Do Go On - 84 - Bill Watterson - Calvin and Hobbes

Episode Date: May 31, 2017

This week's episode is about the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Watterson. About his life, how he came to make Calvin and Hobbes and also how he's a super cool guy, none of us knew anything about ...him but are dedicated fans now. Plus he's from Ohio! It's a super loose episode, not one for those who don't like dead end tangents and bad riffs! Twitter: @DoGoOnPodInstagram: @DoGoOnPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/DoGoOnPod/Email us: dogoonpod@gmail.comSupport the show and get rewards like bonus episodes:www.patreon.com/DoGoOnPod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Melbourne and Canada, we got exciting news for you. And we should also say this is 2026. Jess, what year is it? 2026. Thank God you're here. Right now, I'm in Melbourne doing my show with Serenji Amarna, 630 each night at the Cooper's Inn Hotel, having so much fun. We'd love to see you there. Canada, we are visiting you in September this year.
Starting point is 00:00:20 If you've somehow missed the news, we are heading up Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto for shows. That's going to be so much fun. Tickets for all this stuff, I believe, are online. And I'm here too. This podcast is part of the Planet Broadcasting Network. Visit planetbcasting.com for more podcasts from our great mates. And welcome to another week of DoGo on, episode 84. Don't mind if I do.
Starting point is 00:00:57 My name is Dave Warnocky and I'm doing it with Matt Stewart and Jess Perkins. I did not agree to that. I'm doing it with my friends. Hi, Dave. Hi, Matt. We are friends. Seconds earlier. seconds before the mics went on,
Starting point is 00:01:13 we were singing the golden girls theme song to each other to remind each other, which is... I don't remember that, do you remember that, back you for being a friend? What is he talking about? Did I go into my own mind again? Dave. Get out of there. Get out of it.
Starting point is 00:01:25 It's a dirty place. Yeah, it's so dirty. Dirty place and you're a dirty little boy. There with Betty White. It's yucky in there. And some other golden girls. Name the others. Why are they golden, Dave?
Starting point is 00:01:35 What have you done to them? Betty Brown. Betty Brown. And Betty Blin. Jack White That's her dad And Jack Black They come together
Starting point is 00:01:47 He's like Yeah They come together That's what you said Come together Make sweet sweet love Okay You got a Betty White
Starting point is 00:01:57 Okay This is taking a weird turn early Wait what That's in the extended version Of the Golden Girls theme song Which apparently you guys have never heard Even though we were seeing it to each other Seconds ago
Starting point is 00:02:05 And I feel this is a personal betrayal Apart from the personal betrayal How are you? I am well. Thank you. How are you? We need a Jess Health update because you have been in the wars. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:02:17 I'm feeling better. I'm not 100% yet, but I am feeling better. Okay, percentage out of 100. Oh, 70. Right. But if you're feeling good, would you say you're 100 or is 100 like when you're on holiday on the beach or something? I think like 100 in terms of beating this virus that I had. So, which would restore me back to normal, where I would probably normally feel around 60%.
Starting point is 00:02:40 So I'm negative 70 is what I'm saying. And I've got to get back up to normal and then beyond. Wow, Jess doesn't understand maths, does she have? Is it negative 70? Yeah, you only just understanding that? I mean, you did just point out earlier that she thinks there's 100 seconds in a minute. I don't. I do not.
Starting point is 00:02:59 I don't say that. They're going to think I did say that, but that was just a joke that Dave made. She just told me, I have one minute to get my yogurt in the fridge and come back and hit record on the show. And I said, well, that's fine. because Jess thinks there's 100 seconds in a minute. And oh, how we laughed. Me, the hardest, because I know the truth. It's out there.
Starting point is 00:03:18 Yeah, the real truth. Minutes really are 100 seconds. You bloody corporate slaves. What a conspiracy. It's just a hallmark holiday gone wrong. Bloody, you don't even know. You haven't even scratched the surface, mate. Oh, please tell me it's a conspiracy-style episode
Starting point is 00:03:35 because Jess and I are ready to go, man. Oh, it is not. I'm always ready to go. For a conspiracy or any reason? Any reason. Oh. Yeah, what do you make of that? Yeah, I'm always ready to go.
Starting point is 00:03:52 Holidays. Fights. Where else? Have you ever been in a fight? Yeah, I have a brother. Nice. What? Did you ever win those fights?
Starting point is 00:04:04 God, no. He's seven years older and very strong. I gave it a bloody good guy. that maybe you could have ambushed him with a chainsaw or something. Rie! Yeah, cop that, you can't kill me when you got no leg, I'm here. And then he strangles me to death. Yeah, you're like, fuck, forgot about the arms.
Starting point is 00:04:20 Should have chopped off the arms first. Do you what we forgot to do? Got to check in on old MJS over there. Matthew, how you doing? Look, I thought you needed the time to finish your report. Yeah, because you were typing away that you were distracted by your computer there. Did your idea? Did you notice that?
Starting point is 00:04:33 Of course we noticed. And you take every last little second. We always rock up and we're like, all right, we're meeting 8 o'clock, and then we do not start till the... about nine o'clock often because Matt, it's not just because of you, but you do take advantage of the time. Yeah, I do. I love to add a little bit of flavor.
Starting point is 00:04:47 So how are you as a question for five? Sure. I mean, I like to, I build my reports like a fine meal. You suck. Like a fine meal. Please tell me how you build your meals. Well, first, here we go. First thing you want your carbs, right?
Starting point is 00:05:00 So what are you thinking today? Pastor? Sure, me too. Every night of the week. Great. Dr. Ristley told me I can't do that anymore, but that's okay. Dr. Ristis.
Starting point is 00:05:09 Dr. Ristey said, I can't get out of him. Oh, she, look, it doesn't matter. Oh, is she? Ladies can be doctors. Yes, I have a lady, Dr. Jess. Wow. And I don't apologize for that. Nor should you.
Starting point is 00:05:26 Okay. Okay, so you got your carbs according to Dr. Ristey. Yeah. No, that's not her name. Oh, great. So usually you change the names because you don't want to name people. We've changed the name and now you're worried that she's been given the wrong name. I mean, Dr. Ristie makes it's not an ideal name for a medical professional.
Starting point is 00:05:45 Great name for a medical professional in a porn film, though. Is Ristie universal term? No. No, okay. I reckon people could figure it out. Use your imagination. I'm using mine. Use your wrists.
Starting point is 00:06:02 Crack that wrist. Yeah. Anyway. So you got the carbs. Carbs, yeah. Cubs, right. Yeah, I'm good. Thanks, Jess.
Starting point is 00:06:09 Oh, thank God. Okay, great. Now we can start the report. And then you want to put the flavor. Oh, yeah. I'm thinking like it, maybe like a tomato, some sort of a tomato-based sauce. Oh, yeah. But what do you want to put in that sauce? So far. MSG. I've sprinkled a little MSG.
Starting point is 00:06:25 Great. A little bit of olives. Uh-huh. And I've also put in a little bit of mushroom. Oh, can I make a suggestion? Yeah. A little bit of zucchini? No.
Starting point is 00:06:37 Fair enough. I don't. But rejected. Look, I like that you're trying to be involved, and that definitely fits in this world, but I just personally don't like zucchini. I didn't say zucchini. I said zucchini. Oh, please, throw a handful in. Thank you.
Starting point is 00:06:53 Chuck it in, wristy style. Yep. So we've got mushrooms and some olives and some zucchini. Well, we're going to... Well, you started this. I don't know this is quite done yet. Okay. The listeners are demanding more.
Starting point is 00:07:08 People have got pins and paper at home taking down this recipe. From there, I normally, I personally, and this is not everyone, but I like to put in a little bit of kidney beans. Oh, yum. My favourite of the beans. Sure. The big, they're beautiful, and they're full of all the good stuff. Beans.
Starting point is 00:07:28 Yep. Full of beans. And, yeah, that's kind of it. I mean, you could sprinkle a little bit of herbs if you've got any in the garden, or maybe. Some oregano. Origano. Some salt, some pepper.
Starting point is 00:07:41 Pepepe. Maybe some thyme. Maybe some Ross. Some thyme. Mary. Ross and Marie. Ross and Marie. Ross and Marie.
Starting point is 00:07:51 Ross and Marie. The neighbours. Invite them over. Get him in the pot. We just put, well, not all of them, Dave. We just get them to put their fist in the bowl and let them marinate. And then they just, they lick their hand for dinner. That's how they like to do it.
Starting point is 00:08:07 And I'm willing to oblige because, you know, less dishes to clean up. Also, Ross and Maria both bears. Maybe. Hey, should we do this show? Oh, my God. I, yeah. Yes. We are going to do this show.
