[HN Gopher] Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985...
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Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)
Author : thunderbong
Score : 240 points
Date : 2024-07-13 04:37 UTC (18 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (timhulsizer.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (timhulsizer.com)
| idrathernotsay wrote:
| Tim needs to fix his expired security certificate, at least
| according to Bitdefender
|
| https://i.imgur.com/wZCSESE.png
| diggan wrote:
| 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.
| block_dagger wrote:
| It's admirable that he traded his core competence for new
| subjects later in life.
| ekianjo wrote:
| isnt it what everyone does when they retire though?
| Kodiologist wrote:
| 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.
| max_ wrote:
| On a long enough time line all games become Calvin Ball
| Loughla wrote:
| I cannot play croquet without thinking about mashing someone
| with a mallet because of this comic.
| fermigier wrote:
| 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 philosophical approach, and
| its graphical style is radically different from C&H's, but I
| think it still shares with C&H a deep appreciation for the
| mysteries of life and the power of imagination to enrich our
| understanding of the world.
| ZeroGravitas wrote:
| There's a YouTube video with the two creators discussing their
| process on the book:
|
| https://youtube.com/watch?v=HHND7L1wUl0
| mysterydip wrote:
| 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.
| gammarator wrote:
| It cracks me up how much he looks like "Dad" in the strip
| in those 80s photos.
| fragmede wrote:
| That _is_ the only photo of him!
| acomjean wrote:
| 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.
| TheAmazingRace wrote:
| To each their own, but the book would never have sold any
| copies if Bill's name wasn't attached to it. I purchased a
| copy on Amazon and thought I was hoodwinked. It felt like a
| pure cash grab.
| savanaly wrote:
| Can't believe someone would look at the art in The
| Mysteries and call it a cash grab. It oozes personality and
| thoughtfulness. It's true it wouldn't have sold any copies
| if his name weren't attached though.
| barbecue_sauce wrote:
| Did you just, like, purchase it without having any concept
| of what it was? It's certainly different from Calvin and
| Hobbes, but there was no indication that it wouldn't be.
| Making a fairly artistic book with niche appeal is actually
| the opposite of a cash grab.
| tracerbulletx wrote:
| Imagine accusing a guy who could with a stroke of a pen
| have earned many millions of dollars in royalties and
| didn't for purely artistic purity reasons of a cash crab.
| What a silly thing to say.
| munchler wrote:
| Fishing the comics section out of the Sunday paper to read a big
| Calvin and Hobbes strip was a joy. At the peak of the era, our
| paper (The Washington Post) actually had two separate comics
| sections, one with C&H on the front and the other with Peanuts.
| There was also Doonesbury and Bloom County, many other lesser
| strips, and even magazines like Parade and Potomac, all of which
| together provided a full morning's entertainment.
| c5karl wrote:
| The genesis of the Post's gigantic comics section (three full
| pages on weekdays, if I remember correctly) was that they
| picked up all of the comics that had been run by the Washington
| Star when the Star (along with all the other evening papers)
| finally ran out of steam and closed up shop.
| tomrandle wrote:
| 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!
| bdjsiqoocwk wrote:
| 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 activities in our society, doing
| so is the only way to keep your creation relevant in society,
| which would then mean that your creation would keep being
| exposed to new people, as opposed to live in the minds of ever
| older people and die with them. I would like to to find the
| essay and reread it, but I could never find it. It kind of rang
| true.
| ndsipa_pomu wrote:
| 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.
| bdjsiqoocwk wrote:
| 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 better but virtually unknown for anyone
| under the age of 20. It's dying.
| 082349872349872 wrote:
| > " _You either die a hero or..._ " --HD
| vinnyvichy wrote:
| https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%2520Files/09-128.pdf
| probably_wrong wrote:
| I believe that essay mistakes quantity for quality. I think
| most authors would prefer a small community that "gets" them
| than a larger one that doesn't.
|
| I believe most artists care more about the message of their
| art than about its spread. And if you ask them to choose
| between "500 people that get it" and "50000 people who
| don't", the fact that the second number is bigger is not
| necessarily a better deal.
|
| (Obviously there are considerations for "I need to pay rent",
| but that's a different issue)
| lupire wrote:
| 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.
| lkdfjlkdfjlg wrote:
| 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.
