Calvin and Hobbes Tribute Cartoon for Dads: “Create a Life That Reflects Your Values”
From Kindred
What an impact Calvin and Hobbes had on my life, with Bill Watterson’s heart-warming and hilarious insights brought to life by a boy and his stuffed tiger. Below, cartoonist Gavin Aung Than has brought to life the wise words delivered by Watterson to college graduates at Kenyon College in 1995 in a tribute cartoon. Note the timely dilemma depicted as a young man decides to “create a life that reflects your values and satisfies your soul” and then chooses fatherhood. The portrayal captures a hot and current topic, as men are faced with shifting identities and new opportunities in our culture. Follow the New Story of Fatherhood on Kindred to learn more about these new fatherhood insights. And share this page with a dad you love. — Lisa Reagan, Editor
From the Cartoonist, Gavin Aung Than
Bill Watterson is the artist and creator of (in my humble opinion) the greatest comic strip of all time, Calvin and Hobbes. I was a bit too young to appreciate it while it was originally published from 1985-1995, but I started devouring the book collections soon after. I think my brother had a few of the treasury collections and I must have read those dozens of times. I was hooked, and I remember copying Watterson’s drawings relentlessly as a kid (Calvin’s hair was always the hardest to get right).
To me, Calvin and Hobbes is cartooning perfection – that rare strip that has both exquisite writing AND gorgeous artwork. A strip that managed to convey the joy of childhood, absurdity of humanity and power of imagination all through the relationship between a boy and his stuffed tiger. And most importantly, a strip that was consistently laugh-out-loud funny. I flick through my Calvin and Hobbes books a few times a year, not to read them cover to cover anymore, but just to get lost in Calvin’s world for awhile and to remind myself what comics are capable of. Read more…