Starting point is 00:08:18 Is that what you were thinking? And that I've said multiple times. Well, I'm, I'm on board. Great. Take us away. Let's just get this one out of the way because it does not feel good in here. Do you want to start us up with a question? Yeah, love to.
Starting point is 00:08:32 Thank you so much. Here's a question. I think this is a good question. Because that, in a lot of, always that's the only kind of question I ask. Okay, yep, disagree, but that's all right. Okay. That's interesting.
Starting point is 00:08:45 I'll note that down here. Who is the most beloved human and animal duo of the last 35 years? Human and animal. Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh. I was going to say Christopher Winnie the Pooh. That's not. That's not it, but it's not that far away. So of the last 35, is that, is that,
Starting point is 00:09:05 Yeah, I think I'll have kind of them. I got it. I got it. Free Willie and the kid from Free Willy. Oh, fuck, she's not got it. An hour on this. No, I'm afraid whales are actually mammals. Interesting. Okay, follow up, guess.
Starting point is 00:09:19 Flipper and Elijah Wood. No. Okay. Elijah Wood and someone else in Lord of the Rings. A killer whales mammals, Dave? Dave will know this. I feel like he would. Or a killer whale's not really whales.
Starting point is 00:09:31 They're not really whales. They're technically, they're a dolphin. What? Fuck, that's sick. Yeah. They're actually a toilet duck. It's one of those things that when you find it out, you're just like, what? How is that possible?
Starting point is 00:09:45 Like tomatoes being a fruit. Exactly. It's very similar to that. Now you'll go home and you'll say, oh, there's an orca next to my toilet ready to clean those hard-to-reach places. And those hard to remove stains. Yeah. Yeah, like I remember when I found that out. Blewn my mind.
Starting point is 00:10:03 It changed everything. Changed everything. Yeah. Okay. Okay. What was it? You were closer with the first one, but I... Oh. But also, I have a funny feeling that this is more of an American thing than a worldwide thing. So it's more like a cartoon thing?
Starting point is 00:10:17 I vaguely heard of it, yes. But I didn't know it super well. So I'll give you maybe another guess each and then we'll, I might have to break it to you. You go, because I think I know it. So animal and human. Garfield? Oh, that's a very close. It's very close. I was going to say Calvin and Hobbes.
Starting point is 00:10:36 John. Yes. Is it? Oh, Jesus, I said that way. How do you know of that thing? Calvin and Hobbs? Yeah. Because I know of Calvin and Hobbs.
Starting point is 00:10:43 What? So it is a thing that's been in Australia. I know what it is, but I don't know anything about it. Tell me what you know. One of them is Calvin. Yes. There's another one, Hobbs. Yes.
Starting point is 00:10:56 Together, they have a line of comic strips. Yeah. Yes. But I think they're quite big in America. The only thing I knew about them was there was a robot, chicken sketch I saw ages ago and it's kind of like you know guys in a robert chicken yeah yeah Seth Green's one yeah and it was it was based on that and and um so Calvin gets a a toy tiger for his birthday which I guess is how the real thing happens as well I'm very worried that if
Starting point is 00:11:25 you're gonna talk about that and you don't know how the hell they got the toy look anyway I'll post that clip so you'll it'll make more sense if you I think I I still found it funny 10 years ago whenever it was, but I just did not get the joke. Sure. I think I figured it out based on the thing. Okay. Anyway, this week's topic is their creator, Bill Watterson. Watterson.
Starting point is 00:11:48 Watterson. Watterson. Is that the word you had to listen to the pronunciation? Yeah, I did, but I listened to an American guy say it, so it didn't really get me any close to how it should be. Is it Warterson? It's with two T's all. Watterson.
Starting point is 00:12:00 Watterson. Watterson. Let's agree on Watterson. Watterson. All right, I'm going to say with a slight accent. I don't appreciate that at all. I think that way it'll cover me. Okay.
Starting point is 00:12:10 I don't think in a court of law they could say you're saying it wrong. I'll be like, no, I'm not. I'm doing an accent. I'm slurring my speech, that's all. I'm drunk officer. Sir. Back off. I'm drunk in a courtroom.
Starting point is 00:12:23 And Bill Wattison. Nailed it. Is also the personal hero of golden hat suggestor of this topic, Trey Maverick. Trey. Which can't possibly be a real name. We've talked about Trey. before. Trey Maverick? Maverick is an incredible name.
Starting point is 00:12:40 Trey's good. Then you follow it up with Maverick. I just cannot believe that someone's got a name that good. Are you asking Trey to produce a birth certificate? I am asking Trey to producer goods. I think every gold hat member... I'm going to go on Trump on his ass. Every golden hat member should give us their birth certificate.
Starting point is 00:12:55 Mm-hmm. To prove that they have... What was the whole Obama birth certificate thing called? Does that have a... The birtha movement? Birth of... I'm in the birth of movement. How do you know everything?
Starting point is 00:13:04 I'm in the Trey Maverick Bertha movement. How? prove it or lose it. That's right. You're amazing. He was born in Hawaii. We all know that. Dave.
Starting point is 00:13:13 Didn't they end up having a produce? He actually did produce a birth certificate, even though it was ridiculous. Maybe to shut them up. And then Donald Trump was like one of the number one people. He's like, well, that's just an extract. Oh, man. He didn't. And then since he's like, no, never really.
Starting point is 00:13:28 Anyway, let's not get old. Let's just do the goddamn report. Let's not get bogged down in the leader of the three bloody world. Yeah, mate. Let's talk about Watterson. Bill Waddo Watterson was born... I don't know if he ever had that nickname, but let's go on Waddo maybe.
Starting point is 00:13:42 Yeah, Waddo, I like it. Waddo was born on July 5th, 1958 in Washington, D.C. You know who else? Spends some time there occasionally? Who? Trump. Oh. No relation.
Starting point is 00:13:59 His parents were named James and Catherine. Oh, we know them what wife's name? Yeah. Oh, yeah. It's exciting. Quite good, right? At the age of six, he moved to Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Ohio!
Starting point is 00:14:13 That is great. I'm already happy with this story. Excellent. I could die now, I'm happy. Okay, bye. I'm going off Shagra Falls, whatever you just said. Chagrin. Goodbye.
Starting point is 00:14:25 Much to my chagrin. Shiagra Falls. Shia Falls. I am from Shiagra Falls. I did get sidetracked when I saw that he lived. in Ohio and I started sort of dreaming of visiting and stuff and I started looking at I literally lost an hour and a half just there diving to this Ohio Hall Ohio Hole So Ohio Hall
Starting point is 00:14:50 Oh what I like oh and um I just started looking at the the maps and it's such a weird little pocket of the of America there it's so close to all these different places you know how the states are on top of each other basically and then like Pittsburgh is like right near the border of Ohio and stuff man when we get there we're going to go to all these sick places I'm going to see a penguins game okay oh so my mum's like one of her best friends one of her friends is from oh my god from Ohio and they're both teachers and they what have they have traveled a lot and stay at each other's houses and she used to be the mayor of the like a small town in Ohio and my mom was telling him about how you know
Starting point is 00:15:34 We have listeners in Ohio, and they're like, come on over. We've got a small comedy festival. What? I've got to do more research about it. What? What? There's a comedy festival. In Ohio.
Starting point is 00:15:45 That's a new trap. It's like they're trapping us. It's a very small, like, you know, maybe 10,000 people live there or something. I would perform to 10,000. I'm fine with that. Absolutely. I would. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:15:54 I'm not a snob. I'm not a diva yet. But not a soul less than 10,000. Oh, God, no. Nine, nine, nine, nine, nine. You get the whole town there producing their birth certificates. If it's not four figures. I thought Dave would have found that more annoying than he did.
Starting point is 00:16:12 He just smiled. Like he didn't even care. He didn't get it. Oh, he didn't get it. He's like, yeah, four figures. I'm a six-figure man. Oh, my God. Let's just do the report.
Starting point is 00:16:24 So anyway, I was looking up Sugar and Falls. It's a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. And it's been home to a few other notable people, including Scott Wheeland. Yeah, because Cleveland does rock. He was the singer of Stone Temple Pilots while he was alive. And Mark Foster, singer from Foster the People. All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, you better run, better run.
Starting point is 00:16:48 I'm just going to cut you off there, Jess. Bill's father, James, was a patent attorney and his mother, Catherine, at one point was on the chagrinful city council. Oh. Only one step away from my mum's friend's friend. Bill has described his childhood as pretty normal. I generally stayed out of trouble, he said. I did fairly well in school.
Starting point is 00:17:11 Nerd. And despite his famous comic being about a child and his imaginary tiger friend, I haven't mentioned that, but that's what it is. He didn't have an imaginary friend himself growing up. My brother did. Did he? Yeah, it was a tiny little horse.
