LOU AND GEORGE THOMPSON (2005)

Here's yet another attempt at kicking off The Cavalier Mr. Thompson, circa 2005-2006. I believe I made the following two sketches while I was finishing up the Satchel Paige book in White River Junction, Vermont. I guess Sam Hill's name was Lou Thompson in this version and that he worked for his brother, George. I believe "Birdie" was the nickname for real-life Jim Thompson's mother. So, I suppose I was planning on his mother being in this version. Midge, I believe, was Jim's sister. Again, these names were thrown out in 2007, because they were all too close to Thompson's own family. Yikes! So many incarnations! After these sketches, in 2006, I sat down at a nice, big drafting table in The Center For Cartoon Studies basement and actually drew a Page One for The Cavalier. I've since lost this page (sorry) but, mostly what it consisted of was what now makes up the first four page chapter in the actual Cavalier book, "Jailbaby" . At the time, my plan was that each page of Cavalier would be a short chapter in itself. There'd be 20-24 panels on every page. Soon after, I threw out that idea for its inpracticality and also because it reminded me too much of other comics like Ice Haven, Quimby The Mouse and Whither Shermy? where, the employment of that idea was executed with much more ingenuity than my plan. Enjoy...