By Paul Carrier
It only had a 10-year run, but Calvin and Hobbes, which follows the adventures of an untamed six-year-old boy and his (supposedly) stuffed tiger, is universally recognized as one of the greatest comic strips of all time.
There are many collections of the strip in print, most notably The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, a multi-volume set that includes all of Bill Watterson’s strips. Now comes Exploring Calvin and Hobbes, the catalogue for an exhibition at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum in Ohio. Which raises an obvious question: What could yet another book possibly add to the wealth of material that’s already out there?
The answer is Watterson himself. The reclusive cartoonist has granted few interviews since he decided to discontinue the strip 20 years ago. This catalog’s 35-page exchange between Watterson and Jenny E. Robb of Ohio State University, where the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum is located, sets the slim volume (152 pages) apart. You won’t find tons of strips here, but you will gain new insight into Watterson and his comics masterpiece.
The cartoonist has a strong connection to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, which has housed more than 3,000 original Calvin and Hobbes comic strips and related materials since Watterson placed the collection there back in 2005.
Thanks to those ties, it’s not especially surprising that Watterson, an Ohio native, agreed to be interviewed for this catalogue. But what he has to say here is revealing, and it makes for rewarding reading, especially because Watterson has been so reticent about himself and his craft over the years.
Watterson is thoughtful and articulate as he discusses his childhood, his early years as a cartoonist, the development and success of Calvin and Hobbes, his thoughts on what the future holds for comic strips, and his reputation as a hermit of sorts.
Watterson notes, for example, that, as a boy, his family home in Chagrin Falls had “a big woods” behind it, and he “loved having that much nature around us . . . . Having something a bit wild and mysterious and beautiful at the end of the yard was a memorable thing.” Calvin and Hobbes fans well know that many of the more memorable strips place the duo out in the woods.
As he struggled to make a living as a cartoonist in the early going, Watterson explains that he submitted many unsuccessful ideas to syndicates. But even as he thrashed about looking for a winner, “I never tried submitting a kid strip” until an editor suggested that he do just that.
Enter Calvin. And Hobbes.
As for his decision to call it quits after only a decade, Watterson said he had several reasons for doing so, including the fact that he worked so hard writing and drawing Calvin and Hobbes that “I eliminated pretty much everything from my life that wasn’t the strip.” By the end, Watterson said, “The strip was as close to my vision for it as I was capable of doing. I was happy with what I had achieved, and the strip’s world seemed complete.”
The strips that are reprinted here are organized thematically, and they are accompanied by other chapters that provide helpful context. These ancillary chapters focus on such topics as cartoonists who influenced Watterson, examples of his early work, Watterson’s eventually successful efforts to get syndicated, and a somewhat humorous look at the tools of his trade.
The catalogue uses examples of the strip to examine the relatively small cast of characters in Calvin and Hobbes, the importance that the changing seasons play in the strip, the recurring devices Watterson used (such as Hobbes’ penchant for attacking Calvin whenever he returns home), and the evolution of Watterson’s Sunday strips.
Robb writes in the preface to this indispensable addition to any Calvin and Hobbes collection that Watterson’s now-legendary strip had it all, including, “humor, heart, and wisdom wrapped up in a beautiful package of sophisticated and lively graphic storytelling.” Exploring Calvin and Hobbes opens a new window on that world.
Robb writes in the preface to this indispensable addition to any Calvin and Hobbes collection that Watterson’s now-legendary strip had it all, including, “humor, heart, and wisdom wrapped up in a beautiful package of sophisticated and lively graphic storytelling.” Exploring Calvin and Hobbes opens a new window on that world.
