One part of me has mad respect for Bill not wanting his creation to go the way of Garfield. While the other part really wants to see a variation of the DreamWorks logo with Calvin and Hobbes where Calvin places a fake spider on the end the fishing line, casts it out, hears a scream from below, and him and Hobbes start laughing together.
The voices of Calvin and Hobbes is my grandfather's voice from when he read them to me when I was a kid. There are some even to this day I specifically read in his voice (accidentally)
I do this too! Some of my favourite French comics I can only read in my dads voice because he used to translate them for me when I was too young to be learning French in school, and some characters from novels still have the goofy voices my mom used to read them in - funny how memory works :)
As much as it hurts to admit, he absolutely made the right call here. Despite how badly I would've wanted to see an animated show, it is more than likely that the studio and/or corporate behind it would go out of it's way to ensure that they squeeze it out for every penny it's worth, much like what they did to Spongebob.
I agree with you,(and Bill for that matter), on that point. If he sold out, corporations would milk that franchise for every penny it's worth. Yet... at the same time, I am bit saddened by the prospect of not seeing C&H on the big screen. If handled correctly by the right team, the movie could end up as good as a spider-verse or a captain underpants, or even better yet, a peanuts movie. But either or, I still go with Bill on his decision and read the comic for my fix of Calvin & Hobbes.
I grew up reading the Clavin & Hobbes daily strips, bought the collected books and loved them all and I have always intensely wished that there was an animated version. That being said, I totally understand Bill's reasoning for not pursuing that and agree whole heartedly with his decision. If the perfect magical team came together to produce a show/movie, it would still lose something in the translation. Either the voices would be off or the movement wouldn't feel right, no matter how well intentioned it would still be LESS than the strip. So while I am happy to know that Bill won't sell out and their (C&H) integrity will remain intact, there is still a part of me deep down that will weep for what could have been, but never was. 😢
@@ciroluxom6615 I disagree... to a point of course. but it's 20 years later... and *HE* could have done it. With all the stories he already has written. But kids today just simply are not going to read comics like we did growing up. If it's not animated, it doesn't exist unless it's in a meme. And there *SHOULD* be plenty of Calvin and Hobbes memes. But as for animation, He could have been the one in charge of everything and merely recreated his comics into animated versions. Sure everyone could say that brings nothing new... but I disagree. It would bring *COMMON SENSE* and *LOGIC* to many of our Youth who are in desperate need of such things. Calvin and Hobbes was just intellectual and philosophical enough to really stretch a child's mind, but not be beyond their grasp. Nowadays you'd be lucky if a highschool _graduate_ could even explain the difference between logical and illogical.... or what the 3 laws of logic even are. We treat them immature, given them immature toys, movies, stories, and then wonder why people who are 20+ still don't know how to handle "Life".... This country has the _Oldest_ children in the world.... and I say a good chuck of that is do to the the low brow, fart joke style humor we give kids. Calvin would occasionally make you see things from a counter-intuitive way. But because he didn't want "animation" _ruining his art_ he's going to let many future generations forget he ever existed. All he needed to do was animate the story boards he already had laid out. With as popular as he was, and the names *BEGGING* to work with him... I'm *SURE* they could have made a true to the original animated version.
@@dementare you do bring some good points there, but I also disagree on some others. Comics are still being read today, just online. The web comic community is pretty popular with most young people today, hell I was one of them. And I do agree that what children watch and consume in their younger years has major impact on what they bring into their adult life and free n' easy access to garbage does lead many a kid astray. But it's mostly the fault of the parents and the school system that most young adults, like myself, today are having a hard time actually adulting. Most schools are only concerned with pushing as much by the book nonsense down our throats as possible instead of teaching kids how to balance their check books and do taxes correctly. And the societal pressure from the older generation doesn't make it any better because how the hell are we supposed to know all of this stuff when no one bothered to tell us how? And he could still do it now, but he still needs to get the money and funding in order to pay the animators, the marketing team, the actors, the sound designers, the distributors, any royalties if they choose to use licensed music, and if not they still gotta pay to compose new ones and so on and so forth. He probably has a Scrooge McDuck amount of money, Animation itself can cost 7,000 to 8,000 dollars per second. For just 120 minutes it would cost about $50,400,000 if he were to pay out of his own pocket. And that's just for the Animation alone. There's still everything else that goes with it. And though he could make it all back and then some if the movie is a success, if it flops, that's 50 million plus dollars that's wasted on his end. So naturally having a producer seems like the better idea as they do that for a living. Buuuut at the cost of that production label now owning your idea. So yeah, it's a lot pressure to make an animated film nowadays. Ofcourse the biggest clincher and the most important part in all of this debate is... well... he just doesn't want to do it. We can't force a man who's happy with his work the way it is to make more of it. If he's done, he's done, so we should respect him and let it be.
Theodore Geisel was able to pull it off with some made-for-tv animation. And there still wasn't any of this merchandizing until after he died and his widow opted to squeeze it out for every penny.
@@daniyal_hazim tbh roar ain’t that bad but also if we’re bein realistic thundercats kinda was always about profits, it and alot of the cartoons that came out in that eras sole purpose was to sell toys and be a part of a simple designed assembly line to reassemble, and rerelease assets to be sold for more.
Or what cartoon network did with Teen Titans the Go series is just bad. Or how in the 2000's everyone made a baby series of classic shows, that made for some gross time slot filler. No good shows, just garbage
Maybe they could make a silent cartoon? Like with just speech bubbles? Then they wouldn't have to choose a voice, and we could all keep what we think calvins voice and hobbes voice is!
Not necessarily a good idea because we all read at different speeds and we all "get it" at different moments, so for some it would drag and for others, they'd lose interest fast because they weren't getting it.
I would say this is a far better idea than most. However, there are countless things we would still have to fill in the gaps for. What I mean is this: we have scenes or snapshots of sorts between moments of action and highlights of emotion in the comic strips, but we fill in the gaps about transition from frame to frame. It is left to our own interpretation to envision what happens in the moments between these frames. With a movie or animation, almost nothing can be left to the imagination without using hard cuts, which can make for a really bad film if used in excess without sufficient continuity. Body language and movement is a huge obstacle to overcome because of each individual's personal interpretation. That is, if someone animated it, many viewers could run into the problem of feeling like the characters don't move the way they envisioned. Not many think about it, but how a character moves, their posture, their gait, their fluidity of movement among many other things can say a lot about a character's personality. If that movement doesn't fit what a majority of the audience envisioned or thought to be accurate, the quality and ratings will suffer. If the animation of movement is acceptably similar to what people envisioned then ratings will likely do well. In conclusion to my wall of text I will point out that comic strips are where moving animation begins, it's known as storyboarding and it is not much more than concept art. You need way more than that alone to go on if you are going to make a full film or show.
If a Calvin and Hobbes animated movie came out in the early 90s, Macaulay Culkin would definitely be the voice of Calvin. And for some reason, I can picture Tom Hanks voicing Hobbes.
I had a dream once where I was younger that I found a VHS tape with a Calvin and Hobbes animated series/special and just as I was about to watch it, I woke up. I must have been too excited and woke up... The world may never know.
I swear if this was animated, these guys would be bigger than Charlie Brown. Calvin and Hobbes was so clever and accurate to how kids act and think. It was amazing.
Well and they did manage to keep the Peanuts animated specials and movies on the same level with the comic strip. so I bet they could have done the same thing with Calvin and Hobbes.
I think it would have all hinged on what the background music sounded like; I know that sounds strange but the soundtrack is a major factor in any cartoon's identity and when it comes to adaptations of comics/manga, it can make or break it even worse than the voices.
@@kravenraven3986 as soon as you said that I was thinking something like coffee House jazz would be perfect as the background soundtrack for Calvin and Hobbes some of the lighter stuff not some of the more fast-paced music some of the slower jazz.
@Stevaloo Calvin joins a space nazi armada to butcher the pest of the universe, humans so they can give him a free Imagination-gun so he can turn his imitations real and become the king of the world while Hobbes gets a freaky, insane hallucination from playing too much Dead Space, Amnesia and Teletubbies.
I would love to see an anthology of fan-made Calvin and Hobbes animations chosen by Watterson. Fans could submit their interpretations, and Watterson could choose those he felt rang the most true to his original intent.
well, Bill Watterson is still alive, so he could change his mind at some point and maybe have a great idea to adapt calvin and hobbes into animation, but is his choice after all.
Although I would love to see a Calvin and Hobbes animated show, I have so much respect for Watterson for not choosing the money and being proud of what he worked on and deciding to keep what he was comfortable with
It's just a shame he's letting it *_Die_* without giving the next generations really a chance to grow from his amazing work. You're telling me with *Jim Henson* AND Bill Himself in charge of things... they couldn't have made a true to form animated versions of the comics he already made.... of course they could. And if they did that, maybe these most recent generations might have had a bit more common sense and philosophical understanding than they currently *_don't_* .
