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I loved Calvin and Hobbes... in the beginning, anyhow.
Towards the end, though, it seemed to lose its innocence, and became very heavy handed, with politics, newspaper comic politics (the old comics vs the new "smaller" comics), and Calvin started using words that darn near took a rocket-scientist to decipher. His mother and father seemed to be dimwits compared to the vocabulary that Calvin knew, yet Calvin was incapable of getting good grades in school?
Anyhow, I still hold on to my Calvin and Hobbes treasuries. The artwork in them alone is divine!
I never did understand, however, why Watterson never allowed Calvin to learn to ride his bike. I would guess that Spaceman Spiff would have had wonderful adventures using a bicycle. Maybe he was worried that people would think that Calvin was being too inattentive while riding?
When Watterson announced his retirement he did leave the door open for future books featuring Calvin and Hobbes. Every Christmas time I start scanning the bookstore to see if a new book is out (figuring that would be the most likely time he would do so). Maybe next year.
I do give him kudos for retiring Calvin before it became stale (if Shultz had not died, he would still have been cranking out Peanuts cartoons).
I no longer have a true 'favorite' comic. I will look in on Dilbert if I happen to have a newspaper in hand, but Scott Adams ran out of ideas long ago.
YES! I love "Calvin and Hobbes."
I have a couple of the books. I loved that comic since I first read the newspaper (about 7 or 8 years old).
I quoted you in particular because I thought Shultz died of a heart attack about the exact time when his last "Peanuts" strip went into print. He decided to retire his comic after 50 years of making it, and then almost as soon as he stopped, he died. Now there's someone who had a calling (and great dedication to it) in life.
I have a couple of the books. I loved that comic since I first read the newspaper (about 7 or 8 years old).
I quoted you in particular because I thought Shultz died of a heart attack about the exact time when his last "Peanuts" strip went into print. He decided to retire his comic after 50 years of making it, and then almost as soon as he stopped, he died. Now there's someone who had a calling (and great dedication to it) in life.
You know, I think you are absolutely right. I do seem to recall that he announced his retirement and then plopped over. Dedication indeed!
You know, I think you are absolutely right. I do seem to recall that he announced his retirement and then plopped over. Dedication indeed!
I would argue that his retirement was proof of his dedication to the strip. He felt it had run its course and decided that it was time to step down. Bill is one of the few people in the world I can say that I respect for a few reasons.
1. Here is a man who was offered ungodly sums of money for marketing, merchandise, cartoons, etc. of his comic and he turned them all down.
2. He wanted to do his Sunday strip in a certain style. If a newspaper refused to accept his strip the way he drew it, he simply wasn't in that paper.
3. The aforementioned appropriate retirement
4. I actually admired Calvin's vocab and view on life, "comic strip politics", etc.
I would argue that his retirement was proof of his dedication to the strip. He felt it had run its course and decided that it was time to step down. Bill is one of the few people in the world I can say that I respect for a few reasons.
1. Here is a man who was offered ungodly sums of money for marketing, merchandise, cartoons, etc. of his comic and he turned them all down.
2. He wanted to do his Sunday strip in a certain style. If a newspaper refused to accept his strip the way he drew it, he simply wasn't in that paper.
3. The aforementioned appropriate retirement
4. I actually admired Calvin's vocab and view on life, "comic strip politics", etc.
Agree.
I have read criticism of Calvin being Watterston's mouthpiece, but IMHO he did a really good job, plus I always enjoyed his artwork.
We have just about book he ever put out.
Recently my young nephew was looking through my son's comic book collection and wanted to borrow some.
"Take the Simpsons stuff," my son said. "But the Calvin and Hobbes stays here."
i had a big ol' orange tabby cat boy that i re-christened Hobbes .... he had some ridiculous, macho name from the shelter that was SO not him.... and I LOVED the comic strip.....
Calvin and Hobbes ruled. A favorite childhood memory, and I have the entire collection as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bs13690
1. Here is a man who was offered ungodly sums of money for marketing, merchandise, cartoons, etc. of his comic and he turned them all down.
Although in his introduction to the complete collection (which came out with a list price of $150.00), Watterson does state some level of regret for turning down all of the merchandising proposals.
Although in his introduction to the complete collection (which came out with a list price of $150.00), Watterson does state some level of regret for turning down all of the merchandising proposals.
What exactly does he say? (We do not have that one, we are not that completist).
I do remember the one where he talks about the "bootleg" Calvins.
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