As I said, Phil, I like to think that both Dr. Seuss and the members of the Who would appreciate this cheerful tribute to both of them! Unfortunately, Theodore Geisel died in 1991, five years before this cartoon was published, so we’ll never know. (Audrey might well have seen it, but as she died in 2018, we can’t ask her now!)
"the Who, expertly suggested by the barest detail: the guitar headstock" - Well, that and the "Who" t-shirt front and center! :-) Of course, it's perfectly normal to wear a band shirt to a concert. But since it's only slightly separated from the name of the band in the caption, it feels a bit on-the-nose. In any case an excellent comic.
Breathed's Watterson-imitation comics have improved greatly over the years, as his art skills have grown. He's also always managed a better Hobbes than Calvin. I think it's about 25% proportion and about 75% angles. His Calvin here has *almost* the right proportions (especially the last one), but he's placing the character at angles that match his drawing style, rather than Watterson's. The one in the lower left barely looks like Calvin, due to this.
I'm just very glad that Watterson and Breathed have gradually formed a respectful friendship! :-) I'm under the distinct impression that, while Breathed has always respected Watterson, the feeling wasn't mutual, early in their careers. Prime example being: https://i.redd.it/h92w721sb9901.jpg
Ha! Okay, I admit that “suggested by” is ambiguous—what I meant, of course, was that the actual, physical presence of the band on the stage was only barely hinted at. *That* the band is the Who is, yes, explicitly telegraphed by that band T-shirt! I *suspect* that this might be a concession for the sake of the, say, 5 percent of viewers who might not immediately recognize the Who as a band name.
That last Calvin is *so* close to a real Calvin pose that I suspect he’s copying if not tracing. The problem is, the pose is *wrong for the thought*. Watterson’s Calvin would deliver that line off-handedly, not deep in thought. And the brushwork is patently wrong. (You are of course right about the awful Calvin on the lower left.) Very interesting about Watterson’s retaliatory mockery of Breathed—and wow, Watterson’s Ronald-Ann is wonderful!
A great cartoon, for all the reasons you stated. And as both a Dr. Seuss reader as a child, and a fan of The Who, a great visual gag!
As I said, Phil, I like to think that both Dr. Seuss and the members of the Who would appreciate this cheerful tribute to both of them! Unfortunately, Theodore Geisel died in 1991, five years before this cartoon was published, so we’ll never know. (Audrey might well have seen it, but as she died in 2018, we can’t ask her now!)
"the Who, expertly suggested by the barest detail: the guitar headstock" - Well, that and the "Who" t-shirt front and center! :-) Of course, it's perfectly normal to wear a band shirt to a concert. But since it's only slightly separated from the name of the band in the caption, it feels a bit on-the-nose. In any case an excellent comic.
Breathed's Watterson-imitation comics have improved greatly over the years, as his art skills have grown. He's also always managed a better Hobbes than Calvin. I think it's about 25% proportion and about 75% angles. His Calvin here has *almost* the right proportions (especially the last one), but he's placing the character at angles that match his drawing style, rather than Watterson's. The one in the lower left barely looks like Calvin, due to this.
I'm just very glad that Watterson and Breathed have gradually formed a respectful friendship! :-) I'm under the distinct impression that, while Breathed has always respected Watterson, the feeling wasn't mutual, early in their careers. Prime example being: https://i.redd.it/h92w721sb9901.jpg
Ha! Okay, I admit that “suggested by” is ambiguous—what I meant, of course, was that the actual, physical presence of the band on the stage was only barely hinted at. *That* the band is the Who is, yes, explicitly telegraphed by that band T-shirt! I *suspect* that this might be a concession for the sake of the, say, 5 percent of viewers who might not immediately recognize the Who as a band name.
That last Calvin is *so* close to a real Calvin pose that I suspect he’s copying if not tracing. The problem is, the pose is *wrong for the thought*. Watterson’s Calvin would deliver that line off-handedly, not deep in thought. And the brushwork is patently wrong. (You are of course right about the awful Calvin on the lower left.) Very interesting about Watterson’s retaliatory mockery of Breathed—and wow, Watterson’s Ronald-Ann is wonderful!
Yeah, that Ronald-Ann is so good she's almost out of place in the rest of the, essentially, caricature work.
Well, Watterson couldn’t help it that Breathed’s Mortimer Mouse was so stylistically different from Ronald-Ann! :-D