128. BILL WATTERSON: A cartoonist’s advice
Bill Watterson is the artist and creator of (in my humble opinion) the greatest comic strip of all time, Calvin and Hobbes. I was a bit too young to appreciate it while it was originally published from 1985-1995, but I started devouring the book collections soon after. I think my brother had a few of the treasury collections and I must have read those dozens of times. I was hooked, and I remember copying Watterson’s drawings relentlessly as a kid (Calvin’s hair was always the hardest to get right).
To me, Calvin and Hobbes is cartooning perfection – that rare strip that has both exquisite writing AND gorgeous artwork. A strip that managed to convey the joy of childhood, absurdity of humanity and power of imagination all through the relationship between a boy and his stuffed tiger. And most importantly, a strip that was consistently laugh-out-loud funny. I flick through my Calvin and Hobbes books a few times a year, not to read them cover to cover anymore, but just to get lost in Calvin’s world for awhile and to remind myself what comics are capable of.
Besides the fact that Calvin and Hobbes is the comic I cherish above all others, Bill Watterson is my biggest creative influence and someone I admire greatly as an artist. Here’s why:
• After getting fired as a political cartoonist at the Cincinnati Post, Watterson decided to instead focus on comic strips. Broke, he was forced to move back in with his parents and worked an advertising layout job he hated while he drew comics in his spare time. He stayed at this miserable job and submitted strips to comic syndicates for four years before Calvin and Hobbes was accepted. About this period Watterson wrote: “The only way to learn how to write and draw is by writing and drawing … to persist in the face of continual rejection requires a deep love of the work itself, and learning that lesson kept me from ever taking Calvin and Hobbes for granted when the strip took off years later.” (Also see the Advice for Beginners comic.)
• Watterson sacrificed millions (probably hundreds of millions) of dollars by never licensing and merchandising Calvin and Hobbes. He went through a long and traumatic fight with his syndicate over the licensing rights, and although he eventually prevailed, Watterson was so disillusioned with the industry he almost quit cartooning. “I worked too long to get this job, and worked too hard once I got it, to let other people run away with my creation once it became successful. If I could not control what my own work was about and stood for, then cartooning meant very little to me.”
• Luckily Watterson didn’t quit and took a sabbatical instead. Eager to reinvigorate his creative mojo on his return, Watteron proposed a radical new layout for his colour Sunday strips. For those not familiar with comic strip lingo, each week a newspaper comic will have six ‘daily’ strips (usually black and white, one tier, 3-4 panels) and one ‘Sunday’ strip which is larger and in colour. Previously, the Sunday strip was comprised of three tiers of panels and looked like this. The layout was restrictive and the top tier had to be completely disposable because a lot of newspapers would cut it and only run the bottom two tiers in order to save space so they could cram in as many comics (or puzzles, or ads) as they could.
Watterson was sick of the format restraints and wanted more space to experiment and push his storytelling ability so he (with his syndicate’s support) gave newspaper editors a ballsy proposition. They would have to publish his Sunday comics at a half-page size with no editing, or not publish it at all. By this time Calvin and Hobbes had been running for over five years and was extremely successful so Watterson had the clout needed to pull this move off. Despite fearing many cancellations, he was pleasantly surprised that most newspapers supported the change. Free of the shackles of tiers and panel restrictions, Watterson gave us visually exciting and beautiful strips that hadn’t been since the glory days of newspaper comics in the 1920s and 30s. He was free to create strips like this, and this and this. “The last few years of the strip, and especially the Sundays, are the work I am the most proud of. This was close as I could get to my vision of what a comic strip should be.”
• After working on the strip for 10 years, when Calvin and Hobbes was at the height of its popularity and was being published in over 2,000 newspapers, Watterson stopped. He had given his heart and soul to one project for 10 years, had said all he wanted to say and wanted to go out on top. “I did not want Calvin and Hobbes to coast into half-hearted repetition, as so many long-running strips do. I was ready to pursue different artistic challenges, work at a less frantic pace with fewer business conflicts, and … start restoring some balance to my life.” Since retiring the strip, Watterson has pursued his interest in painting and music.
It’s pretty incredible when you think about. Could you say ‘no’ to millions, I repeat, MILLIONS of dollars of merchandise money? I don’t know if I could. Would you stop creating your art if millions of people admired your work and kept wanting more? I don’t know if I would.
Reprints of Calvin and Hobbes are still published in over 50 countries and the strips are as fresh and funny as they were 20-25 years ago. It has a timeless quality and will continue to entertain comic fans for generations to come. Great art does that.
– The quote used in the comic is taken from a graduation speech Watterson gave at his alma mater, Kenyon College, in 1990. Brain Pickings has a nice article about it. The comic is basically the story of my life, except I’m a stay-at-home-dad to two dogs. My ex-boss even asked me if I wanted to return to my old job.
– My original dream was to become a successful newspaper comic strip artist and create the next Calvin and Hobbes. That job almost doesn’t exist anymore as newspapers continue to disappear and the comics section gets smaller and smaller, often getting squeezed out of newspapers entirely. I spent years sending submissions to syndicates in my early 20s and still have the rejection letters somewhere. I eventually realised it was a fool’s dream (also, my work was nowhere near good enough) and decided webcomics was the place to be. It’s mouth-watering to imagine what Watterson could achieve with webcomics, given the infinite possibilities of the online medium.
– My style is already influenced by Watterson, but this is the first time I’ve intentionally tried to mimic his work. It’s been fun poring through Calvin and Hobbes strips the past week while working on this comic and it was a humbling reminder that I still have a long way to go.
– The quotes I’ve used in the write-up above are taken from the introduction to The Complete Calvin and Hobbes collection, which sits proudly on my desk.
– Thanks to Marlyn, Emily, Joseph, and Suchismita for submitting this speech.
Discussion (2,565) ¬
Story of your (happy) life?
Hey everyone, thanks so much for the overwhelming response so far (I’m writing this just over a day after it was posted). It just goes to show how much of an impact Watterson and his creation have made on all of us. It’s a real honour that my tribute to a hero of mine has been received so warmly.
A lot of you are asking if this will be available as a print … probably not. Considering Mr. Watterson’s views on licensing, selling a poster using his words without his permission would be against the whole spirit of Calvin and Hobbes.
Remember that Mr. Watterson’s views on licensing centered on his concerns about how that would compromise the integrity of his work, but he didn’t refuse to accept payment for his work and neither should you.
Truth be told, if you make this this comic available as a print (with Mr. Watterson’s permission, of course), I’d buy one today, hang it on my wall at home, and be reminded every day to focus on what’s important. My guess is I’m not alone.
Agreed. My husband is a stay/work-at-home dad to our 3 kids while I work full-time outside the home (an hour away, at that). I was so inspired by this piece that I would very much love to order it as a print for him to hang in his home office. I think it very much maintains integrity with Watterson’s words while remaining your own work to do with as you please. Though of course his permission would be best. You could always ask… 🙂
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Fabulous idea! I look forward to hearing if this is an option
+1
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+500
I so agree – my oldest son shared this with me – he’s been getting a lot of flack from his peers for following his own heart. I would like to have this framed for him, and for me. 🙂
Nice Article
I read All Your Article And You Explained Very Well I like it
Being the stay at home dad (to two girls), webcomic drawing artist, while my wife works in the Lockheed salt mines, I can fully relate to this. My life came to this point by tossing me some unexpected turns & opportunities. In other words life wasn’t as planned as you & Bill make it sound, it still reached a similar point.
If it is possible to get Bill Watterson’s permission to print this, I know exactly where on my studio wall I would post it.
Your reply is wonderful, and I would love to have a print of this too! To remind me daily to keep pursuing what I love, rather than a dollar (or other superficial happiness). But I also wanted to say that your name is wonderful too. Frith ra! I wonder if others know what book it’s from? : )
I do, I do! One of my favorite books growing up.
One of my favorite books from my younger years as well! In fact I just reread it last month and enjoyed it as much now as I did then.
And I would love to put a print of this on my wall as well.
I, too, would love a print if it is ever available. This is so the story of my husband and it brought him to tears!
If you choose not to make it available for sale, you could instead provide a high-DPI version that anyone could print at home or via a myriad of online poster-printing services. If you decide not to accept donations for it, you could instead request that people make donations to a favorite charity.
I think you’re missing the point. If the author & creator wanted to have this hanging on walls, he would’ve made it available. If that’s not enough, it’s not legal to print out someone’s work. No printing company will allow you to do this.
ANONYMOUS,
It is perfectly legal to print out someone’s work, just as it is perfectly legal to use a VCR or DVR to record a show on TV and “time shift” it and rewatch it over and over. The Supreme Court of the US ruled as much in Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc., 464 U.S. 417 (1984) gives a test for fair use, and following that test personal printing of this comic and hanging it up in your office or bedroom is perfectly legal.
It would be illegal to print copies to sell or give away, and that is why print shops simply don’t deal in copyrighted works.
This speaks so deeply to me and not just because Calvin and Hobbes are almost canonical to me but, this is the path that I have trod and, recently, life has rescued me from the drudgery and pain of corporate mediocrity. Every panel built the emotion in me as it resonated with my soul’s experience.
Thank you for lifting my spirit today.
Amazing. Something about being in a strip rather than words hits home. Calvin and Hobbes. What manic happiness those strips were and still are. Thanks. You deserve the accolades. Hope you can make it into a poster as well. I would definitely get one in the biggest size possible.
“What manic happiness those strips were and still are.”
Perfect way to describe them! Thank you for that.
This is exactly what I came to ask. Kudos on you for having the integrity to not sell a print, considering Watterson’s personal feeling on the matter. Great comic and it shows you understand his views on the medium.
