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Saturday, June 7, 2014

WHAT IF BILL WATTERSON WANTED TO DO 3 ILLUSTRATIONS OF YOUR BOOK?



Legend has it that when Steven Spielberg called Bill Watterson to see if he wanted to make a movie, 

Bill wouldn’t even take the call.


That's reclusive.

 

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE creator, Stephan Pastis, wanted to meet with the man. 

He reached out.  Nothing.

So he penciled a strip where he won over a lady fair by claiming to draw CALVIN & HOBBES!

He emailed Bill the strip.  

(I'm impressed old Stephen had his email address!)

Bill wrote back!

Bill had a comic strip idea he wanted to run by Stephen!

 Bill said he knew that in Stephen's strip, he frequently make fun of his own art skills. 

And that Bill thought it would be funny to have poor Stephen get hit on the head or something and suddenly be able to draw. 

Then he’d step in and draw his comic strip for a few days!


AND THEN, STEPHEN SAID HE HAD 
ANOTHER IDEA!!


Bill was kind enough to go with it and the 3 strips can be found HERE, HERE, and HERE.


 
BUT IF BILL WATTERSON WANTED TO DO 3 SPECIFIC ILLUSTRATIONS FOR YOUR BOOK,

 WOULD YOU INSTEAD SUGGEST ANOTHER IDEA?
 
 
Or say STEPHEN KING wanted to write 3 specific interludes for your novel, 

WOULD YOU INSTEAD ASK HIM TO WRITE SOMETHING ELSE FOR YOU?

 I think what Stephen Pastis did and what Bill Watterson did in response says worlds of them both.
 
 
If your favorite living author wanted to collaborate with you in a specific way, would you instead suggest another?

Or would you just gratefully grab the opportunity to work with a giant?

5 comments:

  1. Thats a really tricky question. The opportunity to work with a giant, to learn from them, is HUGE.
    Except if the integrity of your work is compromised by the direction they want to go. Would it still be yours? Or a pale shadow of theirs.Are you comfortable with the shift?
    And I still reread Calvin and Hobbes regularly.

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  2. Elephant's Child:
    It is a tricky question. I believe it comes down to trust.

    Say if Bill Watterson wanted to do 3 illustrations of his own choosing for THE BEAR WITH 2 SHADOWS, I would gladly let him -- for I trust his sense of humor and wisdom.

    If Stephen King wanted to do 3 interludes for DEATH IN THE HOUSE OF LIFE, I would gladly let him, for I trust his skill, wisdom, and kindness.

    Like you, I still read CALVIN & HOBBES regulary too! :-)

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  3. I echo Elephant's thoughts. I wouldn't mind working with someone like Preston and Child or having them make suggestions. Be dumb not to follow those - unless, they compromised my morals in some way.

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  4. My favorite living author is Anne Tyler. If she wanted to collaborate with me in any fashion, I would get down on my knees and thank God. Then I would do whatever Anne Tyler wanted me to do. I would not say, Hey, Anne, how about if we don't set this novel in Baltimore? But if I had an idea for our work and I thought it might amuse or interest the great Anne, I would consider whispering it to her to see her reaction.

    Love,
    Janie

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  5. Alex:
    I can't see my favorite illustrators or authors compromising my morality -- that is why they are my favorites! :-)

    Janie:
    I am like you: whatever my favorite illustrator or author wanted to do with my work, I wouldn't make a peep! Don't mess with the magic, right? :-)

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