@Red Kninjight find me people under 25yr that know of them, and then maybe I'll believe you. I'm more concerned about the _lack_ of intellectual philosophical humorous content for kids 5+. I'm 37, and I barely read the comic books, had a couple. would rent others from library.... yeah that brick building nobody uses anymore. lol. granted, there could be something that is filling that place in modern society where kids *_actually_* use content... but I'm unaware of any, and concerned of the context in which it would be presented... given the current indoctrination aimed towards kids.
When I read Calvin and Hobbes, I hear their voices in my head. The voices I’ve heard on the TH-cam versions aren’t satisfying and tend to be a little jarring. Watterson was a master of his own craft, and his cartoons are priceless and perfect as he presented them. Amazing stuff, prized by our family for many years! Thank you, Mr Watterson!
Another good choice I think would have been Studio Ghibli (at least in terms of capturing the spirit of C&H), in a practical sense language and art might have formed impassable creative barriers
I feel like we NEED a Calvin and Hobbes animated movie/series now more than ever. It’s a very thoughtful comic strip that celebrates childhood. In a day and age where playing outside and childhood imagination is undermined by today’s entertainment of gaming and influencers on TH-cam, Calvin and Hobbes would really stand out. I always thought it was fun seeing Calvin’s wacky creativity and adventures, but looking back, the comic was genius to give insight to the mind of a child’s thoughts and curiosity. Maybe it’s just nostalgia, but there was something special and mature about how themes of childhood were explored. A movie/series would bring a lot of us all back to our roots of what makes being a kid special.
We really need a Itz_Mochawolf Tv Show/Movie. Its a very thoughtful franchise. Zach Landon and Mocha Wolf are in a relationship. That must happen as well. Thats why CIP Is making a Series.
I respect his decision to keep his characters pure and simple, but even I would like to see Calvin and Hobbes in an animated special or something someday…
No way! Jim Henson loved C&H when he was still alive? What would he had done if Jim got to make them into a movie? I picture Calvin being played by a real child actor. While Hobbes is a muppet.
I thought the same thing but I also remember the old animated peanuts stuff and they were able to animate the Peanuts comic strip and keep it on level with the comic strip as well. Even now when I sit down to watch an old peanuts animated cartoon I don't feel like I'm watching the kid show I feel like I'm watching something that's appealing to me even at the age I am now. In that same thing could have been done with a Calvin and Hobbes animated either short movie or TV show well the TV show would probably lose something after a while but tv specials or movies
I grew up overseas, but my fathers family is from the States. Whenever I'd visit my American grandmother, she would gift me a Calvin and Hobbes collectors edition. That was my Americana. That's a big memory of my grandmother. Thank you for that, William B. Watterson. And for everything else. Your stories take new meaning with each decade that passes.
I respect Bill Watterson’s decision in not allowing Calvin and Hobbes to be animated or on merchandise. Personally, I like having Calvin and each character in the strip having a unique voice (the voices I come up with), instead of having some voice actor making Calvin’s voice. Not having Calvin and Hobbes on other things (except the books, obviously) makes the strips even more special because without them, Calvin and Hobbes would only live on in our hearts and minds.
I can imagine whoever owns the rights to Calvin and Hobbes pulling a Kamp Koral the minute Bill Watterson kicks the bucket, announcing a Calvin and Hobbes movie, Hot Topic merch, a Netflix original series, etc.
When I was in middle school I *LOVE* reading Calvin and Hobbes because I felt like I been in Calvin shoes where I had no friends but only had a stuffed animal plushie to keep me happy and used my imagination to make it seem like he or she was alive to me. Man I missed my childhood and my imagination
Just imagine Jim Henson's Calvin and Hobbes 89' with Macaulay Culkin as Calvin and Hobbes being a Muppet voiced by Carol Spinney. Just this fun semi-eduational show on PBS where they discuss large adult issues but from the perspective and wonder of a child.
01:20. I really like how Disney is much smaller when compared to other networks. As in, Bill Watterson himself BLOODY WELL KNEW what a terrible move it would be to do business with the Walt Disney company. And I do not think I have to explain all the bad things Disney has done over time.
My brother had a phase of this comic once. He was OBSESSED. We still have a book completion of ALL Calvin and Hobbs comics. I like C&H, but I’ve always liked Peanuts more. Idk, it’s just Peanuts gives me more nostalgia.
The only fear I have from his decision is that Calvin and Hobbes might get forgotten at some point in the future, since newspapers don't publish it anymore and we can only find it if we're looking for it. If someone doesn't know about it they'll never know it ever existed.
On one end, I'm glad Bill kept his integrity and kept Calvin and Hobbes home made. On the other hand... I NEED MORE GIVE IT TO ME I NEED MOREEEEEEEE, I'VE READ EVERY CALVIN AND HOBBES COMIC EVER PRODUCED, MOST OF THEM MULTIPLE TIMES! I need more.
I think most people that like C and H would love to see an animated series. However, I only want to see it if Bill is in charge of it so that the animated stays true to his vision of Calvin and Hobbes.
Well, Charlie Brown Snoopy and the other peanuts characters had a good success on THEIR animation, so...it could've been interesting to see one for Calvin and Hobbes.
Man, Calvin and Hobbes is from the 80s? I remember explicitly looking for those comics as a 6 year old in 2009. That’s how good these comics were, they entertained my brain decades after they were written.
I would love to see calvin and hobbes in animated form but I do have to side mostly with Bill here. Finding the right voice cast would just be too monumental of a task because when any story is written, comic or book, people give the characters their own "head voice" if you will. Trying to put a definitive voice to something written will always leave most people dissatisfied, and it's justified because your mind filling in the blanks is part of what makes reading still so special. It isn't often done, so I'm not sure if the idea was ever brought up or crossed bill's mind but if I were him I personally would've still made a show, but with no voice acting. Let the animation and the music do the talking.
Calvin & Hobbes was a special part of my childhood. When I was a boy, Calvin & Hobbes was really my first comic, which I mostly looked at for the art and vivid illustrations of a boy and his tiger getting into all kinds of misadventures, trouble, and the wild imagination of a six year old changing how he saw his world on a daily basis to something more appealing to a boy that age in the face of boredom, dissatisfaction, frustration, and other feelings that plague young kids, such as homework, school, parents and their rules, teachers, bullies, girls, and more When I got older and better at reading I still had a little trouble reading C&H because of the philosophical conversations Calvin & Hobbes have regarding predestination, environmental concerns, or just wondering about their places in the universe, as well as Calvin's incredibly advanced vocabulary Regardless, I grew to deeply love Calvin & Hobbes for the mental flavor it offered to my interest, my imagination, and even my intelligence There are so many aspects to this comic that make it so unique and appealing, as it's not just a comic for laughs but also one to stimulate real thinking regarding philosophy, worldly concerns, and other subjects that just make you pause to think about them in a way that not many comic strips inspire in their readers I won't deny, there was a time I wished Bill Watterson would make Calvin & Hobbes animated, partly because of how I wondered what he thought Calvin (and the other characters) would sound like. But I came to understand his reasons for refusing to do so and keeping Calvin & Hobbes on ink and paper rather than film. There are indeed some things only reading material can do that viewing material cannot, which is why books are almost always better than movies in certain respects To this day, I honestly can't imagine actually HEARING Calvin's voice because the idea itself just doesn't sound like something that should be done, which by itself is an unspoken fact that Calvin & Hobbes are right where they belong, in the comics and there's nothing more they need to be for them to entertain us with their antics and their surprisingly deep thinking I mean, if Calvin WERE to be animated and at long last given a voice, whoever voiced him would have to capture the very core of what it is that makes Calvin & Hobbes so special, and that honestly feels practically impossible. Like something that is ever just outside one's reach I am sad that the comic ended back in 1995 and while I understand Bill Watterson's reason for ending it as he did, I feel there is yet more potential that Calvin & Hobbes could reach in this day and age as opposed to 26 years ago. But then, that's human nature, which is something Hobbes would not approve of In conclusion, Calvin & Hobbes will always be among my most beloved and favorite comic strips and I will carry the memories and feelings they provided me with in my heart forever and a day
One of the greatest things about Calvin and Hobbs is their voices were never audible but rather what you heard in your mind when you would read what they were saying to each other in the comics.
If anything, I just want them to keep making more comic strips. Making it animated means that you have to fall in several cliches and annoying tropes, and making a whole movie means you have to give a whole convoluted plot to something that was just meant for the newspaper
If they could have a voice, it would at once give them life of their own standing while simultaneously canceling out the illusion of having no voice as the superior choice.
I wonder if bill would still feel the same way. We have come a far way from adaptations in the 90s. I think there definitely is such thing as over protective. People just made the merch he wouldn't.. so it was a loose loose for him on that end. When he could have had quality controlled merch and made money, that he could use to help the ip as a whole.
Great video bro! As for if I would ever want to see it animated, I don’t think so. It could be good, great even, but I don’t think it’s worth the risk of potentially damaging the brand. I also like that Calvin and Hobbes has remained a very personal experience, shared only between people who are comfortable enough together to sit down and read a comic above a boy and his stuffed tiger.