You did such a great job imitating BW’s style that your poster/comic has gone viral on Facebook (usually hosted on imgur.com) and everyone thinks the words AND art were done by BW. Unfortunate, but kudos to you.
I would really love a print of this. I want to hang it in my classroom.
Of course, your reasoning for not selling prints is noble and understandable. BW was a monumental part of my childhood.
I too would love to get a print of this – it not only reflects just husbands but also a personal reminder to everyone there is so much more to life than competing in the dog eat dog world BUT what is more important is to pause and take in the simple pleasures which may be trivial to others but means the world to you. I love it. Thanks for the strip
Thank you for this. Shared it with my sons, the older one being a senior and graduating this schoolyear. I am hoping that prints can be made available too.
Could a possibly get a hi- res jpeg of this please? It brought me to tears. Big fan. Thanks
Hey Gav are you SG based? If not you should really come and join the Melbourne comic scene!
Perhaps arranging with him for the proceeds to go to his favorite charity, then?
Thank you,Gavin.I was introduced to CH much later in my life but I can’t tell you how much of an influence the comic has had on me.A fitting tribute to the greatest cartoonist ever.
Excellent work Gavin! The overwhelming response is as much for your creation as it is for Watterson’s words. Loved it so much…Loved the way the dad is shown with all his emotions as an employee and as a husband or father. And the boss & colleagues are just the way they are meant to be! Loved your special touches – some subtle and some not so subtle (like $ in Advertising, kid’s dart hitting the dad!). This is indeed one of the most impactful cartoon strips I have ever seen. I guess even Watterson himself would be proud of it! I would love to buy the print if you decide to make it available. Meanwhile, I have already put a small printout of it on my door though! 🙂
Speaking more personally, I have been thinking on these lines and I am on the verge of taking major life decision likewise. I also read two more articles elsewhere about this ‘busy trap’ that we have and creating the life that reflects our values and figuring out what we really want to do in life. It has been lot of introspection & the process is intricate, painful but hopefully more rewarding as well, where the rewards are more “internal” in nature. There have been lot of insights during the process – and I must add that this strip has been one of the most insightful for me and truly reflects my own values and thinking as well. Can’t thank you enough for this!
Your art also came at just the right time for me as I’m struggling with not continuing in my career and heading off in a new direction–at 56! Thanks for your encouraging work!
This comic really sums up an important truth that I have experienced as a stay-at-home dad with two daughters. I have had the glaring looks from other family members, the insinuations of being lazy and not living up to the potential. AND even after all of that, I know that making meaning for myself and my family is the higher calling. Thanks for putting together such a nice strip to say so, and with such style. There is an inside secret to putting up with others complaints for your ‘strange life’ for a few years . . . you start to see that anyone that has the time to point a finger is really missing something important.
Gav,
If you aren’t going to sell the print, could you possibly make it available in a high-res downloadable file? I recently had a similar revelation but had been struggling to find the words to adequately explain it. I really want to hang this on the wall of my new office, where I spend significantly less time than my old one.
I guess the best reply is from another cartoonist: http://www.savagechickens.com/2013/10/be-an-artist.html
I came back today hoping you’d have some news re: a print. 🙂 I will now enter my plea for a hard copy poster/print.
Many thanks for the exciting blog posting ! Simply put your blog post to my favorite blog list and will look forward for additional updates. Simply wanted to write down a word in order to say thanks to you for those wonderful tips.
honestly I never comment on anything, but please oh please a print or hi-res version. Went straight to the heart, well done.
It’s so naturally written, I am always searching online for articles that can help me. Looking forward to another great posts in this blog
I would buy this print, but to keep with your interpretation of Watterson’s philosophy, I would say you should charge for materials costs and nothing more. All I know is I want this print for my college dorm room.
It’s one thing for a male to turn your back on corporate life, it’s another to try and be a father. In divorce, the wife gets the kids, period. Judges despise dads even if they are full time. A dad without a job is treated like a criminal. Stop spreading this false propaganda about fatherhood.
This is great Gavin. Thanks so much for doing this. I needed it. This came along at exactly the right time.
Me too. A friend sent me this, during a moment of despair. Couldn’t believe it had only been posted the day before… Cosmic, man.
this gave me chills. CHILLS! I want this art to cover our office walls as a giant mural. No excuses for ever forgetting our choices and their reasons. THANK YOU!
Someone has to wake up here….This is plain and simple infringement on another man’s work…. we don’t need ANOTHER Calvin and Hobbs – that work was too great to have someone come along and so closely copy it…. that it is shameful. Admire the man’s work – but don’t try to take his success and exploit it as you are. You want to be a cartoonist?… Find your own way with your own creativity – don’t steal another man’s genius and use it as your own. Being such a huge fan of C&H and seeing someone come along and copy it I find deeply offensive! Stop it – create your own work!
Have you read any of the Zenpencils blog entries or only this one? If you had, you’d see that the artist has his own style every other day of the year. I thought it was a lovely tribute to Bill Waterson and his comic.
That’s unfair. It’s an homage- not an infringement at all. When Watterson pulled the on his strip the syndicates sent in very weak replacements.
One of those in particular (better not mentioned) WAS something of a rip-off.
As someone who left a lucrative career in advertising to launch a healthy kids cooking show on a shoestring, this strip made me cry with joy. Thank You so much for sharing this and for making available the wisdom and experience of a great artist.
This is truly inspiring. I myself own a small startup and it’s very difficult to decide whether I want a time-consuming, well-paying job or whether I want a less demanding job that will allow me to pursue my passion. I think it’s great that you are doing what you love and I wish you all the luck possible.
Wonderful. It takes me back to my husband’s decision to be at home with our daughter. He now tells poignant and relevant stories from this experience that he shares with his IT students. It’s not the money- its how we live our lives, what we make important, and what we cherish as memories of a life well lived.
Would order a print in a heartbeat. Beautifully done.
…Yeah go on and romanticise having children *facepalm*
This Comic Strip is the most stupid of them all
Wonderful! What a great comic. I especially love the “sell out” line in the middle. Thank you.
Dude, even before the last frame I knew this was Calvin and Hobbs inspired. The style of art gave me flashbacks.
It might be somewhat shallow to say this for the reason above, but this might be my favorite strip.
Great work, Gav.
Hobbes*
(damn!)
Ditto. Suspicious at the resignation letter, certain at the dinosaur, and comfortably flashing back at the forest.
An excellent tribute.
I could see the style the very first frame – and my hubby even said “Spaceman Spiff!” Our daughter has been “our little Calvina” so it’s *really* a hoot to see the little girl in this strip! Very nice homage as well as your own spin.
i agree, at first i thot it was watterson. nicely done! what a tribute.
Gavin thank you once again for being a beacon of inspiration and encouragement wrapped in an artistically beautiful candy shell. Please keep doing what you are doing and I hope that it makes you as happy to create as it makes we your fans to read and enjoy the results.
-cw
Bravo – worth waiting for.
I feel strongly that love and read more on this topic. If possible, such as gain knowledge, would you mind updating your blog.Royal
wow Gavin that was amazing man.
That was an amazing tribute, and good life advice that MANY people need to hear/ read. I reread “Calvin and Hobbes” constantly and it was great to see the same stylized cartooning in this piece! Thanks so much for this! 😀
CNH is the greatest comic strip ever, and this is your greatest post ever too *All hail* 🙂 ! \m/
This almost makes me cry. Simply beautiful
Sublime.
Amazing and beautiful. Two years ago, I walked away from teaching to try and head in a different direction. I have and I also started a strip along the way…
This speaks volumes to me, especially coming from someone like Mr. Watterson.
And great homage to the Calvin and Hobbes style, too!
Beautiful tribute. Like you, I was a little too young to appreciate the strip as much as I do now. Nonetheless, even as a kid I enjoyed all the adventures Calvin and his stuffed toy got into because I could relate to them. Now, as an adult, I have finally been able to understand how deep Watterson’s messages really were. A true artist. In Latin America, there was a character in the 70’s that reminds me a lot of Calvin & Hobbes. Her name is Mafalda and like C & H, the comic strip showed the deeper issues of society in the eyes of a five year old little girl who hated soup. If you can find it in English, or know Spanish, I highly recommend it. Thank you for all your awesome drawings!
I also recommend mafalda if you liked calvin and hobbles, it touches some more political subjects and has a few very funny characters (it’s a group of friends more than just mafalda)
Absolutely gorgeous. You’re comics bring me to tears almost every time I read them. Cheers to living a great life!
Gave me the chills, in a good way. One of the most beautiful things I have read in a very long time. Thank you.
I love Calvin and Hobbes, and I’ve read quite a few collections myself. It’s such a beautiful and wonderful strip.
Have you seen “Hobbes and Bacon”? It’s sort of like a mini-spin off of Calvin and Hobbes, with Calvin as an adult and his kid. I won’t spoil too much in case your interested, but I found a link with all of them in one place: http://imgur.com/tUzAL
I know this may seem off to you, like who could just take Bill’s work and make it their own? But I wouldn’t be showing it to you if I didn’t think it was good, and actually rather faithful to the original comic
Not as well done, but another comic artist liked the idea & has produced a few more in the series: http://hobbes-bacon.com/
great Gav! … totally worth waiting for.. 😀
Man, I love what you did with the style this time.
Bill Waterson is a bit of a mixed bag of feelings. I don’t know much about the man, and the little I know is not always favorable or against. I respect a lot his stance on stopping his great work while it’s still great, and even more his stance on the format of his work, but I have my doubts about the merchandising. It’s a rather big waste of an opportunity, and not to make money for himself, but to use that to fund something good. Blocking merchandising will not stop people from making it(as too many “Calvin pissing and flipping the bird” bumper stickers will tell), which means any money that comes wrongly out of it will go to waste.
But then again, it’s a matter of having control over his work. I still respect that.
