Gone but not forgotten
Posted on 09/17/2019 4:52:21 AM PDT by simpson96
It probably says something about me that I consider Gary Larson, the cartoonist who created the single-panel comic strip The Far Side, as one of the great American geniuses of the 20th Century, and the news that Larson plans to bring back his world of anthropomorphic cows, ladies in 50s sequin glasses, rotund children, and Weiner dog artists has me downright giddy.
Those of us who fell in love with the comics pages had no idea how good we had in the ’80s, or how quickly our favorites could disappear. The original run of Berkeley Breathed’s Bloom County ended in 1989, Larson’s The Far Side ended January 1995, and Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes ended in December of that year. (Bloom County eventually returned in different forms but never quite recaptured that old magic.) In our current era where no fictional character stays dead for long, every old beloved show, movie or game gets a sequel and a prequel and a reboot, it’s kind of tragically strange to remember a time when some beloved fictional offering could end with little warning. One day you’re laughing, and the next you’re told, “that’s it. No more. Yes, you thought this was the coolest thing ever and had all the paperback collections, but that’s it. We’re not making any more.” As Ryan Houlihan observes, it’s pretty amazing that Watterson “ended it, and then never did anything, or let anything be done with, the property. It’s a modern miracle that we’re not watching the 12th Disney Calvin and Hobbes reboot.”
Then again, we shouldn’t have been surprised about the inevitability of burnout. Comic books usually have separate pencillers, inkers, writers and letterers, but most comic strips are one-man operations. Despite the perception that these are simple drawings and simple gags, this is not easy.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
That's a profound truth, and I shudder to think how thoroughly and disgustingly the perverts at Disney would ruin a (not so) innocent boy and his favorite tiger.
“Here Kitty,,,”
I sure hope that Gary Larson is back - best cartoons ever!
Loved that series!
“Bummer of a birthmark, Hal...”
Him and Gahan Wilson.
“Johnson, you fool!” (sprays “ON” instead of “OFF” in a jungle with mosquitos all around)
Have never seen 5 of the first 7 posts removed like that before. And I’ve been here awhile - what’s up with that?
Might be a while before I get a good night's sleep again.
“Charlie Parker’s Private Hell”
My absolute favorite!!!!!
Gone but not forgotten
Folks probably trying to post cartoon panels. Might be copyright issues?
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