brin-challenge.html
Yes,Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki is matching our funds. So what does that mean? Team Cul de Sac has made 50k this year and it will be matched! So TCDS with the help of Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki challenge will have raised over $100,000 for the MJFF!!!

Please donate here! http://www2.michaeljfox.org/site/TR/TeamFox/TeamFox?team_id=1149&pg=team&fr_id=1053