The article seems to really want to read something dark into the man and his art. This tiny story from Wikipedia provides fuel for my speculation: that C+H was a job, and when one is tired of a...
The article seems to really want to read something dark into the man and his art.
This tiny story from Wikipedia provides fuel for my speculation: that C+H was a job, and when one is tired of a job one quits and returns to regular life. That's it. He started doing something to pay the bills, and he got some enjoyment out of it as well as the usual hum drum of work. When something was no longer fun he stopped.
Watterson was once known to sneak autographed copies of his books onto the shelves of the Fireside Bookshop, a family-owned bookstore in his hometown of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. He ended this practice after discovering that some of the autographed books were being sold online for high prices.
I would suggest that we're so used to seeing people sell out we no longer recognize what not selling out looks like. It looks like this: you leave money not made, and you spend time with your family.
Yeah, I've always looked up to him for refusing to sell out and do merchandise and toys and everything. I really do think he had said all he wanted to say, probably saw some longer running comics...
Yeah, I've always looked up to him for refusing to sell out and do merchandise and toys and everything. I really do think he had said all he wanted to say, probably saw some longer running comics that burned out in their old age, and just quit while he was ahead.
It's so rare these days to find someone with the will to not let their art and life's work be sold to the highest bidder. Obviously he was well off enough he could afford to anyways.
It still pisses me off when I see those 'Calvin pissing on [thing some asshole hates]' stickers on cars and trucks, knowing that Bill Watterson never would have approved of that shit.
It still pisses me off when I see those 'Calvin pissing on [thing some asshole hates]' stickers on cars and trucks, knowing that Bill Watterson never would have approved of that shit.
Owing to spite or just a foul mood, have you ever peeled one of those stupid Calvin stickers off of a pickup truck? I figure that, long after the strip is forgotten, those decals are my ticket to...
This is why I never got into C+H when I was growing up. I knew about it, but all I ever saw was the sticker. And whoever had that sticker was usually was a douchebag of some sort, so I assumed...
This is why I never got into C+H when I was growing up. I knew about it, but all I ever saw was the sticker. And whoever had that sticker was usually was a douchebag of some sort, so I assumed that C+H was always about a prick of a kid who was always up to no good.
Now that I've read sone of the authentic comics, I've found it never goes beyond Dennis the Menace shenanigans- and I enjoyed Dennis the Menace.
Fun little trip down memory lane, some good points. I came into C&H when I was younger. Started noticing it on the funny pages one day. I like to remind people when I mention what's coming that...
Fun little trip down memory lane, some good points.
I came into C&H when I was younger. Started noticing it on the funny pages one day. I like to remind people when I mention what's coming that this was in the late 80s. No Internet. No blog posts. No forums. Your knowledge and access to it was restricted to the library and what anyone around you knew and could opine about.
So when I say it took me something like two months to figure out Hobbes was Calvin's imaginary friend, and that it was a beautiful moment of realization when it finally dawned on me, that's the context.
I just had daily strips to go on. Sometimes Hobbes was a stuffed animal, sometimes Hobbes talked. I wasn't studying it to figure it out, I was just glancing at it as I paged through strips a few times a week. And I didn't even see every single one each day; some days were skipped because I didn't have access to a paper.
C&H became something magical when I figured that little piece of the core lore out.
Two quick sidebars: It would be nice if people who are this motivated to work could do so without the looming threat of losing their livelihoods, or being exploited for profiteering. No real ideas...
Two quick sidebars:
It would be nice if people who are this motivated to work could do so without the looming threat of losing their livelihoods, or being exploited for profiteering. No real ideas on how to do that, but I figure it bears bringing up when relevant, since modern western life seems to punish passionately creative folks.
Holy crap Melissa Richmond (Bill Waterson’s wife) is a saint. The article barely touches on this, but supporting her husband through immense stress for a decade, never having a child, and adopting at age 40 is intense. I can’t imagine how much work and sacrifice was summarized with the phrases “While Watterson’s wife, Melissa Richmond, organized everything around him, he furthered his isolation …”
I mean, I kinda think she went above and beyond. While he poured his life's energy into a fantastic comic, she kept him going. That's an amazing act in and of itself.
I mean, I kinda think she went above and beyond. While he poured his life's energy into a fantastic comic, she kept him going. That's an amazing act in and of itself.
It may be good to stop describing supporting partners as "saints". That is just what partners are supposed to do, and it is a "job" full of rewards both large and small. Supporting my partner...
It may be good to stop describing supporting partners as "saints". That is just what partners are supposed to do, and it is a "job" full of rewards both large and small. Supporting my partner through immense hardship is incredibly rewarding, I'm not a "saint" for this.
I mean, being supportive is great, but "saint" has weird connotations I don't like.
Fair enough! For context, I struggled with finding a word that would fit, and I went with “saint” as the modern term has connotations of self sacrifice out of a desire to do good (imo). Merely...
Fair enough! For context, I struggled with finding a word that would fit, and I went with “saint” as the modern term has connotations of self sacrifice out of a desire to do good (imo). Merely “supportive” or “helped organize” didn’t seem to underline the gravity of blowing ten years+ of life helping someone else fulfill their dreams, likely to the detriment of your own, but I get that “saint” is probably the wrong choice in hindsight now.
