This week we will be looking at a cartoon called Serious Art Form by Bill Watterson in 1987.
When we think of the word comic, we think funny, humorous, or silly. But, these words associated with comic are only one end of the spectrum. On the other end are words such as serious (meaning not joking) literal and substantial, all of which are generally regarded as antonyms to comic. Bill Watterson believed that his comic artwork and comic strips served a real purpose and should be taken seriously. -CW
Watterson believed that his work was for personal fulfillment, he incorporated elements of his life into his comic strip. He was awarded the National Cartoonists Society Humor Comic Strip Award in 1988 and the Reuben Award in 1986, 1988 and was nominated for a third time in 1992. Watterson announced the end of the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip in November of 1995. The very last strip was published on December 31, 1995. Since then, Watterson has taken up painting and drawing landscapes, but has stayed away from the public domain. -JJ
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor, mainly explaining a story, including text in balloons and captions. They were published in newspapers and wer normally created by comic artists and cartoonist. Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes was syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. The comic strip was about an adventurous six-year old boy and his stuffed tiger, Hobbes. The comic was featured in over 2,400 newspapers worldwide. -KR
Here are some questions to get you started:
1. Who has more influence as an artist: a cartoonist like Bill Watterson or a painter like Pablo Picasso? Why?
2. In many of the biographies written about Bill Watterson it is motioned that he didn’t want any merchandise sold representing his cartoon Calvin and Hobbes. Why would he do this and what does it say about him as an artist?
the influence is so amazingly punctual and demonstrative to the people. this man has made the world think difrently about cartoons. The cartoons are a real life experience now and it will never be the same.
ReplyDeletewww.platypuscomix.net/otherpeople/watterson.html
www.billwatterson.net
There is no question in the first one, both of these artists have influence. The dipiction of which is greater all depends on your perspective. Bill Watterson was a very well known artist which many people saw his work everyday. Though some people would not necessarily take his work seriously because he was a comic artist.
ReplyDeletePicasso is also a well known artist, with many people familiar with is name. They saw his work as something intrigueing and amazing. His work was normally seen as serious and depicted to have meaning of further thought.
Watterson didn't want a profit to come of his work other than self satisfaction. He just wanted to create his comic with reason, and make people laugh at the same time.
This says that he has more want to please himself as an artist, and not make a profit from it. He isn't just doing art to make money, he is doing it for a reason within himself.
http://lambiek.net/artists/w/watterson.htm
I think that depending on which one each individual is interested in, they can both be influencial. Picasso's painting to me were more sophisticated because he was trying to tell a story, but Watterson's drawings of cartoons is more of a joke and childish.
ReplyDeleteI think that both have influence as an artist. But they do it different.
ReplyDeleteYou cannot compare a cartoonist and a painter.
Picasso is a popular artist and known for his awesome paintings, which look like they have meaning.
I did not know Watterson before, but I really like his cartoons, because they are funny.
And I think this is Wattersons purpose: to make people laugh.
I think he just love to make cartoons and to be an artist. He has fun and this is him more important than money! I like his attitude.
www.platypuscomix.net/otherpeople/watterson.html
I agree with Haley that it depends on our own interests.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with DERON that Watterson made the world think different about cartoons.
Bill Watterson was more influential because the comic strips are still created the same way that Watterson fought so hard to accomplish. Watterson was also more influential because his comic was seen by more people worldwide than Picasso’s art work. He didn’t want to sell any merchandise of his comic because it would have been selling part of his comic and not the whole. It would lose its wholeness. I agree with ar3292 that Watterson wanted to have fun and to be artist and that was more important than making money.
ReplyDeleteSource: http://www.answers.com/topic/bill-watterson
I think Bill Watterson because the comic strip has to be quite artistic to let him have a job as a comic strip designer person. I'd say he's doing it because he don't need merchandise to make him feel good. And it says about him he really don't care about the merchandise all he cares about is his artistic comic strips focusing on his work and what was probably his dream to become
ReplyDeleteI agree with ar3292 that both were influential they just did it differently.
ReplyDeleteI agree with chasehofer that he was focusing on his work and what was probably his dream to become.
I think they are both influencing us but Bill Watsons work is seen everyday bt lots of people and Picasso's is usually just found in museums and not many people go there on a daily basis to see it or understand what it means.
ReplyDeleteWatson refused to merchandise his drawings because putting Calvin and Hobbes on mugs, stickers, and T-shirts would devalue the characters and their personalities. He wasnt drawing the comics to make money he was doing it to express himself and shared that with his readers.