This is a lovely tribute, and an awesome work. Thank you and keep up the good work, always love to see stuff from your site popping up in my reader. 🙂
How did I write my own nickname wrong, I’ll never know. 😐
Love the panel when he begins pulling the wagon uphill. Just love it. Makes the whole comic for me when that nastolgic style appears in all of its glory.
Amaziiiing wooork. Big biiig fan.
Unfortunately for this character the truth is that his wife is cheating on him while he’s happy taking care of her daughter.
Are you suggesting that everyone who works to support a family is also unfaithful to their spouse?
Is that projection? Or were you trying to make a joke that isn’t funny?
What he is saying is that you should follow your dreams. If that looks like climbing the corporate ladder to support your family, then you do that! If that means creating a start up, then go for it! And, if your dream is to become a stay at home parent, then don’t let anything stop you!
There is nothing critical in what he says. Its an urging not to do what is expected of you in our society, but to follow that passion that you have.
Troll
Gav, thank you for this. Calvin and Hobbes, in my humble opinion as well (and I’m sure millions of peoples’ too) is the greatest comic strip.
Love the homage to his style Gav. Damn Bill, why couldn’t you still live in Cincinnati so we could do lunch.
BEAUTIFUL! I Thought it WAS Watterson! You did an excellent job with this! I’m in the middle of being in that first few frames… So, I’ll print this out and hang it over my desk. You are the man! 😀
This is my absolute favourite.
I’m a huge Calvin and Hobbes fan. I devoured them when I was in my middle-teens, often told I was too old to be reading them. Now in my early 30s, I regularly use Calvin and Hobbes (and Zen Pencils) in my high school Philosophy and Ethics class.
Thank you, I love this one – I got excited as more and more references slipped into your artwork throughout the piece… the end was perfect.
Alex
Lovely, just lovely.
The vista in the first panel, the head held high and content smile as he walks away, the dead look in his ex-boss’s eye, the very Watterson-esque grins all around..
Inspired work, and inspiring.
Thank you.
Gavin, I don’t know you, but I feel like I owe you one. As a guy who left a high-paying job in corporate finance eight years ago so I could stay home with my daughter and write books, I’ve wrestled with so much self-doubt…and this is the perfect reminder of what’s really important and why. Thanks. I’d write more, but it’s off to watch Bugs Bunny…
Another beautiful comic. Now I really want to go out and buy some Calvin and Hobbes books.
Oh man, that fourth panel makes me laugh every time I look at it.
There is no work greater that Calvin and Hobbes in human history, in my opinion. I also go back to Calvin and Hobbes comic books at least once a week, just to remind myself of the lighter side of life, universe and everything. This comic was absolutely wonderful. Thank you!
This is a wonderful tribute to a brilliant writer and artist. As a stay at home Dad and part time writer/ illustrator it really struck a deep, reverberating chord with me. I grew up with Calvin and Hobbes and go back to it also for a chuckle and guffaw. Thanks for the fantastic strip.
Thanks. I really needed that.
Keep up the great work!
AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Lovely Gav. Thank you.
Damn. This is really good!
So glad you did this! And your work is as awesome as always! love the tribute to Calvin and Hobbes!
Simply amazing. I LOVEEEE Calvin and Hobbes and used to read the all the time as a kid. I really appreciate your hard work and passion in this comics. Keep it up Gav!!!!
A long-running argument during the publication of ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ was “Is Hobbes real or not?” My assertion during that time and since then has always been “Both, of course.”
Great! Now convince my wife!
It’s a very good comic.
Have a good idea for life.
Thank you very much
https://www.ballinw.com/star-vegas/
One thing you should know about Watterson’s artistic fights with the newspapers was that many of the industry heavyweights (Schultz, Keane, Hart, among others) sided with the papers and told BW to stop causing a ruckus and just do as he was told. I didn’t have much respect for the old guard then, but lost what little I did have as a result.
Hey, whatever happen to the JK Rowling comic strip? Love that so much!
Can i get a print of that somewhere?
I am with you, is there a way to buy a print?
This made my day. I was thinking of submitting a Bill Watterson quote and then… boom… a Bill Watterson comic comes out. Calvin and Hobbes is a childhood favorite of mine, too, and I got so excited when I reached that panel where he pulls the cart with his daughter up the hill because it just screamed “Calvin & Hobbes!”. Props again for coming up with this great comic.
This was definitely what I needed to read!
Thank you so much for this. I won’t go into the details, but it really hit home.
This is going in my favourites list.
Gavin, I’ve always been a big fan of your work… but this one really touched me! It’s like you drew my life story! One day, I would love to meet you in person and thank you for your amazing amazing work! 🙂
Keep on being awesome!
This rocks!
I love the tributes to C&H. That T-Rex looks really familiar! And thanks for using that wonderful quote.
I so enjoyed C&H because of the many small experiments Watterson did – besides the variable sizes of Sunday panels, he did some great black-and-white inkworks, on display in the Calvin’s Private Eye Noir Adventures. I had one series of them pinned up at work for years.
I was really sad when he retired. Happy for him, though. Most of the new comics now are … meh.
I sure hope he never sees those “praying/pissing/finger-raisin’ Calvins” that are on the back windows of pickup trucks all over the South.
Thank you so much.
I love this so much, the quote the artwork, it’s amazing! I actually thought this was made by Watterson himself and he’d come out of comic retirement. Keep going Gav, you have a future with this 🙂
Brilliant stuff!!! I think this is my favorite strip by far. You have no idea at how many levels I relate to this one. In my opinion also, I think Calvin and Hobbes is the greatest comic strip ever made.
Thanks for this!!!!
Nice work, my friend!
AWESOME does not say it enough…….
Thank you so much for this masterpiece Gavin. Being a Bill Watterson fan and appretiating his authenticity to life and his work, this piece gives me great joy.
In a way this is you Gavin right 😀 ? At least in the first half of the cartoon where he works in a corporation and decides to leave
Love this one. It’s the choice I made so many times in my life, but I finally realized that it’s much better to do what I love, than forcing myself to do what I don’t.
So inspiring Gav. I really really want to be like this 🙂
Great piece, but I agree with the poster above who points out that Watterson actually lost control of his artistic creation by not licensing it. A little part of me dies inside everytime I see a “Calvin peeing” or “Calvin praying” sticker, because they are a subversion of the character that Watterson created. Even if he had donated all the money to charity, he should have exercised his licensing rights to prevent what eventually happened. He couldn’t have known that it would go down that way, but it must break his heart that it did.
Those Calvin peeing stickers are bootleg stickers. Too many companies make those to track those stickers back to the company to sue them. That is the unfortunate thing about bootlegs. And yes I bet he is furious about it. I saw a Bart one in a similar style once.
Those bootlegs would happen/would have happened even if he’d taken the merchandising deal.
Ok, Bill once again you brought me to tears !
Thank you !
Gosh, time is relentless. Like you, I came across Calvin and Hobbes and it defined my childhood. It just amazes me that there needs to be a synopsis for the uninitiated, but then again it has been almost *gulp* 20 years since the strip stopped.
Gav you are too slow. I demand at least two comics per day from you 😀 I cant wait a whole week!
Please Gav is doing is best lol…
The last panel reminds of the CnH bobsledding down in snow. Deliberate? 🙂
I didn’t know that Bill Watterson was the creator of Calvin and Hobbes but while I was reading your comic, I thought ,”Man this looks so much like Calvin and Hobbes!!”
Great dedication to a great cartoonist. Is the guy in the comic Calvin?
I’ve been reading your comics in order, but my mom introduced me to C&H when I was a little girl, so I was eager to see how you’d render Bill’s style. Excellent job! My favorite panel is when dad is listening to mom’s belly. ^_^
Ahh, this is so fitting! Just yesterday I read about http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_Disintegration
Ahh… Bill Watterson finally!!
Thanks Gavin.
His Kenyon speech is a motivating gem. I would rate it better than some of the popular commencement speeches. Keep up the good work… Cheers!!
Thank you for the comic 🙂
I’ve always loved Calvin and Hobbes as a kid, and I still do.
An imaginary tiger (or a rabbit) is the bestest friend to have. (bestest is not a word? )
Thanks for the inspiration!
I love this strip, Gav. What a fantastic message! I’ve never heard/read this quote before, but I have been a fan of Calvin and Hobbes for a long, long time. After Bill Watterson stopped drawing C&H, I felt a little like something was missing. Oddly enough, I found a webcomic a few years later that felt, in some ways, a little like C&H, and I loved it almost as much. It, too, has been left behind by its creator, but it’s still available online if you (or anyone else here who liked C&H) would like to check it out.
It’s called Ozy & Millie and it is about two fox children. Millie’s mom is a lawyer. Ozy is adopted… and his dad is a philosophical dragon. It’s adorably absurd.
http://ozyandmillie.org/
The creator has a new daily comic strip up on GoComics called Heavenly Nostrils. There’s about a year of archives so far. Happy reading! 😀
This the best so far ! Can SO connect with it! Amazing Work Gav! 🙂
Even though i was slightly disappointed by the increase in time between 2 comic strips, the quality of work you came up with sealed the deal! 😀
You made me cry, Gav! 🙂
I’ll be glad to get a version of this strip in spanish. Can anyone help me to find it?
This is a beautiful tribute, and it’s nice to remind ourselves of the important things in life. Thank you.
Thank you for another good though for the day 🙂
I have to share that I grew up with Bill Watterson and his wife in Northeast Ohio. When Bill decided to stop drawing the strip I was perplexed, as many were.
I am so glad that you printed his commencement speech because it really gives us insight as to why he stopped.
Bill ~ I always appreciated your work and I hope that this very heartfelt tribute (and the many comments that follow) bring you some sense of how many people you reached with your art and prose.