Starting point is 00:17:26 Apparently he used to get upset because he's quite a lot older than me, so I didn't ever witness this, but apparently he used to get like a little bit of him. upset if they'd left the house and he'd forgotten the horse. Like, I remember its name. Mum remembers. And she used to just be like, oh, no, here he is.
Starting point is 00:17:39 And, like, pull him out of her handbag. He was here the whole time. Yeah. Tiny little horse. What a nerd. That is a real nerdy thing. And you can really... I don't remember anyone having an imaginary friend.
Starting point is 00:17:51 Yeah. I reckon that's... You say nerd, but I think that's something really fun about it. I think so. It's super cute. That's got to be... There's got to be some sign that you've got to, like, an oversized part of your brain. Probably.
Starting point is 00:18:01 I just, um... I know I keep yelling at you for getting distracted, but I just binge watched a series on Netflix called Moon Boy. Chris O'Dowd did. Have you seen it? Yeah, yeah. It's so good. And it's all about a kid who has an imaginary friend
Starting point is 00:18:14 and Chris O'Dowd plays the imaginary friend. It's so good. Really clever. And they speak in an Irish accent. Yeah, because it's in the 80s. It is in the 90s. Oh, the 90s. It's the late 80s, early 90s, in Boyle.
Starting point is 00:18:27 It's really funny. So great. His family is very funny. Very good. Very good. Dave. I'll have to check it out. You must.
Starting point is 00:18:33 It's a feel good romp. It is a bit of a romp. And Chris O'Dowd's just bloody great, isn't he? He's a real charmer. He got better looking. Did he? Since IT crowd. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:18:43 Yeah. But then he went to like sapphies and it's like, oh, yes. Really? Oh, my God, yes. Oh, he's a definitely dream boat. He's gorgeous and he's tall and his eyes. He's got those big blues. You know, I'm a sucker for the big blues.
Starting point is 00:18:55 Oh, yeah. I've got to wear glasses in here. He's wearing sunglasses at all times. Just to stop me from just ripping everything off him. I felt weird as I said it. I'm so sorry. Matt, do get on. It's weird that I'm sitting here naked but with glasses on. He ripped everything else off.
Starting point is 00:19:11 She finds him hideous and as long as the glasses are on. Like Cyclops. It's a real power you hide behind that. Cartoons like Peanuts and Pogo, which I've never heard of, helped inspire Bill. And he developed an early interest in drawing. At around the age of eight, he drew his first cartoon. And when he was in...
Starting point is 00:19:34 Like you said, the age of 80, and I was like, that is not early. Oh. Well, it's all relative. Good point. He's 200 years old. Do we mention that he is some sort of giant tortoise? He could live for a few centuries.
Starting point is 00:19:46 Yeah. I should have probably brought that up earlier. Now, under Trey Maverick is so enamored with him. I can't do it during tortoise. That's amazing. That is amazing. So when he was in fourth grade, apparently he wrote a letter to Charles Schultz,
Starting point is 00:20:01 the creator of Peanuts. and get a real buzz when he sent a letter back. Aw. Of which I have no details of. Good. He canoed. He canoed. He canoed. Sometimes.
Starting point is 00:20:14 He had many hobbies. Yeah, he did. Canoing like... He had many Calvert and hobbies. Don't hate me for that. We suck sometimes. Yeah. People get that there's layers of irony on top of these bad puns, right?
Starting point is 00:20:30 I'm not sure they do. They're just like, oh, these guys suck sometimes. He continued. to draw throughout his schooling, creating superhero comics with mates and contributing art to the school newspaper. Oh. So it's a real...
Starting point is 00:20:43 He was a go-getter. All of our schools have newspapers. Yeah. I remember that my school did not have one of those. Definitely didn't have one. It's one of the memories. Dave, do you have any non-memories? Yeah, I also remember avoiding
Starting point is 00:20:55 thinking about a newspaper because I knew I wouldn't want to remember it. I remember one... In ten years time. Wow. One time at uni there was a... a spoof newspaper of the Herald Sun called the feral scum. Oh, that's good.
Starting point is 00:21:10 Oh, that's very good. Fight the power. Yeah. Take them down. They really tore them down. From 1976, Waddo attended Kenyon College in Ohio, studying for a Bachelor of Arts, focusing on political science.
Starting point is 00:21:27 So no real drawing stuff there. He was just sort of keeping that on the side. At college, he drew political cartoons, though, for the college's news. newspaper. And he also painted a copy of Michelangelo's famous creation of Adam painting as a mural on his dorm's ceiling. Oh, that's really cool. Like the Sistine Chapel? Yes. Only the dorm.
Starting point is 00:21:49 The Sistine dorm. The Sistine dorm. Just a lot of like 19 year old dudes jacking themselves. Well, looking at God touching Adam. Jacking themselves. I don't know. Oh, yeah, rub your fingertip against his finger. Dave. Wait, is it
Starting point is 00:22:08 I don't know. Is it because of you thought that was a bit blasphemous? No, no, no, no. I just, I didn't like the tone. I barely listened to what he said. I just didn't like the rub your and I was tuned out. Come on, it was an intellectual art joke.
Starting point is 00:22:22 Sorry. All right, mate. We've all seen art. Some of us are creating it right now. I'm not. I think, I think, I'm not. I think our rest of development has already squeezed out all the humor from that painting,
Starting point is 00:22:36 don't know if you can get any more. I'm going to try. It's squeezed dry. Let it go. Oh, yes, all right. On a side note. Not the only thing squeezed dry after looking at that painting, am I right?
Starting point is 00:22:51 Those guys on the dorm. Jack in it. You regretted it all over again. Did you learn from last time? I thought it would have been broken down a barrier. You know, like in history, some barriers are broken down, makes it easier for the people to come after them.
Starting point is 00:23:11 I thought I'd broken down the jack-in-it barrier, but I hadn't. And it wasn't easy for you to come after then. It wasn't easy. Wow. It was just as difficult on the second coming. The second coming of Adam. What going on here? On a side note, you know how college teams have mascots or whatever, especially in America?
Starting point is 00:23:31 Love them. Did your unis have one? One's here? Yeah. I can't. Yeah, my first uni definitely did. And it was a moose. I was never involved in any sporting activity at uni.
Starting point is 00:23:45 You were? Yeah. Yeah, I played basketball at uni. Yeah, ACU had a moose. Deakin, I don't know if they, I don't remember there being one. Is Griffins a thing? There's maybe Monash Griffins? I can't remember.
Starting point is 00:24:02 Yeah, I did not, yeah, did not try hard enough there. No, I could have done well at uni. But the one I always think of is a teen wolf with Michael J. Fox. Sure. They were the beavers. And that's one that I was remember. Because they always felt weird. They're wearing like, he becomes a wolf and he becomes a real big star, but they're still called the beavers.
Starting point is 00:24:21 Surely you'd change your name to the teen wolves. Why? So you're going to change your whole school based around one student? Who's going to, like, graduate eventually and leave? And then 10 years down the truck, we're like, why are we the wolves? Oh, as opposed to the beavers where you've got like a clear ongoing story. Correct. Every year there's a new beaver who plays in the team.
Starting point is 00:24:40 Exactly. Okay, well, yeah, now that you've said it like that, I feel stupid. Anyway, they're an example. Apparently, the Kenyan college athletes are referred to as the lords and ladies. Oh, I love that. I love that so much. That's great. I agree, but it just really caught my attention.
Starting point is 00:24:58 What's the mascot? Man and a woman. Just a knight and a lady in a tall hat. Oh, that was cool. You know, those like those. Yeah, they're really tall. Those, like, conats. It had, like, something at the top, like a little bit of a veil.
Starting point is 00:25:11 Yeah. Is that what I'm talking about? Yeah. I don't think they're lords. They're high priestesses. I always get those two confused. Medieval Lords. The KKK.
Starting point is 00:25:21 They're the Great Knights or something of that. Grand Dragon. Grand Dragon. How do you know? They're all so stupid. Watched a lot of documentaries. After graduating in 1980, Bill landed a job as editorial cartoonists at the Cincinnati Post. Cincinnati is also an Ohio.
Starting point is 00:25:36 I did not know that. Did not know that. There's so many city names I know in America. Isn't that one of the biggest ones? Yeah, it is. It's actually the third largest in Ohio. Let's not forget my wrestling move for Cincinnati Razzle-Dazzle. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 00:25:49 Right. So this is a fun name, Cincinnati. Yeah, it's fun to say. It's a fun comedy. It's also a great written down. Yeah, it looks great. God, Cincinnati's a best. Do you reckon, Dave, I actually wrote this in as a question for you.
