Ulf Járnsíða
Richard Church Thompson/Richard Thompson (October 8, 1957 – July 27, 2016): With elegant penmanship, poetic humor, and a masterful sense of observation, Richard Church Thompson created one of the most endearing American comic strips of the 21st century: Cul de Sac. A lifelong illustrator and cartoonist with work spanning magazines, books, and newspapers, Thompson’s art radiated warmth and intelligence. Behind his delicate line work and understated wit lay a creative force that quietly revolutionized modern newspaper comics.
A Start at the Post: Illustration and Humor with Heart
Thompson began his professional cartooning career in 1982 at The Washington Post, where he quickly became the paper’s unofficial staff artist. By 1985, he was providing regular illustrations for columns by Joel Achenbach and Gene Weingarten, blending visual charm with clever commentary.
In these early years, Thompson developed his signature aesthetic: clean, gestural lines, whimsical detail, and an ability to marry the absurd with the achingly familiar. His weekly cartoon series Richard’s Poor Almanac, which debuted in the Post’s Style section, would cement his reputation as a unique satirist. The series offered everything from faux forecasts to “found” poems—most notably the viral sensation Make the Pie Higher, a satirical “inaugural poem” constructed entirely from George W. Bush’s most famously garbled quotes.
Cul de Sac: A Masterwork in Miniature
Thompson’s crowning achievement came with Cul de Sac, launched in The Washington Post Magazine on February 14, 2004. What began as a weekly watercolor strip soon gained national syndication through Universal Press Syndicate in 2007, running in over 70 newspapers.
Cul de Sac centers on Alice Otterloop, a four-year-old with a boundless imagination and endless commentary on preschool life. Her family—especially her neurotic, socially allergic older brother Petey—became touchstones for readers who saw their own quirks lovingly mirrored in Thompson’s ink. The strip was celebrated for its blend of gentle satire, linguistic playfulness, and expressive, idiosyncratic art.
Legendary Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson famously praised the strip:
“I thought the best newspaper comic strips were long gone, and I’ve never been happier to be wrong… Cul de Sac has it all—intelligence, gentle humor, a delightful way with words, and… wonderful, wonderful drawings.”
Beyond the Strip: Books, Art, and Animation
Thompson’s artistic reach extended well beyond newspaper comics. His illustrations appeared in major publications including The New Yorker, National Geographic, U.S. News & World Report, The Atlantic Monthly, and Air & Space/Smithsonian. In 2004, he illustrated Holy Tango of Literature, a parody poetry collection by Francis Heaney.
He also contributed concept art for Pixar’s Inside Out, working directly with director Pete Docter, who admired Thompson’s intuitive understanding of emotion and gesture.
His body of work was honored in a 2014 exhibition at Ohio State’s Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, titled The Irresistible Force Meets the Immovable Object: A Richard Thompson Retrospective.
Illness and Advocacy: A Community Rallies
In 2009, Thompson publicly announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a challenge he met with humor and grace. Despite the increasing toll of the illness, he continued working on Cul de Sac, aided by children’s book illustrator Stacy Curtis, who became the strip’s inker in 2012.
By August 2012, Thompson announced the end of Cul de Sac, explaining:
“Parkinson’s disease is horribly selfish and demanding. A daily comic strip is too and I can only deal with one at a time.”
In tribute to Thompson, his friend Chris Sparks published Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson’s, a collaborative benefit book featuring art from over 150 cartoonists, including the famously reclusive Bill Watterson.
Watterson, along with Nick Galifianakis and David Apatoff, also co-published The Art of Richard Thompson in 2014, accompanied by a short documentary directed by Bob Burnett.
Final Years and Legacy
In June 2016, Cul de Sac was adapted into a stage play by Thompson’s wife, playwright Amy Thompson, and premiered in Arlington, Virginia. Just weeks later, on July 27, 2016, Richard Thompson passed away from complications related to Parkinson’s disease.
He was remembered as a cartoonist’s cartoonist—a figure admired by peers for his technical brilliance and subtle narrative voice. Pearls Before Swine creator Stephan Pastis called him “the most talented all-around syndicated cartoonist working today.”
Honors and Awards
Richard Thompson received numerous accolades over his career:
- Gold and Silver Funny Bone Awards (1989), Society of Illustrators
- National Cartoonists Society Awards for both Magazine and Book Illustration, and Newspaper Illustration (1995)
- Milton F. “Sonny” Clogg Alumni Achievement Award (2004)
- Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year (2011)
- Harvey Award for Best Syndicated Comic Strip (2012)
- Ignatz Golden Brick Award for Lifetime Achievement (2012)
- Eisner Award for Best Humor Publication, for The Complete Cul de Sac (2015)
Bibliography Highlights
- Richard’s Poor Almanac (2004)
- Cul de Sac (2008)
- Children at Play: A Cul de Sac Collection (2009)
- The Mighty Alice (2012)
- The Complete Cul de Sac (2014)
- The Art of Richard Thompson (2014)
- The Incomplete Art of Why Things Are (2017)
Richard Thompson: The Whisper That Echoes
In a world often obsessed with noise and spectacle, Richard Thompson’s work was a whisper that resonated deeply. His ability to find joy, absurdity, and warmth in the minutiae of daily life made Cul de Sac a beloved treasure and marked him as one of cartooning’s quiet giants. In every sketch of Alice’s twirl, Petey’s shiver, or a poetically mangled presidential quote, Thompson invited us to see the world with sharper eyes and a more generous heart.
