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Lets Go Exploring! Calvin and Hobbes for life!

lostwordslostwords Registered User regular
edited February 2010 in Social Entropy++
Calvin and Hobbes is pretty much the best comic strip ever. Long story short: its about a boy and his tiger friend going on awesome adventures together.

All us old timers can probably remember reading them in the comics section of the newspapers, and waiting anxiously for the sunday comics section to see strips in glorious color. Then came hunting down the comics collections, checking them out from the library over and over again or getting them as presents and reading them till the spine was cracked and the book was falling apart. it was marvelous. Everyone should own the Calvin and Hobbes Complete Collection, which has all the strips and some thoughts by the author.

last strip:
ch951231.jpg

When it ended, it was like an old friend said goodbye. And the creator, Bill Waterson has always been firmly against merchandising and whoring out his stuff, which you've gotta admire, unauthorized calvin peeing on ford/chevy/whatever decals nonwithstanding. Its been nearly impossible to find him doing any interviews and whatnot in the past decade or so.


but hey look, he did a short interview recently regarding calvin and hobbes!
With almost 15 years of separation and reflection, what do you think it was about "Calvin and Hobbes" that went beyond just capturing readers' attention, but their hearts as well?

The only part I understand is what went into the creation of the strip. What readers take away from it is up to them. Once the strip is published, readers bring their own experiences to it, and the work takes on a life of its own. Everyone responds differently to different parts.

I just tried to write honestly, and I tried to make this little world fun to look at, so people would take the time to read it. That was the full extent of my concern. You mix a bunch of ingredients, and once in a great while, chemistry happens. I can't explain why the strip caught on the way it did, and I don't think I could ever duplicate it. A lot of things have to go right all at once.

What are your thoughts about the legacy of your strip?

Well, it's not a subject that keeps me up at night. Readers will always decide if the work is meaningful and relevant to them, and I can live with whatever conclusion they come to. Again, my part in all this largely ended as the ink dried.

Readers became friends with your characters, so understandably, they grieved -- and are still grieving -- when the strip ended. What would you like to tell them?

This isn't as hard to understand as people try to make it. By the end of 10 years, I'd said pretty much everything I had come there to say.

It's always better to leave the party early. If I had rolled along with the strip's popularity and repeated myself for another five, 10 or 20 years, the people now "grieving" for "Calvin and Hobbes" would be wishing me dead and cursing newspapers for running tedious, ancient strips like mine instead of acquiring fresher, livelier talent. And I'd be agreeing with them.

I think some of the reason "Calvin and Hobbes" still finds an audience today is because I chose not to run the wheels off it.

I've never regretted stopping when I did.

Because your work touched so many people, fans feel a connection to you, like they know you. They want more of your work, more Calvin, another strip, anything. It really is a sort of rock star/fan relationship. Because of your aversion to attention, how do you deal with that even today? And how do you deal with knowing that it's going to follow you for the rest of your days?

Ah, the life of a newspaper cartoonist -- how I miss the groupies, drugs and trashed hotel rooms!

But since my "rock star" days, the public attention has faded a lot. In Pop Culture Time, the 1990s were eons ago. There are occasional flare-ups of weirdness, but mostly I just go about my quiet life and do my best to ignore the rest. I'm proud of the strip, enormously grateful for its success, and truly flattered that people still read it, but I wrote "Calvin and Hobbes" in my 30s, and I'm many miles from there.

An artwork can stay frozen in time, but I stumble through the years like everyone else. I think the deeper fans understand that, and are willing to give me some room to go on with my life.

How soon after the U.S. Postal Service issues the Calvin stamp will you send a letter with one on the envelope?

Immediately. I'm going to get in my horse and buggy and snail-mail a check for my newspaper subscription.

How do you want people to remember that 6-year-old and his tiger?

I vote for "Calvin and Hobbes, Eighth Wonder of the World."


Its a pretty great read yeah, though way too short. i would love to see a full documentary about the dude. and if i used stamps ever, i would totally buy some of them stamps. so yeah, lets reminisce. any favorite calvin and hobbes strips?

and hey cool guy, thanks for posting that fake comic where calvin gets on some meds. douche

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lostwords on
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Posts

  • MysstMysst King Monkey of Hedonism IslandRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    I never realized bill waterson actually looked like calvin's dad with a mustache

    Mysst on
    ikbUJdU.jpg
  • DrIanMalcolmDrIanMalcolm Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    There was a book written recently where the author tries to find Watterson, I think it was reviewed pretty well.