Starting point is 00:26:01 So Cincinnati, well, you are proud to say you hate geography. I don't hate it I just don't understand it Right But which way is up I'm ignorant I don't hate it Feel free to answer
Starting point is 00:26:15 Thank you I shall So Cincinnati is the third largest city in Ohio What are the top two? Cleveland Yes That is number two What's the number one
Starting point is 00:26:28 I don't even know if I knew this place They all start with C Cleveland Columbus. Oh, I had heard of that, yeah. Columbus, Ohio. Yeah, but it feels like that's one of those ones that there's probably a Columbus in every state.
Starting point is 00:26:46 Because didn't he go there on a boat or something? I also found out that Ohio is in the Midwest. Did you know that? Yep. And I've heard do people refer to the Midwest before, right? And I always pictured it to be in the middle of the West. Interesting. What do you think Midwest means?
Starting point is 00:27:05 I would have thought the same. It blew my mind. It's actually North Central America. Why do they call it the Midwest then? I don't know. Apparently it was officially known as the North Central region, but that may have made too much sense, so they changed it in 1984 to Midwest.
Starting point is 00:27:20 Okay. There would be a... I'm sure there's a super logical reason, but... Hey, it's west of something. Ah, very good. And mid of something. It's all about perspective, man. This is why it just doesn't understand geography.
Starting point is 00:27:33 What? Is it not west of something? Oh, shit. She got you there. Well, it's west of something. You've got to pick a point. Yeah, and maybe the point is different. And therefore, now it's Midwest.
Starting point is 00:27:46 Yeah, it's west of, like, New York, say, just, right? There you go. Midwest. Hey, Jess, do you say heller a lot? Because a little while ago, someone tweeted saying that they, they'd never heard it outside of California or something. Heller. You said something that was hella cool.
Starting point is 00:28:01 Yeah, so it's done like the Mona Lisa episode. It was like right at the beginning. I'm sure I've got a good. good memory. No, it's because of the screenshot they attached in their tweet. Oh, right. Okay, great. I mean, yes, I remember it very clearly. I've definitely said Hela a few times. Always ironically. There are a bunch of celebrities also from Cincinnati, way more actually, because it's a much bigger city than the suburb of Shagrin Falls. These include Bootsie Collins. Oh, bop, bump, bach. Yeah. A holder of the funk.
Starting point is 00:28:35 There's a mighty boosh there, whatever they say. That's great. Jerry Springer and Nicolet, who I think we've talked about before. Oh, Nick Ler Shea. New Wed himself. Yeah. Have we talked about that before? I wonder how his new marriage to Jessica Simpson is going.
Starting point is 00:28:51 Me too. Anyway, here is another report on Nick Lachey. Yeah, sorry, I'm just a little side report here. Nick Lachey, where is he now? Jessica Simpson is obviously by far the superior Matt Perkins. What just happened? I don't know. Are you going to say she's by far the superior Jess?
Starting point is 00:29:14 Yeah, but then I said she's the superior Simpson. Well, she is. And then I corrected said Perkins. What a fucking idiot. She's the superior Simpson. Her sister Ashley has done nothing a long time. Wow. I suppose, yeah, okay.
Starting point is 00:29:28 What's Jessica done? I say to myself every morning in the mirror. Nick Lechay. What's Jessica done? Look, I think they all achieve great things, and they should be proud of themselves. Go Cincinnati. So, what I got this job at the Cincinnati Post, but his bosses were not impressed with his work,
Starting point is 00:29:48 apparently because he had lived in the suburbs of Cleveland his whole life. He didn't know too much about the Cincinnati political landscape. Or the razzle-dazzle. Or the razzle-dazzle. And so he... Kid, what's your favorite wrestling move? The Cleveland Double Park. Oh, you've got a lot to learn, man.
Starting point is 00:30:07 So, yeah, they really weren't impressed by his work and maybe partially because he didn't really have an understanding of the local politics. Sure. And he ended up getting the sack within a year and having to move back on with his parents. They gave him a free sack. Yeah, they gave him a sack. That's nice. Like a Hessian sack?
Starting point is 00:30:25 It was a Hessian sack. Did it have potatoes in it? No. It had those dogs. It was an empty and they said, use this to clear out your desk. You fucking five. Oh. Oh. Yeah, it was a real roller coaster.
Starting point is 00:30:39 Yeah. At first he was like, great. Yeah. I need a place to throw stuff into. Oh, they're giving me some potatoes. This is so nice. I'll hold it open. And you just...
Starting point is 00:30:49 Put the potatoes in. Chuck of the spuds. All right. You chuck of the spuds. You quickly realize that every bag has a hush and lining. And he had to get the fuck out of there. Wow. That's deep.
Starting point is 00:31:01 That's beautiful. So he's back living with his parents, and this is around the point where he kind of bailed on the political cartoons. Decided that wasn't really his thing. and he returned to what made him fall in love with drawing in the first place. Comic strips. He started working hard, creating comic strips, trying out a few different characters,
Starting point is 00:31:19 and he'd send him out to newspapers in the hope of getting published. But he was left disappointed time after time, as he was rejected by Cindy Lauper amongst other newspapers. Back then, she also had a newspaper. The Cindy Lauper. The Cindy Lauper, yes. Sure. Sure.
Starting point is 00:31:37 It was actually, it was called the Cindy Lauper True Colors. It's very on brand. And girls want to have fun. And I'm all out of Cindy Lauper reference. That's all you need. Kinky boots. Damn it. During this time, to make ends meet, he had to do some soul-destroying work designing ads for car dealers and supermarkets.
Starting point is 00:32:05 He didn't say it was sole destroying. I've added that in. You bowed that in. As someone who would never associate themselves with the advertising world, in any way, who would never sell themselves out for acting in a commercial say. Never. For example. Personally, it wouldn't do it.
Starting point is 00:32:17 Like standing in a line. You draw the line there. I draw the line at lines. Yeah. Some sort of confectionery ad. No, thank you. Look, I don't know what you're insinuating. Matt's in an M&M ad.
Starting point is 00:32:31 He is... That's what I'm insinuating, Matt. Well, look, if you'd spelled it out in the first place, we would have saved each other some time. M and M. Spelled it. He has since said that this time was very important, though, as it helped him realize that doing the kind of work that he wanted to do was more important than money, because he was earning decent money doing these things.
Starting point is 00:32:54 But he wasn't loving it. Maybe it was soul-destroying. Referencing this tough period, he has said since, To endure five years of rejection to get a job requires either a faith in oneself that borders on delusion or a love of the work. I was deluded. No, I loved the work. Right.
Starting point is 00:33:14 And I guess it was that love and dedication that kept Waddo in the game and led him to his big success. He workshopped a few different characters but eventually settled on his iconic duo of Calvin and Hobbs. Calvin, a rowdy young boy, and Hobbs, a toy tiger who came to life,
Starting point is 00:33:30 but only went alone with Calvin. I think that's sort of our work. Where does he get these ideas? So basically, Hobbes, right, is a living anthropomorphic tiger. Nailed it. To Calvin. But to the rest of the characters, Hobbs is just an inanimate stuff toy. Capish.
Starting point is 00:33:48 And they go on adventures. They go on adventures. And their rocket can and their et cetera. Nailed it. I'm going to look into this more. I've read a few, and they're nice. There's some nice ones. I don't know heaps.
Starting point is 00:34:03 I just have friends who... They have fun. I think it might be one of those ones We're growing up with it Would make you really into it Yeah Is it funny? It's humorous
Starting point is 00:34:14 It's, I think it would be like a gentle humor maybe Yeah I think it's sort of like Oh here we go You know, it's, I kind of feel like it's putting up a mirror Mm-hmm You know what I mean? Just you read it
Starting point is 00:34:32 And have a good hard look at yourself Dave Right and just ask Where's my fucking tiger? Yeah so to speak I don't think Calvin put it quite like that He wouldn't put it like that
Starting point is 00:34:42 He's a child He doesn't know that word Is he like six Six He's better boy He's butter boy He's butter boy He's butter boy
Starting point is 00:34:51 That's his alter ego Butter boy He's so slippery Okay Tell me more He can Fry him in a pan I'm liking this
Starting point is 00:35:02 Butter boy Butter boy The main character Slide him down a slide on a hot day. He'll melt. Butter boy. The main characters were...
Starting point is 00:35:15 Butter boy, you're short separately. The main characters were named after 16th century French theologian John Calvin. Uh-huh. And 17th century English philosopher Thomas Hobbes. Well, that's cute. Yeah, so they're named after... They're good names.
