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Roll-a-Sketch drawings from Comic-Con!

ras-sdcc

Here are a few of the Roll-a-Sketch drawings I did in San Diego last week!

BUT FIRST: I want to thank the patrons who’ve supported Wondermark this month on Patreon! All of you are precious to me, and I appreciate your kindness more than I can say.

But I want to especially thank members of this month’s Cast Card Subscription Program: Miri B., Jack T., Rahul J., Scarlett L., Colin M., lograh, Michael I., Emily R., Brian M., Nicholas M., and Janet O. As top tier supporters, they deserve mention here where everyone can bask in their reflected glory.

These fine patreonauts, and many others, have my thanks and a promise of a firm handshake or mutual respectful nod if we ever meet in person.

Now, here are some drawings!! (Click any image for a closer look)

PANDA + DOG:

chase the pleasures that matter to you

VADER + BEE + PHILOSOPHER + MOOSE:

most impressive

New at San Diego was the introduction of a FULL COLOR OPTION at the Platinum Reserve level. Here by way of example is MILKSHAKE + MERMAID + GHOUL + TMNT [Ninja Turtle] + MOOSE + C-3PO:

ras-sdcc16-c3

This particular gentleman has for years brought around a sketchbook with captions pre-written on the top of every blank page — as a challenge for the artist to draw something matching the caption. Here is BEAR + ANTELOPE + HE-MAN + YAK:

ras-sdcc16-he

Thanks to these fine folks and many others who dropped by in San Diego!

Want a strange but haunting drawing of your very own? My NEXT stop will be Gen Con in Indianapolis, this coming weekend!

I’ll be hanging out at the Blind Ferret booth, #1437, along with a whole plethora of pals such as Sam Logan, Jeph Jacques, Kory Bing, Alina Pete, and Phil Foglio.

I’ll also be repping T-shirts from TopatoCo pals Kate Beaton, Ryan North, KC Green and more, so come take a browse!

KC even let me make a wooden magnet out of his world-famous flammable dog:

this is a magnet.

We’ll have them at Gen Con, booth 1437! See you there!!

RIP: Richard Thompson, creator of “Cul de Sac”

A few years ago, I wrote a recommendation of the strip “Cul de Sac,” by Richard Thompson, a gentleman I had the privilege of meeting several times. I wrote:

The characters are eccentric in ways that continually delight and surprise. I read individual strips in bits and pieces (here’s the strip’s official online home), but it wasn’t until I sat down with the full books in-hand that Alice, Petey, and their parents and friends took on strange and hilarious personalities. The language is clever and specific; the drawings are weird and delightful…

In 2012, Richard retired from drawing “Cul de Sac”, following the worsening of his Parkinson’s disease. To aid in a fundraising effort for Parkinson’s research, I and many of my cartooning colleagues contributed original art to a book called Team Cul de Sac. The next time I saw Richard was in my buddy Dave Kellett’s cartooning documentary Stripped.

This week, Richard passed away from complications from Parkinson’s. He was 58 years old.

Here’s a video that shares a little bit of what made Richard’s art — and his life, and his personality — so marvelous:

I hope everyone takes the time to read some “Cul de Sac”, or his editorial strip, “Richard’s Poor Almanac”. Richard was a phenomenal talent, a cartoonist’s cartoonist whose work overflowed with wit and exuberance, and I hope his voice will endure to inspire generations of artists in the way it has me.

He was also a kind, generous, gentle man whose acquaintance I was supremely honored to have made:

Miss you, Richard.

To David, the genius behind Wondermark, with admiration from your fan —
Richard Thompson, SPX 2010

He did not have to be so kind, but he chose to be. I will always be grateful that I met him, that I got the chance to experience his work, and that I could be a tiny, tiny part of his life.

We will miss you, Richard.

Caption Contest #4 WINNERS!

Thanks to everyone who entered our latest caption contest! I had a lot of fun reading all the entries, and it was very hard to choose winners, as is always the way of these things. For future reference, the captions were entered on the Wondermark Facebook page, and there were also some in the comments on this post.

Common themes this time around included: the dromedary as stork delivering a baby; puns on “animal magnetism” or “attraction”; mentions of Insane Clown Posse (“magnets, how do they work?”); references to Camel cigarettes or “Arabian” things like shawarma; proverbs about passing through the eyes of needles; instructions to plant the child at some specific spot in the garden; robots; and long Dickensian dialogues.

