Publisher:Toronto, Ontario : ECW Press, [2018]
Copyright Date:©2018
ISBN: 9781770414136
Characteristics: 131 pages.
Calvin & Hobbes was a comic strip staple for 10 years, then it suddenly ended its run on December 31, 1995 much to the dismay of thousands of loyal fans. At its height it appeared in more than 2400 newspapers. Since he shutdown the strip the creator Bill Watterson has essentially kept out of the public eye, also much to the dismay of thousands of loyal fans. But can you blame him for this?
This book is an examination of the phenomena of the Calvin & Hobbes story, Mr. Watterson, and some of the struggles he had to put up with when he created this enduring strip. There is a fair amount of background information given in this book that goes into Mr. Watterson's life prior to C & H and how he got started, his love of Charles Shultz's "Peanuts", but it mainly discusses the role C & H has played in American culture. It also delves into discussions of how Calvin might really perceive the world: Is it just daydreaming, a mental illness, or just a commentary on child & grown-up relations?
"Let's Go Exploring" is a well written book, that should be read by all C & H fans, as well as those who are fans of other strips. Michael Hingston is an Edmonton author.
