When I was growing up, as much as I can remember, the first art I really started appreciating was in the form of comics. That one page which I used to fight my brother for, to read first. We literally took turns day after day, on who gets to read the comics first, kinda like "early bird gets the worm" scenario. Might I enlighten you, I still love comics. I still read cartoon strips, comics, watch cartoons on TV and love collecting memorabilia.
Archies, Peanuts, Tarzan, Beetle Bailey were some of the strips which appeared on the paper, in my region. All these comics were witty and humorous . But there was one comic, which to my opinion, was the most enlightening of them all. The one and only, Calvin and Hobbes. You rarely come across a genius like this, in your life. I'm very aware I'm talking about a "comic strip", but it is treasured as the opposite. The mastery and the greatness of the comic unfortunately, cannot be quantified in words and this strip has outwitted and outclassed every comic strip in the print syndicate.
The funny part is I didn't understand the comic fully back then. The real wizardry enchanted the shit out of me, after I started reading this comics again, as a grown up individual. Below, I've interlaced some of my favorite strips with a few snippets of my emotions, explaining why I liked the comics, hopefully getting my point across to you all, that whoever has missed this, PLEASE START READING, and co-fans, let's revel in our joy.
One of the first reasons I loved the strip, was how amazing the art really was. Using that much little space to draw something like this, is no easy task. Finding this quality art in a comic strip. Are you kidding me?
The versatility. A guy who draws comical characters, can also draw realistic pieces like this. And let's excuse the art here, see the vernacular change. And Hobbes's words in the last bit, perfect!
Hahaha. This strip makes me laugh everytime. Never gets old. Bill Waterson not so subtly gave the readers a take on hunting rationale. The use of the 2D space is also worth noticing. The strip is non-linear but you still follow the comic exactly how you're supposed to.
Calvin's alter ego strips are just mindblowing. Spaceman Spiff, Tracer bullet, Stupendous Man, to name a few. As any kid, Calvin day dreams a lot. Let's take a moment and realize that all these are one man's creativity. We are literally in Waterson's head right now.The strip above exemplifies how alone Calvin actually is.
Never has a comic strip, ever, induced so much emotion in me, than this one. It is THAT simple. A 4-block non-colored, left to right, classic newspaper strip
I didn't want to make this post too long that is why I've limited to just 5 strips. Hopefully, you'll go and read the rest. Your world will come alive with snowmen, monsters under the bed, childhood denial of parents, pet bonding, school bullies, transmogrifiers, philosophical conundrums and the meaning of life itself.
Mr. Waterson, I genuinely thank you!
Calvin: "That is why I want to ask you. As a tiger, a wild animal close to nature, what you think we're put on Earth to do. What's our purpose in life? Why are we here?"
Hobbes: "We're here to devour each other alive"
*Ends*