Starting point is 00:35:30 I like Hobbs especially. Yeah, Hobbs cool. That's very cute. Hobbs. So picking out of all the sort of French cool-s-sounding. philosophers naming him after it
Starting point is 00:35:39 John. Well yeah I mean he cut that bit out didn't he? What's your problem with John's? You love the John? It's all you ever do.
Starting point is 00:35:48 You always go to the John. I do. We get in here, we set up, we're like, okay, we're ready to go and you're like,
Starting point is 00:35:53 I just got to go the John. You love Johns. If you're talking about pissing into their mouths. Yeah. This is where I remind you
Starting point is 00:36:01 that my father, John Perkins, listens to this podcast. That's my name for a 21st century kind of guy, but the 16th century Frenches. Frenches?
Starting point is 00:36:13 There's more to someone than their name. But if you get to pick anything for your character, he didn't choose... He didn't choose John. He chose Hobbs. Fair enough. Great to disagree. That's easy?
Starting point is 00:36:28 I've made it sound like Waddo went through like a lifelong struggle before he found success. But in actual fact, he was just 27 when he started producing Calvin and Hobbs. For money. So 27's a magic number, is it? I don't know if that's what I was saying. I think it is.
Starting point is 00:36:43 Necessarily. This is our year, baby. Coming up. Coming up. I have plans to join the 27 club, so I've got to get famous and die all within one year. Me too. I made that joke when I was 26, too. Forty six years ago.
Starting point is 00:37:01 That's just a little something that your kids will go through. It's nice watching you guys grow up before my eyes. Doing jokes I made years ago, etc. It's amazing that you were somehow able to predict the 27 Club hundreds of years before it even existed. You're old. As soon as I saw Janice Joppa and I'm like, yeah. She's going to die.
Starting point is 00:37:22 She's going to die. Soon. That's a cool plot for a film. The 27 Club is actually just a serial killer. That's a good plot for a film. Copyright. Nobody write that. It's ours.
Starting point is 00:37:37 Stop it. Put that pen down, young man. Stop it. Watching you. We're watching you from inside your ear holes. Ew, imagine if we could. Can't we? I just assumed we could and we just hadn't yet.
Starting point is 00:37:51 We just don't. We would never abuse that power. Or would we? I think everyone should know that we would not. Oh, I get it. I mean, you're winking at me. Oh, shit, okay. In 1985s, selling it to Universal Press Syndicate,
Starting point is 00:38:06 he finally, after all these few years in his mid-20s, of struggling. Of struggling, gave his work a national audience. The strip debuted on November 18th, 1985. Jess, where were you? Where was I in 1985? But a twinkle in my father's eye. We're going to have to talk to you about some other things as well,
Starting point is 00:38:34 biological and... What? Spurn starts in the eye, doesn't it? Oh, no. Is it? Dave? Tell her. It's the nose, Jess.
Starting point is 00:38:46 You come from your dad's nostrils. That's what I'm there. I was... I was... Oh, this is rich. She's so bad at geography. She gets her eyes and her nose confused. Eyes and ears and...
Starting point is 00:39:02 Ow! This has been poking myself in the eye. Oh, go. What? And you would, you were poking yourself in the eye when you were saying ears. Eyes and ears. You were pointing to the wrong thing. I don't know who I am anymore. So it debuted on November 18, 1985 in 35 papers. And this is when he's only 27.
Starting point is 00:39:26 This is when he's 27. And by 1987, the number had grown to more than 300 newspapers. Wow. Wow. The fastest growing comic strip of the 1980s. In all of America, maybe the world. Probably America. All of America.
Starting point is 00:39:40 That's big. Including Ohio. Yes. Which is in America. Which is where Waddo was in. Thank you. And it made him like some sort of a celebrity, almost instantly. At 20s.
Starting point is 00:39:53 Living the celebrity line. Oh, would we call 27 more late 20s? Nah, probably still mid, I reckon. Probably still mid-20s. It was... There's a few things I'm having to explain to you today. When time moves on, so does your age. So by 987, he'd aged two years.
Starting point is 00:40:10 Okay. And became 29. That is definitely right. Which I think... The latest the 20s will go. Jess is just looking at the map saying, But which way is up? I don't like this.
Starting point is 00:40:23 I don't like it either. You're going to have to say some smart things soon. Good luck. Otherwise, we're all being... Bad feminists today. Wait, but if it was Dave, would you mind? That's fine. But I can't be dumb.
Starting point is 00:40:37 Exactly. There's a lot of pressure on you from the patriarchy. Don't try to change me. If I want to be dumb, I'll be dumb. Exactly, I'm giving you permission to be done. Thank you. I'm the feminist here. Do you go on?
Starting point is 00:40:48 Man. I'm the feminist here. That's the best. I'll be the feminist here. Back off, tuts. I'll take this one. You don't know how to be a feminist. Shh.
Starting point is 00:41:03 So, yeah, it was a big... Here's a book I wrote. Give it a read sometime if you can. Get your daddy to read it to you. You got mansplaining bad, David Warnocky. So, yeah, it was a big hit. Readers loved it. And it was, you know, the story kind of follows their mischievous adventures.
Starting point is 00:41:22 With a comic strip, are they readers or are they viewers? Oh. Oh, is that a little comic burn? Are you trying to be intellectual again? Sorry. I thought that was. I think you'll find. They're actually looking with their eyes.
Starting point is 00:41:36 I've done some research. Ow on my eye. Scooby-Doo can do-do, but Jimmy Carter is smarter. It's the other way around, isn't it? Fuck. But what about... I've lost it. In 86, Waddo became the youngest cartoonist ever to receive the National Cartoonist Society's Rubin Award,
Starting point is 00:41:59 which is the industry. It's a sandwich. They give him a Ruben sub. Got pickles, got some coleslaw. Fuck yeah. That sounds real good. Sounds great. That's, what an honor.
Starting point is 00:42:12 The highest sandwich. The highest sandwich in the land. The whole industry? Yeah. How old is he at this point? What is this? This is 86. So we've gone back of you.
Starting point is 00:42:24 He's back to 28. Matt's trying to move on and we won't let him. It's only 28. That's really frustrating, isn't it? Yeah, in some ways. Not too late for you to pick up the old cartoony pen But you are behind Yeah you are well behind
Starting point is 00:42:38 No you Because you are past I'm gonna find it quite difficult to win a Rubin by 28 Yeah because 28 was a long time ago for you I can't even remember it I bet I was so young and stupid Much like some people I know
Starting point is 00:42:54 Maybe I'll just grow into smarts Do you reckon? Do you reckon I'll grow into some smarts? No I'll be the feminist here He doesn't give him any interviews right But he does seem to give quite a few to this publication Called the Plain Dealer
Starting point is 00:43:12 Which is one of the first publications to run the comic P-L-A-N-E P-L-A-N-E P-A-Y-N The Plain dealer P-L-A-I-N And it's an Ohioan publication O-Han
Starting point is 00:43:25 It's O-Hatian It's O-Hatian Public C-Hon In 1987, what I said he was to the plane dealer, he said that he was shell-shocked by the attention that the celebrity aspect of the job had taken him. It's disrespectful to our veterans? It had taken him a back.
Starting point is 00:43:45 Which, you know, wow. It's not the same as shell-shock. No, no, he's sort of damn-grating it. Is that taken a back? Is this being taken a back? Yeah, nailed it. That's perfect. Thank you. Do it again?
Starting point is 00:43:57 Oh, wow, the range. I felt that. I connected with that performance. I like the fuck out of anything. I thought you could just stand in lines, but you're relaxed. He can be taken a back. Dave, you give it a go. No, so you were, no.
Starting point is 00:44:13 I went forwards. You went forwards. I got taken a forwards. Is that a thing? Is there a role for that? So he's taken a back, and I'm going to edit out all that visual stuff we just did. He was taken a back, and he said, I really can't stand it, right? He said he really appreciated the fans, but he couldn't understand why they would want to know so much about him and his life.
Starting point is 00:44:36 Like, he didn't like that. I get that. He's like, just read the fucking drawings. What do you need to know about me? I'm just some guy. Interesting. With the comics popularity growing exponentially, universal press syndicate were keen to start selling Calvin and Hobbs merch, which as we know, with the Simpsons and many other cartoons. That's where the big dollars are made.
Starting point is 00:44:59 But despite Waddo's relative youth, he walked to the beat of his own drum, and as such he refused to allow the licensing of his creations for merchandise. But he did hire a man to follow him playing a drum at a weird beat. And he walked to it. Or you better fucking believe he walked to it. Sounds expensive. Yeah. He better start selling some merch if you're going to get that money.
