Richard Thompson (cartoonist)
Encyclopedia
Richard C. Thompson is an illustrator and cartoonist best known for his syndicated comic strip Cul de Sac
and the illustrated poem "Make the Pie Higher
". He was given the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year in 2011.
. His comic strip Cul de Sac focuses on a pre-school girl, Alice Otterloop, and her daily life at school and at home. It began as a Sunday feature in the Washington Post Magazine and was launched in more than 70 newspapers in the fall of 2007. It is distributed nationally as both a daily and Sunday by Universal Press Syndicate
.
The first book collection of Cul de Sac strips, published in 2008 by Andrews McMeel, includes the pre-syndication Washington Post strips in color, as well as a foreword by Bill Watterson
, who praised Thompson's work:
In 2009, Andrews McMeel published a second Cul de Sac collection, Children at Play, featuring a foreword by Mo Willems
.
appears weekly (usually on Saturdays) in The Washington Post Style section. A compendium of his Richard's Poor Almanac cartoons was published by Emmis Books in 2005.
The Richard's Poor Almanac cartoon published the week of George W. Bush
's first inauguration was a mock inaugural poem, "Make the Pie Higher," composed of some of Bush's more incoherent quotations, aka Bushisms. When "Make the Pie Higher" was leaked onto the Internet, it spread rapidly and was eventually dissected and analyzed on Snopes.com, which did a lengthy review of its origins. The poem has been set to music at least five times in various styles, including Irish and choral music.
, The New Yorker
, Air & Space/Smithsonian
, National Geographic and The Atlantic Monthly
.
In 2010, Thompson wrote and illustrated "Barney Google and the Bigfoot Style", the foreword for Craig Yoe's Barney Google: Gambling, Horse Races & High-Toned Women
(Yoe Books/IDW, 2010).
's Magazine and Book Illustration Award for 1995, plus their Newspaper Illustration Award for 1995. He won a Gold and a Silver Funny Bone Award in 1989 from the Society of Illustrators
for humorous illustration. Thompson received the Milton F. "Sonny" Clogg Alumni of the Year award in 2004 from his alma mater, Montgomery College
, from which he did not graduate.
On 28 May 2011, Thompson was awarded the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year, presented by the National Cartoonists Society.
Thompson is a long-time resident of Arlington, Virginia. On July 16, 2009, Thompson announced that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
, a problem he described as "a pain in the fundament" which has slowed him down but has not affected his drawing hand. Stephan Pastis
, creator of Pearls Before Swine
, described Thompson as "probably the most talented all-around syndicated cartoonist working today" and praised the courage and optimism he has shown in revealing his illness.
Interviews
Cul de Sac (comic strip)
Cul de Sac is a comic strip created by Richard Thompson and distributed by Universal Press Syndicate to 150 worldwide newspapers.The central character is four-year-old Alice Otterloop, and the strip depicts her daily life at pre-school and at home...
and the illustrated poem "Make the Pie Higher
Richard's Poor Almanac
Richard's Poor Almanac is a cartoon series by Richard Thompson which appears weekly in The Washington Post Style section. It began in 1997.-Make the Pie Higher:...
". He was given the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year in 2011.
Cul de Sac
Thompson did numerous humorous illustrations to accompany feature articles in The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
. His comic strip Cul de Sac focuses on a pre-school girl, Alice Otterloop, and her daily life at school and at home. It began as a Sunday feature in the Washington Post Magazine and was launched in more than 70 newspapers in the fall of 2007. It is distributed nationally as both a daily and Sunday by Universal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate, a subsidiary of Andrews McMeel Universal, is the world's largest independent press syndicate. It distributes lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and other content. Popular columns include Dear Abby, Ann Coulter, Roger Ebert and News of the Weird...
.
The first book collection of Cul de Sac strips, published in 2008 by Andrews McMeel, includes the pre-syndication Washington Post strips in color, as well as a foreword by Bill Watterson
Bill Watterson
William Boyd Watterson II , known as Bill Watterson, is an American cartoonist and the author of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes...
, who praised Thompson's work:
- I thought the best newspaper comic strips were long gone, and I've never been happier to be wrong. Richard Thompson's Cul de Sac has it all--intelligence, gentle humor, a delightful way with words, and, most surprising of all, wonderful, wonderful drawings. Cul de Sacs whimsical take on the world and playful sense of language somehow gets funnier the more times you read it. Four-year-old Alice and her Blisshaven Preschool classmates will ring true to any parent. Doing projects in a cloud of glue and glitter, the little kids manage to reinterpret an otherwise incomprehensible world via their meandering, nonstop chatter. But I think my favorite character is Alice's older brother, Petey. A haunted, controlling milquetoast, he's surely one of the most neurotic kids to appear in comics. These children and their struggles are presented affectionately, and one of the things I like best about Cul de Sac is its natural warmth. Cul de Sac avoids both mawkishness and cynicism and instead finds genuine charm in its loopy appreciation of small events. Very few strips can hit this subtle note.
