John Gushue . . . Dot Dot Dot

A Calvin and Hobbes documentary

The good news: a documentary about Calvin and Hobbes, and the strip's reclusive creator, is coming. 

The bad news: we have to wait until November to see Dear Mr. Watterson. 

Have a look at the trailer. From first appearances, it looks like the strip will be getting the attention it deserves. 

 

Hobbes goes to Abbey Road

... along with some other figments of (fictional!) people's imaginations. It's the shirt from TeeFury today. A cute idea, although the inclusion of Donnie Darko and Tyler from Fight Club make the shirt a bit adult for kids who might chuckle over Calvin's lovable tiger and Ralph Wiggum's hateful leprechaun. 

 

The Calvin and Hobbes Christmas special we always wanted

 

Well, not a real Christmas special, even though it's called A Very Calvin and Hobbes Christmas. To see Calvin's demented snowmen come to life (the heart of animation, after all) is a treat. You can read more about it here. 

Best Calvin and Hobbes street art, ever

Knew you'd love it.

Spotted it on This Isn't Happiness.

 

Lex Luther and the Joker go all Calvin and Hobbes

Many artists have had a crack and Lex Luther, the Joker and other DC villains (and heroes) over the decades, but no one quite like Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson. This tribute was created last year. Click on the above for a better view.

The parting wisdom and enduring optimism of Calvin & Hobbes

It's New Year's Day, when people make resolutions and say things with meaning or portent or pretension. I recently came across this, the final edition of Calvin & Hobbes, which both my wife and I loved while it ran in the papers, and which our son has discovered on his own (well, the books were waiting there to be found) and now adores. The strip was published, incidentally, on New Year's Eve in 1995. (Click on the image to see a larger version.)

As sentiments go, I love the energy and optimism that Calvin and Hobbes have for their future. This is the spirit for me for 2011.

Allons-y! Vamanos! Have fun!

In search of Calvin and Hobbes

Calvin and Hobbes has long been a subject of admiration in our house, and my wife and I have been looking on fondly as our son, just a little older than Calvin, has discovered the joy of a boy and his stuffed (or is he?) tiger.

One of the books I'm looking forward to seeing this fall is Looking for Calvin and Hobbes, by Nevin Martell. The book looks at how Bill Watterson created a sensation of a comic strip, and then retired it after only a decade. This recent post on Boing Boing points to what we can expect:

In Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip, writer Nevin Martell traces the life and career of the extraordinary, influential, and intensely private man behind Calvin and Hobbes. With input from a wide range of artists and writers (including Dave Barry, Harvey Pekar, Jonathan Lethem, and Brad Bird) as well as some of Watterson's closest friends and professional colleagues, this is as close as we're ever likely to get to one of America's most ingenious and intriguing figures - and a fascinating detective story, at the same time.

The Boing Boing link includes directions on getting a free download of a chapter of the book.

A thought on second thoughts

"Sometimes when I'm talking, my words can't keep up with my thoughts. Why do we think faster than we think? Probably so we can think twice."
- Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes

Calvin and the snowmen

I do miss Calvin & Hobbes. A tribute to the late, great strip's fascination with the snowman can be found here.