Of course there is no guarantee that Bill will actually ever see this post, but I had to share regardless.
Wow, that’s great to know Chris. Thanks for sharing.
I love Calvin and Hobbes and I stared at this for maybe 40 minutes and re-read it a few times. It’s amazing… Apart from one panel that really troubles me… When your kid is capable of walking, shooting you in the head and steering a cart, they are definitely far too old to be imprisoned in a playpen. It’s petty and niggly I know, the strip really is great and she’s drawn like she’s loving it, but that’s fairly messed up.
AD, the little girl in the playpen is not the same age as the girl shooting the dart and steering the cart. You can tell by the clothes she’s wearing and that the bunny is so much bigger in comparison to her size.
Loved this comic strip Gav, you have done a great job on it… C&H is my favorite too!
Starting from the very first frame, your tribute builds up beautifully. The Dinosaur, The expression of the characters, the color schemes, the forest and the hills, this tribute is so perfect. The quote is so strong that it stays with anyone who reads it carefully and the way you portrayed it, it might just change few lives. Gr8 work. Congrats and all the best.
Is it just me or the little girl has the same face as Calvin.. Lovely tribute.
I am so glad you decided to take your own time and make the best of your comics.
Also, I think it’s time for you to start working on something other than adapting quotes and speeches.
I think it’s time for you as an artist to stand up and say what you, Gavin Aung Than have to say to the world.
This one is probably the strip I’ve enjoyed the most. I’m a huge fan of Watterson’s work, and of course I love Calvin and Hobbes. You couldn’t have chosen a better quotation. Also, you did a great job when drawing the cartoonist and his life.
Thanks for making my day! (and giving me strength to study another day)
seriously. i agree
simply awesome 🙂
I, too, was introduced to Calvin & Hobbes at a rather late date in its life. I think it was reaching its final strips as I received one of the book collections for Christmas, and I fell in love with it immediately – searching everywhere for more (the strip didn’t run much in the UK, so all I ever saw was via the books).
I am no artist; any attempt to draw, whether realistically or in a cartoon-style, results in disaster. However, I find inspiration and comfort in all of Watterson’s C&H strips and the way he approached his work. I would also love to see some new work from him, and an online display would be wonderful, but I also respect the choice he has made.
Although I obviously would adore some more C&H content – Ideally some of the large-format work he did especially for the books, often without dialogue but always full of feature.
The instant avalanche of comments here pretty much says it all I reckon. Great art all-round. Took me right back to about 1990, reading the collections as they came out.
I was stupidly excited when I realised immediately you were doing it in Bill’s style, and was instantly hoping for a classic scene and a dinosaur. Got them both. Cheered out loud when he began pulling her up the hill in the cart, knowing what was coming next. Wonderful. Well done indeed. 🙂
As always, beautiful and heart clenching, Gav. Good job! God bless you!
As always, beautiful and heart clenching, Gav! Awesome.
Great strip, but c’mon how can any strip even compare to Shulz’s Peanuts??
😉
I knew from the first panel that it was Bill Watterson. Excellent artwork and a great homage to one of the best comic writers out there.
Best Ever!!
I’ve read every comic on zen pencils and this one is my absolute favorite. Great work Gav! 😀
Worth the wait. Best yet.
Keep up the good work. Remember, you have the chance to be an inspiration for future generation of cartoonists as Bill Watterson is to you. Make best use of this chance. Try not to throw it away !
Thank you so much for this blog. A lifetime C& H fan and someone who loves creating many kinds of art and living with integrity, character, and authenticity, this is a great reminder to follow our passions and stay true to our values. I can’t thank you enough for writing this today. Not a reader of yours, but saw this on Facebook today and I needed the message as I return to my job after attempting to land what i once thought was my dream job. I didn’t get it, realize it isn’t the job I originally fell in love with and realize that where I have been and continue to be is a place and role I really do love. While I feel a bit let down, I am exited to plunge forward this school year with Gg renewed passion.
Thanks, Gavin, for this touch back to one of my favorite cartoonists. Calvin and Hobbes got me through some rough times. It makes me happy to think of Watterson doing well. And I’ve made some of the choices he talks about (though never on the scale he had to) and it’s been tough but worth it.
Thanks for a nice article.
Wonderful work, Gavin! I am old enough to have been an adult with children when Watterson’s strip came out and I, too, have the boxed set in which I frequently re-enter that magical world. He’s my absolute favorite artist of all time, of any category! I used to tape his strips on my drawing board for inspiration (although I’m not a comic artist). Thank you so much, and please make this one a poster we may purchase. Love your work!!!
Wonderful. Simply wonderful!
Awesome comic. Brilliant tribute. I actually missed the Calvin-style red striped shirt and black pants on the little girl the first time around, so that was a nice touch.
Great Strip, even though the words come from a Watterson speech please make this one available as a poster or print.
You can see the ‘calvanistic’ infulence in this one. Great work. Very inspiring!
Will this be available as a print anytime soon?
Great advice and a great strip! Love it.
Even though this has a quote, could you offer this piece as a textless one?
On the nose
I’m bookmarking this. One of the most inspirational things I have ever seen and read. Bravo to you, good sir, and the great Mr. Watterson whose messages and wisdom are timeless.
Newspaper comics were my first exposure to art (and yes, I consider them art) and Calvin & Hobbes left an influence on me that has simply never left.
The very first thing I did out of college was send comic samples to as many syndicates as I could, and, to the surprise of no young artist, I didn’t make it.
Your comic does strike home; as a freelance artist who must fend for himself, it’s all too easy to doubt the value of your work or to think that everyone with a studio/company job are the ‘real winners’. Keeping your sight on what’s really important to you gets harder as you grow (and have bills to pay), but it’s still more important than most anything I can think of.
Great comic, great message, great job!
I’d be more inspired about the guy talking about not selling out to some corporation to make money, and instead pursue his own happy dreams if it wasn’t obvious in order for him to do so, his wife had to go off to some standard job for some similar corporation in order to support his dream.
Word.
I would say a) not all corporations/jobs are sell-outs of terribleness and b) who knows what his wife is doing? Maybe she’s an architect, going out to enjoy her job as she designs cool buildings for everyone to use. Maybe she’s a lawyer working for the EFF. Maybe she works at a corporation, doing something she loves. Which I believe is the point — working/doing something one loves, that expresses the fullest authentic nature of themselves. Given her smiling, I don’t think we ought to detract from the quote/idea by imagining she’s being forced to demean herself in order to support the family…
F find myself agreeing with Anonymous here. Surely the point of the strip is that we should seek to do what is right _for us_ and not worry about other people’s standards of success.
If She wants to take a regular job and He doesn’t – which is the implication – then it would be rather foolish for them to insist that they force themselves into traditional roles which would suit neither of them.
“Sit down and read this. I’ll wait.”
I find it amazing that two great cartoonists, Bill Watterson and Jim Borgman (Zits), share the same alma mater, and they also share a kindred spirit.
I agree, one of my ALL time favourite comics. I also boast the entire collection of books and have read and reread them several times. I wish Bill would continue to draw and write more, but all good things do and must come to an end. I am just glad I can say that I used to get VERY excited to read the Sunday paper as it was always sure to have a new Calvin and Hobbes Comic.
Thank you, great homage…
For an earlier example of the superiority of the cartoonist to the artist who can’t write or the writer who can’t draw, I recommend Walt Kelly’s Pogo…to me, the best and funniest comic strip ever. But I was a huge Calvin & Hobbes fan as well.
This so wonderful, I can’t begin to tell you how much it means to me. I grew up with Calvin, so that cartoon style always gives me a huge rush of nostalgia. And I am about to venture out on my own path…taking a huge step towards pursuing my OWN ‘life’s meaning’, in fact. So I’m going to take this latest strip as a positive sign from the universe.
I really hope this will be available as a poster. It needs to hang in my new workspace as soon as possible! Thank you for continuing to be an inspiration, Gavin.
Thank you for this, Gav.
Awesome! I love Calvin & Hobbes and this is a great tribute to my favorite comic of the past. I love that you ended it with a wagon ride down a hill (and that the little girl has her own “Hobbes”). To me you are to the internet what Bill Watterson was for the newspapers. Keep up the great work.
I would totally buy this as a poster. I hope that we’ll be able to soon!
Made me cry. A printable version please!
The rocks at the opening were a nice touch–the purple bordered-box confirmed it for sure. That’s a classic Watterson move. Well done.
Love the story (and the art).
But you missed the bit where most families would be living in a tent by baby hatching time.
Thus my point. It’s not about making your life the one you want….
But how have you empowered artists like Bill to achieve the life they’d rather have. Are you one of the ones building the marley-chains, or are you the one who will help others.
Do you look at a medieval woodcut and see sinners tearing each other down, or people who will help others up just because you can?
what?
Living in a tent? The woman is clearly working. And working at home doesn’t mean ‘earning no money’. Wow, dude.
I need this as a poster. Now.
[fryshutupandtakemymoney.gif]
Before today, I had never heard of this place…Now after finding this Gem of a retrospective..I am incredibly inspired. This was truly a pleasure to read and even brought a few tears to my eyes. Being a huge fan of Calvin and hobbes and mr watterson, I think you have done it huge justice. I too am trying to get my own web comic off the ground…and this has inspired me tremendously…THANK YOU!!
BTW, Please put this up as a print so i can buy it…I would love to hang it above my desk!
Thanks for putting this inspirational piece together, Gavin. For what it’s worth, the first panel – and all that followed – looked like Bill Watterson’s work. It wasn’t until I read your words after that I realized the artwork was yours. Nicely done!
That was superb. Especially the final panel, which really captures the spirit of Calvin and Hobbes.
This is beautiful, more than I ever imagined when I submitted the quote. You’re the best, Gavin!
