Is the artist and creator of (in my humble opinion) the greatest comic strip of all time, Calvin and Hobbes. I was a bit too young to appreciate it while it was originally published from 1985-1995, but I started devouring the book collections soon after. I think my brother had a few of the treasury collections and I must have read those dozens of times. I was hooked, and I remember copying Watterson’s drawings relentlessly as a kid (Calvin’s hair was always the hardest to get right).To me, Calvin and Hobbes is cartooning perfection – that rare strip that has both exquisite writing AND gorgeous artwork.
A strip that managed to convey the joy of childhood, absurdity of humanity and power of imagination all through the relationship between a boy and his stuffed tiger. And most importantly, a strip that was consistently laugh-out-loud funny. I flick through my Calvin and Hobbes books a few times a year, not to read them cover to cover anymore, but just to get lost in Calvin’s world for awhile and to remind myself what comics are capable of.Besides the fact that Calvin and Hobbes is the comic I cherish above all others, Bill Watterson is my biggest creative influence and someone I admire greatly as an artist. Here’s why:.
After getting fired as a political cartoonist at the Cincinnati Post, Watterson decided to instead focus on comic strips. Broke, he was forced to move back in with his parents and worked an advertising layout job he hated while he drew comics in his spare time.
He stayed at this miserable job and submitted strips to comic syndicates for four years before Calvin and Hobbes was accepted. About this period Watterson wrote: “The only way to learn how to write and draw is by writing and drawing to persist in the face of continual rejection requires a deep love of the work itself, and learning that lesson kept me from ever taking Calvin and Hobbes for granted when the strip took off years later.” (Also see the comic.). Watterson sacrificed millions (probably hundreds of millions) of dollars by never licensing and merchandising Calvin and Hobbes. He went through a long and traumatic fight with his syndicate over the licensing rights, and although he eventually prevailed, Watterson was so disillusioned with the industry he almost quit cartooning. “I worked too long to get this job, and worked too hard once I got it, to let other people run away with my creation once it became successful.
If I could not control what my own work was about and stood for, then cartooning meant very little to me.”. Luckily Watterson didn’t quit and took a sabbatical instead.
Eager to reinvigorate his creative mojo on his return, Watteron proposed a radical new layout for his colour Sunday strips. For those not familiar with comic strip lingo, each week a newspaper comic will have six ‘daily’ strips (usually black and white, one tier, 3-4 panels) and one ‘Sunday’ strip which is larger and in colour.
Previously, the Sunday strip was comprised of three tiers of panels. The layout was restrictive and the top tier had to be completely disposable because a lot of newspapers would cut it and only run the bottom two tiers in order to save space so they could cram in as many comics (or puzzles, or ads) as they could.Watterson was sick of the format restraints and wanted more space to experiment and push his storytelling ability so he (with his syndicate’s support) gave newspaper editors a ballsy proposition. They would have to publish his Sunday comics at a half-page size with no editing, or not publish it at all. By this time Calvin and Hobbes had been running for over five years and was extremely successful so Watterson had the clout needed to pull this move off.
Despite fearing many cancellations, he was pleasantly surprised that most newspapers supported the change. Free of the shackles of tiers and panel restrictions, Watterson gave us visually exciting and beautiful strips that hadn’t been since the glory days of newspaper comics in the 1920s and 30s. He was free to create strips like,. “The last few years of the strip, and especially the Sundays, are the work I am the most proud of.
This was close as I could get to my vision of what a comic strip should be.”. After working on the strip for 10 years, when Calvin and Hobbes was at the height of its popularity and was being published in over 2,000 newspapers, Watterson stopped. He had given his heart and soul to one project for 10 years, had said all he wanted to say and wanted to go out on top.
“I did not want Calvin and Hobbes to coast into half-hearted repetition, as so many long-running strips do. I was ready to pursue different artistic challenges, work at a less frantic pace with fewer business conflicts, and start restoring some balance to my life.” Since retiring the strip, Watterson has pursued his interest in painting and music.It’s pretty incredible when you think about. Could you say ‘no’ to millions, I repeat, MILLIONS of dollars of merchandise money? I don’t know if I could. Would you stop creating your art if millions of people admired your work and kept wanting more?
I don’t know if I would.Reprints of Calvin and Hobbes are still published in over 50 countries and the strips are as fresh and funny as they were 20-25 years ago. It has a timeless quality and will continue to entertain comic fans for generations to come. Great art does that.– The quote used in the comic is taken from a graduation speech Watterson gave at his alma mater, Kenyon College, in 1990. The comic is basically the story of my life, except I’m a stay-at-home-dad to two dogs.
