Before researching this strip, I knew very little about the separation of church and state in the 1990s and even less about comic strips of the period. Thus, the research I have conducted has changed the initial inferences I made and gave meaning to some of the observations I made. The artwork used in Calvin and Hobbes is a reaction to the culture of comic strips at the time. The satirical cultural argument Watterson makes reflects the attitude in the United States toward religion in schools at the time.
Watterson was not at all pleased with the way newspaper comic strips were being truncated in the early 1990s. This strip, which appeared on March 6, 1991, (gocomics.com) came a mere two months before he took an extended sabbatical from writing. He said the small, rigid panel sizes limit artistry and dialogue. According to Watterson, the panel sizes left no room for anything but the most basic dialogue and artwork. (Watterson, West) This attitude is clearly reflected in this strip. There is no background, simple facial expressions and almost no detail. In fact, the only unneeded artistic element is the lamp shown in the fourth panel. In addition, the dialogue in this strip, while definitely not simplistic, rigidly follows the conventions the public understands. Everything flows from left the right, top to bottom. The typography is typical of humorous comics. Through the simplicity and conventionality of his work, Watterson is making an argument that comics are too simple and should be expanded so artists can include more detail and depth.
Of course, the primary argument of the strip is not the artistry, but the actual dialogue.
Through the dialogue of “Math Atheist,” Watterson is making two arguments, one comical and one serious. First, he makes a comical argument about how children attempt to get out of any kind of schoolwork. In “Math Atheist” Watterson is creating a pathos of humor through a parody of children’s reluctance to learn.
However, the pathos created by the dialogue also makes an appeal to logos. As mentioned before, “Math Atheist” appeared in 1991, when laws governing religion in schools were much more restrictive. For example, in 1990, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools v Mergens it was legal for a Christian student group to exist in the Westside School District in Nebraska. (The Religious Freedom Page) Such groups are now commonplace and exist in many high schools. It was in this relatively restrictive environment that Watterson wrote this strip. Through his ridiculous application of the separation of church and state, Watterson makes an appeal to logos by saying the constant bickering over the separation of church and state has gone too far. “Math Atheist” makes the argument that the American people have become too quick to sue over religion in schools. Hobbes’ suggestion to hire an attorney highlights this argument. Watterson is attempting to show Americans that they are far too quick to cry religion and far too slow to actually learn.
Bill Watterson created a masterpiece when he wrote Calvin and Hobbes. “Math Atheist,” one of his most famous pieces, effectively critiques the convention of comics and American society. At the same time, it manages to follow the very conventions it is speaking against and not sacrifice humor for the message. “Math Atheist” is truly an exceptional specimen of newspaper comic strips.
Watterson was not at all pleased with the way newspaper comic strips were being truncated in the early 1990s. This strip, which appeared on March 6, 1991, (gocomics.com) came a mere two months before he took an extended sabbatical from writing. He said the small, rigid panel sizes limit artistry and dialogue. According to Watterson, the panel sizes left no room for anything but the most basic dialogue and artwork. (Watterson, West) This attitude is clearly reflected in this strip. There is no background, simple facial expressions and almost no detail. In fact, the only unneeded artistic element is the lamp shown in the fourth panel. In addition, the dialogue in this strip, while definitely not simplistic, rigidly follows the conventions the public understands. Everything flows from left the right, top to bottom. The typography is typical of humorous comics. Through the simplicity and conventionality of his work, Watterson is making an argument that comics are too simple and should be expanded so artists can include more detail and depth.
Of course, the primary argument of the strip is not the artistry, but the actual dialogue.
Through the dialogue of “Math Atheist,” Watterson is making two arguments, one comical and one serious. First, he makes a comical argument about how children attempt to get out of any kind of schoolwork. In “Math Atheist” Watterson is creating a pathos of humor through a parody of children’s reluctance to learn.
However, the pathos created by the dialogue also makes an appeal to logos. As mentioned before, “Math Atheist” appeared in 1991, when laws governing religion in schools were much more restrictive. For example, in 1990, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools v Mergens it was legal for a Christian student group to exist in the Westside School District in Nebraska. (The Religious Freedom Page) Such groups are now commonplace and exist in many high schools. It was in this relatively restrictive environment that Watterson wrote this strip. Through his ridiculous application of the separation of church and state, Watterson makes an appeal to logos by saying the constant bickering over the separation of church and state has gone too far. “Math Atheist” makes the argument that the American people have become too quick to sue over religion in schools. Hobbes’ suggestion to hire an attorney highlights this argument. Watterson is attempting to show Americans that they are far too quick to cry religion and far too slow to actually learn.
Bill Watterson created a masterpiece when he wrote Calvin and Hobbes. “Math Atheist,” one of his most famous pieces, effectively critiques the convention of comics and American society. At the same time, it manages to follow the very conventions it is speaking against and not sacrifice humor for the message. “Math Atheist” is truly an exceptional specimen of newspaper comic strips.
Works Cited:
Gocomics.com, “Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson,” © 2010
The Religious Freedom Page, “Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools
v. Mergens”
The Religious Freedom Page, “Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools
v. Mergens”
Watterson, Bill and West, Richard Samuel "Interview: Bill Watterson," from Comics Journal issue 127, February 1989.
Martens, Nick, "Watterson’s World: Sunday Study Sunday," bygonebureau.com, April 17, 2009.
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