CARTOON VAGANZA

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Calvin and Hobbes (Picture 4). Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images gallery 4. Calvin and Hobbes cartoon pictures collection 4. Almost no legitimate Calvin and Hobbes merchandise exists outside of the book collections. Exceptions produced during the strip's original run include two 16-month calendars (1988–1989 and 1989–1990), and the textbook Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes, which has been described as "perhaps the most difficult piece of official Calvin and Hobbes memorabilia to find." On July 16, 2010 the United States Postal Service released a set of postage stamps honoring five comic strips, one of them Calvin and Hobbes. Uclick, the digital division of Andrews McMeel Universal, offers licensed prints of Calvin and Hobbes strips through their website GoComics.com. The site, which offers framed prints of dozens of popular comic strips—including FoxTrot, Garfield, and Doonesbury—advertises the combined print of the first and last Calvin and Hobbes strips as their "most popular Framed Collectible Print." Calvin and Hobbes (Picture 4). Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images gallery 4. Calvin and Hobbes cartoon pictures collection 4. The strip's immense popularity has led to the appearance of various counterfeit items such as window decals and T-shirts that often feature crude humor, binge drinking and other themes that are not found in Watterson's work. After threat of a lawsuit alleging infringement of copyright and trademark, some sticker makers replaced Calvin with a different boy, while other makers made no changes. Watterson wryly commented, "I clearly miscalculated how popular it would be to show Calvin urinating on a Ford logo." In addition to philosophical antecedents to Watterson’s work, he references preexisting, archetypical cartoon characters as a tool to create empathetic responses in the reader. Echoes of not only Charlie Brown, but also of Dennis the Menace, induce a nostalgic and warmhearted response in the new reader of any Calvin and Hobbes strip, even as the subject matter challenges that viewer to consider its extra-comical implications. In early strips, the drawings have a flatter, Peanuts-like look but show more depth in later strips. Notable elements of Watterson's artistic style are his characters' diverse and often exaggerated expressions (particularly those of Calvin), elaborate and bizarre backgrounds for Calvin's flights of imagination, expressions of motion, and frequent visual jokes and metaphors. Calvin and Hobbes (Picture 4). Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images gallery 4. Calvin and Hobbes cartoon pictures collection 4.

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Calvin and Hobbes (Picture 3). Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images gallery 3. Calvin and Hobbes cartoon pictures collection 3. From the outset, Watterson found himself at odds with the syndicate, which urged him to begin merchandising the characters and touring the country to promote the first collections of comic strips. Watterson refused. To him, the integrity of the strip and its artist would be undermined by commercialization, which he saw as a major negative influence in the world of cartoon art. Watterson also grew increasingly frustrated by the gradual shrinking of available space for comics in the newspapers. He lamented that without space for anything more than simple dialogue or spare artwork, comics as an art form were becoming dilute, bland, and unoriginal. Watterson strove for a full-page version of his strip, in contrast to the few cells allocated for most strips. He longed for the artistic freedom allotted to classic strips such as Little Nemo and Krazy Kat, and he gave a sample of what could be accomplished with such liberty in the opening pages of the Sunday strip compilation, The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book. During Watterson's first sabbatical from the strip, Universal Press Syndicate continued to charge newspapers full price to re-run old Calvin and Hobbes strips. Calvin and Hobbes (Picture 3). Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images gallery 3. Calvin and Hobbes cartoon pictures collection 3. Few editors approved of the move, but the strip was so popular that they had little choice but to continue to run it for fear that competing newspapers might pick it up and draw its fans away. I took a sabbatical after resolving a long and emotionally draining fight to prevent Calvin and Hobbes from being merchandised. Looking for a way to rekindle my enthusiasm for the duration of a new contract term, I proposed a redesigned Sunday format that would permit more panel flexibility. To my surprise and delight, Universal responded with an offer to market the strip as an unbreakable half page (more space than I'd dared to ask for), despite the expected resistance of editors. To this day, my syndicate assures me that some editors liked the new format, appreciated the difference, and were happy to run the larger strip, but I think it's fair to say that this was not the most common reaction. The syndicate had warned me to prepare for numerous cancellations of the Sunday feature, but after a few weeks of dealing with howling, purple-faced editors, the syndicate suggested that papers could reduce the strip to the size tabloid newspapers used for their smaller sheets of paper. ... I focused on the bright side: I had complete freedom of design and there were virtually no cancellations. For all the yelling and screaming by outraged editors, I remain convinced that the larger Sunday strip gave newspapers a better product and made the comics section more fun for readers. Comics are a visual medium. A strip with a lot of drawing can be exciting and add some variety. Proud as I am that I was able to draw a larger strip, I don't expect to see it happen again any time soon. In the newspaper business, space is money, and I suspect most editors would still say that the difference is not worth the cost. Sadly, the situation is a vicious circle: because there's no room for better artwork, the comics are simply drawn; because they're simply drawn, why should they have more room? Calvin and Hobbes (Picture 3). Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images gallery 3. Calvin and Hobbes cartoon pictures collection 3.