My ex-boss even asked me if I wanted to return to my old job.– My original dream was to become a successful newspaper comic strip artist and create the next Calvin and Hobbes. That job almost doesn’t exist anymore as newspapers continue to disappear and the comics section gets smaller and smaller, often getting squeezed out of newspapers entirely. I spent years sending submissions to syndicates in my early 20s and still have the rejection letters somewhere. I eventually realised it was a fool’s dream (also, my work was nowhere near good enough) and decided webcomics was the place to be. It’s mouth-watering to imagine what Watterson could achieve with webcomics, given the infinite possibilities of the online medium.– My style is already influenced by Watterson, but this is the first time I’ve intentionally tried to mimic his work. It’s been fun poring through Calvin and Hobbes strips the past week while working on this comic and it was a humbling reminder that I still have a long way to go.– The quotes I’ve used in the write-up above are taken from the introduction to The Complete Calvin and Hobbes collection, which sits proudly.– Thanks to Marlyn, Emily, Joseph, and Suchismita for submitting this speech. Hey everyone, thanks so much for the overwhelming response so far (I’m writing this just over a day after it was posted).
It just goes to show how much of an impact Watterson and his creation have made on all of us. It’s a real honour that my tribute to a hero of mine has been received so warmly.A lot of you are asking if this will be available as a print probably not. Considering Mr.
Watterson’s views on licensing, selling a poster using his words without his permission would be against the whole spirit of Calvin and Hobbes. ANONYMOUS,It is perfectly legal to print out someone’s work, just as it is perfectly legal to use a VCR or DVR to record a show on TV and “time shift” it and rewatch it over and over. The Supreme Court of the US ruled as much in Sony Corp. Of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc., 464 U.S.
417 (1984) gives a test for fair use, and following that test personal printing of this comic and hanging it up in your office or bedroom is perfectly legal.It would be illegal to print copies to sell or give away, and that is why print shops simply don’t deal in copyrighted works. Excellent work Gavin!
The overwhelming response is as much for your creation as it is for Watterson’s words. Loved it so muchLoved the way the dad is shown with all his emotions as an employee and as a husband or father. And the boss & colleagues are just the way they are meant to be! Loved your special touches – some subtle and some not so subtle (like $ in Advertising, kid’s dart hitting the dad!).
This is indeed one of the most impactful cartoon strips I have ever seen. I guess even Watterson himself would be proud of it!
I would love to buy the print if you decide to make it available. Meanwhile, I have already put a small printout of it on my door though! 🙂Speaking more personally, I have been thinking on these lines and I am on the verge of taking major life decision likewise. I also read two more articles elsewhere about this ‘busy trap’ that we have and creating the life that reflects our values and figuring out what we really want to do in life. It has been lot of introspection & the process is intricate, painful but hopefully more rewarding as well, where the rewards are more “internal” in nature. There have been lot of insights during the process – and I must add that this strip has been one of the most insightful for me and truly reflects my own values and thinking as well. Can’t thank you enough for this!
This comic really sums up an important truth that I have experienced as a stay-at-home dad with two daughters. I have had the glaring looks from other family members, the insinuations of being lazy and not living up to the potential. AND even after all of that, I know that making meaning for myself and my family is the higher calling. Thanks for putting together such a nice strip to say so, and with such style. There is an inside secret to putting up with others complaints for your ‘strange life’ for a few years.
You start to see that anyone that has the time to point a finger is really missing something important. Someone has to wake up here.This is plain and simple infringement on another man’s work. We don’t need ANOTHER Calvin and Hobbs – that work was too great to have someone come along and so closely copy it.
That it is shameful. Admire the man’s work – but don’t try to take his success and exploit it as you are. You want to be a cartoonist? Find your own way with your own creativity – don’t steal another man’s genius and use it as your own. Being such a huge fan of C&H and seeing someone come along and copy it I find deeply offensive! Stop it – create your own work!
Beautiful tribute. Like you, I was a little too young to appreciate the strip as much as I do now. Nonetheless, even as a kid I enjoyed all the adventures Calvin and his stuffed toy got into because I could relate to them. Now, as an adult, I have finally been able to understand how deep Watterson’s messages really were.
A true artist. In Latin America, there was a character in the 70’s that reminds me a lot of Calvin & Hobbes.
