The blog of Richard Thompson, caricaturist, creator of "Cul de Sac," and winner of the 2011 Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Halloween Putto All Grown Up


As Mark Heath has identified our Halloween Putto as master cartoonist Charles Addams and thereby spoiled out plans to string this out for the next four days, we provide an "After" photo of our Halloween Putto. Isn't he jolly yet sinister? Roz Chast did a great spread on Addams for the New Yorker a few years back, about how she'd sit and read his cartoon collections in the library while her parents were busy there and how Addams' work inspired her. I remember looking through one of his books in my seventh grade classroom where it was shelved among the art books. I could look at those warmly grey-toned little masterpieces over and over. Though when the Addams Family showed up on TV it didn't do much for me. Idiot that I was, I liked the Munsters more.

4 comments:

Toontune said...

To me the Munsters were sort of Addams Family wannabes. But, man, what great cars the Munsters had. Richard, you should get George Barris to design a car for your cartoon characters. A Cul de sac dragster. He has a swell website: http://www.barris.com/

Unknown said...

Now here's an "after" picture.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7818711

richardcthompson said...

Toontune, I had both the Munstermobile and Grandpa's dragster in hand-built model form as a kid. Is George Barris still around? He's a master.

DDD, I saw that after following a link that showed Peter Arno's grave. So they're not entirely sure where Addams is buried? How appropriate.

I also looked for a baby photo of Edward Gorey to continue the guessing game, but I couldn't find one.

Toontune said...

I only had the Munstermobile. Never got Grandpa's dragster. Also never got that banana seat for my bike that I put on my list TWO Christmases in a row. But I'm not bitter.