| bombcar wrote:
| Which is exactly what Watterson wanted.
|
| (He famously "came back" for a gag, but he hasn't "sold
| out" and is apparently happy doing what he does, set for
| life.)
|
| https://stephanpastis.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/ever-
| wished-t...
| bdjsiqoocwk wrote:
| No, nonsense. What he wanted was to "not sellout". He
| just didn't understand that meant C&H would slide into
| obscurity.
| vinnyvichy wrote:
| Sounds like this essay
|
| https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%2520Files/09-128.pdf
| lkdfjlkdfjlg wrote:
| Hey! Listen, the abstract exactly matches what I described.
|
| However, I _believe_ that the essay I read specifically
| mentioned C &H as an example, which CTRL-F indicates your
| pdf doesn't. (On the other hand, it's also possible that I
| originally did read your pdf and in my mind used C&H as an
| example, and am now mis-remembering it haven been presented
| as example).
|
| Regardless, I'll read your pdf, thank you!
| vunderba wrote:
| If the distasteful proliferation of the "Calvin peeing"
| bumpersticker is anything to go by, thank spaceman spiff
| Watterson sealed the floodgates of merchandising and marketing
| garbage.
| putlake wrote:
| 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.
| mdp2021 wrote:
| Berkeley Breathed could feel left out - and one of his
| collections was named "Classics of Western Literature".
| bell-cot wrote:
| Nobel Prizes leave _lots_ of people feeling left out.
| JasonFruit wrote:
| He should. His work has political and cultural significance,
| and only that: no literary value. I say that as someone who
| put too much time into reading Bloom County when I was
| younger.
| lostlogin wrote:
| > 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).
| mdp2021 wrote:
| > _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 "the
| greatest benefit on mankind". This was interpreted into broad
| qualities (so, including but not reducing to promoting
| <<human rights>>). See the list of Nobel Laureates and the
| formal justifications for the award, at: https://en.wikipedia
| .org/wiki/List_of_Nobel_laureates_in_Lit...
| TeMPOraL wrote:
| > _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 inspirational writing in
| modern sci-fi.
| lupire wrote:
| 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.
| tomrod wrote:
| 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.
| krapp wrote:
| Even TNG didn't always follow through with utopian
| ideals, because that doesn't make for compelling drama.
| Tasha Yar came from a failed Federation colony where
| society had collapsed, and spent her childhood avoiding
| roving rape gangs.
| TeMPOraL wrote:
| > _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.
| AlchemistCamp wrote:
| Yeah, that really is its fatal flaw.
|
| The only really good Star Trek series I saw was DS9. It
| was darker, had longer story arcs, religion and fully
| developed characters. There was even a scene that
| illustrated this, where Captain Sisko was talking with an
| Earth politician and telling him that the problem was he
| lived on Earth, a paradise, and couldn't understand the
| war and problems those near DS9 faced.
| ryandrake wrote:
| You don't need to overcome all of human nature, you
| "just" need to overcome greed and solve scarcity. I put
| "just" in quotes because I recognize those are a tall
| order, but I don't think you really need much else to
| have a Star Trek collectivist utopia.
| voisin wrote:
| 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.
| rsynnott wrote:
| > 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.
| hnlmorg wrote:
| All the negative sides you've described is portrayed
| after Gene Roddenberry died and he was famously against a
| lot of those concepts while he was alive. DS9 would never
| have been green-lit during Roddenberry's lifetime.
|
| > 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.
|
| That's not true. The worlds that aren't great are planets
| outside of federation jurisdiction. Those that are part
| of it are usually portrayed as utopias.
|
| That all said, you've hit on a great premise for a Star
| Trek spin off.
|
| Edit:
|
| > And it appears to be _basically_ a military
| dictatorship; the civil government in practice always
| seems to be subordinate to Starfleet.
|
| The partnership is explored in DS9 and was the exact
| opposite of that you've described.
|
| In the DS9 episode I'm thinking of, shapeshifters
| ("changelings") had taken over Star Fleet (the military)
| and were then trying to bypass the Federation to start a
| war. Basically a military coup lead by a small number of
| infiltrators. The remainder of the military were against
| the coup, which is why they were found out and the coup
| failed.
| nanomonkey wrote:
| There are quite a few Utopia's in fiction that work [0].
| The Culture series by Iain M. Banks is a fairly well
| known one.