I agree with ar3292 and Ry that both were influential they just did it differently.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Watterson
they both did it different.
ReplyDeletePicasso is famous artist,he drew something that it have meaning but
Watterson created his comic to make people.I think he love to make cartoons have fun more than he wanted money.
http://srbraddy.blogspot.com/2010/12/hidden-treasures-of-bill-watterson.html
i agree with ds3112 that he wasnt drawing the comics to make money he was doing it to express himself and shared that with his readers.
Watterson is more of an influence then Picasso because if watterson wanted here could have drawn a cartoon that was funny or a cartoon that was funny but yet it was serious also. Picasso did pictures that were all serious Watterson could make u smile and laugh with his drawings unlike Picasso. He didnt want money he was a guy that jsut liked to draw for the heck of it. the drawings were for the entertainment not for the money that he could make for them.
ReplyDeletei agree with Ds3112 about Watterson drawing to express not for the money .
ReplyDeleteI think Watterson had more influence at least to most people today. If you asked most people to name any piece by Picasso, I doubt many of them could name one, but just about everyone knows Calvin & Hobbes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ry that the reason he didn't want merchandise was because he wasn't in it for the money. He was in it to express himself.
I think the cartoonists like Watterson are more influential than the arttists like Picasso because they can tell more stories in the cartoon more than in one picture.
ReplyDeleteCartoons are also more interested for me.
He didn't want money for his works I think because he just wanted to share his works.
And he must love drawing
http://www.billwatterson.net/
I agree with CB3176 that cartoon can make it looks funny but it's seriuos also.
ReplyDeleteBut the pictures are different. They can show just one meaning but the cartoon can make you laugh but it's still serious.
i think they both did it in different. i think the cartoon's Watterson are more influential than Picasso. Picasso drew picture come out from his feeling. it always have meaning of his pictures. but Watterson created cartoon. Watterson didnt want money for his works i think because he just wanted to shared his cartoon picture was funny
ReplyDeleteand i agree with CB3176 that Watterson is more of an influence than Picasso because if watterson wanted drawn a cartoon that was funny
I thank that the question about who has more influence depends on influence of what. Like Watterson started with political drawings, which were published in thousand of different news papers. So he might be more influence to usual people like us, because we easily can see his art and understand it. Picasso on the other hand might be more influence for other artists, because of his styles, teams, and so on.
ReplyDeleteHe didn’t want to sell his art and didn’t want to be judged by the medium the art is presented. I guess he was afraid that people think that a picture in the news paper is not that valuable than a picture in a nice frame. He probably got the straight to stand behind his opinion and never sell his work, because his father told him endless speeches about building character.
Furthermore, he said that he is drawing cartoons because he wants to; he just liked to do that and not to get a lot of money.
And I agree with Ry that Picassos work was normally seen as serious and depicted to have meaning of further thought.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Watterson
They both are influential in their own ways. He didn’t want to sell them because it would take away from the personality of the characters. Also he did not make the cartoons just for money he made them to express himself. It says that he does not care about the money. He cares about making people laugh and to bring joy to someone’s face.I agree with Haley that Picasso was more sophisticated than Watterson but they both were influential in their own ways.
ReplyDeleteI think that they are both very much influential in their own special ways. They are both widely known and very liked for the ways they consume their time into their art work. Their both one of a kind artists and are never doubted for the work they make. I think that they both had their own ways of showing their personal feelings and beliefs in their art, but picasso seemed to be more professional about his work then watterson was. but that just my personal opinion. i believe that he didnt want to sell his art because he didnt want the expression of himself going away to someone that just bought his art. When he could really look at it and see what he accomplished and how it made and makes him feel. He didnt want to take away the personality and meaning away from his artwork. Watterson seemed to have a very caring heart for he is not like other artists and didnt care so much about receiving a profit from his work but being able to see others reactions and excitement and laughter from his work rather than them buying it and putting it up on there wall for it to just sit there and attract dust. He cared more about the peoples joy and happiness than he did making money off of their excitement.
ReplyDeleteI agree with ry that they were both influential but in their own ways. They created an influence to others in different ways than one another.
ReplyDeleteI think that Bill Watterson and Pablo Picasso are both influential. It’s hard to say which has more influence as an artist because they do two separate things. I agree with Ry on how he didn’t want to make a profit out of his work other then satisfaction. I also agree with ar3292 on how this shows that he thinks having fun is more important than money.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_and_Hobbes