Except they kept the integrity of peanuts the comic strip in the animated specials in movies that they did. So I bet they could have done the same thing for Calvin and Hobbes and if he had felt differently and was not so protective over it he could have made sure there was a clause in the contract that says he has all final approval over everything artistically to do with the movie like approve lines take out scenes of animation he didn't see fit to be part of a Calvin and Hobbes movie that kind of stuff you could have made sure that he kept full of artists license before they started. So it would still ultimately be his film.
Just his passing away wouldn't be enough. Copyright is good for 80 years (i think, have to look it up again) past his death. His estate would still have control of the rights and could either respect his wishes, or sell out.
Even though Im disappointed, I completely agree with Mr Watterson. He needs to keep creative control of his artwork and not let it be a corporate cash making machine. I think the other difficulty with animating C+H is that everyone has an idea (In their head) of what Calvin would sound like, what Hobbes would sound like.. etc. You would never be able to get a general idea of what voice actor you could use to make everybody happy. We can only love the books and thank Bill Watterson for the 10 years of Joy that he gave us with the incomparable Calvin and Hobbes. Thank you so much Mr Watterson.
Honestly an Animated Calvin and Hobbes would have been VERY successful and incredible and it’s a huge shame we never got treated to an animated series. Though I do admire Bill’s protective nature and his amazing work.
@@azure-aeon-dragonica just a clip with no dialogue. I mean you gotta respect Watterson for choosing art over money. He could’ve easily exploited Calvin and Hobbes and become one of the most successful cartoonists of all time but he didn’t. On the other hand, I feel like he’s letting Calvin and Hobbes be forgotten about. I mean look at Peanuts and Garfield, they had shows, movies, and merchandise which made people know of them. Think they’ll end up forgotten like Pogo or Barney Google?
Yes if Bill Waterston sees Calvin and Hobbes as Non animatable then he must know what bounds that his characters must stay within.But still watch these Calvin follow-ups here on TH-cam.
While I understand his motives here, what I think he's missing is the fact a studio is just going to come behind him after he dies and snatch it up anyway. What they will surely produce then will probably be a crime that will diminish the characters forever in the minds of younger generations. But if he were able to strike a deal now while he's still alive whereby he retains majority creative and commercial control, then the studio would have less power to corrupt the characters in the future after he dies, because the televised series would already have a strong, young fan base.
I just want a movie like the peanuts movie. It stays true to the original. There will be no villain, no evil corporation, just them playing around. Calvin will have no voice, maybe animated speech bubbles.
The plot would centre around Uncle Max returning to the Watterson estate after several months spent flying around the world with the intent of bonding with Clancy Watterson (Calvin's dad)
Does anybody know of Bill Watterson ever contact him after the documentary was made because I know bill was not in the documentary from what I've read I have not seen it yet but that is what I have read.
@@GregBurch what contract this is the first I am hearing about it. I love to know the full story it sounds they are trying to muscle him into a Contract.
@@GregBurch sorry my bad just read it wrong. But no contact ever really took place? and who was the director was he with a network or wanting to make a movie. What he want to do with it?
I’m a huge fan of Calvin and Hobbes but I would NEVER want to see an animated show or movie, they would most certainly ruin it. Nothing can compare to the comic, not even the most talented voice actors could give this comic anything extra or necessary, I’m proud of Bill’s decision. Even the Calvin peeing bumper stickers tick me off a bit.
I can respect Watterson decision not to have a Calvin and Hobbes animated, still I always wish one could happen. I feel the series would lend itself well to animation. It's a good thing there are passionate fans who put own their own fan animated version of the duo: th-cam.com/video/fE7nv7BH19Q/w-d-xo.html | th-cam.com/video/KckYcuiKAN8/w-d-xo.html
I believe the window for the time to cast the appropriate VAs for the animated series has already been long gone. Hollywood talent just went down the slaughter chutes after 2010.
I think with the way Calvin and Hobbes could work is with today's modern media style of short videos. Maybe 5 or 8 minutes episodes of C&H adventures, with the right director and dedicated team, might work.
@@morgboat744 well, when I first read big nate, I thought it was a great comic strip. But I realized that there were only 4 books published of big nate at the time I was first reading it. *(2003)*. I really enjoyed reading it. It was very interesting. But a few years later, I started to make fun of it and started drawing on the books and the printed comics strips. And also, the real reason why big nate is one of the most underrated comic strips of all time is because it wasn't originally published in books. Also, it was because they kept on reusing the same *"nate goes to detention for no reason"* joke. I mean like mrs. Godfrey isn't a mean teacher. She just has an aggressive style of discipline. My dad was like that too when I was a little kid back then in the early 2000's. And he still is. Also how nate keeps going after jenny when he clearly doesn't need her. I used to do that to a girl named angel, but I have moved on without her. I usually go for men. But I still sometimes have obsessions with other girls i don't even know even men for a little while. But, big nate just keeps getting worse and worse every year. I mean back in 1991 when it was just starting, it wasn't that bad. But by the new millennium, things were slowly going downhill until it crashed into a ford pinto And got into a fiery explosion. Nate turned into a good for nothing piece of crap to an even worse good for nothing. He started bragging more about how he was good at everything and how awesome he was when clearly he wasn't even trying. He would keep getting detentions almost every day. He would also be unlucky and unaware. Trying to insult his own teacher, which leads to her sneaking up on him and sending him flying until he lands into the detention room. He would also get sent to detention all because he left a banana peel on the floor and mrs godfrey walked on it and slipped. I mean like, how would she even know it was their responsibility. Nate would also get sent to detention for doing something wrong by an accident like holding a rubber band which sends it flying and it hits mrs godfrey in the eye. So nate is clearly not awesome. And is unlucky. Always judging Arthur because of his successes, and always hating on gina, and always thinking mrs godfrey is evil when she isn't. First of all Arthur is just living his life, gina just happens to have a smarter IQ, and mrs godfrey just happens to have a really aggressive style of discipline. Just like my dad when I was a kid. Every time I would fuck up, my dad would beat me. So no rape. And last, he keeps saying oh how I hate her/him when mrs godfrey, gina, or artur are not around. Usually in his head. I know I have made this an insanely long comment, but I just want you to know that big nate isn't popular. He claims he is, He thinks he is, but he is not. He just wants to reach fame a bit too early instead of focusing on what's more important: Stop claiming to be popular, stop insultinh mrs godfrey, be happy for arturs successes, accept that you will not be famous, and etc. So thats all for this insanely long-ass comment I gotta go. Bye. :)
I got into it when I was in 6th grade myself, and my favorite strips happen to be either the earliest ones for the simpler times or 2013-14 ones because that's when I was in 6th grade. I kinda grew out of it by the time the last real book came out. That said... Nate's CG design. I know Peirce had trouble with imagining 3D because of his 2D hair but... man they did him dirty I think. We'll see though. No matter what it better come out on bluray and not just fucking DVD
I used to imagine there being an animated series for Calvin and Hobbes. I also did one for Foxtrot. Foxtrot is probably the most underrated comic strip on earth.
As a gen z kid, I have no idea what Calvin and Hobbes is about, but the sheer fact that it attracted Jim Henson, Stephen Spielberg, *and* George Lucas, three of the most famous directors in the past century, and this guy had the *brass balls* to say no to *ALL* of them, I have nothing but respect for this man now
@@clownfromclowntown I should probably clarify that being Gen z doesn't _prevent_ me from reading the comics, but it's the fact that I never grew up with newspaper comic strips nor did I have any friends my age who would introduce me to such an old series. Those two things combined meant that since I didn't actively seek a way to enjoy the series, I've never had an alternate reason to learn about it
Respect to Bill Waterson. I can only imagine the money he got offered; Spielberg, Lucas, Henson, AND Pixar? Sheesh. So, my question is...who got paid for those infamous decals of Calvin peeing back in the late 90s/early 00s? I think they still pop up on occasion, but they were EVERYWHERE at one point.
If I were to make a Calvin and Hobbes animated series I would cast Howie Mandel using his Bobby Generic voice and Frank Welker as Hobbes using his natural voice.
Oh, oh no. Bobby Generic's voice is way too high-pitched and innocent for Calvin, who is both wise beyond his years and incredibly obnoxious. And this disagreement right here is why there shouldn't be an animated Calvin and Hobbes at all.
I guarantee the moment the poor man unfortunately passes some money hungry executive is going to secure the movie rights and we'll have a Calvin and Hobbes film the following year.
Just a slight correction at 2:53: Bill Watterson never said no to making a movie with the producers, it's just that their calls were never returned. Otherwise, amazing video.
Imagine how many other people would love to get a phone call from Spielberg or George Lucas and would be excited at the opportunity to work with them and this guy just doesn't even bother returning their phone calls. kind of funny isn't it.
@@SomeCommonAnimator you make me smile and it tells me English is probably not your first langue... Lol Finished means to be done with, over, the end. What your looking for is famous
I remember I had a pretty thick book of Calvin and Hobbs shorts, I used to read it on the bus and while at school, and I think the fact that he didn’t make a cartoon or put them on T-shirts does keep it special because it’s not over exposing them and you don’t get tired of seeing them.