|
| [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_utopian_literatu
| re
| krapp wrote:
| >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 inspirational writing in
| modern sci-fi.
|
| The Federation only works as a utopia because the writers
| never bother to address any of the complex questions
| about how such a utopia would actually work, because
| _they don 't care._ Star Trek's utopian ideal is mostly
| just window dressing.
|
| Also, Star Trek isn't very aspirational. We can't aspire
| to simply evolve beyond human nature as Trek humanity
| has, such that every human lacks any form of greed, vice
| or selfishness and is perfectly happy to participate in a
| society which still has all of the hierarchies of
| capitalism, including lifetime careers, but with none of
| the incentives. Nor can we expect the infinite free
| energy and physics-defying transporters and replicators
| that allow Star Trek's writers to just handwave away the
| hard problems of scarcity and thermodynamics. The Fermi
| paradox tells us plainly that FTL in any form is almost
| certainly impossible. The Vulcans aren't going to show up
| in the ruins of our civilization and potty train us. That
| isn't something we can aspire to, that's never going to
| happen.
| bazoom42 wrote:
| 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 Milosevic.)
|
| You are probably thinking of the peace price, but that is a
| different thing.
| codetrotter wrote:
| > The Nobel Prize in Literature [...] is awarded annually,
| since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the
| words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel,
| "in the field of literature, produced the most outstanding
| work in an idealistic direction"
|
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Literature
|
| > Interpretations of Nobel's guidelines
|
| > Alfred Nobel's guidelines for the prize, stating that the
| candidate should have bestowed "the greatest benefit on
| mankind" and written "in an idealistic direction," have
| sparked much discussion. In the early history of the prize,
| Nobel's "idealism" was read as "a lofty and sound
| idealism." The set of criteria, characterised by its
| conservative idealism, holding church, state, and family
| sacred, resulted in prizes for Bjornstjerne Bjornson,
| Rudyard Kipling, and Paul Heyse. During World War I, there
| was a policy of neutrality, which partly explains the
| number of awards to Scandinavian writers. In the 1920s,
| "idealistic direction" was interpreted more generously as
| "wide-hearted humanity," leading to awards for writers like
| Anatole France, George Bernard Shaw, and Thomas Mann. In
| the 1930s, "the greatest benefit on mankind" was
| interpreted as writers within everybody's reach, with
| authors like Sinclair Lewis and Pearl Buck receiving
| recognition. From 1946, a renewed Academy changed focus and
| began to award literary pioneers like Hermann Hesse, Andre
| Gide, T. S. Eliot, and William Faulkner. During this era,
| "the greatest benefit on mankind" was interpreted in a more
| exclusive and generous way than before. Since the 1970s,
| the Academy has often given attention to important but
| internationally unnoticed writers, awarding writers like
| Isaac Bashevis Singer, Odysseus Elytis, Elias Canetti, and
| Jaroslav Seifert.
| lostlogin wrote:
| 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.
| bazoom42 wrote:
| Obviously Dylan is political but this does not mean the
| price was political. The Handke debacle seems a pretty
| clear indication they evaluate the litterary merit
| without regard to the politics of the author.
| joenot443 wrote:
| 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.
| darby_nine wrote:
| 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.
| slater- wrote:
| incorrect to compare Dylan to 2pac and Mitski (a "varied
| feminist artist?")
|
| I understand the impulse of trying to tear down the
| establishment guy, but your take is absurd.
| readthenotes1 wrote:
| If you look at the list of nominees it's not exactly a mark of
| lasting impact
|
| https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nominees_for_the_Nob...
| u235bomb wrote:
| 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 Thompson.
|
| https://www.gocomics.com/culdesac/2007/11/11
| ghaff wrote:
| 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.
| KingOfCoders wrote:
| I've used Calvin and Hobbes to learn English.
| RhysU wrote:
| My children each started reading in earnest after memorizing
| the several pages beginning "So long, Pop! I'm off to check my
| tiger trap!"
| kibwen wrote:
| 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.
| ryukoposting wrote:
| 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.
| tomrod wrote:
| 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.
| TecoAndJix wrote:
| 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.
| 7thaccount wrote:
| Same. Calvin and Hobbes were always out having fun and I used
| to dream about having some kind of friend to hang out with
| where we could go on those kinds of adventures. I spent a lot
| of my time being lonely and bored and these comics were a great
| escape.
