And Now, An Actual Interview With Bill Watterson
October 11, 2023 8:08 AM Subscribe
As part of the runup to the release of his first publicly published work in 28 years, cartoonist and artist Bill Watterson discusses The Mysteries and his experience collaborating with artist John Kascht. (SLYT)
More info on The Mysteries and the interview here.
More info on The Mysteries and the interview here.
Watching this video is for me, like watching magic in action. Cereal boxes become wood shingles. Lumps of clay become people. Palette knives scrape out forests at night. The narration makes creativity visible. I can’t wait to see this book.
posted by njohnson23 at 8:36 AM on October 11, 2023 [9 favorites]
posted by njohnson23 at 8:36 AM on October 11, 2023 [9 favorites]
I can’t wait to see this book.
Good news - The Mysteries released yesterday.
posted by NoxAeternum at 8:43 AM on October 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
Good news - The Mysteries released yesterday.
posted by NoxAeternum at 8:43 AM on October 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
This is me, gesturing frantically in whatever eldritch collection of arcane symbols will ward off the spectre of the milkshake duck.
posted by mhoye at 8:46 AM on October 11, 2023 [16 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 8:46 AM on October 11, 2023 [16 favorites]
I just got the new book yesterday. I'd forgotten I'd ordered it but it just arrived. Haven't read it yet but Calvin and Hobbes meant so much to me as a kid I'm saving it until I can really dive in this weekend.
posted by downtohisturtles at 8:50 AM on October 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by downtohisturtles at 8:50 AM on October 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
I got this yesterday, and read it this morning over breakfast. It is a short and enjoyable 5-minute read.
posted by fimbulvetr at 8:56 AM on October 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by fimbulvetr at 8:56 AM on October 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
This open-ended "provide things that will make the reader come up with stories" approach reminds me of roguelike video games. Not something I would have seen coming from Watterson! Which, I guess is because I've only ever seen one thing come from him.
I thought I'd try some sculpting last year, but never got far with it. All of the physical modeling makes me want to try again.
posted by ignignokt at 9:22 AM on October 11, 2023
I thought I'd try some sculpting last year, but never got far with it. All of the physical modeling makes me want to try again.
posted by ignignokt at 9:22 AM on October 11, 2023
"There's a reason why visual artists don't work together on the same pictures. It's like driving a car with two steering wheels".
What a weird thing for a cartoonist to say, comics work is often done by several people (drawing, inking, lettering, coloring). Or what about the Japanese manga artist studios, where the head artist draws the rough pages and the assistants do the backgrounds and screen tone?
posted by subdee at 9:44 AM on October 11, 2023
What a weird thing for a cartoonist to say, comics work is often done by several people (drawing, inking, lettering, coloring). Or what about the Japanese manga artist studios, where the head artist draws the rough pages and the assistants do the backgrounds and screen tone?
posted by subdee at 9:44 AM on October 11, 2023
What a weird thing for a cartoonist to say, comics work is often done by several people (drawing, inking, lettering, coloring). Or what about the Japanese manga artist studios, where the head artist draws the rough pages and the assistants do the backgrounds and screen tone?
In all those examples, you have a lead artist who creates the primary design, and the other artists work off of that (and it's worth noting that Watterson had no interest in that particular model either.) He's more talking about two visual artists working together on a work collaboratively, which I can imagine is trickier with the need to merge their visions together.
posted by NoxAeternum at 9:53 AM on October 11, 2023 [9 favorites]
In all those examples, you have a lead artist who creates the primary design, and the other artists work off of that (and it's worth noting that Watterson had no interest in that particular model either.) He's more talking about two visual artists working together on a work collaboratively, which I can imagine is trickier with the need to merge their visions together.
posted by NoxAeternum at 9:53 AM on October 11, 2023 [9 favorites]
What a weird thing for a cartoonist to say, comics work is often done by several people (drawing, inking, lettering, coloring). Or what about the Japanese manga artist studios, where the head artist draws the rough pages and the assistants do the backgrounds and screen tone?