I honestly don't blame Bill. I'm not sure if I feel comfortable submitting my works to a big network, especially today. I mean there are certain companies that could pull it off. But putting it on a network like Nick? I fear they would butcher it.
Me: "Hobbes is Hobbes. He isn't a stuffed tiger Calvin pretends is alive, nor is he an actual tiger who can tf into a plushie. Only Calvin knows his true nature, and God help us all if he ever decided to tell people what Hobbes actually was."
Hearing some of the fan versions of Calvin's voice...I think, no..that's not Calvin. They would have to test hundreds of kids voices to get the right voice...same with Hobbes...a growly voice, a voice like another kid? A deep or high voice, who knows. Yes I'd love to watch a Calvin & Hobbies series and movie.
I'm happy that Calvin and Hobbes never left the print world. Somewhere in my parents attic are the entire collection, everything that ever was, having been read many times over before they were put away up there. And yet, the world of Calvin and Hobbes is still magical to me simply because most of it, for me, is in my own mind because it was print and not animation. Everything was more magical when it couldn't be immediately looked up and experienced and explicitly defined like everything is now with the internet. There was more wonder back in the day, when everyday things were more unknown. I'm not even a boomer and I hear "ok boomer" in my head right now. Jeez.
I have every Calvin and Hobbes strip in in volume-based box set, and my dad would read me four pages every night before bed, so if Calvin’s voice isn’t some 40 year old man making a goofy high-pitched voice, I’ll be very disappointed.
I would see Calvin and Hobbes to remain primarily as a comic strip series instead of an animated film series, it's despite the fact that every animated film that is being produced nowadays has to be CGI I don't particularly like CGI because I find that most CGI animators Focus heavily on visuals instead of the story, I may believe that could be not true, to some other CGI animators out there. But as an artist myself, I don't have any interests of letting off my character designs to be used for CGI or 2D animated films, because I primarily Focus my characters to be used heavily on picture books and comic strips. just like the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, I don't want my character designs or my art style to be devalued. Despite the fact that I'm not a very popular or well-known artist, I am just an amateur cartoonist starting out slowly. Another example is that modern-day Animation Studios are lacking their own personal style, they would normally rely on the exact same style either to save cost or be competitive with one another. Whereas back in the 80s and 90s where you have Studio Ghibli Jim Henson, they already had established styles, so copying one from another was not the main focal point, I would find it very fascinating of what Calvin and Hobbes would look like in Studio Ghibli Style. I am believing that there are several artists out there that had created Calvin and Hobbes in a Studio Ghibli Style which is the closest that we can get to. To wrap off my comment, I would say that if Calvin and Hobbes was adapted to animation formats, the magic of is Comic Strip Origins would truly be devalued and I would find that to be a fair honest truth.
He could of done a silent animation wirh bubble texts. It still would been nice. But I like the romanticism of it being in our memories as a simple but impactful comic.
It had so much potential as an animated series, if only Bill Waterson could of found a way to open his mind to the idea. Could of demanded full creative control....
No I wouldn't like to see an animated version of Calvin and Hobbs. and I love the idea of Bill Watterson holding to his integrity and keeping artistic control of his work. Even though I would love to see some more and new Calvin and Hobbes stories and comic strip form I'm happy to reread the Calvin and Hobbes strips as they are made available. and thank you Mr water sent for making such an enduring and lovable characters of Calvin and Hobbes.
The Sunday watercolors lit my childhood up while I was being hurt. I lived for it. My Dad gave him to me. Dad used to read the paper in Longmont CO all day long. It's my most cherished memory. Thanks Bill. We love you.
I also appreciate the fact a reason Watterson was against adapting his comic strip into an animated series was Calvin's voice. Personally, I never imagined any voice for him, I just read it in my normal voice, which I think, if others did this, too, is something that makes the series a lot more personal to a lot of people
Would I watch a Calvin and Hobbes movie? Yes. But do I want it? No. I read the comics when I was 9 and made up my own voices for each character in my head because I’ve always loved mimicking/adapting voices and drawing cartoons. I’ve made a couple animated characters and movies since I was 15 and I’ve never once considered releasing them to the public. Not because I don’t think other people would like them, but because it’s something I’ve always done for myself and the kids in my family to enjoy. so I absolutely understand where bill is coming from and respect it.
I always thought that after he ended the strip that he might do a stand alone book now and then. When he did do for a couple years is a new Calvin and Hobbes strip on the Bloom County website on April 1st for a couple years, but he hasn't done a new one in a couple years. But Bloom County has recently been doing tributes to the strip.
Bill Watterson is a true artist. Period. It would most likely be really difficult to pick a voice for them, which would be different for all of us. Not sure about a video, but I sure do miss them.
Calvin once said: “Getting a inch of snow is like winning 10 cents in the lottery.”
Woah! Thanks for 90 likes! That was unexpected.
@@benjamintoulouse7052 lol! 👍👍👍😉😉😉
@@benjamintoulouse7052 thanks a ton!
It was a strip where he thought there was no school because it snowed
@@Enderboy4030 I know that! I saw it on a TH-cam thumbnail!
One part of me has mad respect for Bill not wanting his creation to go the way of Garfield. While the other part really wants to see a variation of the DreamWorks logo with Calvin and Hobbes where Calvin places a fake spider on the end the fishing line, casts it out, hears a scream from below, and him and Hobbes start laughing together.
YES YES YES YESSSS i could TOTALLY see that!
Blows my mind, that would be the best
LOL.
I CAN SEE THAT.
hopefully illuminations treats this company with respect. but then again they haven't made a good movie since Despicable Me
Garfield is awesome.
The voices of Calvin and Hobbes is my grandfather's voice from when he read them to me when I was a kid. There are some even to this day I specifically read in his voice (accidentally)
this is really sweet :,,)
I do this too! Some of my favourite French comics I can only read in my dads voice because he used to translate them for me when I was too young to be learning French in school, and some characters from novels still have the goofy voices my mom used to read them in - funny how memory works :)
As much as it hurts to admit, he absolutely made the right call here. Despite how badly I would've wanted to see an animated show, it is more than likely that the studio and/or corporate behind it would go out of it's way to ensure that they squeeze it out for every penny it's worth, much like what they did to Spongebob.
I agree with you,(and Bill for that matter), on that point. If he sold out, corporations would milk that franchise for every penny it's worth. Yet... at the same time, I am bit saddened by the prospect of not seeing C&H on the big screen. If handled correctly by the right team, the movie could end up as good as a spider-verse or a captain underpants, or even better yet, a peanuts movie. But either or, I still go with Bill on his decision and read the comic for my fix of Calvin & Hobbes.
I grew up reading the Clavin & Hobbes daily strips, bought the collected books and loved them all and I have always intensely wished that there was an animated version. That being said, I totally understand Bill's reasoning for not pursuing that and agree whole heartedly with his decision.
If the perfect magical team came together to produce a show/movie, it would still lose something in the translation. Either the voices would be off or the movement wouldn't feel right, no matter how well intentioned it would still be LESS than the strip.
So while I am happy to know that Bill won't sell out and their (C&H) integrity will remain intact, there is still a part of me deep down that will weep for what could have been, but never was. 😢
@@ciroluxom6615 I disagree... to a point of course. but it's 20 years later... and *HE* could have done it. With all the stories he already has written. But kids today just simply are not going to read comics like we did growing up. If it's not animated, it doesn't exist unless it's in a meme. And there *SHOULD* be plenty of Calvin and Hobbes memes. But as for animation, He could have been the one in charge of everything and merely recreated his comics into animated versions. Sure everyone could say that brings nothing new... but I disagree. It would bring *COMMON SENSE* and *LOGIC* to many of our Youth who are in desperate need of such things. Calvin and Hobbes was just intellectual and philosophical enough to really stretch a child's mind, but not be beyond their grasp. Nowadays you'd be lucky if a highschool _graduate_ could even explain the difference between logical and illogical.... or what the 3 laws of logic even are.
We treat them immature, given them immature toys, movies, stories, and then wonder why people who are 20+ still don't know how to handle "Life".... This country has the _Oldest_ children in the world.... and I say a good chuck of that is do to the the low brow, fart joke style humor we give kids. Calvin would occasionally make you see things from a counter-intuitive way. But because he didn't want "animation" _ruining his art_ he's going to let many future generations forget he ever existed. All he needed to do was animate the story boards he already had laid out. With as popular as he was, and the names *BEGGING* to work with him... I'm *SURE* they could have made a true to the original animated version.
@@dementare you do bring some good points there, but I also disagree on some others. Comics are still being read today, just online. The web comic community is pretty popular with most young people today, hell I was one of them.
