If you grew up as a boy in the 90s, you read the ‘funny pages’ in the Sunday paper. You looked forward to them, eager to spend some time with Hagar, Ziggy, Family Circus, Garfield, Snoopy, and the rest of them. But most of all, you looked forward to Calvin and Hobbes. The creation of a guy named Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes follows the antics and adventures of Calvin, a little boy, and Hobbes, his ‘pet’ tiger (stuffed, in real life, but as real as could be to Calvin). Mr. Watterson mysteriously and abruptly stopped publishing Calvin and Hobbes in 1995.
About a month ago, I was browsing SlickDeals, and I came across a complete set of Calvin and Hobbes books for $50. I didn’t spring for the collection then, but I couldn’t get it out of my head, so I stopped by a Half Price Books and found several of the same books for less than $10. Bought.
I’ve been reading these books here and there, remembering and reliving the excitement of sled hills, missions to Mars, harassing Susie Derkins, and snowball fights. I’ve also been increasingly interested in the author, Mr. Watterson. Apparently he’s still alive, but almost literally disappeared off the face of the earth. Turns out, I’m not the only one interested in this man.
There’s a movie called “Dear Mr. Watterson” that’s coming out in November – a documentary of sorts, that explores Calvin and Hobbes and the effect that Mr. Watterson’s creation had on America. Here’s a trailer:
There’s also a book out, called “Looking for Calvin and Hobbes“, by a guy named Nevin Martell. Nevin set out to find Mr. Watterson and tell his story. While he was unsuccessful in meeting the famous cartoonist, Martell did get a chance to talk to lots of people who knew Watterson. I’m only 1 chapter into the book, but it’s already started out to be a great read.
UPDATE: After publishing this post, GoComics reached out to let me know that you can view the ENTIRE Calvin and Hobbes archive for FREE through GoComics’ website or mobile app. They also have a PRO account that removes the ads and offers a few other cool features.
The GoComics app boasts 4+ star ratings on all platforms and has been featured in Entertainment Weekly’s “The Must List” (May 2013) as well as the “New and Noteworthy” section on the iTunes store in multiple countries.
Ricky Cadden 