Watterson mentions animation studios in the video, but says it's a case where there's a hierarchy that helps decisionmaking, as opposed to two artists on equal footing trying to figure out what an image should look like.
On preview, what NoxAeternum said.
posted by nightcoast at 9:56 AM on October 11, 2023 [3 favorites]
Watterson mentions animation studios in the video, but says it's a case where there's a hierarchy that helps decisionmaking, as opposed to two artists on equal footing trying to figure out what an image should look like.
On preview, what NoxAeternum said.
posted by nightcoast at 9:56 AM on October 11, 2023 [3 favorites]
This is me, gesturing frantically in whatever eldritch collection of arcane symbols will ward off the spectre of the milkshake duck.
A big advantage of Watterson's choice to have almost no engagement with the media or fans is that it almost guarantees this won't happen. Maybe in reality he's a total nutcase, but since he almost never shares his views on anything outside of the commentaries in the strip collections, we'll never know. Even in interviews like these, they're always focused on his craft or his views on his industry. He's not going to be asked about his views on, say, Israel and say something incredibly dumb/horrible.
If only more creators would follow his example.
posted by star gentle uterus at 9:59 AM on October 11, 2023 [9 favorites]
A big advantage of Watterson's choice to have almost no engagement with the media or fans is that it almost guarantees this won't happen. Maybe in reality he's a total nutcase, but since he almost never shares his views on anything outside of the commentaries in the strip collections, we'll never know. Even in interviews like these, they're always focused on his craft or his views on his industry. He's not going to be asked about his views on, say, Israel and say something incredibly dumb/horrible.
If only more creators would follow his example.
posted by star gentle uterus at 9:59 AM on October 11, 2023 [9 favorites]
It think the music in the video is by his brother, a retired English teacher (who also taught a songwriting class) in Texas
posted by timdiggerm at 10:10 AM on October 11, 2023
posted by timdiggerm at 10:10 AM on October 11, 2023
The pre-ordered book showed up for me yesterday as well. I'm looking forward to sitting down with it and seeing what Watterson has been up to!
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 10:46 AM on October 11, 2023
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 10:46 AM on October 11, 2023
The one-star reviews of the book on Amazon are a hilarious riot.
posted by smcdow at 11:04 AM on October 11, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by smcdow at 11:04 AM on October 11, 2023 [3 favorites]
If only more creators would follow his example.
I'm not sure it's possible for any new creator to follow his example, and even a legend like Watterson is forced to break seclusion and talk to the media on the occasion of this book's release -- a new Calvin and Hobbes book might sell itself, but this book will not. I wish it were possible for the work to be its own promotion, but in 2023, it just isn't. Hence the prevalence of milkshake ducks, I fear.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 11:09 AM on October 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure it's possible for any new creator to follow his example, and even a legend like Watterson is forced to break seclusion and talk to the media on the occasion of this book's release -- a new Calvin and Hobbes book might sell itself, but this book will not. I wish it were possible for the work to be its own promotion, but in 2023, it just isn't. Hence the prevalence of milkshake ducks, I fear.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 11:09 AM on October 11, 2023 [1 favorite]
A lot of insights into creative collaboration. "Collaboration generates friction, but also energy."
Like ignignokt above, the discussion of the reader filling in holes reminds me of my favorite kind of video games. Games which act as a kind of framework for the players to discover/experience/create their own stories.
One of my favorite GDC talks discusses this idea and calls it "apophenia design." Apophenia being the "the human tendency to make patterns and to find meaning in gaps." Like seeing faces in your cereal.
And on the benefits of it in game design: "For hundreds and in some cases thousands of years, other creative forms who can't simulate (anywhere except between the players ears) have been finding ways to use apophenia to leave gaps in the work that the player could insert their imagination into. And if the player (or the viewer or the reader or the listener or whatever) inserts their imagination into a gap, two things happen: (1) they feel that they own the experience, it's more creative experience, and they're gonna be more engaged in the game. And (2) the CPU cost is a lot lower, you get a lot more bang for your buck."