And I do agree that what children watch and consume in their younger years has major impact on what they bring into their adult life and free n' easy access to garbage does lead many a kid astray. But it's mostly the fault of the parents and the school system that most young adults, like myself, today are having a hard time actually adulting. Most schools are only concerned with pushing as much by the book nonsense down our throats as possible instead of teaching kids how to balance their check books and do taxes correctly. And the societal pressure from the older generation doesn't make it any better because how the hell are we supposed to know all of this stuff when no one bothered to tell us how?
And he could still do it now, but he still needs to get the money and funding in order to pay the animators, the marketing team, the actors, the sound designers, the distributors, any royalties if they choose to use licensed music, and if not they still gotta pay to compose new ones and so on and so forth. He probably has a Scrooge McDuck amount of money, Animation itself can cost 7,000 to 8,000 dollars per second. For just 120 minutes it would cost about $50,400,000 if he were to pay out of his own pocket. And that's just for the Animation alone. There's still everything else that goes with it. And though he could make it all back and then some if the movie is a success, if it flops, that's 50 million plus dollars that's wasted on his end. So naturally having a producer seems like the better idea as they do that for a living. Buuuut at the cost of that production label now owning your idea. So yeah, it's a lot pressure to make an animated film nowadays.
Ofcourse the biggest clincher and the most important part in all of this debate is... well... he just doesn't want to do it. We can't force a man who's happy with his work the way it is to make more of it. If he's done, he's done, so we should respect him and let it be.
Theodore Geisel was able to pull it off with some made-for-tv animation. And there still wasn't any of this merchandizing until after he died and his widow opted to squeeze it out for every penny.
I'm glad he didn't just go for the money. It's sad how many shows i loved that just sold out to maximize profits.
Yup, just like the new Thundercats...uughhh.... why degrade themselves?
Like Garfield. He was *_EVERYWHERE_* in the 80s.
@@daniyal_hazim tbh roar ain’t that bad but also if we’re bein realistic thundercats kinda was always about profits, it and alot of the cartoons that came out in that eras sole purpose was to sell toys and be a part of a simple designed assembly line to reassemble, and rerelease assets to be sold for more.
Like club penquin
Or what cartoon network did with Teen Titans the Go series is just bad. Or how in the 2000's everyone made a baby series of classic shows, that made for some gross time slot filler. No good shows, just garbage
Maybe they could make a silent cartoon? Like with just speech bubbles? Then they wouldn't have to choose a voice, and we could all keep what we think calvins voice and hobbes voice is!
THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING.
BUT NO, LEAVE IT ALONE.
@@autumnt.allgood8895 I was thinking of that too but it might be better if it was a 30min. special
Bro, I was thinking the same thing
Not necessarily a good idea because we all read at different speeds and we all "get it" at different moments, so for some it would drag and for others, they'd lose interest fast because they weren't getting it.
I would say this is a far better idea than most. However, there are countless things we would still have to fill in the gaps for.
What I mean is this: we have scenes or snapshots of sorts between moments of action and highlights of emotion in the comic strips, but we fill in the gaps about transition from frame to frame. It is left to our own interpretation to envision what happens in the moments between these frames. With a movie or animation, almost nothing can be left to the imagination without using hard cuts, which can make for a really bad film if used in excess without sufficient continuity.
Body language and movement is a huge obstacle to overcome because of each individual's personal interpretation. That is, if someone animated it, many viewers could run into the problem of feeling like the characters don't move the way they envisioned. Not many think about it, but how a character moves, their posture, their gait, their fluidity of movement among many other things can say a lot about a character's personality. If that movement doesn't fit what a majority of the audience envisioned or thought to be accurate, the quality and ratings will suffer. If the animation of movement is acceptably similar to what people envisioned then ratings will likely do well.
In conclusion to my wall of text I will point out that comic strips are where moving animation begins, it's known as storyboarding and it is not much more than concept art. You need way more than that alone to go on if you are going to make a full film or show.
I think any voice I hear for Calvin and for Hobbes just would not be right.
I think I know what calvin's voice will be but not hobbes's
@@foodcritic4935 -If there HAD to be one, I'd make Hobbe's voice done like Calvin lowering his voice.That's how they sound in my head.
ME TOO.
JUST LET THEM STAY AS THEY ARE.
I would know what Hobbes sounded like, but not what Calvin sounds like.
I always imagined most of Calvin talking to hobbes was in his head, so it was silent
If a Calvin and Hobbes animated movie came out in the early 90s, Macaulay Culkin would definitely be the voice of Calvin. And for some reason, I can picture Tom Hanks voicing Hobbes.
omfg tom hanks as hobbes feels so right😩😩
I had LITERALLY THE EXACT SAME THOUGHT for Calvin holy crap
Yesssss
yeah and it would've sucked. i would've given it till late 90s. and i'd picture whoever voiced calvin to also voice hobbes.
Christopher McCullough for Hobbs imho. His 21 voice is the closest to my imagined Hobbes voice when reading the comics.
I had a dream once where I was younger that I found a VHS tape with a Calvin and Hobbes animated series/special and just as I was about to watch it, I woke up. I must have been too excited and woke up... The world may never know.
What did the VHS look like?
I swear if this was animated, these guys would be bigger than Charlie Brown. Calvin and Hobbes was so clever and accurate to how kids act and think. It was amazing.
I agree, this is miles better than Peanuts
I feel like Steven Spielberg could have handled Calvin and Hobbes pretty well. Like, he produced animaniacs and that show is awesome.
Well and they did manage to keep the Peanuts animated specials and movies on the same level with the comic strip. so I bet they could have done the same thing with Calvin and Hobbes.
I think it would have all hinged on what the background music sounded like; I know that sounds strange but the soundtrack is a major factor in any cartoon's identity and when it comes to adaptations of comics/manga, it can make or break it even worse than the voices.
@@kravenraven3986 as soon as you said that I was thinking something like coffee House jazz would be perfect as the background soundtrack for Calvin and Hobbes some of the lighter stuff not some of the more fast-paced music some of the slower jazz.
@Stevaloo Calvin joins a space nazi armada to butcher the pest of the universe, humans so they can give him a free Imagination-gun so he can turn his imitations real and become the king of the world while Hobbes gets a freaky, insane hallucination from playing too much Dead Space, Amnesia and Teletubbies.
I think wrong stuff too
I would love to see an anthology of fan-made Calvin and Hobbes animations chosen by Watterson. Fans could submit their interpretations, and Watterson could choose those he felt rang the most true to his original intent.
I love that idea. But part of me knows that he would pick none of them, saying that Calvin doesn't belong on the screen or something.
@@UJEvans some did something like that th-cam.com/video/fE7nv7BH19Q/w-d-xo.html
well, Bill Watterson
is still alive, so he could change his mind at some point and maybe have a great idea to adapt calvin and hobbes into animation, but is his choice after all.
i dought it
Nope. The guy will die and not want anything.
I doubt it. The strip isn’t relevant to children anymore, and hasn’t been published since 1995. I don’t even think he’s done a TV interview
Although I would love to see a Calvin and Hobbes animated show, I have so much respect for Watterson for not choosing the money and being proud of what he worked on and deciding to keep what he was comfortable with
69 likes, make a wish!
It's just a shame he's letting it *_Die_* without giving the next generations really a chance to grow from his amazing work. You're telling me with *Jim Henson* AND Bill Himself in charge of things... they couldn't have made a true to form animated versions of the comics he already made.... of course they could. And if they did that, maybe these most recent generations might have had a bit more common sense and philosophical understanding than they currently *_don't_* .
@Red Kninjight find me people under 25yr that know of them, and then maybe I'll believe you. I'm more concerned about the _lack_ of intellectual philosophical humorous content for kids 5+. I'm 37, and I barely read the comic books, had a couple. would rent others from library.... yeah that brick building nobody uses anymore. lol. granted, there could be something that is filling that place in modern society where kids *_actually_* use content... but I'm unaware of any, and concerned of the context in which it would be presented... given the current indoctrination aimed towards kids.
When I read Calvin and Hobbes, I hear their voices in my head. The voices I’ve heard on the TH-cam versions aren’t satisfying and tend to be a little jarring. Watterson was a master of his own craft, and his cartoons are priceless and perfect as he presented them. Amazing stuff, prized by our family for many years! Thank you, Mr Watterson!
It’s a shame that blue sky isn’t around anymore. They probably could have made a pretty good C&H movie.
Another good choice I think would have been Studio Ghibli (at least in terms of capturing the spirit of C&H), in a practical sense language and art might have formed impassable creative barriers
WHAT BLUE SKY IS GONE?
Yeah, Sony axed them before the Emoji Movie if I remember correctly
@@GojirajJr I thought Disney got rid of Blue Sky
I think so, yeah
Much respect for Bill
I feel like we NEED a Calvin and Hobbes animated movie/series now more than ever. It’s a very thoughtful comic strip that celebrates childhood. In a day and age where playing outside and childhood imagination is undermined by today’s entertainment of gaming and influencers on TH-cam, Calvin and Hobbes would really stand out. I always thought it was fun seeing Calvin’s wacky creativity and adventures, but looking back, the comic was genius to give insight to the mind of a child’s thoughts and curiosity. Maybe it’s just nostalgia, but there was something special and mature about how themes of childhood were explored. A movie/series would bring a lot of us all back to our roots of what makes being a kid special.
