Splitsider

On Calvin and Hobbes and the Trouble with Nostalgia

Dang, AJA, What a wonderful piece!!! I also have every Calvin and Hobbes book that Watterson ever released holding a proud position on my bookshelf! No matter how many times I read them, I am always amazed at his humor, insight, artistic abilities and wisdom. Of course, so much of his stuff is way over the heads of kids, but it seems to hit us big kids right where we live! Your analysis of the imagination of Calvin’s mind is right on. His ability to create huge and epic worlds in his mind – be they evil, asinine or insane – is something that we all had as little kids. The lucky ones are those of us who still venture into those worlds in our adult life – without losing a grip on reality, of course. :) The sense of nostalgia in his comics is undeniable. I love the one where he’s explaining to Hobbes that his dad (or grandpa – I’m not sure which one) has told him that modern comics have lost all the art and style they used to have and that now they’re nothing more than the same frame photocopied and different words written in the bubbles – which is exactly what he did in that strip. A perfect exclamation point to his argument! I don’t remember the final joke, but the strip led me to appreciate his artwork and his understanding of his craft all the more. You spoke about nostalgia – I was a kid in the ‘70s and wrote a book about it. Could I send you a copy? I’d love to hear what you think about it. You can check it out here http://my70sbook.com and can email me at darryll.sherman@gmail.com. I’ve had many favorable reviews from those in their 20’s to those in their 60’s. Thanks again for the Calvin and Hobbes infusion – I’ll be grabbing one of my books… probably The Essential Calvin and Hobbes on my way to my “room of refuge” tonight!

Posted on July 1, 2011 at 2:27 pm 0