In a way though, sainthood is doing things that human beings are supposed to do but almost never usually manage to, because most of us somehow fall short of it. For example, if someone professes a...
In a way though, sainthood is doing things that human beings are supposed to do but almost never usually manage to, because most of us somehow fall short of it. For example, if someone professes a life-changing belief, it isn't a true belief unless one was prepared to die believing it. In that way, martyrdom is normal: those who fail the test are the much more common anomaly.
Similarly marriage is a lifelong covenant which wouldn't be true unless the vows for better or worse is upheld. That's normal, albeit uncomon. Abandoning your spouse during hardship is common, but it's not normal.
But I think I know what you mean. I understand not wanting to be "other'd" or perhaps not to be somehow....treated as some kind of anomaly or side show, for doing something that just makes sense and is the unexpected norm.
The creator of Calvin and Hobbes is back, but the mystery is why disappeared in the first place.
The key paragraph, in my opinion:
What then to do when there is nothing left to think about? Watterson compares ending Calvin and Hobbes to reaching the summit of a high mountain. He had ascended slowly, covering much rough ground, and when he had reached the crest of that lofty peak, he paused to survey his surroundings. Anyone who has climbed a mountain knows exactly what happens in this moment: You look up and see nothing but pale blue sky. You look down, and the whole world is laid out before you, seemingly complete. In that rarified air, it is easy to imagine that there is nothing else beside. People go crazy on mountaintops. Which is exactly what happened to Watterson. He had no desire to return whence he came. And he couldn’t go any higher; no one can ascend into the air itself. So he took his next best option. He jumped.
He quit while he was winning. Probably the best exit for a legacy. And his comics will forever be good memories for all. On the other hand you have, for example, Scott Adams (of Dilbert renown),...
He quit while he was winning. Probably the best exit for a legacy. And his comics will forever be good memories for all.
It reminds me a bit of how Seinfeld went out while it was still very popular on TV, contrasted to say, The Simpsons, which doesn't seem to know when to quit. As a completely unrelated-to-this-post...
It reminds me a bit of how Seinfeld went out while it was still very popular on TV, contrasted to say, The Simpsons, which doesn't seem to know when to quit.
As a completely unrelated-to-this-post tangent, I am honestly baffled by how enough people still watch The Simpsons to keep it going. It was wildly popular with all my friends when I was a kid, but I don't know anyone who still watches (or at least who will admit it). Seems like the general consensus is that it was good, got worse, and now nobody really knows because nobody's bothered to watch it for at least a couple decades.
Combined with the fact that a large portion of the general population has cut the cord on cable, it is remarkable the show is still running strong. But lately the writing has improved again.
Combined with the fact that a large portion of the general population has cut the cord on cable, it is remarkable the show is still running strong. But lately the writing has improved again.
I think it helps to remember that Jerry was fucking loaded at that point. Being lead actor and writer, the production company knew they couldn't replace him either. So when Jerry got bored of the...
I think it helps to remember that Jerry was fucking loaded at that point. Being lead actor and writer, the production company knew they couldn't replace him either. So when Jerry got bored of the show, it was easy for him to end it.
The Simpsons, in the other hand, is completely in the death grip of Fox/Disney. Actors and writers could all quit today and Disney would replace them all to keep it going. So there's no real creator control of it.
Ah, I fell off it for the longest time but I recently really got back in it. Bonus is that since I avoided it for so long there were lots of new episodes for me to watch. Yeah, it has lost its...
Ah, I fell off it for the longest time but I recently really got back in it. Bonus is that since I avoided it for so long there were lots of new episodes for me to watch. Yeah, it has lost its orginal charm (and you can really see it when you watch a lot of it at once and see old episodes near new episodes) but I still find it pretty good.
The article seems to really want to read something dark into the man and his art.
This tiny story from Wikipedia provides fuel for my speculation: that C+H was a job, and when one is tired of a job one quits and returns to regular life. That's it. He started doing something to pay the bills, and he got some enjoyment out of it as well as the usual hum drum of work. When something was no longer fun he stopped.
I would suggest that we're so used to seeing people sell out we no longer recognize what not selling out looks like. It looks like this: you leave money not made, and you spend time with your family.
Yeah, I've always looked up to him for refusing to sell out and do merchandise and toys and everything. I really do think he had said all he wanted to say, probably saw some longer running comics that burned out in their old age, and just quit while he was ahead.
It's so rare these days to find someone with the will to not let their art and life's work be sold to the highest bidder. Obviously he was well off enough he could afford to anyways.
It still pisses me off when I see those 'Calvin pissing on [thing some asshole hates]' stickers on cars and trucks, knowing that Bill Watterson never would have approved of that shit.
Owing to spite or just a foul mood, have you ever peeled one of those stupid Calvin stickers off of a pickup truck?
I figure that, long after the strip is forgotten, those decals are my ticket to immortality.
This is why I never got into C+H when I was growing up. I knew about it, but all I ever saw was the sticker. And whoever had that sticker was usually was a douchebag of some sort, so I assumed that C+H was always about a prick of a kid who was always up to no good.
