Bill Watterson


1993 : my aunt Vera, a.k.a. "the aunt who saw and conquered the world" (she visited over 25 countries worldwide), brought home a present for me, for my 9th birthday.

It was a book. A comicbook : Calvin and Hobbes - The Revenge Of The Baby-Sat. A strong collection of gags. I was instantly smitten, although I didn't understand the texts. My parents would read and translate some for me every night. Every year, I would understand more and more of the brilliant shorts.

When I was 13, I could read the whole set on my own, so I asked for more. I currently own 6 books, so still some to look forward to. Last year, The Complete Calvin and Hobbes was released as an affordable set. Since I own at least 40% of the material, I have no plans to buy this (beautiful) release.

Bill Watterson, the genius behind Calvin and Hobbes, quit in 1995. A bold but smart move. Many comicstrips still exist after twentysomething years, but they never stay as funny as they were in the beginning. It's been eleven years since we saw a new Calvin And Hobbes, but every single one is incomparable.

Again, Bill Watterson isn't a man who saves lives or delivers world peace. But he definitely is a hero. Respect, mr. Watterson!



Julian, 25 August 2006