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Calvin and Hobbes (Picture 2). Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images gallery 2. Calvin and Hobbes cartoon pictures collection 2. The first strip was published on November 18, 1985, and the series quickly became a hit. Within a year of syndication, the strip was published in roughly 250 newspapers. Before long the strip was in wide circulation outside the United States. By April 1, 1987, Watterson and his work were featured in an article in The Los Angeles Times. Calvin and Hobbes twice earned Watterson the Reuben Award from the National Cartoonists Society in the Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year category, first in 1986 and again in 1988. He was nominated again in 1992. The Society awarded him the Humor Comic Strip Award for 1988. Watterson took two extended breaks from writing new strips, from May 6, 1991, to February 1, 1992, and from April 4 through December 31, 1994. In 1995, Watterson sent a letter via his syndicate to all editors whose newspapers carried his strip: I will be stopping Calvin and Hobbes at the end of the year. This was not a recent or an easy decision, and I leave with some sadness. Calvin and Hobbes (Picture 2). Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images gallery 2. Calvin and Hobbes cartoon pictures collection 2. My interests have shifted however, and I believe I've done what I can do within the constraints of daily deadlines and small panels. I am eager to work at a more thoughtful pace, with fewer artistic compromises. I have not yet decided on future projects, but my relationship with Universal Press Syndicate will continue. That so many newspapers would carry Calvin and Hobbes is an honor I'll long be proud of, and I've greatly appreciated your support and indulgence over the last decade. Drawing this comic strip has been a privilege and a pleasure, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity. The 3,160th and final strip ran on Sunday, December 31, 1995. It depicted Calvin and Hobbes outside in freshly fallen snow, reveling in the wonder and excitement of the winter scene. "It's a magical world, Hobbes, ol' buddy... Let's go exploring!" Calvin exclaims as they zoom off over the snowy hills on their sled, leaving, according to one critic ten years later, "a hole in the comics page that no strip has been able to fill." Calvin and Hobbes (Picture 2). Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images gallery 2. Calvin and Hobbes cartoon pictures collection 2.

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Calvin and Hobbes (Picture 1). Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images gallery 1. Calvin and Hobbes cartoon pictures collection 1. Calvin and Hobbes is a syndicated daily comic strip that was written and illustrated by American cartoonist Bill Watterson, and syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. It follows the humorous antics of Calvin, a precocious and adventurous six-year-old boy, and Hobbes, his sardonic stuffed tiger. The pair are named after John Calvin, a 16th-century French Reformation theologian, and Thomas Hobbes, a 17th-century English political philosopher. At the height of its popularity, Calvin and Hobbes was featured in over 2,400 newspapers worldwide; as of January 2010, reruns of the strip still appear in more than 50 countries. Nearly 45 million copies of the 18 Calvin and Hobbes books have been sold. Calvin and Hobbes (Picture 1). Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images gallery 1. Calvin and Hobbes cartoon pictures collection 1. Calvin and Hobbes is set in the contemporary Midwestern United States in an unspecified suburban area. The strip depicts Calvin's flights of fantasy and his friendship with Hobbes, and also examines Calvin's relationships with family and classmates. The dual nature of Hobbes is a recurring motif; he is a live anthropomorphic tiger to Calvin, while other characters see him as a stuffed toy. Though the series does not mention specific political figures or current events, it does explore broad issues like environmentalism, public education, and the flaws of opinion polls. Calvin and Hobbes was conceived when Bill Watterson, working in an advertising job he detested, began devoting his spare time to cartooning, his true love. He explored various strip ideas but all were rejected by the syndicates. United Feature Syndicate finally responded positively to one strip, which featured a side character (the main character's little brother) who had a stuffed tiger. Told that these characters were the strongest, Watterson began a new strip centered on them. Though United Feature rejected the new strip, eventually Universal Press Syndicate decided to take it. Calvin and Hobbes (Picture 1). Calvin and Hobbes cartoon images gallery 1. Calvin and Hobbes cartoon pictures collection 1.