Calvin & Hobbes' Bill Watterson Returned to Comics - In Secret!

MovieBob

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Calvin & Hobbes' Bill Watterson Returned to Comics - In Secret!


The reclusive comics legend ghost-wrote/drew a fellow artist's strip for three days

Bill Watterson spent ten years writing and drawing every installment of Calvin & Hobbes, considered by many to be the single greatest comic strip in the history of the medium. During that period he experimented with daring new art techniques, negotiated unprecedented levels of creative independence from his publisher and famously resisted merchandising or "franchising" his characters; making him a hero to fellow comics professionals and something like a god to legions of devout fans.

Then, at the height of his fame, he walked away.

Since then, Calvin & Hobbes (the adventures of a young boy and his stuffed tiger, who is either secretly alive or imagined to be thus) has only grown in stature - it's hard to find a writer, artist or filmmaker of even vaugely-related material who doesn't cite it as a key influence. But Watterson has remained not only retired but practically invisible; refusing almost all interviews, seldom ever seen or even said to have been seen. In an age where some authors trade quips with fans daily on social media, he's essentially a ghost.

Until now.

Stephan Pastis, author of the comic strip Pearls Before Swine, has now revealed [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/] that - unknown to the rest of the world (but suspected by a few dogged comics fans) until today - a just-concluded three day Pearls "meta-story" in which a (supposed) 10 year-old fan swapped-out Pastis usual art with her own Watterson-esque whismical fare was actually executed by Bill Watterson Himself under the condition that the truth not be known until it was concluded.

The three strips now mark the first new newspaper comics work that Watterson has published in almost two decades, though he has contributed a handful of forewards to comics collections and posters made for charity and the documentary Stripped.


Source: The Washington Post [http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/06/06/exclusive-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-bill-watterson-returns-to-the-comics-page-to-offer-a-few-pearls-gems/]

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Lono Shrugged

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The best part is that the artwork is unmistakably Watterson. That's a cool story and a very nice little arc. Of course the 10 year old draws like a cartoon legend.
 

Batou667

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That's brilliant. I don't much care for Pearls Before Swine but it's fantastic to see Watterson dust off his pen.

New Calvin and Hobbes? Please?
 
Jan 12, 2012
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For those looking for the images directly:




And one that I believe is just the regular PBS author, but references the event:

I'm glad to see Mr Watterson is still drawing comics. I've always wondered if, after his death, we'll find out that he has boxes of comics that he drew in the past 20 years and kept with him. THAT would be an omnibus everyone would buy.
 

Imperioratorex Caprae

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May 15, 2010
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Oh how lovely. No doubt I miss Calvin and Hobbes and the ending of that strip was the subject of my first high school newsletter article. Absolutely brilliant man and I've much respect for his work and choice to "leave it all behind". This only shows his mind (and pencil) are still as sharp as ever.
 

MCerberus

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Wait, I'm confused, then what's the deal with the comic that stars a very obviously grown up Calvin and his daughter?
 

LG Jargon

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Thunderous Cacophony said:
For those looking for the images directly:



I'm glad to see Mr Watterson is still drawing comics. I've always wondered if, after his death, we'll find out that he has boxes of comics that he drew in the past 20 years and kept with him. THAT would be an omnibus everyone would buy.
You forgot about the fourth one where Libby is wearing winter clothing, is holding a sleigh, and not only references the last C&H strip, but asks Rat if she should "hit him over the head with the symbolism".

OT: That's pretty neat! Glad Mr. Watterson was willing to do something these past few decades. Hope we get to see more from him in the future; he's too skilled to just fade away.
 

Double A

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MCerberus said:
Wait, I'm confused, then what's the deal with the comic that stars a very obviously grown up Calvin and his daughter?
Fan did it. Doesn't make it any less great, though.
 

CrazyGirl17

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Sep 11, 2009
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That is awesome! It's great to see Bill Watterson come out of retirement - if only for a few strips - and put his pen to another one of my favorite comic strips. It's like Christmas came early this year...
 
