Poster for the 2015 Angoulême International Comics Festival by Bill Watterson
Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson has just released this poster for the upcoming Angoulême International Comics Festival featuring an understated, dialog-free comic strip in his signature style. Organizers published an announcement in French calling the poster Watterson's first full comic strip since "Calvin and Hobbes" ended in 1995.
Watterson said he decided to draw the poster because he saw it as a challenge, the artist told 20 Minutes. He said he removed all the dialogue so it could be universally enjoyed without language barriers. "To tell a story in pictures is only one of the great strengths -- and the great pleasures -- comics offer," he said. "In this sense, I hope I have managed to express both my work and comics in general. And to pay tribute to what makes this medium so pleasant to read."
Earlier this year, the selection of Bill Watterson as the Grand Prix winner at the Angoulême comics festival created quite a stir. The winner is traditionally the “grand marshal” of the whole festival, helping plan exhibits and appearing at official events. However, an interview at the French language 20 Minutes website has not only unveiled Watterson’s poster for the festival but confirmed that the poster will be the full extent of his participation.
Instead, The Billy Ireland’s Library’s Caitlin McGurk and Jenny Robb, who helped organized the library's recent Watterson art exhibit, will represent the artist at the 42nd annual Angoulême International Comics Festival, which will be held in Angoulême, France, from January 29th-February 1st, 2015.
While Bill Watterson has a well-deserve reputation for being the Bigfoot of cartooning, this isn't the first piece the reclusive comic artist has released since his retirement from Calvin and Hobbes in December 1995. After withdrawing from the public eye for long enough for children to be born and mature into adults without the benefit of new stuffed tiger-fueled dreams, Bill Watterson has recently unleashed a spate of new material.
In 2012, Watterson donated an oil-on-board painting to the Team Cul de Sac charity which was working with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to raise funds for Parkinson’s research. In 2013, he did a brief interview with Mental Floss magazine following his work on Dear. Mr. Watterson, a documentary about newspaper comic strips featuring an interview and cover art by Watterson. Earlier this year, he secretly worked with Pearls Before Swine creator Stephan Pastis to a series of brand new newspaper comics.
Could this all be a build up to Bill Watterson's triumphant return to comics?
Watterson said he decided to draw the poster because he saw it as a challenge, the artist told 20 Minutes. He said he removed all the dialogue so it could be universally enjoyed without language barriers. "To tell a story in pictures is only one of the great strengths -- and the great pleasures -- comics offer," he said. "In this sense, I hope I have managed to express both my work and comics in general. And to pay tribute to what makes this medium so pleasant to read."
Earlier this year, the selection of Bill Watterson as the Grand Prix winner at the Angoulême comics festival created quite a stir. The winner is traditionally the “grand marshal” of the whole festival, helping plan exhibits and appearing at official events. However, an interview at the French language 20 Minutes website has not only unveiled Watterson’s poster for the festival but confirmed that the poster will be the full extent of his participation.
Instead, The Billy Ireland’s Library’s Caitlin McGurk and Jenny Robb, who helped organized the library's recent Watterson art exhibit, will represent the artist at the 42nd annual Angoulême International Comics Festival, which will be held in Angoulême, France, from January 29th-February 1st, 2015.
While Bill Watterson has a well-deserve reputation for being the Bigfoot of cartooning, this isn't the first piece the reclusive comic artist has released since his retirement from Calvin and Hobbes in December 1995. After withdrawing from the public eye for long enough for children to be born and mature into adults without the benefit of new stuffed tiger-fueled dreams, Bill Watterson has recently unleashed a spate of new material.
In 2012, Watterson donated an oil-on-board painting to the Team Cul de Sac charity which was working with the Michael J. Fox Foundation to raise funds for Parkinson’s research. In 2013, he did a brief interview with Mental Floss magazine following his work on Dear. Mr. Watterson, a documentary about newspaper comic strips featuring an interview and cover art by Watterson. Earlier this year, he secretly worked with Pearls Before Swine creator Stephan Pastis to a series of brand new newspaper comics.
Could this all be a build up to Bill Watterson's triumphant return to comics?
In regards to the possibility of Watterson’s possible return to comics, Former Universal Press Syndicate president and Calvin and Hobbes editor Lee Salem once told a reporter “I don’t think the door is locked, the key thrown away. There is a creative spark in Watterson that may need an outlet.”
In another interview by John C. Kuehner, a reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Salem was quoted as saying, “I’m not sure the creative impulse Watterson has has been entirely fulfilled. We’ve talked to him about it. He’s open to it. We’ve talked about some ideas, how to return to newspapers. But I think it’s low on his list of priorities.” But, maybe, after ten years of painting, cartoons have once again become a priority.
In another interview by John C. Kuehner, a reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Salem was quoted as saying, “I’m not sure the creative impulse Watterson has has been entirely fulfilled. We’ve talked to him about it. He’s open to it. We’ve talked about some ideas, how to return to newspapers. But I think it’s low on his list of priorities.” But, maybe, after ten years of painting, cartoons have once again become a priority.
Next year is the 30th anniversary of Calvin and Hobbes, and there's an entire generation waiting to be introduced to the wonders of Watterson's stories. What better time for a come back?
Before he launched his brilliant half page format in 1992, Watterson took an extended sabbatical, during which he laid out an ultimatum. Give me a larger format or I quit.
He got the larger format.
Today, the advent of e-readers and the rising popularity of self-publishing would mean an unprecedented level of control for an artist of Watterson's renown. Maybe this long absence has just been another sabbatical while Watterson waits for the world to develop the economics and technology that will allow his to make demands he couldn't even put into words twenty years ago.
Maybe Bill Watterson wasn't joking when he drew this comic in honor of Salem's retirement quiping, "Now tell ‘em I have more demands!”
We can only hope.
Before he launched his brilliant half page format in 1992, Watterson took an extended sabbatical, during which he laid out an ultimatum. Give me a larger format or I quit.
He got the larger format.
Today, the advent of e-readers and the rising popularity of self-publishing would mean an unprecedented level of control for an artist of Watterson's renown. Maybe this long absence has just been another sabbatical while Watterson waits for the world to develop the economics and technology that will allow his to make demands he couldn't even put into words twenty years ago.
Maybe Bill Watterson wasn't joking when he drew this comic in honor of Salem's retirement quiping, "Now tell ‘em I have more demands!”
We can only hope.
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