| Joe sent us this very wonderful piece of art! he also had a few worlds about Richard. Enjoy! |
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! 
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.”
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.
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.
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 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.:-)"
Richard Thompson and Chris Sparks.
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
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:
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.
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!
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.”
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:
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!
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