In 2009, Andrews McMeel published a second Cul de Sac collection, Children at Play, featuring a foreword by Mo Willems
Mo Willems
Mo Willems is an American writer, animator, and children's books author/illustrator.-Early life:Willems was raised in New Orleans, where he graduated from Trinity Episcopal School and the Isidore Newman School. He graduated cum laude from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. He married...
.
Richard's Poor Almanac
His cartoon series Richard's Poor AlmanacRichard's Poor Almanac
Richard's Poor Almanac is a cartoon series by Richard Thompson which appears weekly in The Washington Post Style section. It began in 1997.-Make the Pie Higher:...
appears weekly (usually on Saturdays) in The Washington Post Style section. A compendium of his Richard's Poor Almanac cartoons was published by Emmis Books in 2005.
The Richard's Poor Almanac cartoon published the week of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's first inauguration was a mock inaugural poem, "Make the Pie Higher," composed of some of Bush's more incoherent quotations, aka Bushisms. When "Make the Pie Higher" was leaked onto the Internet, it spread rapidly and was eventually dissected and analyzed on Snopes.com, which did a lengthy review of its origins. The poem has been set to music at least five times in various styles, including Irish and choral music.
Illustrations
Thompson's illustrations have appeared in U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
, The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
, Air & Space/Smithsonian
Air & Space
Air & Space/Smithsonian magazine is a bimonthly magazine put out by the National Air and Space Museum. Because the museum is a part of the Smithsonian Institution, which puts out its own Smithsonian magazine, the magazine's full title is Air & Space/Smithsonian...
, National Geographic and The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic Monthly
The Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
.
In 2010, Thompson wrote and illustrated "Barney Google and the Bigfoot Style", the foreword for Craig Yoe's Barney Google: Gambling, Horse Races & High-Toned Women
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
(Yoe Books/IDW, 2010).
Awards
He received the National Cartoonists SocietyNational Cartoonists Society
The National Cartoonists Society is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the troops...
's Magazine and Book Illustration Award for 1995, plus their Newspaper Illustration Award for 1995. He won a Gold and a Silver Funny Bone Award in 1989 from the Society of Illustrators
Society of Illustrators
The Society of Illustrators is a professional society based in New York City. Founded in 1901, the mission of the Society is to promote the art and appreciation of illustration, as well as its history...
for humorous illustration. Thompson received the Milton F. "Sonny" Clogg Alumni of the Year award in 2004 from his alma mater, Montgomery College
Montgomery College
Montgomery College is a public, open access community college located in Montgomery County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C. in the United States. The college has three campuses, the largest of which is in Rockville; the other campuses are in Takoma Park/Silver Spring and Germantown...
, from which he did not graduate.
On 28 May 2011, Thompson was awarded the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year, presented by the National Cartoonists Society.
Thompson is a long-time resident of Arlington, Virginia. On July 16, 2009, Thompson announced that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
, a problem he described as "a pain in the fundament" which has slowed him down but has not affected his drawing hand. Stephan Pastis
Stephan Pastis
Stephan Thomas Pastis is an American cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip Pearls Before Swine.-Background:...
, creator of Pearls Before Swine
Pearls Before Swine (comic strip)
Pearls Before Swine is an American comic strip written and illustrated by Stephan Pastis, who was formerly a lawyer in San Francisco, California. It chronicles the daily lives of four anthropomorphic animals, Pig, Rat, Zebra, and Goat, as well as a number of supporting characters...
, described Thompson as "probably the most talented all-around syndicated cartoonist working today" and praised the courage and optimism he has shown in revealing his illness.
External links
- "Comic Riffs", May 19, 2011
- Cul de Sac archive
- Newsarama: Zack Smith: The Strip Thing: Richard Thompson on Cul de Sac (October 16, 2008)
- Richard Thompson's blog
- Universal Press Syndicate: Richard Thompson
Interviews
- Comics Reporter interview, January 25, 2008
- "Post Magazine: Meet Cartoonist Richard Thompson", The Washington Post, September 11, 2006
- "Meet a Local Cartoonist: A Chat with Richard Thompson", Washington City Paper, Mike Rhode, December 9, 2010
- "Episode 60 - Richard Thompson", Tall Tale Radio, Tom Racine, November 16, 2009
- "Episode 42 - Comic Con Syndication Panel", Tall Tale Radio, Tom Racine, August 10th, 2009