I think video games, as an art form, have this tendency to make everything explicit. Simulate everything. Tie a number to everything. If it isn't on screen or in memory somewhere, it's not real. It's not part of the game. But my favorite kind of games transcend this limited existence. They expand to exist within the player's imagination. Just how other art forms (like books) have had to do it for centuries.
Computers are so powerful, there's this tendency in games to try and fill all the holes. But doing so leaves the work artistically empty. The audience brings nothing to the experience, and so may as well not even be there.
posted by Flaffigan at 11:46 AM on October 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
Like ignignokt above, the discussion of the reader filling in holes reminds me of my favorite kind of video games. Games which act as a kind of framework for the players to discover/experience/create their own stories.
One of my favorite GDC talks discusses this idea and calls it "apophenia design." Apophenia being the "the human tendency to make patterns and to find meaning in gaps." Like seeing faces in your cereal.
And on the benefits of it in game design: "For hundreds and in some cases thousands of years, other creative forms who can't simulate (anywhere except between the players ears) have been finding ways to use apophenia to leave gaps in the work that the player could insert their imagination into. And if the player (or the viewer or the reader or the listener or whatever) inserts their imagination into a gap, two things happen: (1) they feel that they own the experience, it's more creative experience, and they're gonna be more engaged in the game. And (2) the CPU cost is a lot lower, you get a lot more bang for your buck."
I think video games, as an art form, have this tendency to make everything explicit. Simulate everything. Tie a number to everything. If it isn't on screen or in memory somewhere, it's not real. It's not part of the game. But my favorite kind of games transcend this limited existence. They expand to exist within the player's imagination. Just how other art forms (like books) have had to do it for centuries.
Computers are so powerful, there's this tendency in games to try and fill all the holes. But doing so leaves the work artistically empty. The audience brings nothing to the experience, and so may as well not even be there.
posted by Flaffigan at 11:46 AM on October 11, 2023 [5 favorites]
It's so weird to hear his voice.
posted by bondcliff at 12:11 PM on October 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by bondcliff at 12:11 PM on October 11, 2023 [2 favorites]
Sigh. I didn't realize mine was shipping. It showed up out of the blue...and was stolen from my steps before i could get the mail.
posted by UltraMorgnus at 12:48 PM on October 11, 2023
posted by UltraMorgnus at 12:48 PM on October 11, 2023
On the basis of that video, I ordered the book last night. Like njohnson23, I'm really looking forward to appreciating the result of all that beautiful craftsmanship from both artists!
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:02 PM on October 12, 2023
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:02 PM on October 12, 2023
This was one of the most powerful and crystallized things I've heard about the nature of TRUE collaboration in years, and I'm grateful you shared it!
posted by ersatzkat at 1:19 PM on October 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by ersatzkat at 1:19 PM on October 12, 2023 [1 favorite]
Got my copy yesterday, and I have to say it doesn't do justice to the craftsmanship on display in that video. I was expecting big beautiful pictures but got small underwhelming ones that weren't printed in the high definition they deserve. I mean, the contents is great, and I got a few chuckles seeing Watterson's subtle sense of humor in the backgrounds, but only because I used a magnifying glass. Disappointing.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:26 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:26 PM on October 16, 2023 [1 favorite]
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This now really makes me want to hear about the processes of Leo and Diane Dillon, a married artist couple whose work was very definitely a joint effort. I find myself imagining a house and studio with in-progress works scattered about, and both of them picking up whatever says "work on me" to them when they sit down to get something done. And a variety of ways for them to say "I have no idea where this piece needs to go, it's in your hands now".
posted by egypturnash at 8:34 AM on October 11, 2023 [2 favorites]