Richard Thompson’s Statement Accepting A Special Ignatz

Richard Thompson was awarded a special Ignatz Award on Saturday night at the Small Press Expo. He sent along a statement which was my honor to read into the record. I assume it will be posted on video but I thought you might appreciate just seeing the text. One thing that's great, and that is totally Thompson, is that he quotes Shaenon Garrity. It's nice that comics is becoming a place where a Reuben winner like Thompson is not only aware of the work and the writing of someone like Garrity, but that he has an appreciation for the best of it. It's a great quote and is employed to marvelous effect here.

"I want to thank Warren Bernard, the SPX board of directors and whoever else is responsible for this. I wish I could be there myself to tell you how deeply honored I am, but I've got a note from my doctor excusing me from public speaking, My thanks to Tom Spurgeon for standing in.

"And my apologies to Tom, because I don't know what to tell him to say, and I've been thinking all week.

"I've had three or four real dream jobs; as an illustrator, caricaturist and satirical cartoonist, And I've been dragged into each of them kicking and screaming, usually by someone appalled by my laziness and lack of ambition. Most recently I got to be that most noble and rare creature, a Syndicated Daily Newspaper Cartoonist, something I'd avoided for years. Oh, sure, I'd flirted with the idea since childhood; but, my god. Those deadlines! But it happened gradually, like a lobster taking a hot bath. And I realized that here was a job I really loved, despite all the writing and drawing involved.

"But like I said, I still don't know what to say. So I'll quote someone more eloquent than I. A few years ago, the great Shaenon K. Garrity attended her first Reuben Awards. Afterwards she wrote

The comic strip is a silly little thing, hammered together out of limitations. There's no reason it should survive if newspapers die. But I love it so much. Drawing comic strips for a living, as these men and women do, is my idea of heaven.

"Thank you for overlooking my indolence and lack of initiative. I'm sure this Ignatz will inspire me the next time I get a dream job."

Richard also added a "bow" stage direction, which I forgot to do. Sorry, Richard. Cul De Sac ends on September 23.
 
posted 6:00 am PST | Permalink
 

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