Growing up Pleasures
Introduction: Comics are a wonderful medium to tackle serious issues, says Puja Goyal.
The turn of the century has seen a change in comic strip subjects from imaginary situations to subjects consisting socio- politics. Why would we like to make a joke out of important people who should be taken seriously?
Backstabbing, vague conspiracy theories, twisted thought processes, blurred reality, questions with no solutions and solutions which never materialize, and people in authority making Oscar winning statements while standing on soap boxes; enough reasons to write a book, then why not a comic strip?
The screaming cartoonist laps up the information and dutifully draws them to reach the tech savvy manager, the humble farmer, the carefree youngster and the fishermen fighting the after effects of Tsunami.
Copywriter Bill Watterson’s Calvin sits with his best friend Hobbes and points out the irony of life while the common man goes about his business accepting the situation as his fate. Well, someone has to react, even if it has to be a six-year-old cartoon character called Calvin. Calvin and Hobbes strips are characterized by sparse but careful draftsmanship, intelligent humor, poignant observations, witty social and political commentary, and well-developed characters that are full of personality. Calvin was modeled after the Republican's 17th Century icon John Calvin, a theologian who believed in predestination, while Hobbes was created after Thomas Hobbes, the 17th Century political philosopher who had a dim view of human nature.
Some claim that Hobbes could just be Calvin’s alter ego. Bill Watterson says, “… Calvin sees Hobbes one way, and everyone else sees Hobbes another way. I show two versions of reality and each makes complete sense to the participant who sees it. I think that’s how life works. None of us see life exactly the same way.” Perhaps that is an apt metaphor for how modern politics works. Politicians just don't see the world exactly the same way as taxpayers do. In the comic strip, Calvin's parents (taxpayers) don't have names perhaps because as far as politicians are concerned, they are important only as faceless revenue producers.
Precedents to this can be found in Wizard of Id, Peanuts, Krazy Kat and Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller, but none have captured the mind like Calvin. Garry Trudeau's ‘Doonesbury’ and Darby Conley's ‘Get Fuzzy’ concurrently addressed the war in Iraq.
When a cartoonist draws Osama Bin Laden standing on the Tsunami Aid Cartoon, while an aid – worker stands next to him and yells at him to get off, the message behind it is obvious. When Calvin’s father says, “Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer conglomerates. Who'd have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously? It's a beautiful world all right.” You know he’s talking about, consumerism sugarcoated during festival seasons.
“Do you hate being a girl? What's it like? Is it like being a bug? I imagine bugs and girls have a dim perception that nature played a cruel trick on them, but they lack the intelligence to comprehend the magnitude of it.” Calvin enquires from Susie. On first instance the statement is harsh, maybe funny, but is beautifully put considering the fact that all little girls have at some point of time wanted to be a boy.
Calvin’s profundity leaves you thinking about how a small innocent looking boy can be so intelligent, he says, “Some people are pragmatists, taking things as they come and making the best of the choices available. Some people are idealists, standing for principle and refusing to compromise. And some people just act on any whim that enters their heads. I pragmatically turn my whims into principles.” His cut and dry humor questions authority and retrospect’s actions. Watterson says Calvin’s spontaneity is a result of an absence of a filter between his brain and his mouth.
Interviewed by JOHN BARRY, of St. Petersburg Times, Wiley Miller, creator of Non Sequitur says "Non Sequitur is a hybrid, a blend of the different venues I've worked in, from editorial cartoons to magazine cartoons, it has more subtext to it than the standard comic strip. Standard comic strips are meant to be light fare, to not offend. That's the society we live in: It's pathetic everybody is so wary of making an honest observation…"
The Wizard of Id has been enchanting audiences since 1964, but the real wizards behind this comic classic are artists Brant Parker and writer Johnny Hart. The riotous reign of Id's merciless miniature monarch seems secure- and millions of loyal subjects around the world wouldn't have it any other way. Id’s incomprehensible ways of governing his nation, his antics and mind-blowing analysis of situations feel close to heart.
Politics and the world we live in have no dearth of histrionics. While everyone acts oblivious or desolate, cartoonists vent out their frustration and make fictitious characters speak through their voice. These are enough reasons to laugh.
