5 ms·

When I began reading C&H, I fully identified with Calvin. Now I fully identify with his parents and it has become an entirely different body of work. Hat's off

When I began reading C&H, I fully identified with Calvin. Now I fully identify with his parents and it has become an entirely different body of work. Hat's off to Bill. That was really something.

statictype 8y ago
Absolutely this. I never fully realized it until you said it just now but as a father of a two year old I often find myself thinking back to Calvin's parents, after spending my childhood identifying with Calvin.
NikolaNovak 8y ago
Note, I had the same experience with "That 70's show" I watched it when it came out, and Red seemed like needlessly cranky, always angry single-dimensional antagonist. I rewatched first few seasons on Netflix and... man, he's just always right, and those kids need to get into shape and SMARTEN UP... (not claiming "That 70's show" is great literature, note; but the perspective shift is stunning, given our internal narrative tends to be that we are not changing radically as human beings most of the time)
- hylaride 8y ago
  That 70's show isn't great literature, it's great satire. I agree 100% on how watchable it (still) is, especially how well they did with the timeless aspects of it. When the show first came out, I watched it with my mother (who would have been their age when the show was set) and she couldn't believe how spot on they were the feel of the era. The music and drug use (and the older generation not really understanding it all), traditional jobs starting to disappear, the coming of age, women's lib, etc. Teenage me could still identify with the kids, and now I feel for the parents. It also really helps that all the actors were obviously having a blast making the show.
- acomjean 8y ago
  Red (the angry/ grumpy father character) is the reason that show resonated with me. I'm not much of a TV watcher but the "wise/understanding/caring adults" on TV were not my experience growing up in the 70s and early 80s. We feared the adults, and we knew they didn't get us but also they weren't completely stupid.
sreyaNotfilc 8y ago
Reminds me of The Lion King I watched as an adult a couple years ago and my eyes were opened. I use to love the kid Simba, but I can see him almost like a spoiled brat. I understood why adult Simba was so unsure of himself even though he was bigger and stronger. Why Mufasa was so forgiving of his son even though he starts so much trouble. I may have to check out the C&H comics again. Yukon Ho was the best!
- LanceH 8y ago
  Ah, the Lion King. A movie about the non-representative government suppressing the underclass through force, by divine right.
  - Retra 8y ago
    To be fair, it is the animal kingdom. And being something as lethal as a lion probably has its advantages there.
  - kibwen 8y ago
    I always do appreciate attempts to deflate the Disney-esque romanticization of monarchy, though in this case The Lion King is just supposed to be a retelling of Hamlet.
    - LanceH 8y ago
      I get that it's just a movie and should be enjoyed without overthinking since we're talking about singing animals and glossing over the whole prey-predator thing. The real crime being the inanely happy songs thrust upon parents everywhere. I know that Disney had moved toward reaching out to groups that had not been represented in movies and this is a good thing. Then they trot out a movie of inclusion with a theme of being born to your station and any attempt to rise will be squashed. I get that everyone is suppose to empathize with being the special child, but if he's special and locked into his role, what about everyone else? tl;dnr -- I don't like musicals :)
      - 8y ago
babblingdweeb 8y ago
I had an interesting experience when I was in high school, watching this happen to my parents with a comic they enjoyed. I forget the name of the series...but the story went like this: In the 80s, it was just a daily life comic, Parents with young kids, more from the parents perspective. As their kids [comic] grew older, so did I and my siblings [real world]. The comic progressed to show when their kids had kids [comic ]--in the 90s. My parents were also grandparents at the time, and they would smile and giggle as they shared the Sunday comics. Being old enough to witness those moments were really touching to me. Made me have an even deeper appreciation for a story that evolved, but also watching my parents grow and change --not just "grow older".
- andy_wrote 8y ago
  Maybe For Better or For Worse? Most prominent example of a daily comic strip I can remember where characters age in real time.

When I began reading C&H, I fully identified with Calvin. Now I fully identify with his parents and it has become an entirely different body of work. Hat's off to Bill. That was really something.

statictype 8y ago

Absolutely this. I never fully realized it until you said it just now but as a father of a two year old I often find myself thinking back to Calvin's parents, after spending my childhood identifying with Calvin.

NikolaNovak 8y ago

Note, I had the same experience with "That 70's show" I watched it when it came out, and Red seemed like needlessly cranky, always angry single-dimensional antagonist. I rewatched first few seasons on Netflix and... man, he's just always right, and those kids need to get into shape and SMARTEN UP... (not claiming "That 70's show" is great literature, note; but the perspective shift is stunning, given our internal narrative tends to be that we are not changing radically as human beings most of the time)

hylaride 8y ago
That 70's show isn't great literature, it's great satire. I agree 100% on how watchable it (still) is, especially how well they did with the timeless aspects of it. When the show first came out, I watched it with my mother (who would have been their age when the show was set) and she couldn't believe how spot on they were the feel of the era. The music and drug use (and the older generation not really understanding it all), traditional jobs starting to disappear, the coming of age, women's lib, etc. Teenage me could still identify with the kids, and now I feel for the parents. It also really helps that all the actors were obviously having a blast making the show.
acomjean 8y ago
Red (the angry/ grumpy father character) is the reason that show resonated with me. I'm not much of a TV watcher but the "wise/understanding/caring adults" on TV were not my experience growing up in the 70s and early 80s. We feared the adults, and we knew they didn't get us but also they weren't completely stupid.

sreyaNotfilc 8y ago

Reminds me of The Lion King I watched as an adult a couple years ago and my eyes were opened. I use to love the kid Simba, but I can see him almost like a spoiled brat. I understood why adult Simba was so unsure of himself even though he was bigger and stronger. Why Mufasa was so forgiving of his son even though he starts so much trouble. I may have to check out the C&H comics again. Yukon Ho was the best!

LanceH 8y ago
Ah, the Lion King. A movie about the non-representative government suppressing the underclass through force, by divine right.
- Retra 8y ago
  To be fair, it is the animal kingdom. And being something as lethal as a lion probably has its advantages there.
- kibwen 8y ago
  I always do appreciate attempts to deflate the Disney-esque romanticization of monarchy, though in this case The Lion King is just supposed to be a retelling of Hamlet.
  - LanceH 8y ago
    I get that it's just a movie and should be enjoyed without overthinking since we're talking about singing animals and glossing over the whole prey-predator thing. The real crime being the inanely happy songs thrust upon parents everywhere. I know that Disney had moved toward reaching out to groups that had not been represented in movies and this is a good thing. Then they trot out a movie of inclusion with a theme of being born to your station and any attempt to rise will be squashed. I get that everyone is suppose to empathize with being the special child, but if he's special and locked into his role, what about everyone else? tl;dnr -- I don't like musicals :)
    - 8y ago

babblingdweeb 8y ago

I had an interesting experience when I was in high school, watching this happen to my parents with a comic they enjoyed. I forget the name of the series...but the story went like this: In the 80s, it was just a daily life comic, Parents with young kids, more from the parents perspective. As their kids [comic] grew older, so did I and my siblings [real world]. The comic progressed to show when their kids had kids [comic ]--in the 90s. My parents were also grandparents at the time, and they would smile and giggle as they shared the Sunday comics. Being old enough to witness those moments were really touching to me. Made me have an even deeper appreciation for a story that evolved, but also watching my parents grow and change --not just "grow older".

andy_wrote 8y ago
Maybe For Better or For Worse? Most prominent example of a daily comic strip I can remember where characters age in real time.