Buh... Bu... Bill Watterson...

[Sir T]

Oh sorry about that. I just learned that Bill Watterson has drawn his first comic strips in 20 years and I came over all funny...

The story

http://stephanpastis.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/ever-wished-that-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-bill-watterson-would-return-to-the-comics-page-well-he-just-did/

The three strips

http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2014/06/04#.U5KCEV7irwI

http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2014/06/05

http://www.gocomics.com/pearlsbeforeswine/2014/06/06

[schild]

As I commented on Facebook, this is kind of a Pyrrhic victory for his fans. Yea, we all want him back, but not on something so bland and stupid. We did get a nice low-res frame of mayhem though.

[Miasma]

That's interesting, my avatar here since forever has been from pearls before swine.  Pastis has had others draw his strip before since he likes to make fun of himself, comics in general and is very self deprecating so I was wondering who had drawn last week's panels.  I would treat these comics for what they are, a cameo by a much bigger actor in a lesser known work.  Very cool and fun for long time fans of said work and perpexling for long time fans of the star in question.

Edit: Also the actual intro to the week's comics starts here.  Pastis often puts himself into the strip as a joke and his own strip characters hate or mock him.

[Samwise]

Today's strip (after the "Libby" run) is wonderful.

[Bunk]

I'll admit, first thing I did at work this morning was pull those three papers out of the recycling bin.

[Merusk]

As I commented on Facebook, this is kind of a Pyrrhic victory for his fans. Yea, we all want him back, but not on something so bland and stupid. We did get a nice low-res frame of mayhem though.

The sad thing is that given the state of newspaper comics today Pearls IS one of the good ones.

My paper has: Blondie, Marmaduke, Reruns of For Better or Worse, Charlie Brown, Dennis The Menace, Beetle Bailey, Dilbert, Get Fuzzy, Red & Rover, Agnes, Pearls Before Swine, Zits.

So, yeah, given that newspapers are read by geriatrics and comics are obviously by geriatrics looking for a nostaliga fix, Pearls is one of the better ones out there.  It doesn't challenge you a la Boondocks (which had a run then was cancelled within a month here.) but it can be subversive and critical without being too offputting like Agnes or crude like Get Fuzzy.

Good cartoons went online years ago, though there's still something to be said for the publication model with its exposure and paycheck.

[Fabricated]

Bill did good and got out when he ran out of gas and got tired of it. He never sold out and decided to go have a nice life after he had nothing more to say.

It is best if it stays that way, lest he become Jim Davis.

[Merusk]

Jim Davis is an incorrect comparison.  Davis started from Day 1 with the idea of creating a marketing empire, choosing a cat specifically because it tested better.  He was a marketing and sales guy before he had the flash of insight about how he could work smarter, not harder.

You probably meant Charles Shultz or Mort Walker, whose creations lost all charm years ago.

[Bunk]

But Snoopy really wants you to buy Life Insurance!

[01101010]

There is a pretty good documentary about Watterson on Netflix that discusses the marketing aspects. Bill left a lot of money on the table by not marketing C&H - but by not doing so, I think he solidified the comic in history as one of the best. I am glad for this. Takes a huge pair of stones and a rock solid vision of your product to turn down millions.

[schild]

I loved Calvin and Hobbes but Bill is crazytown. Straight fucking crazytown.

Marketing that shit would not have ruined the comic. There isn't a transitive property of suck associated with the original work of a thing. TMNT is not worse because of the shit today. Godfather 2 didn't suck after Godfather 3. Matrix 2 and 3 didn't hurt The Matrix. Thief 3 didn't make Thief worse. Blah blah, etc etc.

[Maven]

Do you think the original Star Wars trilogy would have been different without merchandising considerations?

(I get that his work could have operated independent of other considerations, but it's my opinion he wanted his work to be the dominant medium of visibility for Calvin and Hobbes, and not what would have likely been the more prominent consumerism machine. I don't see the craziness in that.)

[schild]

The implication that Lucas created Star Wars without the intention of marketing the fuck out of it and putting stuff in it for his kids is already absurd.

So. No, as it is an impossibility.

[lamaros]

Also the marketing thing has made C&H a particularly American thing, it's not know much in Australia or other English speaking countries, unlike others, as far as I'm aware.

[Sir T]

The shelves of Calvin and Hobbes books I saw in Ireland in its hayday would call you a liar, and my Girlfriend from Germany was VERY familiar with C&H.

[lamaros]

Maybe just Australia then.

[Setanta]

Maybe just Australia then.

Ummm...no. Syndicated in our newspapers (Sydney Telegraph for years and am piety sure it was in the Melbourne papers too) and books in the bookstores.

[Miasma]

Since someone else bumped the thread anyways, last week the strip focused on Jim Davis.

[Count Nerfedalot]

for what it's worth, I, an American, first saw Calvin & Hobbes in Sweden in the mid/late 80's.  Then I searched it out and finally got the jokes as soon as I got back home! 
jag toalla litte svenska.

[Merusk]

Watch Dear Mr. Watterson on Netflix sometime.  C&H was an international phenom, translated into multiple languages. 2,400 papers worldwide at its peak.
http://nypost.com/2013/11/16/new-doc-explores-the-enduring-cult-of-calvin-and-hobbes/

[Samwise]

Did anyone link Calvin and Muad'Dib yet?

[Yegolev]

I owe you another beer for this.