Too bad Bill's anti-merch
We really need a Itz_Mochawolf Tv Show/Movie. Its a very thoughtful franchise. Zach Landon and Mocha Wolf are in a relationship. That must happen as well. Thats why CIP Is making a Series.
That would be a fun series.
Hi
Agreed
It would if it was made in the earlier 2000’s
How come i’ve seen you as a meme
@@sossisthenotsossig My pfp is from Picrew. Can you explain it or show it to me?
I respect his decision to keep his characters pure and simple, but even I would like to see Calvin and Hobbes in an animated special or something someday…
No way! Jim Henson loved C&H when he was still alive? What would he had done if Jim got to make them into a movie? I picture Calvin being played by a real child actor. While Hobbes is a muppet.
I thought the same thing but I also remember the old animated peanuts stuff and they were able to animate the Peanuts comic strip and keep it on level with the comic strip as well. Even now when I sit down to watch an old peanuts animated cartoon I don't feel like I'm watching the kid show I feel like I'm watching something that's appealing to me even at the age I am now. In that same thing could have been done with a Calvin and Hobbes animated either short movie or TV show well the TV show would probably lose something after a while but tv specials or movies
I'd imagine that too
Bill Watterson reminds me of Todd Mcfarlane when it comes to his properties
I grew up overseas, but my fathers family is from the States. Whenever I'd visit my American grandmother, she would gift me a Calvin and Hobbes collectors edition. That was my Americana. That's a big memory of my grandmother.
Thank you for that, William B. Watterson. And for everything else. Your stories take new meaning with each decade that passes.
I respect Bill Watterson’s decision in not allowing Calvin and Hobbes to be animated or on merchandise. Personally, I like having Calvin and each character in the strip having a unique voice (the voices I come up with), instead of having some voice actor making Calvin’s voice. Not having Calvin and Hobbes on other things (except the books, obviously) makes the strips even more special because without them, Calvin and Hobbes would only live on in our hearts and minds.
I can imagine whoever owns the rights to Calvin and Hobbes pulling a Kamp Koral the minute Bill Watterson kicks the bucket, announcing a Calvin and Hobbes movie, Hot Topic merch, a Netflix original series, etc.
When I was in middle school I *LOVE* reading Calvin and Hobbes because I felt like I been in Calvin shoes where I had no friends but only had a stuffed animal plushie to keep me happy and used my imagination to make it seem like he or she was alive to me. Man I missed my childhood and my imagination
Just imagine Jim Henson's Calvin and Hobbes 89' with Macaulay Culkin as Calvin and Hobbes being a Muppet voiced by Carol Spinney. Just this fun semi-eduational show on PBS where they discuss large adult issues but from the perspective and wonder of a child.
Calvin Wonders Why!
01:20. I really like how Disney is much smaller when compared to other networks.
As in, Bill Watterson himself BLOODY WELL KNEW what a terrible move it would be to do business with the Walt Disney company.
And I do not think I have to explain all the bad things Disney has done over time.
My brother had a phase of this comic once. He was OBSESSED. We still have a book completion of ALL Calvin and Hobbs comics. I like C&H, but I’ve always liked Peanuts more. Idk, it’s just Peanuts gives me more nostalgia.
The Tom and Jerry movie should be proof enough that Watterson did the right thing
I myself don't want there to be an animated Calvin and Hobbes, I feel like it's fine just the way it is.
There’s a beauty of making the main character’s voice as your own
@@pancakesareawesome3121 Ah yes, I loved making my own voices for the characters. It's so fun!
yup
The only fear I have from his decision is that Calvin and Hobbes might get forgotten at some point in the future, since newspapers don't publish it anymore and we can only find it if we're looking for it. If someone doesn't know about it they'll never know it ever existed.
I always wanted a stuffed Hobbes as a kid but they never sold them. I finally know why and It’s honestly amazing he kept his art the way he did.
There are plenty of bootleg Hobbes stuffed toys online
My dad would use these to teach us how to read. Good times man
same
On one end, I'm glad Bill kept his integrity and kept Calvin and Hobbes home made.
On the other hand... I NEED MORE GIVE IT TO ME I NEED MOREEEEEEEE, I'VE READ EVERY CALVIN AND HOBBES COMIC EVER PRODUCED, MOST OF THEM MULTIPLE TIMES! I need more.
I think most people that like C and H would love to see an animated series. However, I only want to see it if Bill is in charge of it so that the animated stays true to his vision of Calvin and Hobbes.
Knowing Bill he would probably say something along the lines of "If you want an animated series, then you can pry it off my cold, dead hands..."
Well, Charlie Brown Snoopy and the other peanuts characters had a good success on THEIR animation, so...it could've been interesting to see one for Calvin and Hobbes.
Man, Calvin and Hobbes is from the 80s? I remember explicitly looking for those comics as a 6 year old in 2009. That’s how good these comics were, they entertained my brain decades after they were written.
I would love to see calvin and hobbes in animated form but I do have to side mostly with Bill here. Finding the right voice cast would just be too monumental of a task because when any story is written, comic or book, people give the characters their own "head voice" if you will. Trying to put a definitive voice to something written will always leave most people dissatisfied, and it's justified because your mind filling in the blanks is part of what makes reading still so special. It isn't often done, so I'm not sure if the idea was ever brought up or crossed bill's mind but if I were him I personally would've still made a show, but with no voice acting. Let the animation and the music do the talking.
I will always respect every wishes of every creators.
Same here
Calvin & Hobbes was a special part of my childhood. When I was a boy, Calvin & Hobbes was really my first comic, which I mostly looked at for the art and vivid illustrations of a boy and his tiger getting into all kinds of misadventures, trouble, and the wild imagination of a six year old changing how he saw his world on a daily basis to something more appealing to a boy that age in the face of boredom, dissatisfaction, frustration, and other feelings that plague young kids, such as homework, school, parents and their rules, teachers, bullies, girls, and more
When I got older and better at reading I still had a little trouble reading C&H because of the philosophical conversations Calvin & Hobbes have regarding predestination, environmental concerns, or just wondering about their places in the universe, as well as Calvin's incredibly advanced vocabulary
Regardless, I grew to deeply love Calvin & Hobbes for the mental flavor it offered to my interest, my imagination, and even my intelligence
There are so many aspects to this comic that make it so unique and appealing, as it's not just a comic for laughs but also one to stimulate real thinking regarding philosophy, worldly concerns, and other subjects that just make you pause to think about them in a way that not many comic strips inspire in their readers
I won't deny, there was a time I wished Bill Watterson would make Calvin & Hobbes animated, partly because of how I wondered what he thought Calvin (and the other characters) would sound like. But I came to understand his reasons for refusing to do so and keeping Calvin & Hobbes on ink and paper rather than film. There are indeed some things only reading material can do that viewing material cannot, which is why books are almost always better than movies in certain respects
To this day, I honestly can't imagine actually HEARING Calvin's voice because the idea itself just doesn't sound like something that should be done, which by itself is an unspoken fact that Calvin & Hobbes are right where they belong, in the comics and there's nothing more they need to be for them to entertain us with their antics and their surprisingly deep thinking
I mean, if Calvin WERE to be animated and at long last given a voice, whoever voiced him would have to capture the very core of what it is that makes Calvin & Hobbes so special, and that honestly feels practically impossible. Like something that is ever just outside one's reach
I am sad that the comic ended back in 1995 and while I understand Bill Watterson's reason for ending it as he did, I feel there is yet more potential that Calvin & Hobbes could reach in this day and age as opposed to 26 years ago. But then, that's human nature, which is something Hobbes would not approve of
In conclusion, Calvin & Hobbes will always be among my most beloved and favorite comic strips and I will carry the memories and feelings they provided me with in my heart forever and a day
Thank you for this - agree with every word.
I swear if they make an animated show against his wishes when he dies I'm storming the studio
I’ll be right by your side
*brings him back to life to see his opinions on it*
@@orecula He's alive and he says not to.
me too...
One of the greatest things about Calvin and Hobbs is their voices were never audible but rather what you heard in your mind when you would read what they were saying to each other in the comics.
If anything, I just want them to keep making more comic strips. Making it animated means that you have to fall in several cliches and annoying tropes, and making a whole movie means you have to give a whole convoluted plot to something that was just meant for the newspaper
Yeah, that definitely would've been the case. Garfield was lucky enough to actually avoid that.
If they could have a voice, it would at once give them life of their own standing while simultaneously canceling out the illusion of having no voice as the superior choice.
You taught me more in 4 minutes than most video analysis channel can do in 20
So instead he gets unlicensed Calvin peeing on logos of every other pick up truck, oh the irony
And years after the strip ended, Robot Chicken would be the first to animate Calvin and Hobbes for a skit.
I wonder if bill would still feel the same way. We have come a far way from adaptations in the 90s. I think there definitely is such thing as over protective. People just made the merch he wouldn't.. so it was a loose loose for him on that end. When he could have had quality controlled merch and made money, that he could use to help the ip as a whole.
