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Calvin & Hobbes creator speaks!!! (Sorta)

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by finishthehat, Feb 1, 2010.

  1. finishthehat

    finishthehat Active Member

    Bill Watterson does an email interview with a Cleveland reporter.

    http://www.cleveland.com/living/index.ssf/2010/02/bill_watterson_creator_of_belo.html
     
  2. CitizenTino

    CitizenTino Active Member

    Kind of an odd Q&A. The writer was falling all over himself to trump up the legacy of the strip, and Watterson himself was like, "Dude, it was a comic that ended 15 years ago. Get over it."

    The more I think about it, there's a lot about him now that I'm wondering after reading that piece. Watterson's still pretty sharp, and judging by the snark in some of those responses, it would seem like he hasn't lost much off his fastball. So what's he doing with those skills now? That Q&A stirred up more questions than it answered.
     
  3. Mystery Meat II

    Mystery Meat II Well-Known Member

    He ghosts Hi and Lois.
     
  4. Shaggy

    Shaggy Guest

    You definitely got the feeling that Watterson thought every single question was stupid.
     
  5. Den1983

    Den1983 Active Member

    Yeah, which makes me wonder why he agreed to go along with the interview in the first place.
     
  6. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member

    The tone of those slobbering questions, and his unimpressed (but hilarious, "Calvin Grownup-sounding") answers, pretty much assure that we won't be hearing again from Mr. Watterson for a while.

    Why the reporter asked four questions about legacy and never "So . . . what are you up to these days?" is beyond me.
     
  7. RickStain

    RickStain Well-Known Member

    I can never decide if Watterson is one of the sanest people in the world or an unbalanced egomaniac. The writing that went with the 10th anniversary book was the same way.
     
  8. I came away from the interview disappointed. The guy hardly ever speaks publicly, you get your shot and those are the questions you ask? What a letdown. I agree with the previous poster who wanted to know what he's doing now, and I'd love to hear his opinion on something current and not just questions about 15-20 years ago.
     

  9. I thought he was just honest. It might be nice if he just gave the interviewer the answers he wanted, but why should he have some particular insight into why people loved his comic. If you want to know what other people think, ask other people. If you get five questions with the guy, ask him what HE thinks.
     
  10. Mystery Meat II

    Mystery Meat II Well-Known Member

    Maybe that's the questions Watterson wanted him to ask. Maybe this whole thing was performance art of a sort, with the reporter playing the willing straight man so Watterson can do his disdainful genius in hiding schtick.
     
  11. PCLoadLetter

    PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

    Kind of funny that this comes within a week of JD Salinger's death. The two top celebrity recluses, checking in.

    Watterson is an odd bird. He has always seemed strangely resentful that Calvin & Hobbes had so much mainstream success. If that's the sort of thing that will set you off, cartooning probably isn't for you. You don't end up with an exhibit at the Louvre; you get shrunk down and sandwiched in between Garfield and The Wizard of Id.

    Brilliant guy. Just seems a little unhinged to me.
     
  12. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    I'd have asked him what kind of royalties he got off those Calvin peeing on (Ford/Chevy/Dodge logo) stickers that I've seen on every redneck's Ford/Chevy/Dodge truck.
     
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