    But yes I love Calvin & Hobbes

    DrIanMalcolm on
  • FrankoFranko Sometimes I really wish I had four feet so I could dance with myself to the drumbeat Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Yo dawg, is that fuckin' tiger real or not ?huh?

    Franko on
  • FrankoFranko Sometimes I really wish I had four feet so I could dance with myself to the drumbeat Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    ohh boy here come the waterworks
    calvinretouchdistressed.jpg

    Franko on
  • Grey GhostGrey Ghost Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Yes, lostwords, yes

    Best Thread

    Grey Ghost on
  • vermiculturevermiculture Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    member of G.R.O.S.S reporting for duty

    vermiculture on
    steam id: vermiculture
  • DogDog Registered User, Administrator, Vanilla Staff admin
    edited February 2010
    lets just post every calvin and hobbes

    get this over quick

    Unknown User on
  • sponospono Mining for Nose Diamonds Booger CoveRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    franko you silly silly goose

    spono on
    640qocnq4ske.gif
  • QuestionMarkManQuestionMarkMan Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    I am Stupendous Man

    and also somebody post some good C & H wallpapers

    QuestionMarkMan on
  • OlivawOlivaw good name, isn't it? the foot of mt fujiRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    TRACER

    BULLET

    Olivaw on
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    PSN ID : DetectiveOlivaw | TWITTER | STEAM ID | NEVER FORGET
  • WimbleWimble Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    hell yes, halvin and cobbes

    also known as "Kalle och Hobbe" and "Tommy og Tigern" during my childhood

    Wimble on
    4SMZq.jpg
  • sponospono Mining for Nose Diamonds Booger CoveRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    I am Stupendous Man

    and also somebody post some good C & H wallpapers

    I've been using these for a few years now
    hobbessmallcolorcopy.gif

    hobbessmall.gif

    spono on
    640qocnq4ske.gif
  • DrZiplockDrZiplock Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    I was gift the complete collection recently. I have yet to even take the plastic wrapper off of it. I just want to sit and stare at it.

    DrZiplock on
  • lostwordslostwords Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    lostwords on
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  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    SPACEMAN SPIFF IS HIT!!!

    KalTorak on
  • Run Run RunRun Run Run __BANNED USERS regular
    edited February 2010
    The Complete Calvin and Hobbes is one of my most treasured possessions.

    Gotta get the Teefs one soon, too.

    Run Run Run on
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  • DrIanMalcolmDrIanMalcolm Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Calvin is the best snowman maker ever

    DrIanMalcolm on
  • Bad-BeatBad-Beat Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    I was on the tube last Saturday morning and I saw a kid, about 6/7 years old, reading it and I thought it was awesome how C&H was still reaching new generations. The comic always warms my heart when I read it and it's definately one of my favourie things ever.

    Bad-Beat on
  • QuestionMarkManQuestionMarkMan Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    One of my favorite running gags is Calvin updating his dad on his status in the polls

    QuestionMarkMan on
  • DysDys how am I even using this gun Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Calvin is the best snowman maker ever

    Man, remember that legion of monster ones he made surrounding his house?

    Dys on
  • CorporateLogoCorporateLogo The toilet knows how I feelRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    He likes Easter Island.

    CorporateLogo on
    Do not have a cow, mortal.

    c9PXgFo.jpg
  • FoodFood Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    calvin and hobbes had a profound influence on my childhood. It's really good.

    Food on
  • Peter EbelPeter Ebel CopenhagenRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    That reporter is a pussy willow. He wants to cry his man tears into Watterson's bosom so bad.

    I love Calvin and Hobbes though. Like, immensely.

    Peter Ebel on
    Fuck off and die.
  • ZephosZephos Climbin in yo ski lifts, snatchin your people up. MichiganRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    tyrannosaurus_in_f-14s.jpg


    Edit: is this hscrolling anyone? should i spoiler it?