Now that I've read sone of the authentic comics, I've found it never goes beyond Dennis the Menace shenanigans- and I enjoyed Dennis the Menace.
His 1990 Kenyon College speech on this topic is something I always find myself returning to.
Calvin & Hobbes - Art Before Commerce (I don't know why it's unlisted.)
Fun little trip down memory lane, some good points.
I came into C&H when I was younger. Started noticing it on the funny pages one day. I like to remind people when I mention what's coming that this was in the late 80s. No Internet. No blog posts. No forums. Your knowledge and access to it was restricted to the library and what anyone around you knew and could opine about.
So when I say it took me something like two months to figure out Hobbes was Calvin's imaginary friend, and that it was a beautiful moment of realization when it finally dawned on me, that's the context.
I just had daily strips to go on. Sometimes Hobbes was a stuffed animal, sometimes Hobbes talked. I wasn't studying it to figure it out, I was just glancing at it as I paged through strips a few times a week. And I didn't even see every single one each day; some days were skipped because I didn't have access to a paper.
C&H became something magical when I figured that little piece of the core lore out.
I enjoyed that, thanks.
Two quick sidebars:
It would be nice if people who are this motivated to work could do so without the looming threat of losing their livelihoods, or being exploited for profiteering. No real ideas on how to do that, but I figure it bears bringing up when relevant, since modern western life seems to punish passionately creative folks.
Holy crap Melissa Richmond (Bill Waterson’s wife) is a saint. The article barely touches on this, but supporting her husband through immense stress for a decade, never having a child, and adopting at age 40 is intense. I can’t imagine how much work and sacrifice was summarized with the phrases “While Watterson’s wife, Melissa Richmond, organized everything around him, he furthered his isolation …”
I mean, I kinda think she went above and beyond. While he poured his life's energy into a fantastic comic, she kept him going. That's an amazing act in and of itself.
It may be good to stop describing supporting partners as "saints". That is just what partners are supposed to do, and it is a "job" full of rewards both large and small. Supporting my partner through immense hardship is incredibly rewarding, I'm not a "saint" for this.
I mean, being supportive is great, but "saint" has weird connotations I don't like.
Fair enough! For context, I struggled with finding a word that would fit, and I went with “saint” as the modern term has connotations of self sacrifice out of a desire to do good (imo). Merely “supportive” or “helped organize” didn’t seem to underline the gravity of blowing ten years+ of life helping someone else fulfill their dreams, likely to the detriment of your own, but I get that “saint” is probably the wrong choice in hindsight now.
Not really sure what else to write, though.
Melissa Richmond showed a remarkable and praiseworthy dedication to the support of her partner.
In a way though, sainthood is doing things that human beings are supposed to do but almost never usually manage to, because most of us somehow fall short of it. For example, if someone professes a life-changing belief, it isn't a true belief unless one was prepared to die believing it. In that way, martyrdom is normal: those who fail the test are the much more common anomaly.
Similarly marriage is a lifelong covenant which wouldn't be true unless the vows for better or worse is upheld. That's normal, albeit uncomon. Abandoning your spouse during hardship is common, but it's not normal.
But I think I know what you mean. I understand not wanting to be "other'd" or perhaps not to be somehow....treated as some kind of anomaly or side show, for doing something that just makes sense and is the unexpected norm.
The key paragraph, in my opinion:
He quit while he was winning. Probably the best exit for a legacy. And his comics will forever be good memories for all.
On the other hand you have, for example, Scott Adams (of Dilbert renown), who I consider has tarnished his legacy by enveloping it in his political views.
Lotsa art deal with political stuff. I think the issues with Scott Adams is that his political views are kinda stupid.
The Behind the Bastards episodes on him were pretty informative.
It reminds me a bit of how Seinfeld went out while it was still very popular on TV, contrasted to say, The Simpsons, which doesn't seem to know when to quit.
As a completely unrelated-to-this-post tangent, I am honestly baffled by how enough people still watch The Simpsons to keep it going. It was wildly popular with all my friends when I was a kid, but I don't know anyone who still watches (or at least who will admit it). Seems like the general consensus is that it was good, got worse, and now nobody really knows because nobody's bothered to watch it for at least a couple decades.
Quality, shmality! If I had a TV show, I'd run that sucker into the ground.
Combined with the fact that a large portion of the general population has cut the cord on cable, it is remarkable the show is still running strong. But lately the writing has improved again.
I think it helps to remember that Jerry was fucking loaded at that point. Being lead actor and writer, the production company knew they couldn't replace him either. So when Jerry got bored of the show, it was easy for him to end it.
The Simpsons, in the other hand, is completely in the death grip of Fox/Disney. Actors and writers could all quit today and Disney would replace them all to keep it going. So there's no real creator control of it.
Ah, I fell off it for the longest time but I recently really got back in it. Bonus is that since I avoided it for so long there were lots of new episodes for me to watch. Yeah, it has lost its orginal charm (and you can really see it when you watch a lot of it at once and see old episodes near new episodes) but I still find it pretty good.
RE the Simpsons, this year's episodes are actually rather good.