calvin and hobbes?

Question

I just bought The Essential Calvin and Hobbes and I love it! What are your opinions on Calvin and Hobbes? I think they should make a movie of it!

Answer 1

although i adore Calvin & Hobbes, i sincerely doubt that they will ever make a movie out of it, other than possible an animated one, primarily because Bill Watterson is so vehemently opposed to further commericalization of his work.

"Except for the books, two 16-month calendars (1988–1989 and 1989–1990), and Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes,[5] virtually all Calvin and Hobbes merchandise, including T-shirts as well as the ubiquitous stickers for automobile rear windows which depict Calvin urinating on a company's or sports team's name or logo, is unauthorized. After threat of a lawsuit alleging infringement of copyright and trademark, some of the sticker makers replaced Calvin with a different boy, while other makers ignored the issue. Watterson wryly commented "I clearly miscalculated how popular it would be to show Calvin urinating on a Ford logo."[16] Some legitimate special items were produced, such as promotional packages to sell the strip to newspapers, but these were never sold outright."

"Watterson did ponder animating Calvin and Hobbes, and has expressed admiration for the art form. In a 1989 interview in The Comics Journal, Watterson states:

“ If you look at the old cartoons by Tex Avery and Chuck Jones, you'll see that there are a lot of things single drawings just can't do. Animators can get away with incredible distortion and exaggeration [...] because the animator can control the length of time you see something. The bizarre exaggeration barely has time to register, and the viewer doesn’t ponder the incredible license he's witnessed.
In a comic strip, you just show the highlights of action — you can't show the buildup and release... or at least not without slowing down the pace of everything to the point where it's like looking at individual frames of a movie, in which case you've probably lost the effect you were trying to achieve. In a comic strip, you can suggest motion and time, but it's very crude compared to what an animator can do. I have a real awe for good animation.[12]"

given that it hasn't happened yet & the series ended 12 years, i would be suprised if a animated film version were to be released, however depressing that fact might be.

~~~ morgannia

Answer 2

i adore Calvin & Hobbes, i sincerely doubt that they will ever make a movie out of it, other than possible an animated one, primarily because Bill Watterson is so vehemently opposed to further commericalization of his work.

"Except for the books, two 16-month calendars (1988–1989 and 1989–1990), and Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes,[5] virtually all Calvin and Hobbes merchandise, including T-shirts as well as the ubiquitous stickers for automobile rear windows which depict Calvin urinating on a company's or sports team's name or logo, is unauthorized. After threat of a lawsuit alleging infringement of copyright and trademark, some of the sticker makers replaced Calvin with a different boy, while other makers ignored the issue. Watterson wryly commented "I clearly miscalculated how popular it would be to show Calvin urinating on a Ford logo."[16] Some legitimate special items were produced, such as promotional packages to sell the strip to newspapers, but these were never sold outright."

"Watterson did ponder animating Calvin and Hobbes, and has expressed admiration for the art form. In a 1989 interview in The Comics Journal, Watterson states:

“ If you look at the old cartoons by Tex Avery and Chuck Jones, you'll see that there are a lot of things single drawings just can't do. Animators can get away with incredible distortion and exaggeration [...] because the animator can control the length of time you see something. The bizarre exaggeration barely has time to register, and the viewer doesn’t ponder the incredible license he's witnessed.
In a comic strip, you just show the highlights of action — you can't show the buildup and release... or at least not without slowing down the pace of everything to the point where it's like looking at individual frames of a movie, in which case you've probably lost the effect you were trying to achieve. In a comic strip, you can suggest motion and time, but it's very crude compared to what an animator can do. I have a real awe for good animation.[12]"

Answer 3

Favorite Comic STRIP (as in found in the newspaper) of all time.

If I don't have to use my brain (Sally Forth, Cathy, Peanuts, Hagar the Horrible, Beatle Baily) I don't care for it.

When its cerebral (Calvin and Hobbes, Far Side, Non-Sequiter, Bizzaro) Then I love it.

Favorite Calvin and Hobbes? Can't say - there are way too many to choose from. However, any stupendous man, tracer bullet, transmogrifier, duplicator strips are always good. In the first collection, there was a single drawing of naked Calvin (complete with tiny butt crack) running away from what is probably a bath, his mom is chasing after him... I think that single drawing sums up the spirit of the entire cartoon.

I remember being about 12 or so when Calvin came on out. I was at the dentist and he and I talked about the strip for a good while before and after my cleaning. He got all the collection books and for years after that, every time I would come into the office, everyone in the waiting room that could was reading one of those books. Doesn't that say something?

As for a movie? I don't think I'd ever be satisfied. No matter who they choose for the voices, it will never match what I hear in my head so it would in a way ruin it. I'd rather the strip just has closure like it does now - just let it be what it is already.

Would it be an improvement to touch up, modernize and animate the Mona Lisa? Was colorizing Gone With the Wind an improvement or just a money grab and a show of new tech at the cost of art? Same with Calvin and Hobbes. To do so seems like revisionist history to me. Sometimes perfection is ruined by so called improvements. That is why Mr. Waterson doesn't like the commercialization of his work.

Man, I didn't start out that way, but could I be more of an art snob? lol Still, that's my story and I'm sticking to it which is this - Either you LOVE Calvin and Hobbes or you don't GET Calvin and Hobbes.

Answer 4

THE BEST COMIC STRIP....EVER!!

I first started reading Calvin and Hobbes in the daily newspaper, bought all the books, and received the Complete Calvin and Hobbes as a Christmas gift last year. The Complete Calvin and Hobbes collects the ENTIRE comic strips into 4 hardbacks that come in a slipcase. Here is the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-Bill-Watterson/dp/0740748475/sr=1-1/qid=1168240858/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1_s9_rk/103-1279945-7091824?ie=UTF8&s=books&s9r=8afd079f0eefbbe9010f6f13b93e05ff

I even bought a unauthorized Calvin and Hobbes tie that has the both of them dancing to the little record player while wearing sunglasses. When I used to wear it, people would offer me money for it. It definitely was a conversation starter!

I don't think that any animation or live movie could capture the essence of what Calvin and Hobbes truly is...The unfiltered commentary of life, the universe, and everything (apologies to Douglas Adams). Just look how badly the Garfield movies were done.

Leave Calvin and Hobbes in its printed format, and pass along your well worn and read copies of the books for future generations to discover and enjoy. I introduced Calvin and Hobbes to my son and he loves them!

TTFN!!

Answer 5

I also have The Essential Calvin and Hobbes and I love it, along with other of Watterson's works. I think the strip was one of the greatest ever. I would like to see a movie, also, but as noted elsewhere, it probably won't happen. BUT . . . Movie makers are always looking for good material and Calvin and Hobbes offer some of the best, so it is NOT IMPOSSIBLE!

Answer 6

I simply love calvin and hobbes. It's a funny comic and personally think it's the best comic ever written. I especially love parts of it when calvin and hobbes talk about the facts of life. It really touches me, how some of those are really true.

Answer 7

Calvin and Hobbes is hysterical. Both me and my brother love reading it and have some of the books.

Answer 8

Calvin and Hobbes, ah, the best! Too bad Bill Watterson is too much of a grumpus to do anything further with it!

Answer 9

calvin and hobbes is great, but i think it's better as a book.

Answer 10

They are hilarious, very witty. My whole family loves them, in fact, my aunt got a Calvin and Hobbes tattoo for her 45th birthday. I know, TMI!!!! LOL!