Great video bro!
As for if I would ever want to see it animated, I don’t think so. It could be good, great even, but I don’t think it’s worth the risk of potentially damaging the brand.
I also like that Calvin and Hobbes has remained a very personal experience, shared only between people who are comfortable enough together to sit down and read a comic above a boy and
his stuffed tiger.
Except they kept the integrity of peanuts the comic strip in the animated specials in movies that they did. So I bet they could have done the same thing for Calvin and Hobbes and if he had felt differently and was not so protective over it he could have made sure there was a clause in the contract that says he has all final approval over everything artistically to do with the movie like approve lines take out scenes of animation he didn't see fit to be part of a Calvin and Hobbes movie that kind of stuff you could have made sure that he kept full of artists license before they started. So it would still ultimately be his film.
I have to say that Robot Chicken's parody skit really nailed the voice I always imagined for Hobbes
"Mars is amazing"
@@Mikewee777 Eventually, Calvin stopped thinking
Imagine someone waiting for bill watterson to pass away and then make a calvin and hobbes show and movie
Just his passing away wouldn't be enough. Copyright is good for 80 years (i think, have to look it up again) past his death. His estate would still have control of the rights and could either respect his wishes, or sell out.
I don't want bill to pass away, he's a great guy and I love his comics!! Whenever I start reading Calvin and Hobbes, I always feel great.
@@nabeelnaureen7283 me niether if he does it will be sad and i hope no one will use he copyright to make merchandise
Sooo.... technicaly Nickelodeon with Spongebob
@@backhander8710 yep
Even though Im disappointed, I completely agree with Mr Watterson. He needs to keep creative control of his artwork and not let it be a corporate cash making machine.
I think the other difficulty with animating C+H is that everyone has an idea (In their head) of what Calvin would sound like, what Hobbes would sound like.. etc. You would never be able to get a general idea of what voice actor you could use to make everybody happy.
We can only love the books and thank Bill Watterson for the 10 years of Joy that he gave us with the incomparable Calvin and Hobbes.
Thank you so much Mr Watterson.
Honestly an Animated Calvin and Hobbes would have been VERY successful and incredible and it’s a huge shame we never got treated to an animated series. Though I do admire Bill’s protective nature and his amazing work.
I hate and love how Calvin & Hobbes hasn't received an official animated adaptation
@@azure-aeon-dragonica I mean the Robot Chicken skit is the closest thing there is to that.
@@huntercoleman460 Didn't Family Guy parody Calvin & Hobbes once?
@@azure-aeon-dragonica just a clip with no dialogue. I mean you gotta respect Watterson for choosing art over money. He could’ve easily exploited Calvin and Hobbes and become one of the most successful cartoonists of all time but he didn’t. On the other hand, I feel like he’s letting Calvin and Hobbes be forgotten about. I mean look at Peanuts and Garfield, they had shows, movies, and merchandise which made people know of them. Think they’ll end up forgotten like Pogo or Barney Google?
@@huntercoleman460 They'll always hold a special place in our hearts
Yes if Bill Waterston sees Calvin and Hobbes as Non animatable then he must know what bounds that his characters must stay within.But still watch these Calvin follow-ups here on TH-cam.
While I understand his motives here, what I think he's missing is the fact a studio is just going to come behind him after he dies and snatch it up anyway. What they will surely produce then will probably be a crime that will diminish the characters forever in the minds of younger generations.
But if he were able to strike a deal now while he's still alive whereby he retains majority creative and commercial control, then the studio would have less power to corrupt the characters in the future after he dies, because the televised series would already have a strong, young fan base.
If it were an animated series I could see it turning into something like Sam And Max Freelance Police.
I just want a movie like the peanuts movie. It stays true to the original. There will be no villain, no evil corporation, just them playing around. Calvin will have no voice, maybe animated speech bubbles.
The plot would centre around Uncle Max returning to the Watterson estate after several months spent flying around the world with the intent of bonding with Clancy Watterson (Calvin's dad)
Yes, i want to see a Calvin and Hobbes Animated series.
Have you seen the documentary "Dear Mr. Waterson"?
Does anybody know of Bill Watterson ever contact him after the documentary was made because I know bill was not in the documentary from what I've read I have not seen it yet but that is what I have read.
@@tomwaters5090
The director hinted they know Watterson has seen it thereby insinuating some sort of contact has taken place.
@@GregBurch what contract this is the first I am hearing about it. I love to know the full story it sounds they are trying to muscle him into a Contract.
@@tomwaters5090
I said contact.
As in they talked.
@@GregBurch sorry my bad just read it wrong. But no contact ever really took place? and who was the director was he with a network or wanting to make a movie. What he want to do with it?
I’m a huge fan of Calvin and Hobbes but I would NEVER want to see an animated show or movie, they would most certainly ruin it. Nothing can compare to the comic, not even the most talented voice actors could give this comic anything extra or necessary, I’m proud of Bill’s decision. Even the Calvin peeing bumper stickers tick me off a bit.
I can respect Watterson decision not to have a Calvin and Hobbes animated, still I always wish one could happen. I feel the series would lend itself well to animation. It's a good thing there are passionate fans who put own their own fan animated version of the duo: th-cam.com/video/fE7nv7BH19Q/w-d-xo.html | th-cam.com/video/KckYcuiKAN8/w-d-xo.html
I believe the window for the time to cast the appropriate VAs for the animated series has already been long gone. Hollywood talent just went down the slaughter chutes after 2010.
I think with the way Calvin and Hobbes could work is with today's modern media style of short videos. Maybe 5 or 8 minutes episodes of C&H adventures, with the right director and dedicated team, might work.
Alternatively just let the fan animators cook
When I heard the big Nate series announcement I immediately thought a Calvin & Hobbes series would fit right in.
Man fuck big nate., its more like small nate.,
@@JGProductions6581 lmao, i liked Big Nate. it’s nowhere near the level of Calvin and Hobbes imo but it was still pretty fun to read growing up.
@@morgboat744 well, when I first read big nate, I thought it was a great comic strip. But I realized that there were only 4 books published of big nate at the time I was first reading it. *(2003)*. I really enjoyed reading it. It was very interesting. But a few years later, I started to make fun of it and started drawing on the books and the printed comics strips. And also, the real reason why big nate is one of the most underrated comic strips of all time is because it wasn't originally published in books. Also, it was because they kept on reusing the same *"nate goes to detention for no reason"* joke. I mean like mrs. Godfrey isn't a mean teacher. She just has an aggressive style of discipline. My dad was like that too when I was a little kid back then in the early 2000's. And he still is. Also how nate keeps going after jenny when he clearly doesn't need her. I used to do that to a girl named angel, but I have moved on without her. I usually go for men. But I still sometimes have obsessions with other girls i don't even know even men for a little while. But, big nate just keeps getting worse and worse every year. I mean back in 1991 when it was just starting, it wasn't that bad. But by the new millennium, things were slowly going downhill until it crashed into a ford pinto And got into a fiery explosion. Nate turned into a good for nothing piece of crap to an even worse good for nothing. He started bragging more about how he was good at everything and how awesome he was when clearly he wasn't even trying. He would keep getting detentions almost every day. He would also be unlucky and unaware. Trying to insult his own teacher, which leads to her sneaking up on him and sending him flying until he lands into the detention room. He would also get sent to detention all because he left a banana peel on the floor and mrs godfrey walked on it and slipped. I mean like, how would she even know it was their responsibility. Nate would also get sent to detention for doing something wrong by an accident like holding a rubber band which sends it flying and it hits mrs godfrey in the eye. So nate is clearly not awesome. And is unlucky. Always judging Arthur because of his successes, and always hating on gina, and always thinking mrs godfrey is evil when she isn't. First of all Arthur is just living his life, gina just happens to have a smarter IQ, and mrs godfrey just happens to have a really aggressive style of discipline. Just like my dad when I was a kid. Every time I would fuck up, my dad would beat me. So no rape. And last, he keeps saying oh how I hate her/him when mrs godfrey, gina, or artur are not around. Usually in his head. I know I have made this an insanely long comment, but I just want you to know that big nate isn't popular. He claims he is, He thinks he is, but he is not. He just wants to reach fame a bit too early instead of focusing on what's more important: Stop claiming to be popular, stop insultinh mrs godfrey, be happy for arturs successes, accept that you will not be famous, and etc. So thats all for this insanely long-ass comment I gotta go. Bye. :)
I got into it when I was in 6th grade myself, and my favorite strips happen to be either the earliest ones for the simpler times or 2013-14 ones because that's when I was in 6th grade. I kinda grew out of it by the time the last real book came out. That said... Nate's CG design. I know Peirce had trouble with imagining 3D because of his 2D hair but... man they did him dirty I think. We'll see though. No matter what it better come out on bluray and not just fucking DVD
I used to imagine there being an animated series for Calvin and Hobbes. I also did one for Foxtrot. Foxtrot is probably the most underrated comic strip on earth.
