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+--- Thread: A new interview from Bill Watterson (/thread-1042.html)
A new interview from Bill Watterson - CLXcool - 10-30-2013
Bill Watterson of Calvin and Hobbes fame, has been known for a few things. One of which is avoiding the press like crazy. Now. He just had a new recent interview regarding on the subject of his comic.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/53216/mental-floss-exclusive-our-interview-bill-watterson
Bill mentions that he has no interest in animating Calvin and Hobbes(which he originally thought it was a good idea at first before later changing his mind). I can't say I blame him for making the choice. I wonder if he's aware that Life of Pi is the unofficial Calvin and Hobbes movie.
RE: A new interview from Bill Watterson - gamemaster1991 - 10-30-2013
(10-30-2013, 09:44 AM)CLXcool Wrote: Bill mentions that he has no interest in animating Calvin and Hobbes(which he originally thought it was a good idea at first before later changing his mind). I can't say I blame him for making the choice.
I haven't read the interview yet, but the reason he last said for not make a cartoon is he was afraid of what Calvin would sound like and it would ruin the what he thought (and what everyone else thought) he sounded like. I'm going to say that it was probably a good idea, though being the fan I am, I would have like to see where it would have gone.
RE: A new interview from Bill Watterson - Hexadecimal - 10-30-2013
I remember in another interview Bill actually used the animated version of Garfield as an example as to why he was scared to all it to be animated. What I think would be fun is if, rather than a full movie, he'd allowed individual comics to be animated and voice. There could be little shorts, but some could be longer, like their adventure on Mars or fighting killer snowmen. I think Adult Swim would love to have something like this and would go along with unusual time formats.
I've said it before, but I lost a lot of respect for Bill after he allowed two comics in the complete collection to be censored. He made himself out to be quite the hypocrite after he'd previously fought so hard to keep his vision and then caved on the so called "offensive" adoption strips. Sure, let Calvin make a suicide joke out of a snowman, though! That was the only strip I found to be a bit distasteful.
RE: A new interview from Bill Watterson - CosmykTheDolfyn - 10-30-2013
Two strips out of hundreds aren't going to change my opinion that much. And as he himself said, when he first signed over everything to be licensed, he basically signed away many of his own rights. I'm not going to hate him because a publishing company demanded that two strips be altered in a re-print when the originals are already in other collections.
RE: A new interview from Bill Watterson - gamemaster1991 - 10-30-2013
The only censored comic that I know of is this one:
![[Image: ch28nov1985.jpg]](http://ignatz.brinkster.net/cimages/ch28nov1985.jpg)
RE: A new interview from Bill Watterson - CosmykTheDolfyn - 10-30-2013
There was one censored one about Calvin asking if he was adopted or being fattened up to be later eaten in a conversation with his mom.
RE: A new interview from Bill Watterson - gamemaster1991 - 10-30-2013
(10-30-2013, 02:38 PM)CosmykTheDolfyn Wrote: There was one censored one about Calvin asking if he was adopted or being fattened up to be later eaten in a conversation with his mom.
How is that worse than Calvin's normal humor or the arc where Calvin found a dead reacoon(? it could have been a bird) or the one where he ran away from home. Censorship confuses me.
RE: A new interview from Bill Watterson - Hexadecimal - 10-30-2013
(10-30-2013, 01:15 PM)CosmykTheDolfyn Wrote: Two strips out of hundreds aren't going to change my opinion that much. And as he himself said, when he first signed over everything to be licensed, he basically signed away many of his own rights. I'm not going to hate him because a publishing company demanded that two strips be altered in a re-print when the originals are already in other collections.
Wow, I never said I hated him, but it is a MASSIVE ripoff considering how much that so called "complete" collection cost. I expect all the strips (they missed one) complete and uncensored. What he did in the beginning has absolutely nothing to do with this.
Neither you nor I can prove if the publisher actually "demanded" or if it was just asked if it was alright if they could be censored and they would've left them as is if he'd said no. I own the complete collection of The Far Side and there's far more "offensive" comics in there then the Calvin and Hobbes set (I have not read if any were left out or changed, but I highly doubt it). For one of the comics it doesn't hurt the punchline too much, but it made the second not even funny anymore.
That's great if you can be such a fan that someone can do no wrong in your eyes, but it's still ridiculous that he got so upset over someone pitching an idea of a Hobbes stuffed animal but he lets his actual work be altered.
RE: A new interview from Bill Watterson - CosmykTheDolfyn - 10-30-2013
I actually do know of at least one changed one in The Far Sie, although it was censored even before first printing. It was a bunch of alligators standing over a bucket. The caption read "Bobbing for Poodles". It was originally "Bobbing for babies".
