Books Comic strips

Bill Watterson writes forward for Cul De Sac book

The first print collection of Richard Thompson’s Cul De Sac is due out in September. From his blog, we learn that Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson has written the forward. Richard joked that having Watterson write the forward was such a rush that it “made me blush so hard I got a nosebleed.”

Cul De Sac book

You can read the complete forward over on Amazon’s web site. I’ve included a snippet below. The book is also in the pre-order stage at Amazon with a price guarantee that if the price of the book ever drops between the time you pre-order it and when it ships, you only pay the lesser amount.

Bill Watterson on Richard Thompson

And oh, those gorgeous drawings! With a mix of rambling looseness, blotchy crudeness, and sheer cartoony grace, Thompson’s expressive pen line is the equal of any of cartooning’s Old Masters. Thompson has a very sharp eye and a command of technique we almost never see anymore. He reminds us that comics can be more than illustrated gag writing, and that good drawings can bring a comic strip’s world to life in countless ways that words cannot. The artwork in Cul de Sac bowls me over. It’s a pleasure to study long after the strips are read.



Comments 17

  1. Larry Levine

    Richard, congrats–a well deserved honor!!!

  2. josh shalek

    Indeed, the art of the comic strip is alive and kicking.

    Now if I can only find the correct crossroads, I’ll hand my soul over to the Devil so I can get Mr. Watterson to write a forward to my next comic collection.

  3. Mike Grosvenor

    In your face, Scott Kurtz!

    sorry, Alan, I couldn’t resist.

  4. Dawn Douglass

    Notice he said “I thought the best NEWSPAPER comic strips were long gone.” I think Watterson still has high hopes for the Web.

  5. Norm Feuti

    Wow, that’s a hell of a nice review from one of the best. I’m green with envy, Richard.

    Congratulations!

  6. Garey Mckee

    Congrats Richard! And I totally agree with Wattersons’s assessment of Richard’s drawing style. I really love it.

    Does this mean Richard has to write a forward for Bill Watterson’s next book? Oh wait…right.

  7. Geoff

    Personally, I’m not really a fan of Cul De Sac.
    Then again, perhaps I’m just jealous, and this is now the icing on the cake!

    Congrats Richard!

  8. Mike Lester

    I like the strip.
    I just can’t stand Richard::)=

  9. Wiley Miller

    I read this as Watterson’s plan to return to syndication, on Sunday’s only.

    Hey, rumors have to start somewhere!

  10. Mike Cope

    But I thought that Richard IS Bill … What are the odds of two “sons” cartooning a popular comic strip?

    Congrats, Richard 🙂

  11. josh shalek

    No, no. The Vatican called Watterson in to repaint the Sistine Chapel. They wanted something “fresh” to bring in a younger audience.

  12. Rick Sincere

    Wouldn’t it make more sense for Bill Watterson to write a foreword to Richard Thompson’s book? Or is he contributing some kind of a compass?

  13. Eric Burke

    Two stories in a row on Sir Richard Thompson. He’s offically big time now!

    It’s Richard Thompson’s world, we’re just living in it…

  14. Danny Fry

    Richard’s next book will have an introduction by the “SON of GOD” …that’s right Jesus himself! and he’ll smite Richard’s enemies while he’s at it! (Richard is probably too nice to have an actual enemy).

    Seriously, that is quite the honor… you deserve it Richard!

  15. Corey Pandolph

    All right, All right… I’ll admit it…

    I am Richard Thompson.

  16. Richard Thompson

    Then I’m Corey Pandolph.

    Hey everybody! Drinks are on Richard Thompson!

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