Summary Bill Watterson’s Life After “Calvin and Hobbes” | The New Yorker www.newyorker.com
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Bill Watterson's "The Mysteries" delves into the significance of finding wonder in everyday life through unraveling ordinary mysteries.
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Slide Presentation (11 slides)
Key Points
- Bill Watterson, the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, has returned to print after nearly three decades with a fable called The Mysteries.
- The Mysteries shares a sense of enchantment with Watterson's famous comic strip.
- After retiring from producing Calvin and Hobbes, Watterson focused on painting, music, and family life.
- The Mysteries is a clothbound book with black pages and gray endpapers, featuring illustrations and sentences that tell a story about a kingdom in trouble and the pursuit of mysteries.
- The story explores themes of fear, disappointment, technological advancements, and the consequences of mastering mysteries.
Summaries
17 word summary
Bill Watterson's new book, "The Mysteries," explores the unraveling of mundane mysteries and the importance of enchantment.
103 word summary
Bill Watterson, creator of "Calvin and Hobbes," has released a new book titled "The Mysteries." The fable is set in a kingdom that fears mysteries, with the king sending knights to capture one. However, the mysteries turn out to be mundane. The fable explores unraveling mysteries, leading to technological marvels and environmental destruction. "The Mysteries" is a fast-paced read with significant illustrations and a distinct ending. Watterson's decision to end "Calvin and Hobbes" may have been influenced by his desire to preserve his childlike perspective. Both "The Mysteries" and "Calvin and Hobbes" highlight the importance of embracing enchantment and seeing the world differently.
133 word summary
Bill Watterson, the creator of “Calvin and Hobbes,” has released a new book called “The Mysteries” after a long hiatus. The book is a fable set in a troubled kingdom that fears mysteries. The king sends his knights to capture a mystery, but they turn out to be mundane and disappointing. The fable explores the consequences of unraveling these mysteries, leading to technological marvels and environmental destruction. “The Mysteries” is a condensed and fast-paced read with significant illustrations. The ending is distinct but ultimately delivers a message of "happily ever after." Watterson's decision to end “Calvin and Hobbes” may have been influenced by his desire to preserve his childlike perspective. Both “The Mysteries” and “Calvin and Hobbes” remind readers of the importance of embracing enchantment and seeing the world through a different lens.
443 word summary
Bill Watterson, the creator of "Calvin and Hobbes," has released a new book called "The Mysteries," marking his return to print after a long hiatus. The book is a fable that captures the same enchanting spirit as his famous comic strip. Although Watterson retired from producing "Calvin and Hobbes," his characters remain beloved and timeless.
"The Mysteries" is a clothbound book with black pages and gray endpapers. It features a mix of photographs and graphite and paint compositions. Set in a medieval world, the story revolves around a troubled kingdom living in fear of mysteries. The king sends his knights to capture a mystery, hoping to unlock its secrets and neutralize its power. However, the mysteries turn out to be mundane and disappointing. The fable explores the consequences of unraveling these mysteries, leading to both technological marvels and environmental destruction.
The storytelling style of "The Mysteries" is condensed and fast-paced, making it a quick read. The illustrations play a significant role in conveying the story. The ending is distinct and unsettling but ultimately delivers a message of "happily ever after."
Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" strip, which ran from 1985 to 1995, captured the essence of childhood imagination and the enchantment found in the natural world. The characters never aged, creating a timeless world where time stood still. The strip's humor provided a respite from serious subjects. Watterson's decision to end the strip may have been influenced by his desire to preserve his childlike perspective and avoid the loss that comes with growing up.
Other comic strip creators like Charles M. Schulz and George Herriman also created characters that didn't age. Schulz's work explored dark themes alongside charm, while Herriman's mixed-race background likely influenced his comics. Watterson admired both creators but chose to move on from "Calvin and Hobbes" after a decade.
"The Mysteries" and "Calvin and Hobbes" share a common thread of enchantment. They depict characters lost in their own worlds but embody the gifts of play and imagination. Both stories remind readers of the importance of seeing the world through an enchanted lens, even in the face of darkness and uncertainty. The ending of "The Mysteries" serves as a reminder to embrace the enchantment that exists in everyday life.
In conclusion, Bill Watterson's return to print with "The Mysteries" continues his legacy of enchantment and imagination. The fable explores the consequences of unraveling mysteries and the importance of heeding warnings. Watterson's decision to end "Calvin and Hobbes" may have been influenced by his desire to preserve his childlike perspective. Both "The Mysteries" and "Calvin and Hobbes" remind readers of the importance of embracing enchantment and seeing the world through a different lens.
558 word summary
Bill Watterson, the creator of the beloved comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes," has returned to the world of print after nearly three decades. His new book, "The Mysteries," is a fable that shares the same sense of enchantment as his famous comic strip. After retiring from producing "Calvin and Hobbes," Watterson focused on painting, music, and family life. He rarely shared his work publicly but made a few exceptions, such as illustrating strips for other cartoonists and donating a painting for auction. Despite his efforts to avoid the spotlight, Watterson's characters continue to be popular and timeless.
"The Mysteries" is a clothbound book with black pages and gray endpapers. The illustrations are a mix of photographs and graphite and paint compositions. The story takes place in a medieval world filled with knights, wizards, and a troubled kingdom living in fear of mysteries. The king sends his knights to capture a mystery in hopes of unraveling its secrets and neutralizing its power. However, when the mysteries are caught, they turn out to be disappointing and ordinary. The story explores the consequences of mastering these mysteries, leading to technological marvels but also environmental destruction.
The fable has elements reminiscent of Dr. Seuss's "The Lorax" and the myth of Prometheus, emphasizing the dangers of technological advancements and the importance of heeding warnings. The book's condensed storytelling style and quick pace make it a quick read, while the illustrations play a significant role in conveying the story. The ending is distinctive and unsettling but ultimately delivers a message of "happily ever after."
Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" strip, which ran from 1985 to 1995, captured the essence of childhood imagination and the enchantment found in the natural world. The characters never aged, allowing readers to experience a timeless world where time didn't pass. The strip's humor often served as a contrast to serious subjects, providing a respite from the world's atrocities. Watterson's decision to end the strip may have been influenced by his desire to preserve his own childlike perspective and avoid the loss that comes with growing up.
Other comic strip creators, such as Charles M. Schulz of "Peanuts" and George Herriman of "Krazy Kat," also created timeless characters that didn't age. Schulz's work often explored dark themes alongside charm, while Herriman's background as a mixed-race individual likely influenced his comics. Watterson admired both Schulz and Herriman but chose to move on from "Calvin and Hobbes" after ten years.
"The Mysteries" and "Calvin and Hobbes" share a common thread of enchantment. Both stories depict characters lost in their own worlds but embody the gifts of play and imagination. They remind readers of the importance of seeing the world through an enchanted lens, even in the face of darkness and uncertainty. The ending of "The Mysteries" may leave readers with a sense of inevitability, but it also serves as a reminder to embrace the enchantment that exists in everyday life.
In conclusion, Bill Watterson's return to print with "The Mysteries" continues his legacy of enchantment and imagination. The fable explores the consequences of unraveling mysteries and the importance of heeding warnings. Watterson's decision to end "Calvin and Hobbes" may have been influenced by his desire to preserve his childlike perspective. Both "The Mysteries" and "Calvin and Hobbes" remind readers of the importance of embracing enchantment and seeing the world through a different lens.