Starting point is 00:45:21 Worth it. Do you get the feeling that he's making a bit of money, though? Yeah, he's making some money, for sure, because it's becoming very popular. He's definitely making money. He's just not, he just is choosing not to make crazy money. He said that if he did that, it would turn his characters into television hucksters and t-shirt sloganeers and deprive me of characters that actually expressed my own feelings. He doesn't sound like any late 20s person I've ever met.
Starting point is 00:45:48 Yeah, it does. Deprive me. Of my feelings. My feelings, my character. I mean, he's a writer, but he doesn't. know many, like, writers or... Intellectuals. Intellectual types.
Starting point is 00:46:05 Orators. Maybe I do. That's true. We don't know what Dave does outside of this studio. That's a very good point. Never seen me outside of this room. Unfortunately, though, his deal with Universal Press was signed when he was an eager unknown. So the contract was very one-sided against him.
Starting point is 00:46:21 If Universal really wanted to, they could license his characters against his will. But he eventually won out. and I guess he uses his popularity, like, as a bargaining chip, to renegotiate his contract so that he would receive all rights to his work. Wow. So he sounds like he's a pretty good businessman as well as a... And are these just small comic strips, like four or five cells at a time? Yeah, they're just the ones you read in the paper sort of thing.
Starting point is 00:46:51 Yeah. Like a Garfield or those sort of guys. Or Fred Bassett. He would be... Fred Bassett. Is that... Do you think that's, is that international? It's like famously bad.
Starting point is 00:47:02 So bad. Just nothing really happens. What's the other one? What's the Viking? Hagar. Hagar. My dad loves Hagar. My dad loves Hagar.
Starting point is 00:47:09 There's a couple of Hagar's cut out and stuck on my parents' fruit. The Wizard of Id? Wizard of Id. Snake tails? Snake tails. What's the flower? I say, the other flower sort of stuff. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 00:47:20 And then one of them slaps. They always slap them. They're all that slapstick in that comic, which I respect. Yeah. You're a big slapper. That was not At all Did you hear that?
Starting point is 00:47:36 Yeah, you piece of work Marking down on my feminist list You big slapper I was thinking how I'm calling the police Okay, that's going to sound weird out of context Hello My friend just called me a big slapper
Starting point is 00:47:50 Hello? Are you there? Officer They've died of shock They fainted Oh, that's good. Dude, do you think the way he was quite protective of his characters reminded me a bit of the Mary Poppins author, do you reckon?
Starting point is 00:48:06 PL Travers. Yeah, only she wanted to avoid turning him into cartoons, I guess. Slightly different, but similar. Yeah, it is impressive when people, like, sort of control their creation and don't want to, they don't want to sell out, I guess. Yeah. It's like it's real art. We wouldn't know what that is.
Starting point is 00:48:24 We are very keen to make any money we can. from this art that we make. Yeah, look. Do you think this is art? Ah, no. Nah, good cool. Dave? It's, it's, uh, it goes, it goes beyond art.
Starting point is 00:48:43 There it is. It's new art. It, uh, it transcends art. It transcends. We're floating above art. Mm-hmm. Looking down at art, spitting. If we were at the Louvre, or the Louvre. The Louvre.
Starting point is 00:48:56 The Louvre. We wouldn't, we wouldn't, that wouldn't, that wouldn't be to put us on a wall, we'd be, we'd be sort of like wearing, you know, in a hot air balloon above. Outside, outside the building? Outside and above. So we're just in a hot air balloon in Paris, is what you're saying? Yeah, probably, that's how, that's how, that's how much we transcend. Probably be being shut out by the French Air Force.
Starting point is 00:49:18 Yeah, because we're dangerous. We're dangerous, you know. How many fucks do we give? What's the opposite of sub? What? Opposite of sub Un sub. Un sub.
Starting point is 00:49:30 We're unsub artists. Okay. We're one bit above. How many fucks do we give? 15, 20? Really? Each. And that's, you know.
Starting point is 00:49:43 60 fuck's given, bro. And that's just what I got in my pockets, so. Okay, yeah, cool. If you give me some time, I'll collect more. Sick. Go collect some fucks. I'll root around in the couch. So we're the opposite of Wotto?
Starting point is 00:49:56 Is that a weird episode? I'm sorry. So anyway, despite pressure, he has maintained that position of no merchandise, even till today. I think I admire him for that. It sounds like you guys sort of do too. Yeah, absolutely. I reckon I would definitely, in his position, I reckon I probably would have okayed it and tried to control it from there. Yeah, just remember like on The Simpsons, Matt Graining still gets the final say on merchandise.
Starting point is 00:50:25 Yeah. I think he almost always says, yes. He's like crusty in the Simpsons. Krusty pregnancy tests. Is my upper lip always supposed to bleed this much? I think so. But because he said no, it hasn't been able to, like anything, it hasn't been able to stop unofficial merch happening.
Starting point is 00:50:45 And I found out something in the research that I'd seen a Calvin logo a lot. And it's this widespread unofficial merch. It's a sticker of Calvin pissing on a brand logo. Like the logo might change depending on what Like in Australia the two big race car brands or car brands Ford and Holden So Ford lovers We'll have a Calvin pissing on Holden and vice versa
Starting point is 00:51:11 Take that Yeah real good stuff But I'd seen that I'd seen that a lot around Had no idea that was Calvin There you go If Hobbes was there Maybe I would have had a bloody some sort of an idea Sure
Starting point is 00:51:22 Just look like a little boy to you Just a little boy He was taking a slash. What I was actually mentioned those stickers saying, I clearly miscalculated how popular it would be to show Calvin urinating on a Ford logo. He miscalvinated. Not good. Brutal.
Starting point is 00:51:45 Someone had to say it. Jess would have if... Just the way he looked me dead in the eye. If the rolls were reversed, Jess definitely would have been the one to say that. Yeah. In 1995, and you know you've really opened us both up to any line ball calls from now on is going to be. really shot down by this. So thanks a lot, you're fucking idiot.
Starting point is 00:52:05 I'm shaking now. I'm not going to go for any. Like, because normally it's a safe place. You can have a crack at a decalvinating or whatever you said. Absolutely not now. And that's fine, but you've fucked that for everyone, Dave. This is meant to be a safe place. You're proud of yourself?
Starting point is 00:52:21 Sorry. In 1995, when the strip was at the height of its popularity... More like stripper. I thought Jess was going to shut me down. High-fived him. I was going for anything. Running in... Any word I was just going to change.
Starting point is 00:52:35 In a lot of ways, I'm at a very important part of the story. Okay, so you asking us to shut up. All right, talk about the strippers. You fucking piece of shit. So, in 1995, when the strip was at the height of its popularity, it had been running for more than... It had been running in more than 2,400 newspapers. Whoa, that's huge.
Starting point is 00:52:54 It's a huge amount of newspapers. And reaching an audience in the hundreds of millions, which is also quite big. At this point, and they'd been running for 10 years, Wadderson sent a letter to the thousands of publications that carried his comic strip. The letter read, Dear editor,
Starting point is 00:53:12 I'll be stopping Calvin and Hobbs at the end of this year. This was not a recent or easy decision, and I'll leave with some sadness. My interests have shifted, however, and I believe I've done what I can do within the constraints of daily deadlines and small panels. I'm eager to work at a more thoughtful pace with fewer artistic compromises. I've not yet decided on future projects, but my relationship with Universal Press Syndicate will continue.
Starting point is 00:53:41 That so many newspapers would carry Calvin and Hobbs as an honour I'll long be proud of, and I've regularly appreciated your support and indulgence over the last decade. During this comic strip has been a privilege and a pleasure, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity. Sincerely signed Bill Watterson. Wow. Wow, about it out on top. Yeah, like right at the peak.
Starting point is 00:54:02 Yeah, wow. It was still growing, I think. It was like it was big and super popular. And so they mean going for about 10 years? 10 years for 3,100 installments. And that's when he retired the comic. The final Calvin and Hobbs ran on December 31st, 1995. Oh, wow.
Starting point is 00:54:17 I had no idea. No. Yeah, it's one of those things. It's still sort of in the zeitgeist somewhere. That's really cute. Yeah, it definitely is. And people who genuinely mourned its passing. They still do, apparently.
Starting point is 00:54:29 the plane dealer that paper I was talking about before, published an article written in 2010. It was 15 years after the last issue. And the author of the article, John Campanelli, he sounds like a big Calvin and a Hobbes fan too. I like this one little mini paragraph in his article he said, unlike other popular art of the era, the films of Kevin Costner perhaps,
Starting point is 00:54:53 or the music of Brian Adams. Sure. Calvin and Hobbs has not been time stamped and filed away. It has endured, even thrived. Cop that, Kossner. Now, he in the article, he also quotes Lucy Caswell, who curates a cartoon library and museum at Ohio State University, go buck eyes,
Starting point is 00:55:14 where the majority of the original Calvin and Hobbs strips are kept. Nearly all of them are there, the original drawing. She said, Still people come up to me and they grieve the loss of Calvin and Hobbs. It's genuine. But Caswell urges fans of the strip to focus. on what Waddo gave them, which is what she calls a gift. Don't focus on what he took away.