Her name is Mafalda and like C & H, the comic strip showed the deeper issues of society in the eyes of a five year old little girl who hated soup. If you can find it in English, or know Spanish, I highly recommend it. Thank you for all your awesome drawings!
I love Calvin and Hobbes, and I’ve read quite a few collections myself. It’s such a beautiful and wonderful strip.Have you seen “Hobbes and Bacon”? It’s sort of like a mini-spin off of Calvin and Hobbes, with Calvin as an adult and his kid.
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I won’t spoil too much in case your interested, but I found a link with all of them in one place:I know this may seem off to you, like who could just take Bill’s work and make it their own? But I wouldn’t be showing it to you if I didn’t think it was good, and actually rather faithful to the original comic.
Man, I love what you did with the style this time.Bill Waterson is a bit of a mixed bag of feelings. I don’t know much about the man, and the little I know is not always favorable or against.
I respect a lot his stance on stopping his great work while it’s still great, and even more his stance on the format of his work, but I have my doubts about the merchandising. It’s a rather big waste of an opportunity, and not to make money for himself, but to use that to fund something good.
Blocking merchandising will not stop people from making it(as too many “Calvin pissing and flipping the bird” bumper stickers will tell), which means any money that comes wrongly out of it will go to waste.But then again, it’s a matter of having control over his work. I still respect that.This is a lovely tribute, and an awesome work. Thank you and keep up the good work, always love to see stuff from your site popping up in my reader. This rocks!I love the tributes to C&H. That T-Rex looks really familiar!
And thanks for using that wonderful quote.I so enjoyed C&H because of the many small experiments Watterson did – besides the variable sizes of Sunday panels, he did some great black-and-white inkworks, on display in the Calvin’s Private Eye Noir Adventures. I had one series of them pinned up at work for years.I was really sad when he retired. Happy for him, though. Most of the new comics now are meh.I sure hope he never sees those “praying/pissing/finger-raisin’ Calvins” that are on the back windows of pickup trucks all over the South. Great piece, but I agree with the poster above who points out that Watterson actually lost control of his artistic creation by not licensing it.
A little part of me dies inside everytime I see a “Calvin peeing” or “Calvin praying” sticker, because they are a subversion of the character that Watterson created. Even if he had donated all the money to charity, he should have exercised his licensing rights to prevent what eventually happened. He couldn’t have known that it would go down that way, but it must break his heart that it did. I love this strip, Gav.
What a fantastic message! I’ve never heard/read this quote before, but I have been a fan of Calvin and Hobbes for a long, long time. After Bill Watterson stopped drawing C&H, I felt a little like something was missing. Oddly enough, I found a webcomic a few years later that felt, in some ways, a little like C&H, and I loved it almost as much. It, too, has been left behind by its creator, but it’s still available online if you (or anyone else here who liked C&H) would like to check it out.It’s called Ozy & Millie and it is about two fox children. Millie’s mom is a lawyer. Ozy is adopted and his dad is a philosophical dragon.
It’s adorably absurd. I have to share that I grew up with Bill Watterson and his wife in Northeast Ohio. When Bill decided to stop drawing the strip I was perplexed, as many were.I am so glad that you printed his commencement speech because it really gives us insight as to why he stopped.Bill I always appreciated your work and I hope that this very heartfelt tribute (and the many comments that follow) bring you some sense of how many people you reached with your art and prose.Of course there is no guarantee that Bill will actually ever see this post, but I had to share regardless. I, too, was introduced to Calvin & Hobbes at a rather late date in its life.
I think it was reaching its final strips as I received one of the book collections for Christmas, and I fell in love with it immediately – searching everywhere for more (the strip didn’t run much in the UK, so all I ever saw was via the books).I am no artist; any attempt to draw, whether realistically or in a cartoon-style, results in disaster. However, I find inspiration and comfort in all of Watterson’s C&H strips and the way he approached his work. I would also love to see some new work from him, and an online display would be wonderful, but I also respect the choice he has made.Although I obviously would adore some more C&H content – Ideally some of the large-format work he did especially for the books, often without dialogue but always full of feature. Thank you so much for this blog. A lifetime C& H fan and someone who loves creating many kinds of art and living with integrity, character, and authenticity, this is a great reminder to follow our passions and stay true to our values. I can’t thank you enough for writing this today. Not a reader of yours, but saw this on Facebook today and I needed the message as I return to my job after attempting to land what i once thought was my dream job.
