"Van Gogh would've sold more than one painting if he'd put tigers in them!"
The reason the comics are still so captivating to readers of all ages to this day might be because we can still relate so much to these characters. There is so much about our childhood that the writer managed to capture. Everything from our very first crush, to the limitlessness of our imaginations.With almost 15 years of separation and reflection, what do you think it was about "Calvin and Hobbes" that went beyond just capturing readers' attention, but their hearts as well?
The only part I understand is what went into the creation of the strip. What readers take away from it is up to them. Once the strip is published, readers bring their own experiences to it, and the work takes on a life of its own. Everyone responds differently to different parts.
I just tried to write honestly, and I tried to make this little world fun to look at, so people would take the time to read it. That was the full extent of my concern. You mix a bunch of ingredients, and once in a great while, chemistry happens. I can't explain why the strip caught on the way it did, and I don't think I could ever duplicate it. A lot of things have to go right all at once.
Waterson managed to effortlessly convey his opinions on serious issues through his characters using only four small panels, while still maintaining a level of interest and humor that led the reader to reflect on what they just read. He managed to inject personal feelings about so much of what bothered him in an often simplified way, without making his strip a soap box for his beliefs and personal frustrations.
It is no wonder that fans of Calvin and Hobbes grieved, and have continued to grieve for the loss of the characters that many (like myself) grew up with. I admit though, I agree that it is better to end on a high note leaving fans to reminisce, than to milk the comic strip for everything that it was.
I realized after reading the interview that Waterson could have just as easily profited from licensing out the characters, turning them into movies, animated series or stuffed animals, but he didn't. Instead, Waterson gave fans of Calvin and Hobbes possibly the greatest gift: he sacrificed profit for the preservation of these two characters.Readers became friends with your characters, so understandably, they grieved -- and are still grieving -- when the strip ended. What would you like to tell them?
This isn't as hard to understand as people try to make it. By the end of 10 years, I'd said pretty much everything I had come there to say. It's always better to leave the party early. If I had rolled along with the strip's popularity and repeated myself for another five, 10 or 20 years, the people now "grieving" for "Calvin and Hobbes" would be wishing me dead and cursing newspapers for running tedious, ancient strips like mine instead of acquiring fresher, livelier talent. And I'd be agreeing with them.
I think some of the reason "Calvin and Hobbes" still finds an audience today is because I chose not to run the wheels off it.
I've never regretted stopping when I did.
Calvin and Hobbes are two characters that I know I will be going back to read forever, and if and when I decide to have children, I'll share with them what Bill Waterson shared with me. It's nice to know that I am not the only one that is thankful for what Waterson has contributed to comics. Check out some of the Calvin and Hobbes inspired artwork below. What are some of your favorite Calvin and Hobbes memories?
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