A brief history on the genius who created Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Watterson. Watterson was born July 5th 1958 in Washington D.C. His father , James G. Watterson attended George Washington University Law School becoming a patent attorney in 1960. At the age of six Watterson's family moved to Ohio where his mother, Kathryn Watterson, became a city council member. In 1997 Watterson's father, James was elected council member who has recently retired in August of 2009 now in pursuit of personal artistic goals. This would explain where some of Bill Watterson's brilliant insight in his comics would come from.
Through out childhood and high school, Bill Watterson was constantly drawing. The mascot of Chagrin Falls High School where he attended was a tiger. Drawing for the school's news paper he often included this tiger in his comics and you can see early signs of Hobbes in the making. In 1980 Watterson earned a Bachelor's degree in Arts in Political Science at Kenyon College. After graduating he was offered a job by the Cincinnati Post drawing political cartoons. During a six month trial period at the Cincinnati Post, Watterson found that the job didn't suit him finding his Editor expecting to much from him. The following four years Watterson designed grocery advertisement before Calvin and Hobbes entered into his life.
Calvin and Hobbes was first published on November 18, 1985. Charles Schulz, Walt Kelly and George Herriman were some of the few that inspired Bill Watterson to create his own comic strip. Calvin and Hobbes is seeing life through the eyes of a mischievous, adventurous boy and his stuffed tiger who through thick and thin, magically comes to life offering words of wisdom or food for thought all wrapped in an easily understood humor for people in all steps of life. As with most cartoonists Watterson incorporates many pieces of his own life into his art, such as his father's lectures on building character or his love for cycling to even his pet cat who inspired Hobbes in personality and form.
I personally own a couple of Calvin and Hobbes books and will periodically read them, laughing at the the circumstances Calvin will get himself into and marveling at the stunning line work and background art. The way Watterson will convey time through panels of his comic strip is seamless. Sometimes just a single panel will illustrate hours of time or hard work captured like a photograph. Others, such as his full page strips give a fantastic sense of movement and space.
When ever I do a comic strip (First Meeting) Bill Watterson does influence me, his narrative style is what inspires me the most. Capturing the plot and storyline in just a few drawings seems effortless and flows naturally for Watterson. Looking at the day to day life in a different perspective where the unappreciated is exciting and simple things become adventures. It's fascinating to me how easily the audience/reader is immediately immersed into the world of Calvin and Hobbes. I keep finding myself asking the same questions in life that Calvin will ask. I deeply appreciate this sort of genius Watterson exhibits, because how many comic strip can handle both being thought provoking, and hilarious?
I want to end this Blog with some of Bill Watterson's quotes that shows how brilliant of a thinker he is and easily shows why Calvin and Hobbes is such a timeless and popular comic strip.
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"Know what's weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change. But pretty soon, every thing's different."
"The world of a comic strip ought to be a special place with its own logic and life... I don't want the issue of Hobbes's reality settled by a doll manufacturer."
"Things are never quite as scary when you've got a best friend."
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