Starting point is 00:55:38 Focus on what he gave you. What he gave you. Wow. I mean, it's the same thing as what he took away. I appreciate the 10 years you had, though. This is what she says, which to me, this feels crazy that this has to be said. But anyway, this is what she said. I think we have to respect his choices.
Starting point is 00:55:53 It seems to me that any creative person has the right to decide if they are or they are not going to make their art. That ultimately has to be their choice. She's not wrong. She's absolutely not wrong. You're wasting everyone's time. Of course, they don't have to. But she's saying it to people like, honestly, I know it's hard. But if someone doesn't want to do something, you can't make him.
Starting point is 00:56:22 No, no, chain him up. Make him write the comic. So weird. Threaten his kids' lives. Make him ride them. it page by page whato his fans
Starting point is 00:56:35 sound like the big fans possibly Trey Maverick just real just dedicated fans who are just like it's like their lives have been ruined when he took it away
Starting point is 00:56:48 so they sort of like really turned on him a bit anyway we're sort of almost wrapping it up here as so that's 22 years ago yeah and he's never gone back not never going back
Starting point is 00:56:59 He never resurrected Calvin and Hobbes. He has lived mainly out of the spotlight since he retired it. According to Biography.com, he lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife, Melissa. Yes! Where he keeps a low profile and declines most interview requests. He says he has no regrets about ending the strip when he did. No regret. No regret. No regret face for Bill.
Starting point is 00:57:26 This is what he said. It's always better to leave the party earth. earlier. That's what he said again with an interview with the plane dealer. If I had rolled along with the strip's popularity and repeated myself for another five, 10 or 20 years, the people now grieving for Calvin and Hobbs would be wishing me dead and cursing newspaper for running tedious ancient strips like mine instead of inquiring fresher, instead of acquiring fresher, livelier talent, and I'd be agreeing with them. What a cool dude. I think he's spot on.
Starting point is 00:57:58 I love it at the end. I thought that's really good. So I think what happened, you're like, you quit at the peak and people miss it, whereas you just ride something to the ground and then they're like,
Starting point is 00:58:07 oh, you've ruined the legacy. Yeah, the Simpsons, anyone. It's not even like it, it's not even about it being at its absolute peak as well. Like, um,
Starting point is 00:58:15 even if it had sort of peaked a little while ago, I hadn't quite reached its peak. Like, if he's done with it. Yes. And doesn't enjoy doing it anymore. Then the quality is going to, like,
Starting point is 00:58:25 diminish anyway? He left it with a real nice one too. I really like it. It's like, it's like, their landscapes covered in snow and they're talking about it like it's a blank sheet of paper and they just go look the world's full of opportunities
Starting point is 00:58:38 let's go explore and they walk off into the distance oh that's nice it's real sweet way to end it wow i just i wouldn't have i don't think i'd ever have the balls to walk away and not regret it or think about it all the time yeah but if it's the right time then you probably wouldn't i i'm got the kind of personality where i'm not super decisive so i think i'd find something like that really difficult I'm pretty sure I'd take too long.
Starting point is 00:59:01 We're going to do this for 100 years, aren't we? I'm keen to do this for 100 years. I want to still be doing this when we're, well, when we're in our 50s, so you'd be 83? I'll be in my 50s. 150s. Am I right, ladies? Am I right, ladies? Yes, anyway, so that is the story.
Starting point is 00:59:24 Obviously, has he done anything since? He said he was going to continue a cartoon. Nothing. He's just sat in the table. chair for 22 years Dave. Comic book wise. He's done little bits and pieces. He took up painting for a while.
Starting point is 00:59:34 He was painting with his dad for a bit, doing landscapes and stuff like that. And he's come back. He did some work to raise some money for Parkinson's, finding a cure for Parkinson's, for the, I think maybe the Michael J. Fox set up there, Teen Wolf himself. Yeah, so he's done bits and pieces, but yeah, basically he's really like, his bibliography and stuff has really slowed up since the mid to late 90s. That's amazing. He's just chilling and loving his life with his life.
Starting point is 01:00:05 And he made enough cast to cruise along. Yeah. I think he's still, like his books, like he released books compiling all the comics, and they've sold hundreds of thousands. Continue to sell. Like, he'd still be making money out of those things. It's all still floating about. Wow.
Starting point is 01:00:24 Yeah. I just think he's a mad dog. I love a guy I can just go, I'm not enjoying him. I'm going to, you know, just go do stuff I like. I wonder what that is, but you can't find out because he doesn't bloody do any interviews apart from the bloody plane. I mean, you probably tried to contact him, right? I did, of course.
Starting point is 01:00:42 I always do. I've tried to contact all my topics. Birkenwills. They were difficult. Sounds. Dear Birkenwills. Where are you? Please reply to my previous email.
Starting point is 01:00:54 Love Matt. Where are you? Where are you? Yeah, I just. I know I just have a stab at email address at Birkenwills at Birkenwills.com. Burke and Wurk underscore Wills I do try a few different ones.
Starting point is 01:01:08 They don't have their own emails. They don't have their own emails. It's Burke and Wills at Berk and Wills at Borg. No. They're old school. Willis, did you subscribe to a Viagra thing again? Sorry, Berg. This is a shared email. Know your boundaries.
Starting point is 01:01:24 Dave, I did mean to bring that up. I've gone through our email. recently. Oh no. Wow, I'm honestly impressed with this guy. I can see why he would be a personal hero, to our personal hero, Trey Maverick.
Starting point is 01:01:37 The Maverick himself. What a name. The Man, the Myth to Legend, Trey Maverick. And I've just got to give you a look at this guy because I think if you liked him already, you're going to love this classic photo of him, which is what comes up the most.
Starting point is 01:01:50 We'll post this. This is probably the photo with the show. Great. I was not expecting that at all. Oh, wow, he's a cool dude. He's a cool dude. Look at that mo. And those glasses, they are enormous.
Starting point is 01:02:00 How old is he, does that have a date on it? No, that was yesterday. That's on his Instagram. He updates his website meticulously. Does Bill Watterson have Instagram, Matt? No, he doesn't. Disappointing. Yeah, he's a recluse, but does post regularly on the gram.
Starting point is 01:02:18 Hey guys, here I am, not doing very much. Again. Just letting you know, just check it in with a selfie to let you know. No interviews today. Thank you. I will not be making any comments. much. You just post screenshots of the interview requests?
Starting point is 01:02:31 But the caption is just no. Little gifts have him going, no, no, no. Not today. Will today be the day? No. I hope he listens to podcasts about him. No doubt. No doubt.
Starting point is 01:02:44 I would. He's got a big Google alert going. I listen to a podcast about myself. People talk about you for over an hour. God, they'd have a lot to say, wouldn't they? Oh, yeah. Jeez. Her brother is seven years older.
Starting point is 01:02:56 Thank you and goodbye. That's the number one fun fact about Jess. He is seven years older. He's a little fun fact. I've probably mentioned it. His name's Michael. A very uncommon name. He named after a 16th century French philosopher.
Starting point is 01:03:17 He is. Our parents are artists. Michael Angelo? Correct. Now we've got to thank The Man the Magic. The Myth, the Legend. Trey Maverick, of course, for suggesting this topic being one of our Golden Hat patrons.
Starting point is 01:03:28 but you also like to thank him. Not until. I'm not going to thank him until I see that certificate. On my desk. Where were you born? Hawaii, I'd fucking doubt it. Wow. Sorry, the Golden Hat Bertha movement.
Starting point is 01:03:39 I just choose to believe, personally. You do? Yep. Do you believe in love after love? You know where I think Trey actually is from? Austin, Texas. I think. We'll have to go there on the American tour.
Starting point is 01:03:54 Why would you guess? Why would you say that if you think? could be a huge insult to try if you're wrong. Austin's not insulting to anyone. You don't know that. I'm pretty sure Willie Nelson's from Austin, so grow up, Jess. Good point. What I'm trying to lead us to is we need to thank some patrons as well.
