Calvin and Hobbes：Sunday Pages 1985-1995

NewYorkTimesbest-seller!EveryonemissesCalvinandHobbes.Itreinventedthenewspapercomicstripatatimewhenmanyhadallbutburiedthefunniesasavehicleforfresh,creativework.ThenBillWattersoncamealongandremindedanewgenerationofwhatolderreadersandcomicstripaficionadosknew:Awell-writtenandbeautifullydrawnstripisanintricate,powerfulformofcommunication.AndwithCalvinandHobbes,wehadfun—justlikereadersofKrazyKatandPogodid.Openingthenewspapereachdaywasanadventure.TheheightsofWatterson'screativeimaginationtookusplaceswehadneverbeen.Wemissthat.ThisbookwaspublishedinconjunctionwiththefirstexhibitionoforiginalCalvinandHobbesSundaypagesatTheOhioStateUniversityCartoonResearchLibrary.Althoughtheworkwascreatedforreproduction,notforgallerydisplay,wasapleasuretoseethecartoonist'scarefullyplacedlinesandexquisitebrushstrokes.Inanattempttosharethisexperiencewiththosewhowereunabletovisittheexhibition,alloftheoriginalSundaypagesdisplayedarereproducedincolorinthisbooksothateverydetail,suchassketchlines,corrections,andregistrationmarks,arevisible.Ontheoppositepagethesamecomicstripisprintedinfullcolor.BecauseWattersonwasunusuallyintentionalandcreativeinhisuseofcolor,thisjuxtapositionprovidesCalvinandHobbesreaderstheopportunitytoconsidertheimpactofcoloronitsnarrativeandcontent.WhenIfirstcontactedBillWattersonaboutthepossibilityofexhibitinghisoriginalwork,Iusedtheterm"retrospective."Herepliedthatwemightbeabletodoanexhibit,butthatcallingitaretrospectivemadehimuncomfortable.HefeltthatalongertimewasneededtoputCalvinandHobbesinthehistoricalperspectiveimpliedbythatterm.Nonetheless,thisshowisa"lookback"atthecomicstripaswerevisitfavoritesthatweremember.CalvinandHobbes:SundayPages1985-1995isparticularlyinterestingbecauseeachworkthatisincludedwasselectedbyBillWatterson.Hiscommentsaboutthethirty-sixSundaypageshechosearepartofthisvolume.Inaddition,hereflectsonCalvinandHobbesfromtheperspectiveofsixyears,andhisessayprovidesinsightsintohislifeasasyndicatedcartoonist.ReprintbooksofCalvinandHobbesarenicetohave,buttheopportunitytoseetheoriginalworkandreadBillWatterson'sthoughtsaboutitisaprivilege.Hegenerouslysharednotonlytheart,butalsohistimeandhisthoughts.WhenIfirstreviewedtheworksincludedintheexhibit,Iknewthateveryonewhovisiteditwouldbeginwithlaughterandendwithtears.OnbehalfofallwhoenjoyedCalvinandHobbes,thankyou,BillWatterson.