Calvin & Hobbes Creator Interviewed

He has a point. Open any comics section and see all the stale old comics that were amusing maybe thirty years ago Beetle Bailey, Hagar, Born Loser, Cathy, Wizard of Id, Blondie… And now we have to suffer reruns of “For Better and Worse” and the “subtle changes” of its egotistical creator. At least the Peanuts reruns are from the fifties and early sixties.

On the other hand, draw a comic, sell a few tens of millions of books, and what incentive is there to do any more work? You’re set for life.

For felixthecat, and anyone having similar anti-comics feelings:

The Comics Curmudgeon.

Yeah, felixthecat! This cannot be said often enough.

Bravo Bill! If only many other genres followed his example:
Many TV shows, books, movie series, video game series (along with comics and cartoons) could have been so much the more cherished if they had quit when the going was great

Are you listening, Groening?

The man is a genius, and spiritually admirable to boot. Could’ve made zillions licensing C&H to all manners of plastic trash from China, but instead chose dignity.

One point of contention: the stuff they print in its place may be fresher and livelier, but I see no mentionable /talent/. C&H’s slot was mostly filled by BOONDOCKS. You know it’s the last days of Rome when the heart-touching, wholesome and affectionate humor of a young boy and his imaginary friend is supplanted IN THE FUNNY PAGES by delusional, hateful, self-centered, black racial nationalist bitterness and victim identity. Just what I want to read to my five year old on a Sunday morning.

My hat’s off to you, Mr. Watterson.

Quite a bad interview, though. There were many more interesting questions that could have been asked, add I think Watterson was clearly irritated by the triteness of what was.