Mr. Waterson deserves credit for ending the strip when he lost interest in it. Too many strips go on far too long after the spark goes out of it. I thought Peanuts went on for about 30 years too long, and I haven’t read a Garfield cartoon or a Beetle Bailey cartoon for years.
Watterson was also impressive in that he refused to allow his characters to be merchandised. The only thing he went along with were the book collections. (I got my slipcase set of the complete C&H within a month of its coming out.) I would’ve liked four characters from the strip as stuffed dolls, Calvin, Susie, and two Hobbes, one the way Calvin saw him and one the way the rest of the world saw him. But I understand Watterson’s desire to just do the strip and nothing else.
In my mind Maria (along with Heart of “Heart of the City” and quite a few others) are spiritual descendants of Calvin. Calvin broke the comic mold in a way that no other single character I can think of ever did. “Peanuts” changed everything in the 1950s with its overall approach, but people weren’t creating spiritual descendants of Charlie Brown, per se. After Calvin came along, varying echoes of his many-sided essence began to turn up in the scribblings of practically every amateur cartoonist in the country, and they still are. These descendants don’t have stuffed tigers of ambiguous origin or even necessarily big imaginations, but they are still cousins-removed of a certain spiky-haired blond kid.
The joke of this strip is about age. I used to say never trust anyone over 40. Now I say never trust anyone over 100. Pretty soon I will end up trusting everybody.
SackofRabidWeasels almost 10 years ago
Still stinging about Pastis?
bluegirl285 almost 10 years ago
Is that Hobbes’ tail I see in the second panel?
Dampwaffle almost 10 years ago
Mr. Waterson deserves credit for ending the strip when he lost interest in it. Too many strips go on far too long after the spark goes out of it. I thought Peanuts went on for about 30 years too long, and I haven’t read a Garfield cartoon or a Beetle Bailey cartoon for years.
Kim Metzger Premium Member almost 10 years ago
Watterson was also impressive in that he refused to allow his characters to be merchandised. The only thing he went along with were the book collections. (I got my slipcase set of the complete C&H within a month of its coming out.) I would’ve liked four characters from the strip as stuffed dolls, Calvin, Susie, and two Hobbes, one the way Calvin saw him and one the way the rest of the world saw him. But I understand Watterson’s desire to just do the strip and nothing else.
Comic Minister Premium Member almost 10 years ago
For that she has no idea sir.
Stellagal almost 10 years ago
I’m still waiting for “them” to make a live action Calvin and Hobbes movie. Just checked IMDB.com and so fare nothing.
JLG Premium Member almost 10 years ago
In my mind Maria (along with Heart of “Heart of the City” and quite a few others) are spiritual descendants of Calvin. Calvin broke the comic mold in a way that no other single character I can think of ever did. “Peanuts” changed everything in the 1950s with its overall approach, but people weren’t creating spiritual descendants of Charlie Brown, per se. After Calvin came along, varying echoes of his many-sided essence began to turn up in the scribblings of practically every amateur cartoonist in the country, and they still are. These descendants don’t have stuffed tigers of ambiguous origin or even necessarily big imaginations, but they are still cousins-removed of a certain spiky-haired blond kid.
Jeff0811 almost 10 years ago
The joke of this strip is about age. I used to say never trust anyone over 40. Now I say never trust anyone over 100. Pretty soon I will end up trusting everybody.