Here's my list of 34 personal favorite C&H comics:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XryL7duzj_WZEy0dtdDO48_s...
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)
#52I grew up with Calvin and Hobbes collections in the back seat of the car on family vacations. I was 14 when the strip ended so I had lots of historical material to go through at the book stores (!).
We have the anthology at home, I think it’s time to introduce the kids (6 & 9) to Watterson, although my son is already an expert at Calvinball without even knowing it.
What struck me reading this piece was thinking about how all the constraints that Watterson faced just don’t exist today, as he pointed out with his “click of the mouse” comment. Constraints can often lead to creative solutions, I wonder where Calvin and Hobbes would go in today’s landscape.
Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)
#53My sister just came to visit me in Tokyo and asked what to bring as a gift... I said, "If you can, please bring my Calvin and Hobbes collection for my kids to read." My 10 and 6 year olds have been devouring them ever since.
There is something electric and timeless about these strips. I am certain they don't understand all of the vocabulary but still they read it. It is a format that lures kids in and then uses that attention it has earned to stretch minds. Re-reading it as an adult also rings true in a totally different way. Calvin's parents become sympathetic compatriots.
It's smarter than most adults but captivates kids. It is a decade of work that deserves all the awards that could possibly be given.
Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)
#54If you want to see them all: https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1985/11/18
It is also on the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/TheCompleteCalvinHobbes_201902
There's also a search engine:
https://michaelyingling.com/random/calvin_and_hobbes/
And a text file transcription on the Archive:
https://web.archive.org/web/20210706165719/http://www.s-anan...
If you want to find a particular comic you remember.
Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)
#55I 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…
Sounds like this essay
Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)
#56For fans of both Calvin and Frank Herbert's Dune, I give you Calvin & Muad'Dib:
Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm not convinced that merchandising would keep an artistic creation relevant in society. It'd be just as likely to reduce the artwork to the lowest common denominator and it'd become just another slogan/logo.
The idea you're conveying is very well known but in my opinion poorly argued for. This essay I mentioned on the other hand had a minority view and well argued for, which is why I was trying to find it in order to reread it. Anecdotally let's look at one data point. Spider-Man is in comparison garbage, but it's everywhere to this day. Why, because some company calculated they could milk it. C&H in comparison is much b…
Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)
#58Stupendous Man is one of my tattoos. Seeing it always makes me happy. What a uniquely great comic. It has been an incredible influence in my life.
The first time I was reading “Something Under the Bed is Drooling,” when I got to the Mr Bun strip, my brain broke from the art change. I was extremely confused until I got to the end. To be a kid again…
Watterson has a new book: The Mysteries.
Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
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.
It cracks me up how much he looks like “Dad” in the strip in those 80s photos.
Re: Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)
#60Earlier 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…
> After all, the Federation from Star Trek is pretty much the only well-known case of an utopia that actually works in fiction writing
Eh. I mean, by Voyager/DS9 it has secret police, and _literal mine slaves_ (old-model sentient holographic doctors). And it appears to be _basically_ a military dictatorship; the civil government in practice always seems to be subordinate to Starfleet. It also happily trades away inhabited territory to the Cardassians, who are essentially Space Nazis. And it has a safety culture that would make the Soviet Union blush. Really, the closer you look, the uglier it looks.
We also don’t see that much of how Federation _civilians_ live, and a lot of what we do see frankly isn’t that great.