So there you go. They all get changed. It's no big deal, really. At least not in my mind. I don't care, and I don't see why it would be a big stink. I also believe that those changes are made by editors and publishers, not the original artists, and sometimes it that or nothing. Not the artist's fault.
RE: A new interview from Bill Watterson - Hexadecimal - 10-30-2013
(10-30-2013, 02:51 PM)CosmykTheDolfyn Wrote: I actually do know of at least one changed one in The Far Sie, although it was censored even before first printing. It was a bunch of alligators standing over a bucket. The caption read "Bobbing for Poodles". It was originally "Bobbing for babies".
So there you go. They all get changed. It's no big deal, really. At least not in my mind. I don't care, and I don't see why it would be a big stink. I also believe that those changes are made by editors and publishers, not the original artists, and sometimes it that or nothing. Not the artist's fault.
A change "Made before the first printing" is way different than already released uncut in other books and seen by the public. I looked at my collection and that whole poodle/baby thing actually does get brought up, so there. That's because it was a good collection handled with care. So no, it's not a "there you go". It IS A BIG FREAKING DEAL WHEN YOU ARE DISHING OUT OVER $100 FOR A SO CALLED COLLECTORS EDITION. Get it?
You believe one way, I believe another, so that's that. If you're going to get super picky over the strips I'll bet I can go through the books and find a ton more that people would have problems with. There's even some religious ones, but those are left untouched! Why on earth is adoption of all things such a huge deal?
I found the original comic:
![[Image: calvinhobbes3-620x200.jpg]](http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/calvinhobbes3-620x200.jpg)
Here's the text of how it was changed:
CALVIN: Watch out, Mom. I’m in a bad mood.
MOM: Be in a bad mood somewhere else, OK? I’m busy.
CALVIN: Hmph! I’ll bet A GOOD MOTHER would’ve bought me a comic book and made me feel better instead of shunning me like you.
MOM: Kid, anyone but your GOOD MOTHER would’ve left you to the wolves long ago.
CALVIN: Yeah right. LET’S SEE YOUR TRAINING CERTIFICATE.
Totally ruins the strip.
I found it here: http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2011/09/02/comic-book-legends-revealed-330/
And look at this!: "Like the ommission of the washing machine gag, this is all Bill Watterson’s doing. Since he has not spoken/written about it, we can only guess as to his motives (although they seem pretty clear, right?). "
So yes, Bill is a hypocrite, as I initially thought. I sincerely doubt with how big Calvin and Hobbes got to be that the publishers of this complete collection would've gone against any of his wishes.
I'm done with this now. I'm tired from the house stress and it doesn't help that I get worked up over things from my childhood that I treasure. Once again, it completely ruined the one strip. This isn't like in the Brave Little Toaster where a lady got a bikini top for the DVD instead of pasties like on the VHS. It drastically changes the strip and sucks all the humor out.
RE: A new interview from Bill Watterson - Mass Distraction - 10-30-2013
I would still say that a $100 worth of comics would be more than enough for me even if one or two measly strips were censored and I'm a comic book enthusiast. Or, well, as much as a person in a country where they don't really sell that stuff can be. I'm also a huge Calvin and Hobbes fan so I ain't talking without experience with Watterson's work.
RE: A new interview from Bill Watterson - Hexadecimal - 10-30-2013
(10-30-2013, 04:25 PM)Mass Distraction Wrote: I would still say that a $100 worth of comics would be more than enough for me even if one or two measly strips were censored and I'm a comic book enthusiast. Or, well, as much as a person in a country where they don't really sell that stuff can be. I'm also a huge Calvin and Hobbes fan so I ain't talking without experience with Watterson's work.
Like I said, it's listed as being a "complete collection" and that's not true. It doesn't even have everything that the 10th Anniversary book has. If you're a true collector, then you care about stuff like this. If you feel you got your money's worth then terrific, but I have every right to feel ripped off.
Two "measly" comics (although really three due to the washing machine thing) are the least of this book's problems. I get nervous anytime I pick it up because of all the reports of the pages falling out that people have talked about in reviews.
I really wish it were like the Far Side collection. I forgot all about the poodle/baby thing but, as I said, it DOES get brought up and there's multiple stories from the author about various other subjects about the comics. Even included are angry letters people wrote to various papers that ran the strip complaining about how much they hated it.
RE: A new interview from Bill Watterson - CosmykTheDolfyn - 10-30-2013
Let's see... I have every Calvin and Hobbes book, excluding the complete collection. But, since I'm not raging about two comics being missing from the "complete", I must not be a true collector.
Same goes for my original skates, such as the Roces Majestic 12s, the first aggressive skates ever designed for vert skating. Since I'm not raging about those two comics, I'm not a true collector.
Hex, as much as we all love you here... I really doubt that this proves Bill is a hypocrite or anything.