h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Good day to everyone in the wonderful world of h2g2! I think that Calvin & Hobbes is an excellent comic strip, as well. It provides an excellent source of comic relief in an otherwise hectic day. I personally enjoy reading many of his poems, and find it quite humorous to read about all the radical ideas one little six year old can come up with. Some of my favorites are the one where Calvin becomes Tracer Bullet, any of the Spaceman Spiff strips, and the one where he needs to get a heart rate monitor to make sure he's chewing bubble gum at his aerobic threshold. Also good are the ones featuring his manic bicycle, the 'dad' campains, and Rosalyn (spelling?). Having said all that, I would most sincerely recommend picking up as many of his books as possible, and I think it is a shame that newspapers do not publish Bill Waterson's works any more.

Well y' can 'ardly blame the papers tho' canya, eh?
I mean, original thinking might upset the status quo they depend upon so much. And to their closed minds, a child's imagination must never be represented as something akin to halucinatory drug experiences. It might give children ideas. Or make them appear to condone out of body visitations to a land of dreams where their agendas are not represented.

(Damn you're right! I haven't seen K&H for years! Banned by the papers you say, eh? Well I'm off to the bookstores before they get raided too.)

I've only ever known Calvin in book form, so the loss of the cartoon in the newspapers isn't a big one for me - but I do long for new books. Has a new one been published since 10th Anniversay Book?

I love the fact that you completely forget that Hobbes is a stuffed toy, then when another character is in the frame and Hobbes is shown as a toy, you just KNOW that he's a real tiger - the other character just can't see it!

Please, Bill, can we have some more?

Did you ever notice that once you get used to it, everybody you know tends to fall into the scheme? I mean everybody is either a Calvin or a Hobbes or another person from the strip.
Personally I'm afraid I tend to be Susy Derkins...

er... do do realize he's retiered?

I know, I know... and it's a shame. The good thing is though, that you can read all of his stuff again and again.

I am so pleased to hear it was a voluntary retirement! More power to him! I firmly believe there really is some quintessential truth to such famous old sayings as 'Quit while you're ahead', 'always leave 'em laughing', 'know when to quit'...
It's a shame more creative people don't retire at their peak. I've never understood why some keep on grinding stuff out, long after they've made their fortune, long after they've lost their edge.
peace
~ jwf ~

The day I realised that I would never again be able to walk into a bookshop, spot a brand new C&H book, take the afternoon off and read it cover to cover in a single sitting was a very, very sad day for me.

But it's a magical world...

Let's go exploring.

Bill Watterson has already earned my deepest respect for knowing when to quit, but even more he refused to license his creation. This is the reason why you won't find any C&H coffee mugs, t-shirts and all that other stuff. In "The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book" Bill writes about the fight he had with his syndicate, which he finally won. Although Universal would legally have had the right to merchandise his strip, they didn't do it without his cooperation and finally he got the exploitation rights to C&H back.
Calvin & Hobbes is by far the best comic strip I've ever read and the fact, that you don't see Hobbes smiling from some ugly, fat guy's tummy just completes the great work Watterson has created!

"Tigers will do _anything_ for a tuna fish sandwich!"

Funny i know for a fact that I have seen some, though admittedly not much C&H stuff out there. The most common one being a car window sticker with Calvin looking over his shoulder, grinning meanly, while urinating on some unknown spot.

Sure, but it is amazing what you can do with an average copy machine...

I suspect the peeing Calvin decals are a rip-off. You can get him peeing on a Ford logo or a Chevy. But it's a bad drawing, with a mean maniacal look, it's not the real Calvin.
Or maybe that's why BW fought so hard to get the exploitations rights back!

You're right, they definitely are rip-offs. Bill says in the "10th Anniversary Book", that there is no legitimate C&H merchandise available.

I loathe those 'peeing' Calvin decals - they are so opposite to the whole spirit of the strip. People who have them are exactly the type a prior respondent referred to when he deplored the idea of a Calvin Tee on a fat hairy belly. No strip was ever as good as Calvin - and BW was right to quit when he got tired of doing it. Another great strip (or panelist) was Gary Larsen who knew when to quit also. The great ones know when they are finished and don't go on putting out second rate rehashes. Like little 6-year-old boys, Calvin didn't go on forever. treasure the moment!!

I agree that it was good that Bill Watterson retired before he lost his edge (that would have ruined C&H), but I still wish he'd publish some more books.
Those window decals piss me off, that isn't even the type of thing Calvin would do anyway, at least not with that look on his face.

One of Bill Watterson's more profound theories is his so callled proof that there is intelligent life in the universe.
They must be intelligent because they never bother with us.

~jwf~

For the big fans, there was an exhibition of some of the sunday strips at the university of Ohio recently- the exhibition catalogue is in most bookshops now, on extra-nice paper, and with a big essay from the big BW too.

Great stuff.

Greetings Scott of the double vision!
I see you still need to open up your Personal Space (h2g2 homepage) witha short entry. Just 'Hi' would do it.
Once it's open, people can post on your page. A group called the "Aces" will come by with semi-offical greetings and allsorts of suggestions and and links and other info about h2g2 and how to get around. You could even usurp the 'seeing double' Smiley for yourself to go with your name!

It's good to see this thread still active. Hobbes fans are few but dedicated.
If I can be of any help leave a note here or click on my name above to get to my homepage and post one there.
again, 'Welcome'

peace
jwf

You do all realise that you can read about half the series (so far) of Calvin and Hobbes at www.ucomics.com, don't you? I've downloaded practically all of them, since the books are so expensive and I have free internet access at college.

Thanks for the insight, ..uhm ..Insight!

jwf