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Showing posts from 2012

Norman Rockwell, The Artist Of Delight

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For me, a Norman Rockwell's painting is always a delight. I came across his works in the "Saturday Evening Post" in the early fifties.   I was eleven. He was one special reason to visit my cousin Kok Lum (also eleven). Kok Lum had a good collection of SEPs from his planter's uncle. Norman Rockwell was a regular feature in this interesting magazine. I love looking at his paintings. Still do. His people are lovable. Young or old. Male or female. Rich or poor. Black or white or brown. Norman Rockwell places his people in situations that are engaging/surprising/amusing/ charming/funny/captivating. Always a tug at the heart-string. Always a fresh perspective. His observation of the human character is keen. His selection of personality types, dressing, props and situations are masterful story-telling. I come away from his works with a special feeling. An awakened awareness of innocence and decency. An appreciation of beauty and sweetness and char...

Bill Watterson's Thinking Behind Calvin And Hobbes

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I am always thrilled to see the drawings   of  Bill Watterson  in Calvin and Hobbes. I feel happy.  These feelings come from my appreciation of the disposition of   Bill Watterson.  To bring to life the mysterious workings of human relationships requires great sensitivity.  Bill Watterson's selective eye has given me pleasure. His inventive imagination gives me encouragement. Enjoy his mind and craft in the following: An excerpt from an Interview with  Bill Watterson  conducted by Richard Samuel West from  Comics Journal  issue number 127, February 1989.... Calvin and Hobbes is America’s hottest comic strip. After less than three years in syndication, it appears in more than 600 newspapers. The three Calvin and Hobbes collections are permanent fixtures on The New York Times bestseller list. And its creator, Bill Watterson, has already won the coveted National Cartoonist Society Cartoonist of the Year award. ...

My Appreciation Of Bill Watterson

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Finally, I found it!  Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes. Here are some bits that are quite inspiring: that he painted a copy of the Michelangelo's  creation of Adam on the ceiling of his dorm while he was at Kenyon College; that he drew cartoon-strips for 5 years without earning a cent; that he was sacked as a political cartoonist because he wasn't good enough; that he never yielded to corporate pressure to commercialise his cartoon-strips. Here is Bill Watterson the creator. Dip into his thoughts: You will find your own ethical dilemmas in all parts of your lives, both personal and professional. We all have different desires and needs, but if we don't discover what we want from ourselves and what we stand for, we will live passively and unfulfilled. Sooner or later, we are all asked to compromise ourselves and the things we care about. We define ourselves by our actions. With each decision, we tell ourselves and the world who...