Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
“Of all the new comics I’ve read, only two registered as winners immediately — literally within a strip or two. The first was ‘Calvin and Hobbes.’ Nineteen years later, it was ‘Cul de Sac.’ A distinctive, fully evolved style married to consistently funny, character-driven wit — we don’t see this often.” — Garry Trudeau in the Washington Post
Asheville web designer and comics fanboy Chris Sparks found a gig creating a website for cartoonist Richard Thompson (“Cul-de-Sac“).When Thompson revealed he was dealing with Parkinson’s disease, Sparks put together a remarkable book-and-auction effort to raise money in the fight against Thompson’s disease, gathering original art from towering greats of cartoons and comics (Sergio Aragones, Calvin and Hobbes’ Bill Watterson, Garry Trudeau of Doonesbury, political cartoonist Pat Oliphant).
Watterson contributed his first piece of original art in 13 years to the project, a painting of Thompson’s most personal character, Petey.
Oil painting of Cul-de-Sac's Petey by Bill Watterson--Watterson's first piece of original art released to the public in 13 years
“The strip has a unique and honest voice, a seemingly intuitive feel for what comics do best … a very funny intelligence … the artwork, which I just slobber over. It’s a wonderful surprise to see that this level of talent is still out there, and that a strip like this is still possible.” — Bill Watterson in the Washington Post
From the AC-T:
“It’s neat to see the final product,” Sparks said. “It’s just amazing to see all the love and respect everybody has for Richard.”
The result is a star-studded collection of work from top newspaper, editorial and web cartoonists, book illustrators and comic book artists.
Watterson, the creator of “Calvin and Hobbes,” responded by donating an oil painting of one of Thompson’s main characters, a donation that helped get Sparks’ project moving.
The painting, Watterson’s first original artwork in 13 years, sold for $13,145 on Sunday, Sparks said.
In all, Sparks received about 150 pieces by just about every top illustrator, including Trudeau, Oliphant, Sergio Aragones and Nick Galifianakis.
Works from over 150 artists, all involving characters from Cul-de-Sac, have been gathered in a book, “Team Cul de Sac: Cartoonists Draw the Line at Parkinson’s,” released last week.
The official signing event with Sparks (and who knows who else, given the book’s high-profile contributors and connection to Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s foundation) is Tuesday, June 19, 5-7 p.m. at the Mountain Made store in the Grove Arcade.
More on Spark’s effort from the Washington Post
