Life is like topography, Hobbes. There are summits of happiness and success, flat stretches of boring routine and valleys of frustration and failure.
The world of a comic strip ought to be a special place with its own logic and life... I don't want the issue of Hobbes's reality settled by a doll manufacturer.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Comic strips create unique worlds that should adhere to their own rules and logic, distinct from reality.
This quote by Bill Watterson emphasizes the importance of maintaining artistic integrity and imaginative freedom within the world of comic strips. He argues against allowing external influences, such as commercial products, to dictate the reality of characters in the comic, particularly referencing his beloved character Hobbes. Watterson believes that the essence of a comic strip lies in its distinct narrative and logic, which should not be compromised by market forces or commercialization.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a comic arts panel discussion, this quote can highlight the importance of creative autonomy.
More from Bill Watterson
All quotes →Sometimes when I'm talking, my words can't keep up with my thoughts. I wonder why we think faster than we speak. Probably so we can think twice.
The secret to enjoying your job is to have a hobby that's even worse
Shutting off the thought process is not rejuvenating; the mind is like a car battery - it recharges by running.
Mothers are the necessity of invention.
Dad: Honey, have you seen my glasses? I can"t find them. Mom: I haven't seen them. Calvin: (with glasses, to Dad) Calvin, go do something you hate! Being miserable builds character!
Similar quotes
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I think if you say that art and politics, or religion and politics, mustn't mix, don't mix, that is itself a political statement. Even if you are writing a 19th-century novel where the money comes from a plantation in the Caribbean and you don't talk about that, that itself is a political thing.
The music we play has to be tomorrow's, the things we say have to be today, and the reason for bothering is yesterday.
What the really great artists do is they're entirely themselves. They're entirely themselves. They've got their own vision, they have their own way of fracturing reality, and if it's authentic and true, you will feel it in your nerve endings.
As to the number of novels I've abandoned... I shudder to think. I have thrown away five completed novels, and that's a gruesome enough figure. But not necessarily a waste of effort.
A good picture is equivalent to a good deed.