This made my day! There is something special about Calvin & Hobbes and you gave wonderful tribute to it with this comic. Beautiful. 🙂
Wow, one of my favorites to date! very inspiring for my actual situation
Would you mind if I pinned this to share with folk? I want to help more people see it but I also know not everyone likes having their stuff pinned on Pinterest so I want to be sure to respect your art by asking.
Haven’t been to this site before, but I just wanted to post that I share your opinion: “Bill Watterson is the artist and creator of (in my humble opinion) the greatest comic strip of all time, Calvin and Hobbes.”
Yup. Your tribute is beautiful.
This is a work genius, much as Calvin & Hobbes was. Thank you for creating it.
This is absolutely inspired. Well done.
Great post! Bill Watterson is at the top of my cartooning heroes. He is truly one of the greats.
And great job with the above comic, almost had me fooled as it looks so much like his work! Thumbs up! 🙂
I would very much like a print of this one. Is there any way to get an e-mail if/when it becomes available?
What would it take to get an autographed copy of this? Suitable for framing?
Your comics have become an inspiration and have really helped me cope with daily life. I give you the most sincere thankyou that i can offer though this medium.
definitely would love a print of this one!
🙂
You’ll make a print of this, right? please?
It’s a beautiful strip and poignant in it’s own way, but is it bad of me to feel kind of sorry for the Boss?
I mean, while he’ll probably never understand, he doesn’t strike me as an evil sort of guy. I get the feeling that he’s still trying to do right by his staff in his own way.
Good work.
Hah, I could almost be your Reader of the Month or whatever it is. I’m closing my lovely and lucrative web business to focus on my health, my art, and my Path.
As someone who is a small business owner and a stay at home mom, this struck so deep for me. Its all about FIGHTING for what you want in this life. It is yours, live it for you.
very nice and inspiring.lot of respect for Watterson.
Sublime! As a lifelong fan of Calvin and Hobbes, and a rest-of-my life long fan of Zen Pencils, this strip was wonderful to see. When worlds collide… Keep doing what you do Gavin, you make this world a better place!
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I’m a great admirer of Watterson’s work, despite his work not being published in The Netherlands until it was translated as Casper en Hobbes and published in Trouw.
I think you captured his style exceptionally well, and the sentiment is spot-on. I myself am in the same position – I’ve become a stay-at-home dad to a boy and a girl so I could focus on writing fiction and giving courses in conflict resolution and self-defence, while my wife works to her satisfaction in IT.
Thanks for making this comic strip.
Martyn V. Halm, author of the Amsterdam Assassin Series.
Love your tribute to one of the world’s greatest cartoonist. Thanks!
Please make this a print.
Wow, I am inspired! Thanx
I like this one and it proves at times we need our own values and decision if is what is fulfilling, it shouldn’t always be about what the world demand or expects but what we can give the world and be satisfied.
That was BRILLIANT! From the very top of the comic when the panel was zoomed in to the landscape I made up my mind I was going to ask in the comments if this had anything to do with Watterson. I made up my mind even stronger as I scrolled down, and when I reached the end I was so very satisfied. Thank you, Gavin!
By the way, your comics have inspired me to take up drawing again after a gap of several years. Specifically, the Bruce Lee series compelled me to pick up my charcoals lying around and sketch the master. Thank you again! It made me feel fulfilled.
Very cool! I needed this more than you know!
Thanks for doing this. I always find your pieces great, but this one was wonderful. Calvin and Hobbes is a comic strip that made my life better and this really takes me back and gives me the warm fuzzies.
My third Calvin and Hobbes flashback of the summer. The first was when my grandson and I road down the ramp off the front porch in his wagon. Frazz sometimes reminds me of what we’re missing.
Great strip, beautifully thought out and executed. Funny thing, though, I used to work in comics and gradually went into the commercial illustration side of things because I was too slow to make a living in comics. The tight deadlines in the commercial world imposed discipline on me and I’ve learned to work faster. I now do advertising storyboards almost exclusively, freelance from home, and find it enjoyable and fulfilling, strange as that may seem. I’m just happy when I’m working. I’ve thought about doing an occasional comic strip, but the old, paying outlets for them don’t seem to be around anymore.
Thank you!
I am a massive fan of Calvin and Hobbes.Around every birthday of mine, I let all the people around me know that I wouls love to have the complete collection as a gift!
Your tribute is beautiful and your strip touching , as it is very close to our story. My husband quit his job to move to another city where I do my post doctoral fellowship in endocrinology while he pursues his dream of writing books and movies. It is a great arrangements, but there are days when we need to find the faith. Your strip does just that! Congratulations! You go on the way you do, there is nothing that can stop you from being as good as your mentor!
I LOVE this!!! Was a huge Calvin and Hobbes fan as a teen and that has carried over to my adult life. Great take on his work, I just adore this.
LOVE LOVE LOVE. My husband is a stay-at-home dad to our two boys (9 and 6) who have been DEVOURING Calvin and Hobbes for months now. All of my old collections are bearing the proud signs of being over-loved by a whole new generation. The strips are timeless and wonderful, and this strip of yours is just great. Thank you.
Could there be a better tribute to Bill Watterson’s style than by creating a strip that I thought all the way through was was created by Bill Watterson himself. I was blown away by this strip. Excellent job.
You should turn this into a print. Contact Bill and ask for his permission to use his words, offer him any % he feels is appropriate, and then offer to donate your percentage to any charitable organization he supports.
Selling is not selling out. Not if you sell things the right way for the right reasons.
Your strip’s artistic quality is a genuinely superb tribute to the style of Calvin and Hobbes.
I’d so buy this if you were able to sell prints.
Bill Watterson in Zen Pencils. Epicness overload.
Just this morning (8/28) I was at a local coffeeshop with my wife celebrating her birthday. We noticed there was a children’s bookshelf with toys, games and books, and towards the bottom there was a stack of books, and on the top was “Something Under the Bed is Drooling”. I got excited, grabbed it, and proceeded to explain to my wife how those cartoons were an incredible influence on my life, and the life of my best childhood friend. We *were* Calvin and Hobbes (duality of man allegory aside) and played the role of one for the other almost interchangeably. It enhanced our creative thinking, had a not-so-subtle influence on our senses of humor (along with MST3K), and I strongly believe was an integral factor in both of us becoming intelligent, articulate adults who have an inner child that is never far from the surface and who appears quite often. He is the father of 3, with the oldest quickly approaching the age of CNH appreciation. I am the father of an 18 month old, with another on the way. After the explanation to my wife, I shot him a text talking about the book discovery and we chatted back-and-forth this morning about what it had meant to use and how aware we were of the cognitive benefits it gave us, while still allowing us to be children. I was in college when Mr. Watterson ended the strip and was old enough to understand why, although it still made me very sad. I still have a framed copy of the last strip at home, ready to hang in my daughter’s room.
Fast forward 2 hours and my friend posts a link to your art on my facebook page. I immediately went in search of the source and found this page. I was not familiar with your work before today, and rarely do I engage on an internet forum or website of a person with whom I am not personally familiar.
I understand and commend your hesitation to offer a print of this for sale, and I am aware of why you would be reluctant to reach out to Mr. Watterson to receive permission.
However, on behalf of all the middle-aged persons who are sitting behind their computers at work today fighting back a tear (or two) as we appreciate your art, Mr. Watterson’s words and how you beautifully intertwined the two, and now reminisce about the innocence of Calvin, the innocence we had if/when we read his work as children ourselves, and how we may hope to raise our children the same way, and how some of us likely wish our lives were like your art, I ask that you please reconsider.
I have a feeling there will be more than one copy printed out on a company printer and taped up to the wall next to a monitor anyways, but I suspect most people would rather have something they could frame and hang. Further, as the attorney for my favorite artist (my wife), I know it would allow you to garner some of the benefits of your labor, with which there is nothing wrong. From what I have read of Mr. Watterson, I don’t think he would see the use of his words in this manner as a deviation from the purpose of his own work.
I don’t expect a response, mostly due to the likelihood this has of becoming a viral phenom (with all the benefits and detractions of such). But I hope that amongst the throngs of comments and adulation, my words here help convince you to make a buck or two from this, with the added benefit of allowing us to share your art with the world…or at least those that wander into my office.
Outstanding strip with a powerful message. Great work. Keep it coming.
Great post, Gavin, and I’m glad to see you’re doing well! 🙂
I’d just like to add to the clamor for a print. I would love to put this on my wall!
Brilliant. You made my day brother. Simply Brilliant.
A beautiful tribute and an important message. I have shared this with my social network because I want more people to think about this. Thank you Gav for creating this! I do consulting and coaching with a lot of people in “corporate America” and sadly I see a lot of human potential and energy and talent being wasted because people feel no connection with what they are spending most of their time on. If we are going to heal the world, we need to heal ourselves first, and figure out what we are meant to be doing to make the best use of our gifts… A couple of things I’d recommend for people who are seeking more purpose in life, for connecting and learning… yscouts.com and femininepower.com (full disclosure: I do NOT get paid from either of these organizations, I’ve just found their work to be inspiring!)
A beautiful tribute and an important message. I have shared this with my social network because I want more people to think about this. Thank you Gav for creating this! I do consulting and coaching with a lot of people in “corporate America” and sadly I see a lot of human potential and energy and talent being wasted because people feel no connection with what they are spending most of their time on. If we are going to heal the world, we need to heal ourselves first, and figure out what we are meant to be doing to make the best use of our gifts… A couple of things I’d recommend for people who are seeking more purpose in life, for connecting and learning… yscouts.com and femininepower.com (full disclosure: I do NOT get paid from either of these organizations, I’ve just found their work to be inspiring!)
Mr Zen pencil’s guy;
I think you are a right person to honour Watterson. You seem to have similar humble greatness in you as you admire in him. I hope all goes well for you.
