His somewhat unconventional views may at times be controversial, but are always interesting, articulate, and well reasoned.īut even if none of that is of interest, there are still plenty of superb reasons to enjoy this book: the comic strips themselves. Watterson's commentary is thoughtful and honest, often revealing the inner struggle of the artist and his fight to maintain a level of quality that few ever achieve. With the end of Calvin and Hobbes it seems everyone lost out, the public, the syndicate, and the artist. The account of his continuing battle with the syndicate over his refusal to allow any licensing or merchandising is rather ironic since this is what ultimately precipitated his early retirement. Other topics that will be of specific interest to comic strip artists and writers, as well as aspiring ones, include Watterson's early comic strip influences, the mechanics and restrictions of the standard Sunday format, and the process of creating a comic strip.

Watterson freely expresses his opinion about the comic strip industry in general, the history and future of comics, and the roll newspapers and syndication play. Throughout the rest of the book, Watterson adds notes to various cartoons giving us an idea of where some of his inspiration came from, and explaining some of the recurring themes of the strip.įor the casual reader this may be too much history and analysis, but for avid fans it makes for fascinating reading, providing a rare glimpse into the mind of an exceptionally talented cartoonist. The book opens with 20 pages of text and then devotes a further 7 pages to provide background information about the main characters that make up the Calvin and Hobbes universe. So it is a welcome opportunity to discover what lies behind the pen and ink drawings of such a popular comic strip.

Most other cartoonists, it seems, either do not want to verbally express their feelings or views, or are not encouraged to do so. The outstanding feature of this book are the extensive comments and essays by Watterson which provide a unique insight into the mind of one of the 20th century's greatest cartoonists. Rather it is a historical retrospective of the most significant strips of the comic's 10 year run, chosen by the artist for their role in developing the strip and establishing the characters. This is not simply a compilation of the latest year or two of Calvin and Hobbes strips, and neither is it a 'best of' collection in the traditional sense. Of all the Calvin and Hobbes books (with the possible exception of The Compete Calvin and Hobbes, The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book is the best one. The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book

Calvin and hobbes tenth anniversary