I didn’t get it, realize it isn’t the job I originally fell in love with and realize that where I have been and continue to be is a place and role I really do love. While I feel a bit let down, I am exited to plunge forward this school year with Gg renewed passion. Newspaper comics were my first exposure to art (and yes, I consider them art) and Calvin & Hobbes left an influence on me that has simply never left.The very first thing I did out of college was send comic samples to as many syndicates as I could, and, to the surprise of no young artist, I didn’t make it.Your comic does strike home; as a freelance artist who must fend for himself, it’s all too easy to doubt the value of your work or to think that everyone with a studio/company job are the ‘real winners’. Keeping your sight on what’s really important to you gets harder as you grow (and have bills to pay), but it’s still more important than most anything I can think of.Great comic, great message, great job! I would say a) not all corporations/jobs are sell-outs of terribleness and b) who knows what his wife is doing?
Maybe she’s an architect, going out to enjoy her job as she designs cool buildings for everyone to use. Maybe she’s a lawyer working for the EFF.
Maybe she works at a corporation, doing something she loves. Which I believe is the point — working/doing something one loves, that expresses the fullest authentic nature of themselves. Given her smiling, I don’t think we ought to detract from the quote/idea by imagining she’s being forced to demean herself in order to support the family. This so wonderful, I can’t begin to tell you how much it means to me. I grew up with Calvin, so that cartoon style always gives me a huge rush of nostalgia. And I am about to venture out on my own pathtaking a huge step towards pursuing my OWN ‘life’s meaning’, in fact.
So I’m going to take this latest strip as a positive sign from the universe.I really hope this will be available as a poster. It needs to hang in my new workspace as soon as possible! Thank you for continuing to be an inspiration, Gavin. I’m a great admirer of Watterson’s work, despite his work not being published in The Netherlands until it was translated as Casper en Hobbes and published in Trouw.I think you captured his style exceptionally well, and the sentiment is spot-on. I myself am in the same position – I’ve become a stay-at-home dad to a boy and a girl so I could focus on writing fiction and giving courses in conflict resolution and self-defence, while my wife works to her satisfaction in IT.Thanks for making this comic strip.Martyn V. Halm, author of the Amsterdam Assassin Series.
That was BRILLIANT! From the very top of the comic when the panel was zoomed in to the landscape I made up my mind I was going to ask in the comments if this had anything to do with Watterson. I made up my mind even stronger as I scrolled down, and when I reached the end I was so very satisfied.
Thank you, Gavin!By the way, your comics have inspired me to take up drawing again after a gap of several years. Specifically, the Bruce Lee series compelled me to pick up my charcoals lying around and sketch the master. Thank you again! It made me feel fulfilled. Great strip, beautifully thought out and executed.
Funny thing, though, I used to work in comics and gradually went into the commercial illustration side of things because I was too slow to make a living in comics. The tight deadlines in the commercial world imposed discipline on me and I’ve learned to work faster.
I now do advertising storyboards almost exclusively, freelance from home, and find it enjoyable and fulfilling, strange as that may seem. I’m just happy when I’m working.
I’ve thought about doing an occasional comic strip, but the old, paying outlets for them don’t seem to be around anymore. I am a massive fan of Calvin and Hobbes.Around every birthday of mine, I let all the people around me know that I wouls love to have the complete collection as a gift!Your tribute is beautiful and your strip touching, as it is very close to our story. My husband quit his job to move to another city where I do my post doctoral fellowship in endocrinology while he pursues his dream of writing books and movies. It is a great arrangements, but there are days when we need to find the faith. Your strip does just that! You go on the way you do, there is nothing that can stop you from being as good as your mentor!
Could there be a better tribute to Bill Watterson’s style than by creating a strip that I thought all the way through was was created by Bill Watterson himself. I was blown away by this strip. Excellent job.You should turn this into a print. Contact Bill and ask for his permission to use his words, offer him any% he feels is appropriate, and then offer to donate your percentage to any charitable organization he supports.Selling is not selling out. Not if you sell things the right way for the right reasons.Your strip’s artistic quality is a genuinely superb tribute to the style of Calvin and Hobbes. Just this morning (8/28) I was at a local coffeeshop with my wife celebrating her birthday.
We noticed there was a children’s bookshelf with toys, games and books, and towards the bottom there was a stack of books, and on the top was “Something Under the Bed is Drooling”. I got excited, grabbed it, and proceeded to explain to my wife how those cartoons were an incredible influence on my life, and the life of my best childhood friend. We.were. Calvin and Hobbes (duality of man allegory aside) and played the role of one for the other almost interchangeably. It enhanced our creative thinking, had a not-so-subtle influence on our senses of humor (along with MST3K), and I strongly believe was an integral factor in both of us becoming intelligent, articulate adults who have an inner child that is never far from the surface and who appears quite often. He is the father of 3, with the oldest quickly approaching the age of CNH appreciation.