    Zephos on
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  • MysstMysst King Monkey of Hedonism IslandRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    if that is breaking someone's hscroll they are on a netbook and knew what they were getting into

    Mysst on
    ikbUJdU.jpg
  • RabidDeathMooseRabidDeathMoose Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons is the only Calvin and Hobbes book I actually own, but I've probably read it 10-20 times easily.

    Very fond memories and Watterson stopped at exactly the right time as evidenced by the unending (and deserved) love he gets when the subject of Calvin and Hobbes comes up.

    RabidDeathMoose on
  • GumpyGumpy There is always a greater powerRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Zephos wrote: »
    tyrannosaurus_in_f-14s.jpg


    Edit: is this hscrolling anyone? should i spoiler it?

    That should never be hidden behind a spoiler tag

    Gumpy on
  • John MatrixJohn Matrix Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Franko wrote: »
    ohh boy here come the waterworks
    calvinretouchdistressed.jpg

    Can you imagine if this had been the last strip?

    John Matrix on
  • I Win SwordfightsI Win Swordfights all the traits of greatness starlight at my feetRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    I don't remember how I got the first collection. I just know I had it when I was six or seven. The one where it just says Calvin and Hobbes on the front.

    I read that thing ragged, and I shared it with my friends and got them into it. I've bought every other collection but yeah, I really want the complete.

    I think I'll ask for it for my birthday.

    I Win Swordfights on
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  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    My friend and I would pass quite a few afternoons lounging around reading each other's Calvin & Hobbes books. I had "Yukon Ho!", "The Days Are Just Packed," "Calvin & Hobbes," "There's Treasure Everywhere," "Homicidal Jungle Cat", he had "Revenge of the Babysat," "Weirdos from Another Planet," "It's a Magical World," and other ones that I've forgotten. We both had the 10th Anniversary Special.

    KalTorak on
  • CorporateLogoCorporateLogo The toilet knows how I feelRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    The 10th Anniversary Special ruled for the insight it gave into Watterson's creative process

    CorporateLogo on
    Do not have a cow, mortal.

    c9PXgFo.jpg
  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    One of my favorite running gags is Calvin updating his dad on his status in the polls

    I always enjoyed this too. I think it was that specific joke that actually began my political awakening.

    Fencingsax on
  • CarbonRodCarbonRod Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Probably the one that gives me the biggest laugh is when his dad is looking for his glasses and Calvin comes in wearing them and says "Calvin, go do somthing you hate. Being miserable builds character." and in the last panel his mom is laughing her ass off

    CarbonRod on
  • HarrierHarrier The Star Spangled Man Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    Calvin and Hobbes taught me the possibilities of a cardboard box

    I'm somewhat ashamed I had to be shown this, but there it is

    Harrier on
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  • AretèAretè infiltrating neo zeed compoundRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    The comic in the title was my goodbye email to everyone my last day at lehman brothers.

    calvin and hobbes has been my favorite comic for such a long ass time, and now that i am all properly employed with money to spend i need to get the complete collection.

    then i can finally replace the jury rigged collection i made when i was a kid and by replace i mean make sure it stays stowed away safely so i can pass it on to my kid someday.

    Aretè on
  • FrankoFranko Sometimes I really wish I had four feet so I could dance with myself to the drumbeat Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
  • cadmunkycadmunky One hand on the bottle, The other a shaking fist.Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    truly, the greatest. i actually did wear out most of the books i had. those tattered rags may very well still be in a box somewhere in FL, if i were to go adventuring for them.

    urk...
    thefuture1.jpg

    chin up munky! don't let 'em see those misty eyes!

    cadmunky on
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    "Think of it as Evolution in Action"
  • Bad-BeatBad-Beat Registered User regular
    edited February 2010
    IT TROO!
    DAT DARN KAHLFIN STOLE MA SPACECHIP!

    Bad-Beat on
  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator Mod Emeritus
    edited February 2010
    calvin and hobbes is basically the high standard of excellence I hope to be able to achieve inn my own work some day

    it is basically perfect

    Rankenphile on
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  • MorivethMoriveth BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWN BREAKDOWNRegistered User regular
    edited February 2010
    I love Calvin & Hobbes

    Bill Watterson is a bit of a dick, but I respect the dude for sticking to his guns and not backing down for anyone

    Moriveth on
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