#comics. bill watterstone

[funny-cute-weird]

[wernher-von-brawny]

I was watching a YouTube video about Bill Watterston, the creator of the 1980/90s newspaper comic Calvin and Hobbes, and the bonus fact was about how Watterston declined to merchandise the IP, “costing” him millions of dollars.

And of course, the use of the word “cost” in this way irked me.

Sure, it’s common to use the word to describe “the negative consequences, sacrifices, or trade-offs involved in making a decision or pursuing a particular course of action” -- but using it in the context of Bill Watterston made my propaganda alert go PING!

The man retired at 38 wealthy, successful, and at the top of his game. As far as I know he is not living in poverty or deprivation. And from the few public remarks he’s made since retirement, he has expressed no regret about the decision.

But, you know... “We’re capitalist; that’s just the way it is.”

And so declining to pursue money, even when one has more than enough, gets presented as failure of some kind, be it character, mentality, or even morality.

Voluntarily establishing sensible, comfortable, sustainable boundaries is presented as an irrational act in a society that values unlimited growth -- the philosophy of the cancer cell -- above all things.

It’s called “leaving money on the table”, and any serious person of business will tell you that it’s a mistake.

The twist here is that there is Calvin and Hobbes merchandise in the world though. There are the books, which have kept the strips in circulation all these decades.

And there’s the bootleg Calvin pissing decal that shows up on trucks and whatnot, which captures the mischievous, rebellious spirit of the character better than any plushie or Funko Pop ever could.

If you or I want a stuffed Hobbes, we'd have to make one, or commission it from some independent artisan or another, which also seems in the spirit of the strip.

So the only folks potentially suffering “negative consequences” are the suits, who don’t get to draw additional fees from Watterston’s labor. All they’re left with is Peanuts and Garfield and Dilbert and Marvel and DC and Transformers and Star Wars and the whole rest of the catalog.

The poor sods. I pray they can still afford their boats payments. 🙏

If Watterston isn’t hurt by this, then it “cost” him nothing. But the kids (and nostalgic seniors like me) who watch the video will hear that declining to further merchandising his IP “cost” Watterston millions, and maybe think, “oh, that’s a shame”, or even “jeez, what a dummy!”

Most of us are (probably) suffering economic hardship of some kind, and would love to have millions of dollars.

So when someone with a full belly says no to a third or fourth dessert, our media -- YouTubers included -- can confidently spin this as a negative, and all us hungry peasants will reflexively agree that this bullshit about portion control and serving size is crazy talk.

Why, if it were us, we'd take ten desserts! -- which is an attitude our aristocrats fully agree with -- winners take all, whether they need it or not -- and want to encourage.

But Watterston disagreed and made a different choice. He acquired more than enough, and then chose to step away from the table and leave something for the next generation to go after.

And to see this referred to as a “cost"; to see a responsible, respectful, and in my opinion moral decision made by a successful person so glibly mischaracterized -- it irks me.

No matter whether its malicious neoliberal propaganda, or just lazy writing, it irks me.

Fuck that shit.

[sumpix]

Calvin and Hobbes is a daily comic strip by American cartoonist Bill Watterson that was syndicated from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995. Commonly cited as "the last great newspaper comic", Calvin and Hobbes has evinced broad and enduring popularity, influence, and academic interest.

Calvin and Hobbes follows the humorous antics of Calvin, a precocious, mischievous, and adventurous six-year-old boy, and Hobbes, his sardonic stuffed tiger. The pair is named after John Calvin, a 16th-century French Reformation theologian, and Thomas Hobbes, a 17th-century English political philosopher. Set in the contemporary, suburban United States, the strip depicts Calvin's frequent flights of fancy and his friendship with Hobbes. It also examines Calvin's relationships with family and classmates, especially the love/hate relationship between him and his classmate, Susie Derkins. Hobbes' dual nature is a defining motif for the strip: to Calvin, Hobbes is a living anthropomorphic tiger; all the other characters see Hobbes as an inanimate stuffed toy. Though the series does not mention specific political figures or current events, it does explore broad issues like environmentalism, public education, philosophical quandaries, and the flaws of opinion polls.

(via Calvin and Hobbes - Wikipedia)