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I have immense respect for Watterson. He's the only artist I can think of to achieve that level of fame and success and not sell out. Selling out is barely even
by Miraste 2y ago
I have immense respect for Watterson. He's the only artist I can think of to achieve that level of fame and success and not sell out. Selling out is barely even a concept any more because it's simply assumed, and Watterson is still out there in a cabin in the woods, communicating only by mail and refusing every corporate offer that comes his way.
- psunavy03 2y agoI respect his decision, but for many people "selling out" is actually code for "financial security and stability for themselves and their families," which is not nothing and not necessarily worth scoffing at.
- Miraste 2y agoWatterson did get financial security and stability from the success of the comic, he wasn't distributing it for free. The point after that is where you find selling out, and that's where he drew a line.
- boringg 2y agoFor example i think Taylor Swift isnt a sell out, theres still more avenues to pursue merch and tour gear to achieve financial stability.
- NickC25 2y ago>He's the only artist I can think of to achieve that level of fame and success and not sell out. Gary Larson of The Far Side comes close but never touched the highs of Calvin and Hobbes
- foobarchu 2y agoIt was successful enough that social media is full of bot accounts claiming to be "the far side" posting stolen/ai comics that may or may not be actual TFS.
- dotancohen 2y agoI remember Far Side calendars, I think that many people knew the comics more from the calendars than from print. I even once compiled a Nature's Way calendar, and thought about sending it off to Gary.
- nemo44x 2y agoThomas Pynchon has as well but I guess he’s not as famous. But certainly extremely successful. I respect him because a theme of Gravity’s Rainbow is the observation that capitalism will absorb anything that is useful and you can’t fight it as the fight against it will be commodified and sold. That you can only fly under the radar and avoid it - to just not create a market potential. He’s certainly lived by that.
- Miraste 2y agoPynchon is great, but avoiding the creation of commercializable art is a different tactic that never has an inflection point-there's no moment of "If I sign this paper and give my creations to vultures, I will become rich on the spot."