|
| Having a daughter many years later in my adulthood has been
| awesome though and we go on all kinds of adventures and read
| stories together and play games and all kinds of stuff. In a
| way, it is kind of like getting a second crack at childhood and
| I want to make sure she isn't as lonely as I was. Of course you
| can't stifle your kids or live vicariously through them (I
| definitely draw some lines and give her as much freedom as you
| can in the modern day).
| adolph wrote:
| To paraphrase: <X> is better for <Y> having
| been in it, even if <Y> never know that.
|
| Seems like a definition of virtue or at least beneficence.
| SoftTalker wrote:
| Yes, I was a little older but Calvin and Hobbes is my all time
| favorite comic. I don't even read the comics anymore, since I
| haven't subscribed to a printed newspaper in a long time. The
| whole ritual of sitting down with a cup of coffee and reading
| through the Sunday paper is something I still miss from time to
| time.
| froggertoaster wrote:
| Your words were so simple, but hit me in a place I did not
| expect. I also had a miserable childhood/adolescence, and I
| could not help but cry a little reading your words. I feel
| exactly the same way.
| tempodox wrote:
| If you want to see them all:
|
| https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1985/11/18
| kejaed wrote:
| It is also on the Internet Archive.
|
| https://archive.org/details/TheCompleteCalvinHobbes_201902
| LeifCarrotson wrote:
| 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.
| spacecadet wrote:
| I still have all of the Calvin and Hobbes books in storage. Some
| of the black and white pages were carefully watercolored by me as
| a teen.
| elicash wrote:
| Here's my list of 34 personal favorite C&H comics:
|
| https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XryL7duzj_WZEy0dtdDO48_s...
| kejaed wrote:
| I 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.
| po wrote:
| My 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.
| carbonguy wrote:
| I have a nephew turning six this year and have been considering
| getting him some of the collections as well, wondering if it
| would have the same formative impact on him as on me. I
| remember reading the strip in the paper as a six-year-old
| blonde kid and coming away with the impression that there was
| nothing weird about daydreaming all the time, or being
| articulate, or having an aversion to team sports, etc. all of
| which traits I carry with me to this day, 30-ish years later.
| Of course, now I find myself identifying more with Calvin's dad
| - that's life, I guess!
| optimalsolver wrote:
| For fans of both Calvin and Frank Herbert's Dune, I give you
| Calvin & Muad'Dib:
|
| https://calvinanddune.tumblr.com/
| alsetmusic wrote:
| Stupendous 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.
| the_doctah wrote:
| The art style usually changed when he became Spaceman Spiff and
| Tracer Bullet as well. Loved those alter egos.
| irrational wrote:
| I was a teenager in the 80s. I can remember going outside in the
| dark before school to get the paper so I could read C&H during
| breakfast. I didn't know at the time that they would someday be
| reprinted in books, so I would cut each one out and tape it into
| a notebook.
|
| The other main comic strip I enjoyed at that time was The Far
| Side. Recently I reread both Calvin and Hobbes and the Far Side.
| Calvin and Hobbes is still just as good as a 50s year old adult
| (though I find I now identify a lot more with the parents). But,
| I didn't find the same thing to be true of The Far Side. Some of
| the Far Side strips are wonderful - like The School of the Gifted
| - but most just fell flat for me.
| bombcar wrote:
| Far Side really works well on a "one a day" timeline - binging
| it doesn't work as well as it does with C&H.
| Loughla wrote:
| The Far Side scratches a weird kid itch really really well. I
| bought the entire collection for my kid. Their okay, but not as
| good as I remember. He was dying laughing as he read them.
| wombatpm wrote:
| In college I had Calvin and Hobbes in German. It was the best way
| to learn vocabulary
| matrix12 wrote:
| There is also some fan created extensions.
| https://imgur.com/gallery/all-bacon-hobbes-comics-i-could-fi...
| froggertoaster wrote:
| Anyone else struck by how captivating Bill Watterson is as a
| writer, both in C&H and out?
| tracerbulletx wrote:
| Really glad there is still a solid group of people who recognize
| the significance of his work. It's hard to explain to someone who
| doesn't resonate with it, but it's the most important fiction of
| my childhood and still to this day.
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