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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)

#41

Post by tomrod »

lupire wrote: post #30
TeMPOraL wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

What is a utopia that "actually works"? Star Trek is "What if Communism but it wasn't influenced by human nature?", and totally avoided thinking about how the trillions of humans not in the military lived.

ST:TNG goes into quite a bit of on-the-ground imagining of the lives of Federation individuals and Star Fleet. Colonies, research stations, etc. Though the only earth-side I remember is Jean Luc's winery and estate or when the admiral was mind controlled by some kind of pest.

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

#44

Post by TecoAndJix »

tomrod wrote: post #40

Calvin and Hobbes was a source of happiness during a mostly miserable adolescence. My world is better for Bill Watterson having been in it, even if he'll never know that himself.

Calvin and Hobbes was also a major source of happiness during my youth. At one point I think I could have quoted you every strip.

I fancied myself an artist when I was a kid and had a regular comic called "Teco And Jix". It was an obvious ripoff of both Calvin and Hobbes but had very violent storylines. When it came time to create my first "internet name" (for AOL AIM), I went with TecoAndJix and it has remained my digital pseudonym to this day! I even got it tattooed one not-sober evening in the Navy...

Thank you Bill Watterson.

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

#45

Post by TeMPOraL »

lupire wrote: post #30
TeMPOraL wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

What is a utopia that "actually works"? Star Trek is "What if Communism but it wasn't influenced by human nature?", and totally avoided thinking about how the trillions of humans not in the military lived.

> Star Trek is "What if Communism but it wasn't influenced by human nature

On the contrary, the very premise of Star Trek is "what if humans overcome the bad parts of their nature, and embraced the good ones". The core concept of the entire franchise, coming from Gene himself, is that humanity must be recognizably human to the audience, just better than what it is now. The Federation being fully automated communist space utopia is an extension of that.

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

#46

Post by kibwen »

KingOfCoders wrote: post #22

I've used Calvin and Hobbes to learn English.

As a native English speaker, Calvin and Hobbes taught me to swear. I remember waiting until my mom was outside watering the flowers, then locking myself in the bathroom and whispering "darn" into the mirror. I was not a very bold child.

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

#47

Post by joenot443 »

lostlogin wrote: post #18
bazoom42 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dylan got the nobel price in litterature, which is awarded for a work of litterature, not for political influence. (Infamously Peter Handke won the litterature price despite his support for Milošević.) You are probably thinking of the peace price, but that is a different thing.

This is a good point. But his award is most definitely political both in how it was awarded and in the positions Dylan took in various events, songs and lyrics.

Jon Fosse was the 2023 winner and to my knowledge his work isn't considered especially political. I can't say confidently if Bill is a deserving candidate, but as others have suggested, political perspective or activism isn't a requirement.

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

#48

Post by ghaff »

u235bomb wrote: post #13

I can't really remember how or by whom I was introduced to Calvin and Hobbes. There was for years a peripheral awareness of it existing and eventually - reasons unknown - I purchased one of the books collecting strips. Properly reading Calvin and Hobbes for the first time is one of those experiences that leave a lasting imprint. The only other comic strip that had this lasting effect on me was Cul de Sac by Richard T…

For whatever reason, it's a strip I was aware of but didn't really appreciate until later in life.

I confess to also being much more into Hanna-Barbera than Warner Brothers/Loony Toons until college or so.

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

#50

Post by [deleted] »

darby_nine wrote: post #34
lostlogin wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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…

[deleted]
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