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A review by liinukka
Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip by Nevin Martell
4.0
Like the author, I too, grew up reading Calvin and Hobbes on the funny pages, so this book brought back some great memories. Calvin was part of what jump-started my bleary eyed mornings, back when I had to be up at the crack of dawn to catch my 6:30 school bus.
I enjoyed reading about Bill Watterson's early influences, and the evolution of the comic strip that eventually made it onto the pages of hundreds of newspapers around the world. His work had such an amazing appeal to so many people. It had a lot of imagination and heart, and did it all with innocence and humor. I think Martell really channels that energy throughout the book, giving us an intriguing and inspiring look into the mysterious life of the reclusive author.
I rather wish that there could have been a more critical look at Calvin (such as the interesting discussion that's touched upon briefly on Susie Derkins' character and whether she perpetuated a female stereotype), but it seems as though most of the cartooning colleagues who commented for the book had nothing but praise for Watterson's work. Perhaps that is just a testament to the strip's universal appeal. It was able to retain its purity and integrity throughout its run (and beyond), and one can only admire and appreciate the author's own great efforts to keep it that way.
I enjoyed reading about Bill Watterson's early influences, and the evolution of the comic strip that eventually made it onto the pages of hundreds of newspapers around the world. His work had such an amazing appeal to so many people. It had a lot of imagination and heart, and did it all with innocence and humor. I think Martell really channels that energy throughout the book, giving us an intriguing and inspiring look into the mysterious life of the reclusive author.
I rather wish that there could have been a more critical look at Calvin (such as the interesting discussion that's touched upon briefly on Susie Derkins' character and whether she perpetuated a female stereotype), but it seems as though most of the cartooning colleagues who commented for the book had nothing but praise for Watterson's work. Perhaps that is just a testament to the strip's universal appeal. It was able to retain its purity and integrity throughout its run (and beyond), and one can only admire and appreciate the author's own great efforts to keep it that way.