Jan 12, 2012
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LG Jargon said:
Thunderous Cacophony said:
For those looking for the images directly:



I'm glad to see Mr. Watterson is still drawing comics. I've always wondered if, after his death, we'll find out that he has boxes of comics that he drew in the past 20 years and kept with him. THAT would be an omnibus everyone would buy.
You forgot about the fourth one where Libby is wearing winter clothing, is holding a sleigh, and not only references the last C&H strip, but asks Rat if she should "hit him over the head with the symbolism".

OT: That's pretty neat! Glad Mr. Watterson was willing to do something these past few decades. Hope we get to see more from him in the future; he's too skilled to just fade away.
I didn't put that one in originally because I don't think Mr. Watterson did it; I believe that's just the regular author referencing it. I've added it my original post now.
 

Alcom1

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MCerberus said:
Wait, I'm confused, then what's the deal with the comic that stars a very obviously grown up Calvin and his daughter?
I can have such a thing? Where?
 

The Great JT

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I was wondering why I loved this little storyline of Pearls Before Swine so much...I mean besides the fact it's PBS.
 

Gxas

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Man, this is the best thing ever.

Calvin and Hobbes was my childhood. I own every book and even had a few imported in from the UK when I was in my collecting mode.

And Pearls Before Swine is my favorite strip since C&H went away, too.

Gah, this is just so cool.
 

Something Amyss

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Dec 3, 2008
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LG Jargon said:
You forgot about the fourth one where Libby is wearing winter clothing, is holding a sleigh, and not only references the last C&H strip, but asks Rat if she should "hit him over the head with the symbolism".
And rat predictably goes the low road. Which I love, for the record. I'm not complaining.
 

Mr. Q

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Calvin & Hobbes was a bright moment in my childhood. Reading their adventures in the papers and in the collected trades was sheer joy. Which made it all the more heartbreaking when Bill Waterson hung up his hat and retired the strip after 10 years. Looking back, I'm glad he did that. A lot of comic strips these days have overstayed their welcome (looking at you, Garfield). Calvin & Hobbes went out at the height of their popularity and continues to draw in new readers. If you have the chance to share this strip with your kids or nephews or nieces, please do so.

It was surprising to see home come back like this. It's great to see this wonderful artist come back in such a way. Hope we see more of Bill Waterson and his world down the road.
 

MCerberus

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Double A said:
MCerberus said:
Wait, I'm confused, then what's the deal with the comic that stars a very obviously grown up Calvin and his daughter?
Fan did it. Doesn't make it any less great, though.
Thanks for that info. Comics, to borrow from MovieBob, ARE WEIRD, and I sometimes can't keep up with the weird politics and scope of it all.
 

One of Many

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MCerberus said:
Wait, I'm confused, then what's the deal with the comic that stars a very obviously grown up Calvin and his daughter?
Do you have a link for this? I really want to read that.
 

MCerberus

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One of Many said:
MCerberus said:
Wait, I'm confused, then what's the deal with the comic that stars a very obviously grown up Calvin and his daughter?
Do you have a link for this? I really want to read that.
Digging around, it's a somewhat-recurring thing that the site Pants Are Overrated does
link to the first posting http://www.pantsareoverrated.com/archive/2011/05/10/hobbes-and-bacon/

Googling around, there are people that made compilation galleries, but I'm just linking the source
 

Neverhoodian

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First Homestar Runner's April Fools update, now this. I hereby declare 2014 to be the "Year of the Cocktease."

I figured Watterson was responsible when the robot martian attack was revealed. Those UFOs are a dead ringer for Spaceman Spiff's ship. Libby's line "I could do better if I had more space" reinforced my suspicions (Watterson despises how small newspaper comics have become) and the "magical world" callback solidified it.

It's somehow fitting that the man who made my favorite newspaper comic would resurface on my favorite ongoing one. Pastis really did pull off the impossible with this.