As a gen z kid, I have no idea what Calvin and Hobbes is about, but the sheer fact that it attracted Jim Henson, Stephen Spielberg, *and* George Lucas, three of the most famous directors in the past century, and this guy had the *brass balls* to say no to *ALL* of them, I have nothing but respect for this man now
Im gen z and have read calvin and hobbes it is definitelg worth a look
I'm gen z and I know some Gen z who also know about it lol
I’m gen z and also read all the books 🤷♀️ I don’t think it’s a generational thing
@@clownfromclowntown I should probably clarify that being Gen z doesn't _prevent_ me from reading the comics, but it's the fact that I never grew up with newspaper comic strips nor did I have any friends my age who would introduce me to such an old series. Those two things combined meant that since I didn't actively seek a way to enjoy the series, I've never had an alternate reason to learn about it
I'm younger gen z and I must have read every Calvin and hobbies comic five times
Respect to Bill Waterson. I can only imagine the money he got offered; Spielberg, Lucas, Henson, AND Pixar? Sheesh.
So, my question is...who got paid for those infamous decals of Calvin peeing back in the late 90s/early 00s? I think they still pop up on occasion, but they were EVERYWHERE at one point.
If I were to make a Calvin and Hobbes animated series I would cast Howie Mandel using his Bobby Generic voice and Frank Welker as Hobbes using his natural voice.
Oh, oh no. Bobby Generic's voice is way too high-pitched and innocent for Calvin, who is both wise beyond his years and incredibly obnoxious.
And this disagreement right here is why there shouldn't be an animated Calvin and Hobbes at all.
I'm creating a cartoon. It's called, Forgotten Tales! It's about these forgotten and obscure characters that go on wacky and crazy adventures.
That sounds amazing
@@GuyNamedLoffi Thank you! Right now, I'm just looking for forgotten and obscure Characters to put in the show. Do you have any suggestions?
I've seen them dance and it was amazing :)
I guarantee the moment the poor man unfortunately passes some money hungry executive is going to secure the movie rights and we'll have a Calvin and Hobbes film the following year.
Just a slight correction at 2:53:
Bill Watterson never said no to making a movie with the producers, it's just that their calls were never returned. Otherwise, amazing video.
Imagine how many other people would love to get a phone call from Spielberg or George Lucas and would be excited at the opportunity to work with them and this guy just doesn't even bother returning their phone calls. kind of funny isn't it.
@@tomwaters5090 well most people who are finished want to keep a low profile
@@SomeCommonAnimator no most people who are famished want to eat
@@tomwaters5090 My bad
@@SomeCommonAnimator you make me smile and it tells me English is probably not your first langue... Lol
Finished means to be done with, over, the end. What your looking for is famous
I remember I had a pretty thick book of Calvin and Hobbs shorts, I used to read it on the bus and while at school, and I think the fact that he didn’t make a cartoon or put them on T-shirts does keep it special because it’s not over exposing them and you don’t get tired of seeing them.
I honestly don't blame Bill. I'm not sure if I feel comfortable submitting my works to a big network, especially today. I mean there are certain companies that could pull it off. But putting it on a network like Nick? I fear they would butcher it.
A Calvin & Hobbes show would be like Dennis the Menace. The comic allows our imagination to soar.
You mean SORA-ing high amirite???
Me: "Hobbes was a real tiger he was just tired of playing with Calvin all the time so he had to rest quite often to get his feline energy back"
Me: "Hobbes is Hobbes. He isn't a stuffed tiger Calvin pretends is alive, nor is he an actual tiger who can tf into a plushie. Only Calvin knows his true nature, and God help us all if he ever decided to tell people what Hobbes actually was."
Hearing some of the fan versions of Calvin's voice...I think, no..that's not Calvin.
They would have to test hundreds of kids voices to get the right voice...same with Hobbes...a growly voice, a voice like another kid? A deep or high voice, who knows.
Yes I'd love to watch a Calvin & Hobbies series and movie.
i believe the creator said he has no interest or intentions of ever wanting it to be an animated series or movies ever
I'm happy that Calvin and Hobbes never left the print world. Somewhere in my parents attic are the entire collection, everything that ever was, having been read many times over before they were put away up there.
And yet, the world of Calvin and Hobbes is still magical to me simply because most of it, for me, is in my own mind because it was print and not animation.
Everything was more magical when it couldn't be immediately looked up and experienced and explicitly defined like everything is now with the internet. There was more wonder back in the day, when everyday things were more unknown.
I'm not even a boomer and I hear "ok boomer" in my head right now. Jeez.
Calvin and Hobbes is basically ASKING for an animated series
I have every Calvin and Hobbes strip in in volume-based box set, and my dad would read me four pages every night before bed, so if Calvin’s voice isn’t some 40 year old man making a goofy high-pitched voice, I’ll be very disappointed.
I would see Calvin and Hobbes to remain primarily as a comic strip series instead of an animated film series, it's despite the fact that every animated film that is being produced nowadays has to be CGI I don't particularly like CGI because I find that most CGI animators Focus heavily on visuals instead of the story, I may believe that could be not true, to some other CGI animators out there. But as an artist myself, I don't have any interests of letting off my character designs to be used for CGI or 2D animated films, because I primarily Focus my characters to be used heavily on picture books and comic strips. just like the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, I don't want my character designs or my art style to be devalued. Despite the fact that I'm not a very popular or well-known artist, I am just an amateur cartoonist starting out slowly. Another example is that modern-day Animation Studios are lacking their own personal style, they would normally rely on the exact same style either to save cost or be competitive with one another. Whereas back in the 80s and 90s where you have Studio Ghibli Jim Henson, they already had established styles, so copying one from another was not the main focal point, I would find it very fascinating of what Calvin and Hobbes would look like in Studio Ghibli Style. I am believing that there are several artists out there that had created Calvin and Hobbes in a Studio Ghibli Style which is the closest that we can get to. To wrap off my comment, I would say that if Calvin and Hobbes was adapted to animation formats, the magic of is Comic Strip Origins would truly be devalued and I would find that to be a fair honest truth.
He could of done a silent animation wirh bubble texts. It still would been nice. But I like the romanticism of it being in our memories as a simple but impactful comic.
first I think. also, I would love an animated Clavin and Hobbs
Not me
Im kinda neutral on the subject
It had so much potential as an animated series, if only Bill Waterson could of found a way to open his mind to the idea. Could of demanded full creative control....
Bill: a film of a book is always bad
Me: ummm (points at the Peanuts movie)
Yes this Calvin and Hobbes review is a very good follow-up.
I wish there were more strips tho xD
i wonder if bill knows about the lemon demon song about him-
No I wouldn't like to see an animated version of Calvin and Hobbs.
and I love the idea of Bill Watterson holding to his integrity and keeping artistic control of his work.
Even though I would love to see some more and new Calvin and Hobbes stories and comic strip form I'm happy to reread the Calvin and Hobbes strips as they are made available.
and thank you Mr water sent for making such an enduring and lovable characters of Calvin and Hobbes.
I wish it had an anmated series.
thank you bill Watterson i will be putting a calvin and hobbes tattoo on me bc i loved it so much im happy with the comic strips and loved them
The Sunday watercolors lit my childhood up while I was being hurt. I lived for it. My Dad gave him to me. Dad used to read the paper in Longmont CO all day long. It's my most cherished memory. Thanks Bill. We love you.
I also appreciate the fact a reason Watterson was against adapting his comic strip into an animated series was Calvin's voice. Personally, I never imagined any voice for him, I just read it in my normal voice, which I think, if others did this, too, is something that makes the series a lot more personal to a lot of people
Why not keep him silent and have him communicate via animated speech bubbles?
Would I watch a Calvin and Hobbes movie? Yes. But do I want it? No. I read the comics when I was 9 and made up my own voices for each character in my head because I’ve always loved mimicking/adapting voices and drawing cartoons. I’ve made a couple animated characters and movies since I was 15 and I’ve never once considered releasing them to the public. Not because I don’t think other people would like them, but because it’s something I’ve always done for myself and the kids in my family to enjoy. so I absolutely understand where bill is coming from and respect it.
I always thought that after he ended the strip that he might do a stand alone book now and then. When he did do for a couple years is a new Calvin and Hobbes strip on the Bloom County website on April 1st for a couple years, but he hasn't done a new one in a couple years. But Bloom County has recently been doing tributes to the strip.
It would be nice if there was an animated series.
Bill Watterson is a true artist. Period. It would most likely be really difficult to pick a voice for them, which would be different for all of us. Not sure about a video, but I sure do miss them.
Great, now I can’t think about Calvin and Hobbes without thinking about that Lemon Demon song.
Or that one Robot Chicken skit
Definitely but only with Bill's blessing or having full creative control
Calvin and Hobbes animation is a fun idea. I don't know if I'd want it to be voiced. Seeing fan animations is always a treat.
Jojo fan animations my beloved
Hollywood would just ruin it .watterson was clever and has integrity.chasing every dime is not really a great life