"Looking for Calvin and Hobbes" is an affectionate and
revealing book about uncovering the story behind this most uncommon
trio - a man, a boy and his tiger. From the get-go, it was obvious
that this was no ordinary comic strip. Calvin was named after the
16th-century Protestant theologian who believed in predestination,
Hobbes after the philosopher a century later who once observed that
life is 'nasty, brutish and short'. Watterson injected real
philosophical questions into his strip and coupled his commentaries
with groundbreaking artwork. His lavish half-page Sunday strips
completely re-envisioned the potential of the comics, while never
detracting from his poignant humor. Bill Watterson was completely
different from most comic strip creators because he never wanted to
see Calvin & Hobbes turn into a commercial monolith. A longtime
liberal and former political cartoonist, he staunchly refused to
have the characters merchandised - a decision which could have
netted him millions of additional dollars in income per year - and
rarely made public appearances or granted interviews. When Steven
Spielberg called him to talk about making an animated Calvin &
Hobbes movie, Watterson didn't take the call. As a result,
dozens of bootleg items have flooded the market. There were only
3,160 strips ever produced, but Watterson has left behind an
impressive legacy. Calvin & Hobbes references litter the pop
culture landscape and his fans are as varied as they are numerable.
"Martell gets as close as anybody can to Watterson in a book that takes the reader behind the strip, a well-researched portrait of the cartoonist that is both fascinating and revealing." -Currents--,
Nevin Martell is the author of Dave Matthews Band: Music for the People and Beck: The Art of Mutation. He is a Contributing Editor at Filter magazine and a music journalist. He lives outside Washington, DC, where he develops documentaries and non-fiction television for Story House Productions.
Inhaltsangabe
Introduction - with film studios and merchandisers offering millions of dollars to license his characters, why would Bill Watterson turn up his nose and reject the American dream? Chapter 1 - biographical examination of Watterson as a young man. Chapter 2 - an overview of the history of the comic strip in America, and its relation to Watterson's art Chapter 3 - Watterson's first forays into the world of comic art Chapter 4 - a boy and his tiger are born Chapter 5 - a look at Watterson's contemporaries Chapter 6 - Calvin & Hobbes go supernova Chapter 7 - why was Calvin & Hobbes a revolutionary and inimitable cartoon strip? Chapter 8 - 10 years after the comic strip began, Watterson brings his fantastical odyssey to an abrupt close Chapter 9 - What has been happening in the 13 years since Watterson effectively dropped off the face of the planet? Chapter 10 - a trip to Watterson's hometown Chapter 11 - The legacy of Calvin & Hobbes Chapter 12 - What does the future hold for Watterson? Chapter 13 - final analysis of why Watterson gave it all up Outroduction - a summary of the author's journey to find Watterson.