This was absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much!
As a young, corporate copywriter by day and amateur fiction writer by night, this really REALLY struck home for me. I just last night had a long conversation with my fiancee about the more depressing aspects of my work life and how they resonate in my personal life and she said something along the very same lines as this quote. Needless to say, when I saw it this morning, I was extremely moved. In fact, I sat at my desk crying, but in a good way. In any case, I just wanted to thank you for inspiring me and I’m sure many others with your work on these comics. You and Mr. Watterson are excellent examples for all young, aspiring creatives out there. Thank you again.
I haven’t visited your website since you posted the Caitlin Moran comic. When I first read that comic, I found it insulting and woefully ignorant. To add salt to the wound, your justification for creating the comic was also arrogant and dismissive. I still hate that comic, but I cannot deny your talent as artist.
This website was a part of my weekly rituals throughout my final years in college. I appreciate the depth of the quotes you select, and your art style is easy on the eyes. I came back to this website because my cousin posted this comic on Facebook. Bill Watterson, like many, is a favorite of mine too. Calvin and Hobbes was an essential component of my childhood and I deeply appreciate your reverence to Watterson’s art style for this comic too.
Thank you.
I MUST have a print of this, and I WILL pay you for it. You may work out the details or I will, but this one is required……
Very poignant. Thanks for this.
loved it. yes. Calvin and Hobbes is one of my favorite favorite favorite comics which has that timeless quality to it. it seems like the words are written now instead of some couple of decades ago or more. Thank you..
Wonderful: thanks for the inspiration.
Thank you for this beautiful and moving work!! A touch of humanity
You can see Mr. Watterson’s wisdom and style all thru this. On my shelf I have copies (1st editions-mind you) of all of the books (except the hardbound collection). I did not buy that one as the smaller books are more personal, easy to refer to and re-live. The more formal the book the less likely you are to want to damage it by reading. I miss Calvin and Hobbes adventures still today, but leaving the strip at its peak is better than letting them drift along….
Well done and well said. Please let us know if you get permission and print. 🙂
This was sent to me via Facebook and I have to thank you for making this. I recently quit my job of Engineering Design to follow up a dream of writing children’s books, and being a full time artist. This also means that I am a stay at home dad and I get to go on school trips with my kids and really be there for them. I just really wanted to thank you for taking the time to draw this up and sharing it with all of the world. You rock dude!@
Well said .. maybe his co-workers at ‘Global’ were doing what THEY wanted to do with their lives, but Watterson is spot on about the judgments you get when you break away from conventional patterns society sets up. We here in the West are lucky, because some cultures are violently intolerant of iconoclasts in their midst .. I don’t judge others’ life choices, but they don’t get a chance to judge mine, either.
Love it… this is absolutely beautiful and so poignant. We are truly lucky to be living in a time where we have so many choices about how to make our lives beautiful by our definition. We don’t have to climb ladders. We can cultivate lives : )
I’m sharing this with EVERYONE!
Your strip just vent viral. Got it from three different sources in one day – unrelated sources, that is.
Great work Gavin! And the overwhelng response is as much to your creation as well as it is for Watterson. Loved the Dad’s expressions throughout this cartoon strip and the collegues and boss look exactly what they are meant to be!!! Awesome! Loved small touches – subtle and not so subtle ($ in advertising, kids dart hitting dad)…it’s really awesome! And loved your brief story as well.
Know something? I have been thinking about stepping out from the fast lane, working at a lesser frantic pace and I came acros two more such articles recently – http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/ and the other one is – https://medium.com/this-happened-to-me/c02f1ff471c6. But your illustration *really* made an impact! Thanks again Gavin! 🙂
Yes – if this gets printed and available/delivered in India, I’d be buying as well! 🙂
I have always loved Calvin and Hobbes since I was in my teens and have kept them with me until recently(in my 40s) when I passed them down to my niece. They spoke to me somehow but I never realised until now that Watterson was really teaching me about living a life worth living. Now I don’t feel so bad doing part time and not climbing the ladder…I so wanna get a new complete collection of his again….for my two growing toddlers eventually:))))
I just wanted to add my appreciation for this strip. Took a lot of scrolling down to get to where I could write hello, but I figure it’s the least you deserve. 🙂
I echo previous comments to the effect that if this was available in print, I’d buy it!
A great tribute to a great cartoonist! I’m fortunate enough to work from home and spend time with my kids. I wouldn’t trade it for a corporate job ever
In an alternate universe…Calvin and Hobbes would have been sold out and made a dozen shitty VHS releases in the 90’s and now be utterly forgotten. At least you would be able to buy Hobbes dolls, but nobody would want them.
Yup, gotta be thankful for our current outcome. Has Watterson ever cracked down on the Calvin-urinating bumper stickers on jacked-up trucks? Those vehicles deserve a swift application of a key.
Well Done Sir. No higher tribute can be made than to emulate the work of The Master.
Concur with all of the above. I need a poster of this to hang in the office I share with my husband. I ask you to at least reach out to BW and ask him for permission or his blessing to turn this into a print. It is one of the most inspiring messages for entrepreneurs, mavericks, and all those who follow our dreams.
I posted on facebook a link to this and the following words:
I remember a phrase my mom came up with.
“When you are dancing to the beat of your own drum, to the rest of the world, you just look like you can’t dance right. Accept that you won’t be accepted.”
I have to respectfully disagree, the greatest cartoonist is Charles Schultz.
Watterson comes in a close second.
I love both and hope to see more new material from Mr. Watterson.
let me add this is a wonderful tribute and spot on. I almost thought Watterson drew it himself. I’d buy it if online.
Gav;
I just wanted to say that I love this (coincidentally, buzzfeed had a ’10 times C&H broke your heart’ article, so it seems serendipitous that I saw the article on this on Huffington Post…).
I do want to tell you, though, that you need to embrace the kudos for this one. Yes, it is a testament to Bill Watterson that just drawing something in his style and using his advice to script your comic resonates with all of us because of what a master he is and how much of our lives may, or may not, be tied up with our memories of Calvin and Hobbes, but don’t let that take away from the incredible story you tell with your art. It’s not like any old story drawn in Watterson’s style would’ve effected as many people as is it did. Your comic is exquisite perfection.
Thank you so much for this.
Brilliant. And the traces reminds so much Watterson´s work.
A friend posted a link to this page on Facebook. I’m so grateful he did.
As a work at home father, I’ve struggled over the years second guessing my choice to leave the corporate rate race which paid so well but didn’t allow me the freedom to be a Great Dad.
My biggest doubt was whether I traded long term financial success and the chance “to be somebody” just so I could see my kids a little more, be there a little more, play a little more, help a little more. The question of whether I made the right choice seems more clear today.
Today you have reminded me why I made my choice.
Thank you Gavin. You have a new fan.
had to share this on facebook. Great interpretation of a great statement by a great artist.
I just read the whole series so far and I have to say that I love it but I’m a little disappointed. You haven’t done my favorite poem yet, “Do not go gentle into that good night.” I know its been done by so many others. I would like to know how it would be done here on Zen Pencils.
Mr Watterson is a very very wise man. I just had my 67th birthday and I can tell you from experience…Chasing the Title and almighty Dollar almost ruined my life…I missed my kids growing up until they were adults and lost my son at age 37. I never got to spend the time with him and tell him how much he meant to me…I always thought there would be plenty of time to do it in the future. DON’T WAIT to get involved with your Kids lives. It only happens once. I am now making up for it with my Grand-kids.
This is excellent. Our whole family loves Calvin and Hobbes and your tribute is inspiring! Thanks
I once wrote to Mr. Watterson and he wrote back with custom letterhead and envelope. It was amazing and inspiring. I still have in a box somewhere and should just get it framed.
PLEASE make this available for purchase. I LIVED for Calvin and Hobbes as a child and am only now understanding the valuable principals that the comic strip taught me at a young age. My whole life has been influenced by Bill Watterson and I think that this strip would make him very proud.
Absolutely love this. Well done sir!
I encountered you for the first time today because of this strip. I’ve been reading it again and again, all day long. It makes me want to cry each time. This fits my husband to a tee and answers all those who have told him not to be satisfied with where he is, or what he is, or what he is doing. I’ll echo some of the others. If Bill Watterson ever gives his consent to make this a print, I’ll be first in line to buy it!
Black guy is gets the beer. Nice.
Thank you for lifting my heart, and reminding me why I love Bill Watterson as an artist. He’s one of the few who can claim to have never sold out for the sakes of money, and has allowed us to continue loving his creation by not running it into the ground like a lot of cartoonists have. What you have produced is a beautiful ode to Watterson’s own out look on life, and a message that a lot more of us would love to live by.
Don’t know how far I can take a tribute to your tribute to “Calvin & Hobbes” by Bill Watterson, but I just put your graphic up on my blog. Thanks so much for the art and words.
Wait, so this depicts the guy as refusing to socialize with his co-workers, making him kind of a dick?
And then he quits his job while the wife is pregnant?
Sorry, how is this an admirable guy?
missed the whole point.
Nice artwork, love it.
Hey there! I came across your gorgeous comic strip and was so inspired by it that I thought I’d translate it in my native language to share with people. You can find the translated version here: http://junipaurora.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/comicstrip.jpg
It’s in Turkish by the way 🙂 I didn’t change anything in the original except some tweaking around with Photoshop to make sure everything looked authentic when translated. I hope you don’t mind. Keep up the great work!
You should probably read today’s Shortpacked! by David Willis…http://www.shortpacked.com/
I think your comic is awesome btw.
Beautiful comic, and a great tribute to Watterson. I’ve been a big fan of C&H since it started, and I had a similar experience when my daughter was born… It wasn’t an easy time (financyally speaking), but we managed to make ends meet in the end and being with her in those first years was sooo much worthy than a bigger paycheck.
