Re:Startup - Bill Watterson, a cartoonist's advice
by bluedino on Friday August 30, 2013 @04:22PM
(#6303983)
Unfortunately, it's so easy to print whatever the heck you want on a t shirt or a cup or sticker, so there's plenty of cheap C&H merchandise out there.
Re:Startup - Bill Watterson, a cartoonist's advice
by Refefer on Friday August 30, 2013 @04:49PM
(#6304123)
For me, knowing they are unsanctioned keeps the memories of reading calvin and hobbes completely pure: this isn't them as they were intended to be, but bastardized facsimiles for the purpose commercial gain. It's somewhat poignant; there were many a C&H comic concerning the evils of advertising and marketing - to see subject to it as well completes the message quit succinctly.
His argument against the licensing (as I understand it) was that letting other people license it and create derivative works (e.g. mugs, shirts, and other merchandise) would dilute the integrity of Calvin and Hobbes by removing them from their context in his work.
This was something he had to fight for and I'm glad he did, because his work maintains the same potency and impact it had originally, having not been diluted by cheap merchandising over time.
This is truly remarkable. Unlike almost every other cartoon or comic character ever, there are no "good old days" or "golden years" with Calvin and Hobbes. There's just Calvin and Hobbes. 10 years of amazing work, and nothing else.