'Calvin and Hobbes' Creator Keeps Privacy

Associated Press ^ | October 22, 2005 | Joe Milicia

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Absolutely the greatest comic strip of all time. Why? Because it's pure Americana. It brilliantly captures the essential childhood, the fantasies, the nightmares, and the carefree attitude of kids growing up, all from the child's perspective. There'll never be another strip like it. Peanuts can't hold a candle to it. The only other comic that comes close is maybe The Far Side.

If a Calvin & Hobbes movie is ever made it'll easily be a box-office hit. I admire Watterson's privacy and not being corrupted by Hollyweird, but he should seriously entertain a motion picture deal.

[JennysCool]

Try "Pearls Before Swine" -- genuinely funny almost every single day.

[Eurotwit]

[Flux Capacitor]

----The worse is "For Better or Worse" where every damn day they preach about something.----

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE ends in 2007 along with Lynn Johnston's contract, thank God. I can't stand it either. It was fun back in the 80's; since then it's become so self-important and didactic it makes me gag. Last week's continuity was devoted to a lecture on the tribal customs of Canadian Eskimos (*gag*)....

-Dan

[Ken H]

Agree with those picks. Garfield, Beetle Baily, Family Circus are some others that come to mind. There was also a single panel comic called "The Good Old Days".

[The Red Zone]

Mass merchandising has made great icons like Mickey Mouse into the artistic equivalent of an annoying jingle. Glad Watterson said nix.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

And if I see one more window decal on a pickup truck of Calvin whizzing on anything, I'm going to scream.

Yep, technically those are illegal.

[Choose Ye This Day]

To each his own.

Garbage, in my opinion.

[The Red Zone]

And it's not difficult to find distributors of that stuff. Why doesn't Watterson sue their pants off (ok, no pun intended).

[caryatid]

These days, I don't read the comics much.

The only one that really makes me laugh now is Cats with Hands.

[martin_fierro]

"Pearls Before Swine" is growing on me, though it's a little angry.

(speaking of angry, did you get the impression from the strip that Calvin's parents weren't too wild about each other -- or about him?)

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I've never understood what motivates Brittany Spears or Katie Holmes to gush non-stop about their pregnancies.

The thing that gets me is that they pretend to be annoyed by the attention but you know that at their get-togethers they're gushing over each other about making the cover of People or Cosmo magazine.

[supercat]

Yep, technically those are illegal.

Why hasn't the creator been sued into oblivion?

[lawnguy]

I didn't know about any of this. I have to admire the guy. And if I see one more window decal on a pickup truck of Calvin whizzing on anything, I'm going to scream.

I'm a huge C&H fan, but I must admit that the first thing I think of when I hear if it these days is Calvin peeing on something. I drive all day every day, and must see it dozens of times per week.

[caryatid]

... and one is an adult, able to put comic vulgarity and/or obscenity into context ...

That sounds just about as opposite to Calvin and Hobbes as anything could possibly be. The great joy of C&H is that it is like the simple faith of a child ...

[Choose Ye This Day]

I've seen Calvin whizzing on the Ford logo, on the Chevy logo, on Jeff Gordon's number...

I just don't see what the appeal is. And it's always a pickup truck. What's the deal? Who sells these things?

[JennysCool]

[ASOC]

Hummmm, fun comix

9 Chickwwed Lane - a different view on many things

'Lil Abner - oh how I miss thee (and Daisy Mae)
Pogo - just because

BC - seems to come and go in cycles

I am afraid the other are correct, not much to read in todays comix, so subtly for one thing.

[Turbopilot]

It's almost impossible to like the strip, the link to which I posted, on its own, as I stated. Almost like a novel, a person must read it from beginning to end to appreciate it. I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to read and appreciate it in its entirety; however, as previously stated, due to adult language and situations, reading this comic is not appropriate for children or for those who might be reading it with children.

[lawnguy]

Those are my two favorites, as well. Watterson and Larson both bowed out at the top of their game. While I miss their work, I have to admire their decision.

These guys must have millions of ideas jumping around in their heads all the time. I can't believe that level of creativity can just be turned off.

I would think they would need an outlet.