It seems there is a reasonable but incorrect assumption here - that the next thing he did would also be public. As I say, that assumption is perfectly reasonabl

It seems there is a reasonable but incorrect assumption here - that the next thing he did would also be public. As I say, that assumption is perfectly reasonable, but it was still an assumption rather than something he said and it turned out to be incorrect. If you think he knew for sure that he wouldn't do anything similar again yet said this then you'd be justified in saying that he'd mislead people (which wouldn't make him a hypocrite, rather an outright liar) but there's no evidence that that's the case. The guy worshipped cartoons and had worked for years to become then remain a cartoonist. As stressed as he'd been by it all I suspect he felt there was a chance he'd return to it at some point (and may still do, though that seems unlikely now). But at the time he quit, like many people ending a long term, all consuming project which has left them financially secure, all he really knew was that he was going to take some time out then do something different without really knowing what. Sure it would have been great had he felt that he had another great, public venture in him but he didn't and I don't think there's anything at all to criticise in what he did or how he did it. That's not saying he's a saint (I think he unwillingness to speak about almost anything since is slightly off, though it is his right), just that I don't think he's done anything to deserve criticism in the way you're suggesting.