I am the father of an 18 month old, with another on the way. After the explanation to my wife, I shot him a text talking about the book discovery and we chatted back-and-forth this morning about what it had meant to use and how aware we were of the cognitive benefits it gave us, while still allowing us to be children. I was in college when Mr. Watterson ended the strip and was old enough to understand why, although it still made me very sad. I still have a framed copy of the last strip at home, ready to hang in my daughter’s room.Fast forward 2 hours and my friend posts a link to your art on my facebook page. I immediately went in search of the source and found this page.
I was not familiar with your work before today, and rarely do I engage on an internet forum or website of a person with whom I am not personally familiar.I understand and commend your hesitation to offer a print of this for sale, and I am aware of why you would be reluctant to reach out to Mr. Watterson to receive permission.However, on behalf of all the middle-aged persons who are sitting behind their computers at work today fighting back a tear (or two) as we appreciate your art, Mr. Watterson’s words and how you beautifully intertwined the two, and now reminisce about the innocence of Calvin, the innocence we had if/when we read his work as children ourselves, and how we may hope to raise our children the same way, and how some of us likely wish our lives were like your art, I ask that you please reconsider.I have a feeling there will be more than one copy printed out on a company printer and taped up to the wall next to a monitor anyways, but I suspect most people would rather have something they could frame and hang. Further, as the attorney for my favorite artist (my wife), I know it would allow you to garner some of the benefits of your labor, with which there is nothing wrong. From what I have read of Mr. Watterson, I don’t think he would see the use of his words in this manner as a deviation from the purpose of his own work.I don’t expect a response, mostly due to the likelihood this has of becoming a viral phenom (with all the benefits and detractions of such). But I hope that amongst the throngs of comments and adulation, my words here help convince you to make a buck or two from this, with the added benefit of allowing us to share your art with the worldor at least those that wander into my office.
A beautiful tribute and an important message. I have shared this with my social network because I want more people to think about this.
Thank you Gav for creating this! I do consulting and coaching with a lot of people in “corporate America” and sadly I see a lot of human potential and energy and talent being wasted because people feel no connection with what they are spending most of their time on. If we are going to heal the world, we need to heal ourselves first, and figure out what we are meant to be doing to make the best use of our gifts A couple of things I’d recommend for people who are seeking more purpose in life, for connecting and learning yscouts.com and femininepower.com (full disclosure: I do NOT get paid from either of these organizations, I’ve just found their work to be inspiring!). A beautiful tribute and an important message. I have shared this with my social network because I want more people to think about this. Thank you Gav for creating this!
I do consulting and coaching with a lot of people in “corporate America” and sadly I see a lot of human potential and energy and talent being wasted because people feel no connection with what they are spending most of their time on. If we are going to heal the world, we need to heal ourselves first, and figure out what we are meant to be doing to make the best use of our gifts A couple of things I’d recommend for people who are seeking more purpose in life, for connecting and learning and (full disclosure: I do NOT get paid from either of these organizations, I’ve just found their work to be inspiring!). As a young, corporate copywriter by day and amateur fiction writer by night, this really REALLY struck home for me. I just last night had a long conversation with my fiancee about the more depressing aspects of my work life and how they resonate in my personal life and she said something along the very same lines as this quote.
Needless to say, when I saw it this morning, I was extremely moved. In fact, I sat at my desk crying, but in a good way. In any case, I just wanted to thank you for inspiring me and I’m sure many others with your work on these comics. Watterson are excellent examples for all young, aspiring creatives out there. Thank you again. I haven’t visited your website since you posted the Caitlin Moran comic. When I first read that comic, I found it insulting and woefully ignorant.
To add salt to the wound, your justification for creating the comic was also arrogant and dismissive. I still hate that comic, but I cannot deny your talent as artist.This website was a part of my weekly rituals throughout my final years in college. I appreciate the depth of the quotes you select, and your art style is easy on the eyes.
I came back to this website because my cousin posted this comic on Facebook. Bill Watterson, like many, is a favorite of mine too. Calvin and Hobbes was an essential component of my childhood and I deeply appreciate your reverence to Watterson’s art style for this comic too.Thank you.
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