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Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)

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Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)

#31

Post by acomjean »

fermigier wrote: post #5

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/10/30/the-mysteries-... I've read, many times (it's a very short read), M. Watterson's (and his friend's John Kascht) latest work, "The Mysteries", and I very much like it. It's a multifaceted fable that explores, among other things, the tension between curiosity and control, and the allure and danger of technological progress. "The Mysteries" takes a more somber and philosophi…

I’ve read the “mysteries” book too, and would recommend. I think it’s the first book from Waterson since stopping Calvin and Hobbs.

It’s quite different from Calvin and Hobbs, heavier but really thought provoking. I found myself thinking about the story after the fact.

Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)

#32

Post by lupire »

bdjsiqoocwk wrote: post #12
tomrandle wrote: post #8

I was introduced to Calvin and Hobbes (as well as Sam and Max) as a kid by a taxi driver when on holiday in Florida in the 90s. Loved both. It’s been a delight to re read them with my son recently. I somewhat lament it’s not possible to by any merchandise though! I’d love to have a big print of the pair in their radio flyer crashing down the hill!

Ah!, speaking of merchandise. I once read an essay about the idea of, if you have a successful artistic creation, should you exploit it financially, for example by selling rights for someone else to find new income streams (Bill Waterson famously never did.) The essay argued that even if you are primarily motivated by art and not money, you should for the reason that money being the motivating factor for so many acti…

Calvin and Hobbes was extremely mainstream. It only stopped being so because the creator stopped creating content for it.

Spider-Man, for all its merchandising and marketing, doesn't have people chasing down old content in dying formats. It is supported by new content in modern formats.

Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)

#33

Post by voisin »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #28
mdp2021 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> fired from one job for his lack of political knowledge (assuming the wikipedia entry is correct) You should also have noticed from that source that Watterson majored in political science (he initially wanted to be a political cartoonist), and also that unfortunate job was related to local politics. The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded for producing "the most outstanding work in an idealistic direction" with "th…

> The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded for producing "the most outstanding work in an idealistic direction" with "the greatest benefit on mankind". They should award one posthumously to Gene Roddenberry then. After all, the Federation from Star Trek is pretty much the only well-known case of an utopia that actually works in fiction writing, and the show itself is one of few examples of aspirational and inspiratio…

The Nobel is famously not awarded posthumously. There are many examples of two or more cofounders where one is not awarded the Nobel due to having died.

Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)

#34

Post by darby_nine »

lostlogin wrote: post #11
putlake wrote: post #9

Since influential people are on this forum, someone should get Bill Watterson nominated for the Nobel prize in literature. His work deserves that honor as much as, if not more than, Bob Dylan.

> His work deserves that honor as much as, if not more than, Bob Dylan. Could you explain why? I love Calvin and Hobbes. However Dylan played a role in political and human rights movements at a key time. I don’t see this sort of influence in Calvin and Hobbes and Watterson was apparently fired from one job for his lack of political knowledge (assuming the wikipedia entry is correct).

Some of the best literature ever written isn't very "important" (although, I think you're greatly underestimating Calvin & Hobbes's influence)

Secondly, I also question the influence of Bob Dylan. There's no indication that he was anything but a reflection of the political turmoil at the time. He was just a poet with some banger turns of phrase. I also found his emotional distance to the actual politics to be rather distasteful (compared to, say, 2pac's first album, Joey Bada$$'s "all amerikkkan badass", and like half of Kendrick Lamar's work, many varied feminist artists now like Mitski & Laufey, the anti-war influence on the then Dixie Chicks, now the Chicks... i'm sure you could come up with thousands of artists with more to say than bob dylan).

C&H's political expression speaks much more to the absurdity of the values and habits that entrench themselves by adulthood, and help us question which of these are meaningful, rational, and necessary. A different sort of politics for sure, but one that is certainly relevant to most households across the country. Most of the political angst that comes through the adults in the form of disgust with cultures of consumption and commodification, the absurdity of a biker pitted against car, the joy of giving an F-15 to a trex rather than a modern state, are no less salient today.

Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)

#35

Post by diggan »

idrathernotsay wrote: post #2

Tim needs to fix his expired security certificate, at least according to Bitdefender https://i.imgur.com/wZCSESE.png

Time to get rid of Bitdefender I guess? The site is http, so no certificate needed (or even served, for that matter). For the https version, it serves a certificate for the wrong domain (`*.brinkster.com` rather than for `timhulsizer.com`), so not even the error message is correct.

Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)

#36

Post by Kodiologist »

ekianjo wrote: post #6
block_dagger wrote: post #3

It's admirable that he traded his core competence for new subjects later in life.

isnt it what everyone does when they retire though?

No, actually, although you could argue that the word "retire" isn't applied quite correctly in such cases. It's common for academics, for example, to continue doing much of the same work once they're nominally retired, just at a different pace with different priorities.

Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)

#37

Post by mysterydip »

ZeroGravitas wrote: post #16
fermigier wrote: post #5

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/10/30/the-mysteries-... I've read, many times (it's a very short read), M. Watterson's (and his friend's John Kascht) latest work, "The Mysteries", and I very much like it. It's a multifaceted fable that explores, among other things, the tension between curiosity and control, and the allure and danger of technological progress. "The Mysteries" takes a more somber and philosophi…

There's a YouTube video with the two creators discussing their process on the book: https://youtube.com/watch?v=HHND7L1wUl0

I was excited for the chance to finally see Watterson's face, as the only picture of him I've seen is from the 80s, but the interview only shows the hands of both of them.

Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)

#38

Post by ryukoposting »

I'm not sure how many times I've read this before - at least twice, I think. Much like Calvin and Hobbes, it never gets old.

I'm too young to remember Calvin and Hobbes as a new comic. But, my parents had a complete anthology and I must have read the entire thing half a dozen times, cover to cover. I think Calvin and Hobbes informed the way I try to look at life. Embrace spontaneity and use your imagination. It's easy to forget that stuff.

Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)

#39

Post by lkdfjlkdfjlg »

lupire wrote: post #32
bdjsiqoocwk wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah!, speaking of merchandise. I once read an essay about the idea of, if you have a successful artistic creation, should you exploit it financially, for example by selling rights for someone else to find new income streams (Bill Waterson famously never did.) The essay argued that even if you are primarily motivated by art and not money, you should for the reason that money being the motivating factor for so many acti…

Calvin and Hobbes was extremely mainstream. It only stopped being so because the creator stopped creating content for it. Spider-Man, for all its merchandising and marketing, doesn't have people chasing down old content in dying formats. It is supported by new content in modern formats.

Old spider-man content sells for a lot more than old calvin and hobbes content.

> Calvin and Hobbes was extremely mainstream. It only stopped being so because the creator stopped creating content for it.

I think that's exactly the point. It stopped being mainstream. Spiderman continues to be mainstream because the original author passed on the rights and now it will live for longer than the original author. Calvin and Hobbes will continue to shrivel in how well known it is.

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