Thompson Wins the Reuben

My current favorite comic strip artist, Richard Thompson, won the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award yesterday.

I've known the Otterloops for so long, I feel like the award is in the family. I enjoy, as in today's Sunday strip, how he turns ordinary day-to-day situations into the drama of life that we all find from time to time.

Here's what the society says about Thompson: 

Richard Thompson is the artist/writer/creator of the daily comic strip “Cul de Sac” syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, as well as an illustrator and cartoonist on other features. He is the creator of the weekly cartoon series “Poor Richard’s Almanac” which runs in the Washington Post, and his illustrations have appeared in numerous publications including U.S. News and World Report, National Geographic and The New Yorker. He has won NCS divisional awards for Magazine and Book Illustration in 1995 and Newspaper Illustration also in 1995. He won a Gold and a Silver Funny Bone Award in 1989 from the Society of Illustrators for humorous illustration. This is Richard’s second nomination.

I've got to admit that in my book the Otterloops are the most authentic comic strip family I've ever encountered. He also comes as close as Charles Schulz in understanding what makes ordinary kids work. Bravo, Mr. Thompson.