I took the liberty of translating this one to spanish for my wife and co-workers, I hope Gavin is ok with it.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/34945788/ZenPencils-watterson-esp-edit.jpg
Hi
Where does this strip come from? I heard that Bill hasn’t drawn in years
This absolutely made my day.
Bill Watterson needs to come out of seclusion to give you a nod of Kudos. This was an inspiring piece needed for me at this time!
This is great! Just what I needed to lift my Spirit. Thank you so much, Gav!
I need this in print. I do. I homeschool three kids, one with profound special needs. It’s a work of the heart, and I choose it everyday. But this, really spoke to me.
Bill waterson and Gary Larson are two comic strip authors who will never fade away. Both ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ and ‘the far side’ will never lose their edgy, intelegent and witty humor. They will remain funny throughout time. Our great great grandchildren should have to read both strips as probably at minimum high school requirements. Sounds insane, but I found a Calvin strip whose message was relevant to today’s industries. Just brilliant. And the strip was 20 years old! Love these guys, both my ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ and ‘the far side’ books have all been worn out and replaced at least once. No, I don’t have classic novels in my personal library. But I do have the works of Larson and waterson. Good enough for me!
Please let me know when this print gets added to your library of available prints. Since you uploaded such a high-resolution image, I’m thinking you’re probably missing out on a lot of sales of this amazing work.
I could just print the one you posted, but I would rather support your ambition.
Thank you for affirming some of the choices I’ve made — but began having doubts this year about making —
Very well done Gav! It certainly hits on the artistry and the emotion. A can respect your position but a print of this would be super cool.
solid advice…living my life for me and my family and not for somebody else’s idea of “success”
Wonderful! I can totally see the Calvin & Hobbes influence. I was a little young when the comics came out too. (Born in ’84) But I remember checking out the books from the library and devouring them within days. Sometimes hours! I love your site and the work you do, but this is one of my favorites for sure! Keep up the good work!
Congratulations, Gav. Saw this one in Huffington Post today.
Um, gulp, awesome. Story of my life. Thank god there are still people who value things other than money.
For me, the great strength of Calvin & Hobbes – and a great many people who know me will scoff when I say this, because I try to avoid letting people know I’m vaguely human – is that it always managed to make an intelligent, genuine point not in addition to the comedy, not at the expense of the comedy, but as a natural part of it. Many humourists have tried and failed, but for Watterson it always seems (choosing my words carefully there) effortless.
Awesome – great job with this! Calvin and Hobbes continues to be my #1 comic and even though I still read it daily (thanks mycomics page!) I miss it terribly. If the integrity of Bill could be distilled and used as a vaccination in small children just think of how much nicer this country would become. I am so glad his creativity continues to inspires others. What an amazing legacy.
Thank you, great!
C&H was also my fav strip of all time–until I discovered Krazy Kat. I’d put them on equal footing. Different and forgotten time period, but KK was amazing, even more so considering it was created 100 years ago. Bill W cites it as his biggest influence, unsurprisingly, along with Pogo. George Herriman, the author, and Bill W would have got along great, probably. George was cut from a similar mold.
Thank you for so much for creating this and bringing the joy of Calvin & Hobbes back into my life with such flair and creativity. This is wonderful.
I am moved by this wonderful sentiment by someone that I regard as a personal hero. I am one of those probably very rare individuals who puts this kind of love of pursuit into my job. At my programming job I get great pleasure out of making other people’s lives easier by finding innovative ways of improving their productivity. The fact that my small contribution can lessen the stress in their daily lives gives me great pride and an immense feeling of accomplishment. But I constantly battle against the attitudes of my fellow IT guys, and my boss, who insist that I am just spoiling them and making my life harder by going the extra mile. I love what I do, and this wonderful message can be applied to that, too.
And I, too, won’t eat any cereal that does not make the milk turn purple.
Thank you very much of this inspiring piece of cartoon…wonderful !
Your work is wonderful! The posters are great, too! I am a high school teacher in the North Texas metropolitan and have decorated my classroom with posters of inspirational quotes for my students.
It’s a good motivator and reminder for my students. The ones you have done are great! Have you thought of possibly doing posters for the education field as well as the Christian community?
Thanks for your wonderful contribution and may God bless you abundantly for following your passion and sharing it to the world.
This is so spot on! I was happy to read I am no the only one!
Thanks
Tommy Mack
children’s writer/songwriter
Wow! I am so blown away by this post, the message and the overwhelming response from all the people sharing it. I’m deeply moved. You combined words and art exquisitely to present a dilemma–with respect for the difficulty we all face–making decisions to sell out or not.
Brilliant.
I freaking miss Hobbes, and Calvin!
I need this printed, right NOW!!! please… 🙂
This is a wonderful tribute! Calvin and Hobbes has been my very favourite comic strip for as long as I can remember and, to the limits of my knowledge, I don’t think there has ever been another series of fiction that has managed to be so accessible, funny, smart, and touching all at the same time.
One important thing I’ve taken from Bill (Who I’ve been a huge fan of since I was reading Calvin and Hobbes every day like it was the greatest thing since Mad Magazine) is that he really appreciates the craft of comic art as well, which is why his stuff was so well rendered. There are simple things in Calvin and Hobbes, like the extremely cartoony but somehow accurate version of a car speeding down the road, that reflect his obsession with drawing well. Something to keep in mind maybe the next time people make excuses for stick figure art and other bad cartooning as “a style”. Great job on the art here.
AHAH! from the first panel, I recognized Watterson’s style. I, like many grew up with the Calvin and Hobbes collections although I was too young to understand much of the humor nor could I fully appreciate it for what it was. That didn’t stop me from grabbing dictionaries and asking my parents though whenever I didn’t quite grasp a comic though 🙂
Bill Watterson was, is and will always be my ABSOLUTE favorite cartoonist. All his books (in English) are still in my bookcase. His wit and wisdom brought me some unforgettable memories and also helped through different times. I can’t even describe how grateful I am for the fact that he shared his talent with the world. And after 10 years he made his last Calvin & Hobbes-strip. I was sad but fully understood. He had to move on and do his thing. That’s how it should be. So, thank you for 10 wonderful years.
And Gavin, thanks for not selling out on Bill Watterson – you really understand his views on the medium … and you did a marvelous job!
Peter from Switzerland
Hi, this is a very beautiful and inspirational cartoon! Hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty of creating a German translation (though it’s a poor work compared to the fitting words by Watterson): http://s22.postimg.org/9i5thcjhr/2013_08_27_watterson_german.jpg
Btw. for anyone else wanting to translate this: I used “SF Toontime Bold” as font for the main text, and “SF Cartoonist Hand SC Bold” for other texts.
I think this pretty much sums it up:
http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1025890/CH860417_JPG.jpg
My first reaction when my cartooning son sent me the link to this cartoon, Gav, was to purchase a print for my classroom. I hope that will become possible…
AJB
Awesome!! I came across Calvin & Hobbes much later in life, though introduced my son to them at an early age… my son used to recreate some of the scenes, especially ones about ‘driving mom crazy’ and used to quote Calvin at us.. 🙂
As another commenter said, epic, sublime tribute to a master!
Hey I just wanted to commend you, like everyone else, in addition to thanking you for the incredible reminder. I grew up with Calvin and Hobbes and let’s just say that a few times, those two saved my life.
I’ve been following your comics for a long time and greedily appreciated them without any thought. But this one truly revealed your ability to note detail and subtleties in art and make them your own/highlight their beauty. This strip had Calvin and Hobbes all over it from the start and I truly appreciate your hard work to bring so much entertainment for nothing more than online praise. But know that I will be following for as long as I can bear.
Thanks, Gavin!
the artwork was great but i could kind of tell it wasnt watterson from the writing style. i thought maybe it was an early watterson. super kudos nonetheless, great work and in his style.
Um, the writing WAS Bill Waterson’s, from a graduation speech.
Beautiful work, Sir. This is going on my classroom wall, pronto!
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just feeling like that. Left my job to pursue a dream. I was working in the same company for 8 years. The pattern from the strips are just so real! Thank you for this.
Thank you for this. Bill Watterson is an inspiration. Your tribute is wonderful, and moreover your response to the requests for prints is admirable.
beautiful!
Oh, I wish I could share this with the girl I adore! she loves Calvin and Hobbes!
(PS if you are reading this, I still think about you….
all the time 🙁 )
Amazing rendition of Bill’s words in comic form. If you do decide or are able to get permission to sell prints, I’d definitely buy one.
Hello! I just wanted to say that I really like this comic and that since discovering it I have gone through all the comics on your site. I especially like this one and the ones from Robert Frost. Keep up the good work! Woooo! 😀
Gav, I meant to write a thoughtful praise of this strip. I just can’t think of anything adequate to say.
This is stunningly beautiful in so many ways. While I’m no artist, I dare say my admiration of Mr. Watterson is right there with yours.
Thank you. Really, thank you.
Gavin, this perfectly captures how I’ve felt all these years. Thank you for giving expression to this sentiment through your art and of course, to BW for his words of wisdom. 🙂
Love Calvin and Hobbs… Best saying from the strip. Why strive for intelligence when ignorance is instantaneous….
This comic just hit it home for me. Definitely the best thing ever published on the internet.
Hi Bill, can i translate to portuguese your HQ above and post it in facebook ? Look very similar to my life… I will print and hang on my office wall too.
There are two things in my life where I actually grieved when they ended. Firefly and C&H.
I’m reading C&H with my 8 year old daughter now (we only read 2-4 panels a day to make the experience last as long as possible and we still have a couple of books to go) and I know I will enjoy reading them again when my 2 year old son is a few years older.