FOOTNOTE: No cartoon was harmed while framing this article.
The turn of the century has seen a change in comic strip subjects from imaginary situations to subjects consisting socio- politics. Why would we like to make a joke out of important people who should be taken seriously?
Backstabbing, vague conspiracy theories, twisted thought processes, blurred reality, questions with no solutions and solutions which never materialize, and people in authority making Oscar winning statements while standing on soap boxes; enough reasons to write a book, then why not a comic strip?
The screaming cartoonist laps up the information and dutifully draws them to reach the tech savvy manager, the humble farmer, the carefree youngster and the fishermen fighting the after effects of Tsunami.
Copywriter Bill Watterson’s Calvin sits with his best friend Hobbes and points out the irony of life while the common man goes about his business accepting the situation as his fate. Well, someone has to react, even if it has to be a six-year-old cartoon character called Calvin. Calvin and Hobbes strips are characterized by sparse but careful draftsmanship, intelligent humor, poignant observations, witty social and political commentary, and well-developed characters that are full of personality. Calvin was modeled after the Republican's 17th Century icon John Calvin, a theologian who believed in predestination, while Hobbes was created after Thomas Hobbes, the 17th Century political philosopher who had a dim view of human nature.
Some claim that Hobbes could just be Calvin’s alter ego. Bill Watterson says, “… Calvin sees Hobbes one way, and everyone else sees Hobbes another way. I show two versions of reality and each makes complete sense to the participant who sees it. I think that’s how life works. None of us see life exactly the same way.” Perhaps that is an apt metaphor for how modern politics works. Politicians just don't see the world exactly the same way as taxpayers do. In the comic strip, Calvin's parents (taxpayers) don't have names perhaps because as far as politicians are concerned, they are important only as faceless revenue producers.
Precedents to this can be found in Wizard of Id, Peanuts, Krazy Kat and Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller, but none have captured the mind like Calvin. Garry Trudeau's ‘Doonesbury’ and Darby Conley's ‘Get Fuzzy’ concurrently addressed the war in Iraq.
When a cartoonist draws Osama Bin Laden standing on the Tsunami Aid Cartoon, while an aid – worker stands next to him and yells at him to get off, the message behind it is obvious. When Calvin’s father says, “Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer conglomerates. Who'd have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously? It's a beautiful world all right.” You know he’s talking about, consumerism sugarcoated during festival seasons.
“Do you hate being a girl? What's it like? Is it like being a bug? I imagine bugs and girls have a dim perception that nature played a cruel trick on them, but they lack the intelligence to comprehend the magnitude of it.” Calvin enquires from Susie. On first instance the statement is harsh, maybe funny, but is beautifully put considering the fact that all little girls have at some point of time wanted to be a boy.
Calvin’s profundity leaves you thinking about how a small innocent looking boy can be so intelligent, he says, “Some people are pragmatists, taking things as they come and making the best of the choices available. Some people are idealists, standing for principle and refusing to compromise. And some people just act on any whim that enters their heads. I pragmatically turn my whims into principles.” His cut and dry humor questions authority and retrospect’s actions. Watterson says Calvin’s spontaneity is a result of an absence of a filter between his brain and his mouth.
Interviewed by JOHN BARRY, of St. Petersburg Times, Wiley Miller, creator of Non Sequitur says "Non Sequitur is a hybrid, a blend of the different venues I've worked in, from editorial cartoons to magazine cartoons, it has more subtext to it than the standard comic strip. Standard comic strips are meant to be light fare, to not offend. That's the society we live in: It's pathetic everybody is so wary of making an honest observation…"
The Wizard of Id has been enchanting audiences since 1964, but the real wizards behind this comic classic are artists Brant Parker and writer Johnny Hart. The riotous reign of Id's merciless miniature monarch seems secure- and millions of loyal subjects around the world wouldn't have it any other way. Id’s incomprehensible ways of governing his nation, his antics and mind-blowing analysis of situations feel close to heart.
Politics and the world we live in have no dearth of histrionics. While everyone acts oblivious or desolate, cartoonists vent out their frustration and make fictitious characters speak through their voice. These are enough reasons to laugh.
FOOTNOTE: No cartoon was harmed while framing this article.
Copyright 2005 Puja Goyal
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