Starting point is 01:04:15 People that donate to patreon.com slash do go on pod. We'd like to give you a shout out. Now, Matt, who would you like to thank? If I could, I'd love to... And you can. Oh, thank goodness. From the bottom of my heart, I'd love to thank. Ciparelli
Starting point is 01:04:29 Daniel Dan the man Dan the man Dan the man Ciparelli Have a sip on us You know what I'm doing tonight
Starting point is 01:04:36 Daniel Sipper Ciparelli Please don't tell us Yeah What are you doing What are you doing today I was gonna go home Have a beer
Starting point is 01:04:42 And have a little Siparelli In honour of my fav You were gonna have a beer Anyway I reckon Nah Nah Nah
Starting point is 01:04:50 Siparelli Is this your excuse No Oh Right Okay Is it Yeah
Starting point is 01:04:56 What? What is this an insquisition? How dare you? Is that what it is? Well, put it in whatever terms you like. But it's not on. This is a safe place. We can have a siparelli if we want to have a superrelli.
Starting point is 01:05:13 All right, mate. I think you've had a few too many siperlis. It's not only you've had a few siper. I just love that name. Are you having pre-show siperlis again? No. You've got to stop at the pre-show siperlis. It'd be great if we're saying it wrong.
Starting point is 01:05:27 this entire time. I'm confident there's a chance. I'm confident there's a chance. I think Sipa's from California as well. So he won't mind me saying that he is hella cool. Right, because Hella is okay in California. I think. Yeah, I didn't, yeah.
Starting point is 01:05:42 Sure. Okay. Thank you, Daniel Siparelli. I would also like to think, if I may, gentlemen, if I may, please. I love you too. Thank you so much. I would really like to thank a man who I assume is related to my friend Sophie that I went to school with because they share.
Starting point is 01:05:57 the same surname. Oh, okay. Right, okay. That does. I thought it's a wild stab. That gets you a lot closer. Yeah, and there can't be that many of them. So I would like to thank Matt.
Starting point is 01:06:07 Big ball bag. Sophie, big ball bag. I mean, the odds. Lovely girl. We'll always have grade four. I would like to thank Matt Flanagan. Oh, that very uncommon name. I would call him Flano.
Starting point is 01:06:25 If we were mates. I'd call him 48. 48. And that sounds like a random number. Uh-huh. So that's the first thing that came to mind. Right. Where would that nickname come from?
Starting point is 01:06:35 Which probably makes it a bit random. Yeah. Came from the depths of my heart. I assume that it was like some sort of didn't kill the football club reference. Probably, no. Like Matt Flanagan. Matt Flanagan. 48.
Starting point is 01:06:49 48 because he's really great. Nailed it. Great. I think that's why I called 40. And I agree. I think Matt Flanagan is fantastic. He's flan-tastic. Fuck.
Starting point is 01:06:58 Oh, now I'm going to get, what I'm going to do tonight, I'm going to have a little sip a rally on a beer, and I'm going to eat a little fruit flanagan. Great. You know what you should have after that? What's that? You should have yourself a shepherd's pie, brought to you by one golden patron himself,
Starting point is 01:07:15 Zach Shepard. That's who I'd like to thank. Return of the Zach. You heard those sheep. That's what Shepherds do, right? Oh, yeah. See? Smart.
Starting point is 01:07:26 You're smart. Didn't realize. I'm pretty smart. What going on upstairs? I like that there's two golden hat people on one episode. Trey Maverick's actually, but you guys should get together. You could hang out. Oh, that would be nice.
Starting point is 01:07:36 That'd be cool. Yeah, that'd be lovely. Take a dip in the golden hat. I'd love if everybody could just hang out. I'd love it if people met through our podcast. I'd love a friendship to fall to us. I'd love a marriage. Oh my God.
Starting point is 01:07:49 That would be the best. Let me finish the sentence. To you. Wait. You and I are getting married? Or a listener is marrying me? That's right. One.
Starting point is 01:08:02 Wait, hang on. No, wait. I meet a man. We start to chat. He goes, oh, you have a podcast. He listens to my podcast. We happen to get married later. Does that count?
Starting point is 01:08:13 It's pretty good. Yes. Take that. Take that. Take that with your happy marriage and your future and your security. Yeah, dog. Hey, Zach Shepherds from Queensland. Go, Marones.
Starting point is 01:08:27 Am I right? I know all the teams. Queensland. Zach, I'm so sorry. That you're from Queensland. Oh, no. No, I love it so much. Going to be up there soon.
Starting point is 01:08:38 Oh yeah, Maddie's going on a roadshow up there. Yes. Be soon, very soon. Maybe near Zach Shepherd himself. Yeah, I don't know. I'd have to look up his address. Do I have access to that? That'd be weird, wouldn't it?
Starting point is 01:08:51 Yeah, probably. Probably won't do that. Don't turn up at his house. Okay. That would be weird, wouldn't be? That'd be too far. Hello. Where was my staying?
Starting point is 01:09:03 Yeah. No, you're right. That would be too much. Wouldn't it? Wouldn't it? Wouldn't it? Matt, don't do it, please. You know what I'm like when I got an idea in the head?
Starting point is 01:09:11 No, but I really must urge you to ditch this idea. Or you'll end up in a ditch. Okay, great. Yeah. Hey, we can't trust a Golden Hat patron. Who can you trust? You're not wrong. That's what I'm saying.
Starting point is 01:09:25 You're not wrong at all. Now we will be back next week with another episode It is myself reporting And I don't know if we said this on an episode But we've changed the rules up here Matt did the golden hat this week Because your topics for the last four or five months Matt people have been able to vote through Patreon
Starting point is 01:09:43 It's been so much fun But you've handed the reins over to me On the baton rain So for the next few months You'll be able to vote for my topics Which must feel good Right For you to now vote on
Starting point is 01:09:56 what Dave's going to do, that must feel like real power. Oh, well, people have started voting on my topic for next week, and by the time this comes out, the vote will have closed. I'm about to close it. It's so, so close.
Starting point is 01:10:09 There's only a few votes in it, all three options. I did not have a single vote that was close. Every time, one, one, with over half the votes. Oh, I'm talking minuscule percentage. Bees dick. Half. Half a bees dick.
Starting point is 01:10:24 Down to, like, two, three. Three figures? I told you I'm a six figure plus man. Anything other six figures is small for him. It's pocket change. Okay. Dave, can I borrow $10,000? Sure.
Starting point is 01:10:37 Thank you. I don't even need it back. Sick. Matt now. Strike, strike. Dave, can I have a million dollars? Sure, no questions asked. Hang on.
Starting point is 01:10:47 I don't even need it back. Dave. You blew your chance, Jess. I'm sorry. You're only getting 10 grand. Nah, I'd still take it. What a lose. I'd be able to that.
Starting point is 01:10:55 And then I'd borrow money for it. from you too. Matt? Yes. Can I have $200,000? What do you need it for? Liven. Okay.
Starting point is 01:11:05 Thanks, Maddie. If you're going to die without it, then of course you can have the money. Thank you. Well, if you want to vote for my topics or supply Jess's large demands for cash, head us up on patreon.com slash do go on pod. My bank details are BSB. I don't know what they are. You could also hit us up on social media, of course.
Starting point is 01:11:25 All the links are in the. description but if you want me to say it out loud it is at do go on pod on Facebook Instagram and Twitter we always love to hear from you guys topic suggestions are always very welcome the hat is getting huge but hey the more than merrier yeah at this point it's a 10 gallon hat oh
Starting point is 01:11:39 big old hat my neck is getting sore you could take it off hey Dave tell him to review oh yeah we don't often say this but it does help us get out there if you review and rate the short we will just dance for you go on make him do something
Starting point is 01:11:56 Hey, Dave. iTunes, just review us. That's what I'm trying to say. Dave, tell them to also go to my comedy page and Instagram. Something you should never do is go on Jess Perkins at Jess Perkins. Fuck, well done. Just underscore Perkins. Avoid that forever.
Starting point is 01:12:08 Tell them to avoid mine as well. Do not avoid Mats. Now I'm trying, fuck, this reverse psychology is really working on it. Yeah, we all have, do have individual accounts. Our Twitter has outgrown us all now. I know. That was a tough day. There's more people.
Starting point is 01:12:24 Yes, and our kids. Doing better. than us. There's more people follow. So you can always, if you're following us on our Twitter account, follow individual accounts. But anyway, we'll be back next week with another episode. The very close to vote will be revealed.
Starting point is 01:12:37 But until then, I believe I will say goodbye. Later. Bye. This podcast is part of the Planet Broadcasting Network. Visit planetbcasting.com for more podcasts from our great mates. I mean, if you want, it's up to you. Don't forget to sign up to our tour mailing list so we know where in the world are and we can come and tell you when we're coming there.
Starting point is 01:13:26 Wherever we go, we always hear six months later, oh, you should come to Manchester. We were just in Manchester. But this way you'll never, you'll never miss out. And don't forget to sign up, go to our Instagram, click our link tree. Very, very easy. It means we know to come to you and you'll also know that we're coming to you. Yeah, we'll come to you. You come to us.
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