That all being said, please enjoy some, in no particular order,

HONORABLE MENTIONS

NO HINTS FROM ME

“Mabel had a knack for getting out of her chores.”—Graham Bird

“I’ve told you before! Milkshakes bring boys to the yard.”—Gedbury of Slacks Creek

“I’m terribly sorry madam, sometimes the stork delivers the wrong ones. Thank you for keeping the receipt.”—David Ault

“Back off, Ermengarde, I got this.”—Francis Heaney

“I hate the packaging on these things.”—Pan Outeast

“Stand back, Helen! The bastard still has my ball bearings and I’ve finally got him right where I want him!”—Chuck Jordan

“Is that my good magnet? Are you using my good magnet again?!”—Erik Deckers

“Its budget dwindling rapidly, the BBC production of Moby Dick was forced into increasing levels of abstraction.”—Jorpho

“Dammit, woman, don’t try to stop me! This is science!”—Kristan Wheaton

“My real dad lets me play with magnets whenever I want!”—Alex S.

“And with Mother’s return, the situation went from bad to worse.”—Collin Voyles

“Technical foul. Lose one quarter furlong.”—Doug Zimmer

“Get in the car. No time to explain.”—Shawn LeBlanc

“Wait! I want to change my vote!”—David Tresner-Kirsch

“The view from here is much improv’d:
It is two-toed, not cloven-hooved!”—Pan Outeast

FINALLY, HOWEVER…

…A reminder! Last caption contest, we instituted a rule that we would ALSO consider, as an exhibition entry, a line of dialogue from the current “Garfield”. Which, for the day the contest ended (July 12th), gives us:

“How’s the summer treating you?”

[Hold for polite applause.]

Now, without further ado, or distracting reminders to
come visit me at the San Diego Comic-Con this week, at booth #1229…

THE WINNER:

Read more

SPACE TIME! variety show at San Diego Comic-Con

TIMESPACE

The San Diego Comic-Con is nearly upon us! I’ll be at the TopatoCo booth (#1232) provding Roll-a-Sketches, friendly handshakes, and answers to any questions you may have about life.

On Friday night, I’ll also be sharing some True Stuff From Old Books as part of a cool variety show called SPACE TIME!, hosted by musician Marian Call:

The incomparable variety show SPACE TIME! returns to SDCC this July. Tickets available now!

Songwriter Marian Call hosts her 6th annual showcase of science and art in San Diego. This year’s guests include:

  • Historical comic artist & man-about-the-internet David Malki ! of Wondermark!
  • Songwriter Seth Boyer, with new original songs about space and time!
  • Writers Kayla Cagan and Josh A. Cagan!
  • Author (and financial advisor to the internet) Nicole Dieker!
  • A discussion of life on Mars by emeritus Mars rover driver Scott Maxwell and Mars rover instrument technician Kim Maxwell!

Come ready to sing and learn and laugh with friends old and new.

$12 online tickets are available until 5PM PST on the evening of the event. If the show has not reached full capacity, the remaining tickets will be available at the door for $15. Seating for food and drinks begins at 6:30pm ($10 minimum per person). Learn more about the venue at 98BottlesSD.com.

No SDCC pass is required, and locals encouraged to attend! The event is in Little Italy, away from most traffic and parking woes associated with the con. Easy public transit available via light rail (use the Middletown or Little Italy stops) and by bus (take the 83, 280, or 290).

Get tickets in advance, in the past this show has sold out!

As you may know, you can order prints of any individual comic strip you like from my TopatoCo store.

I also bring selected favorite prints to conventions! They look like this:

sorry for suddenly mooning you

Every convention, people ask if I have specific ones, and while I often do, sometimes of course I don’t.

So I’m starting a new thing: if you’ll be at Comic-Con (or Gen Con, later this summer), and you want to get a print of a specific comic, email me in advance and I’ll make sure to bring it for you.

Just email dave at wondermark dot com, subject: “Comic print.” I’ll have it waiting at the booth for you to pick up! (They cost $7, and you can pay when you pick it up.)

SPEAKING of my TopatoCo store, I’ve got two new shirts in there! “Cooking is Wizardry” from this comic, previously only an apron, is now a shirt as well. And also, now you can enjoy “Turctopus”, hailing from this comic!

Behold, the feathery evidence of the presence of a wizard!!!