My daughter already cherishes them (she has an orca whale that she treats not so much unlike Hobbes), and I know she will re-read them throughout her life, each time getting more out of them than she did the previous time.
I still laugh out loud at many of the strips… some still to the point of tears. And I know.. when we reach that last book… reading that last strip with my daughter “It’s a magical world Hobbes, let’s go exploring” that it will bring back all the grief and tears that I felt the first time I read it. But that speaks to the power that was contained within those 10 years worth of C&H strips… and it makes it all worth it.
Bill Watterson… you truly created something magical that has touched countless people in ways that it’s hard to put words to. And Gav.. a wonderful tribute to him.
Well, a lady I met who was a regular 9 to 5er and the editor for Peanuts eventually divorced her lay about homebound artistic husband and eventually got laid off herself due to office politics. So much for hard work on behalf of a artist/artists strip.n
“The comic is basically the story of my life, except I’m a stay-at-home-dad to two dogs”
This made me wonder how many stay-at-home-MOMs to two (or just one) children feel about that comparison. Especially moms trying to keep their feet in the door of a professional creative career.
I mean, I think it’s great if you can pull this off and not have one partner feel envious of the other’s ‘freedom’ to explore creative growth. How many marriages/relationships-situations could survive that for the long haul these days?
And it’s interesting that in this tribute strip you’ve drawn, it is a dad staying home with a child. Would it read the same or have a different message if it was drawn with the mom staying home and the dad going off to work?
And would the reader reaction be the same? Hmm.
I once read a very interesting essay in an art magazine long ago, titled: “What did Mrs. Calder Say?”. It was a reflection about what unusual supporting relationships develop when creative play becomes your ‘serious’ central purpose. Creative freedom for one person often translates as a sacrifice for another.
Great job at executing the drawing style. Close, but not too close as to be seen as an attempt to copy. One of the great things I love about C&H is Watterson’s willingness to adopt other artists’ drawing styles on occasion to imaginatively deliver the goods. (Realistic dinosaurs, Suzie the President, etc.) A truly inspired tribute is always a playful one. Excellent work. Someone sent me the link to this (my daughter — who is a struggling to get somewhere creative!) and I’m intrigued and inspired by the work you’re doing too.
And thanks for refusing to profit from the success of this. That’s probably the best tribute of all to a master such as Bill Watterson.
One more bit: are you a fan of Cul de Sac by any chance?
Stay hungry. Stay foolish.
My Name is Betty. This is a testimony that i will tell every one to hear. i have been married for 10years and on the 8th year of my marriage, another woman had a spell to take my lover away from me and my husband left me and the kids and we have suffered for 2years until came across a website were i meant a comment on how this man Dr. Stanley helped someone and i decided to give him a try to help me bring my Husband home and believe me i just send my picture to him and that of my husband and after 3day as he have told me, i saw a car drove into the house and behold it was my husband and he have come to me and the kids and that is why i am happy to make every one of you having similar problem to met with this man and have your lover back to your self. His email address: drstanleyspelltemple@hotmail.com,
I want you to know how much I enjoyed your tribute to Bill Watterson. Since I retired in August 2012, I’ve been a full-time writer of fiction. Hanging above my desk is a color print of the last “Calvin & Hobbs” comic strip Bill published. That was a sad day for me, but the cartoon is inspiring; it says, “It’s a magical world, Hobbs, ol’ buddy . . . lets go exploring.” I encourage you, a young man, to go exploring, to make the most of your talents, and to do what you love. You have a lot of talent.
I am struck with the message in this piece and would love to be able to buy a print, frame it, and give as gifts to everyone I know. This is an incredible message. Thank you for sharing this with the world.
I was THERE when Watterson gave this speech. Was thinking recently that I enjoyed it at the time but didn’t remember much about what he said. Thank you, more than I can say, for bringing the most important part of it back to me.
Wow! Outstanding work, great advice and truly inspirational.
gud1
Love what this cartoon expresses, it is exactly what I am having discover for myself after 26 years in a career that has ended badly.
This captures the work of two of my favorite ‘cartoonists’. I put that in quotes because it seems almost criminal to call what Watterson did and You do as ‘cartoons’. You did an incredible job of capturing his style, probably because you are cut from the same cloth. Thanks for yet another wonderful, meaningful interpretation. I’m a huge fan.
Robert, I totally agree with you. I’m a huge fan of both Mr. Watterson and Gavin. And the fact that Gavin combined both is a huge treat!
AN immense amount of respect and honor to you for deciding NOT to sell this. Its just as easy to click on the link and re-read it.
Respectfully,
a Fan
Nice. So much heart in it. 🙂
I wonder if anyone has a way to contact Mr. Watterson to see if he would be ok with a print being made for this. I’m pretty sure he still lives near Cleveland. Does anyone have any contact info for him?
Wow – what an incredible and inspiring cartoon strip!
Very inspiring, thank you for this!
that comic showed that we should be grateful for what we have in life and learn to do things on our own and follow our heart.
A great cartoon script. Follow your own path and do what you love. Don’t be a cog in a great grey machine, waiting for a glimpse of freedom at the weekend. Do what makes you happy and be happy 🙂
I always thought of Bill Watterson when I saw your frames. I am so glad for the last frame of this comic. You have drawn it exactly like Calvin. I am myself a big fan of Calvin and Hobbes and of the wisdom and fun bundled together and I do not know if I have ever liked any comic strip better than that.
I love your websites and your selection of quotes and the beautiful artwork not only reflects my own thoughts and feelings but also inspires me to be more determined and follow my ideals.
Thank you so much
This is a really good post! I am happy to read that I am not the only person reacting positively to it. I also left the corporate world at one point which did not make sense to any fellow ladder climbers and I am glad to read that loads of other people did it as well with the same state of mind.
Quite moving, thanks for making this. Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes has remained my favorite comic strip and has certainly left its mark.
Great to hear some extra words of his advice and backstory too.
What a beautiful comic. I’m now very inspired. Keep up the good work!!
Calvin and Hobbes Rules.
This is great. I’ll be using it in my Yom Kippur sermon this year. Thank you.
Gav,
I don’t know if:
a) you know about this
b) this is sanctioned
but, it seems like a blatant scrape to me.
http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-find-happiness-advice-from-bill-watterson
Hi Gregg,
Good looking out! But no worries. I emailed Gavin and asked him specifically for permission to republish his comics on my blog.
Did I geek out like a fan when he actually emailed me back? Yes. Famous people NEVER respond to me. So it was pretty neat that he took the time to answer my fan mail.
Cheers,
Will — wisebread.com
First of all, this is a fantastic and very inspirational piece. I grew up with Calvin & Hobbes and even cried when the last strip was released. Second off, Gregg, I don’t think it is a blatant scrape as Wisebread credited the work to Gavin and also linked to his Zen Pencils and also plugged the ability to purchase Gavins artwork on the site as well. this stop had made its rounds in multiple sites, if you notice the track backs and pings at the end of the page. I stumbled upon this strip/site through Twisted Sifters weekly shirk report and have more added Zen Pencils to my feeds on my reader. If it wasn’t for other sites helping these artists they would be hard to find unless you knew specifically what and where you are looking for. Kudos to Gavin and also to all the other sites that has credited his site and made it more known and popular!
Thanks for giving us the benefit of the doubt Nicki! Gavin’s work is amazing and I truly enjoy sharing it with everyone I know. Gavin also kindly granted us permission to use his comics. It was very cool of him!
My friend at Goofballmagic.com is looking for someone to do comic strips can you recommend someone.
As a freelance illustrator with a young daughter but also a Calvin and Hobbes fan this hits the nail on the head in so many ways. Congratulations on excellent artwork to go with a great quote.
Gives one so much to think about. Great work.
Gavin, first of all, my congratulations on a wonderful piece of work!
Next, a big thank you for making my day and for lifting my spirits – at a time when they sorely needed lifting.
I used to be a practising lawyer and I gave it up when it realised that it no longer felt right to me. I am now a fledgling blogger and writer and a stay at home dad. I can definitely relate to your journey and that of Mr. Watterson.
Although I had the courage (and the support) to follow my soul’s calling, it hasn’t been easy (who said it would?) and can still get a little scary. Your wonderful pictures and Mr. Watterson’s words (well chosen by you) helped me in a big way. I am truly grateful. Thanks man.
P.S. I used to read and love Calvin and Hobbes back in the day. I will be getting back into them thanks to you.
Great post! The fact that you means someone is reading and liking it! Congrats!That’s great advice.
advice
Thanks Gavin. That is just beautifully represented and I shared it with my older daughter and son, both of whom are huge fans of Calvin and Hobbes.
As someone who walked away from a job in my 20’s to pursue a career that was my childhood dream (and now 20+ years into that career!), I can attest to Bill Watterson’s wisdom. Loving what you do will give you the satisfaction of a life well lived.
The fram with the dad working at the drawing table while his daughter plays in the play pen reminds me of when I was freelancing and caring for my daughter while my wife worked out of the home. Any chance I could get a high-res of just that frame?
Very well written post. It will be supportive to everyone who usess it, as well as myself. Keep doing what you are doing – looking forward to more posts.
This is amazing and so inspiring. What a man to stick to his principles. We need more people like him. Thank you for a great post!
Agreed! I’ll take two please!
Get a haircut and get a real job… George Thorogood
I thought of it as bealtiful and needed to share with people I like. So I just translated it to portuguese and published on our blog. Please, let me know if there is any problema. I gave the credits and link.
Ops, grammar error. “(…) there are (…)” Sorry, my english is poor. =(
Hear hear! I doubt all the adjectives I want to attribute to Calvin and Hobbes can be contained in this space. It’s EVERYTHING, and then some…..!
And your work, my man, is remarkable, starting from choice of material to interpretation, and everything in between. Kudos to you! xD
awesome!!!