| Thursday, February 4, 2010 |
05:45 - Talk about missed opportunities
http://www.cleveland.com/living/index.ssf/2010/02/bill_watterson_creator_of_belo.htm
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So you score the first interview with Bill Watterson in 20 years, and the questions you think are worth asking are things like "How soon after the U.S. Postal Service issues the Calvin stamp will you send a letter with one on the envelope?" Small wonder he replied with sarcasm and an abbreviated visit.
Surely there are some better inquiries one might make. Off the top of my head:
How different would "Calvin & Hobbes" have been if you were starting it out today, in the age of the Internet? Given the escapist nature of so much of the strip, how would the it address the new forms of escapism presented by modern technology? Is childhood enough of a different experience these days that you'd depict it differently?
What made you decide to try your hand at a syndicated comic strip in the first place? You had a budding career as a political cartoonist, which looks like it could have been very successful if not for the whims of local editors. Was the shift to a somewhat kid-oriented medium a challenge in itself, or was it something you'd always wanted to do?
Did drawing "Calvin & Hobbes" honestly bring you happiness? Did you find it simply became a chore after a while? Was there any one particular thing that made you lose hold on the fulfillment you presumably once got from it?
Did you ever have any other ideas for comic projects? Or was this your first, best, and only work for public consumption? Fëanor?
Are there any modern comics you admire? How do you react when successful comic artists refer to your work as their prime inspiration, or who describe "Calvin & Hobbes" as the greatest comic of all time?
It seems there was a compilation of fan questions a few years ago that he answered briefly, often in ways that hardly seem to answer the question. Surely one can hardly blame him; but it's the fact that there's so little public knowledge to go on that makes this such a fascinating subject. He really is the master of leaving the audience wanting more.
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Brian Tiemann
