New Interviews: Bill Watterson and Richard Thompson

Upon the occasion of their gallery shows at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum (the free and open to the public reception is tomorrow, by the way), two of the best cartoonists -- Bill Watterson and Richard Thompson -- talk to curator Jenny Robb and Exhibition Curator Caitlin McGurk. 

A couple of snippets:

Bill Watterson on writing and drawing CALVIN AND HOBBES:

"Most often I’d begin with the words. Generally, the writing underwent so many revisions that there was no point in drawing anything until the dialog was fully set. I could always visualize the pictures anyway. It was the writing that gave me fits."

Richard Thompson on creating CUL DE SAC:

"It was frighteningly easy. The characters came alive and I lost control of them early on. It was like dictation. The plots were so tenuous it didn’t matter what direction they went in. I always thought of it as an organic process. I’d just stand back and let it grow."