Family Circus movie (facepalm)

[Drtooth]

Although it might've been nice, I'm glad Bill Watterson had the integrity not to exploit Calvin and Hobbes (he's received a number of tempting offers, but turned each one down). So at least there's no regrets that his creation will ever get tampered with (only the bootleg decals of Calvin peeing on a wall, which Bill gets no residuals for).

I don't see why he doesn't go after that stuff, but I ALSO don't see why he's so head up his butt stubborn about not making LEGAL C&H merchandise. I'm not saying he has to make Happy Meal Toys and Gum filled plastic heads. Why not a classy Calvin and Hobbs collector's statue or Palisades style action figures for the adult collector?

 

[charlietheowl]

Those decals make my blood boil every time I see them. I hate seeing anyone's intellectual property exploited like that. I kind of doubt most people who buy those things even know who Calvin is. I have to believe any fan of the source material would refuse to contribute to anyone who would blatantly rip Watterson off like that.

I always see them around where I live with a Yankee or Red Sox logo in the path of Calvin's "aim". They're disrespectful to the strip, and they also reflect really poorly on the intelligence and class of the people who use them.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

I don't see why he doesn't go after that stuff, but I ALSO don't see why he's so head up his butt stubborn about not making LEGAL C&H merchandise. I'm not saying he has to make Happy Meal Toys and Gum filled plastic heads. Why not a classy Calvin and Hobbs collector's statue or Palisades style action figures for the adult collector?

I swear there was a Cracked article somewhere explaining why he couldn't legally do anything about it...

 

[minor muppetz]

I kind of doubt most people who buy those things even know who Calvin is.

I first saw those images before I read the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip (at the time I wasn't reading newspaper comics at all).

 

[minor muppetz]

I wonder if the makers of this movie are going to research the few Family Circus TV specials for reference on how to handle the movies, since a half-hour special can develop the characters personalities better than a short comic strip.

 

[Drtooth]

I wonder if the makers of this movie are going to research the few Family Circus TV specials for reference on how to handle the movies, since a half-hour special can develop the characters personalities better than a short comic strip.

I seriously doubt it. Most of these things don't even bother to watch a bloody episode of a non-obscure TV show, let alone digging up some rare TV specials. Half the time these things are in name only.

Only time I saw them do a LOT of continuity research was the Bullwinkle film. They had that Pottsylvanian anthem they sung that one time.

 

[robodog]

I swear there was a Cracked article somewhere explaining why he couldn't legally do anything about it...

I read something about that somewhere but I'm not sure if it was Cracked. Basically since there's no official C&H merchandise for the bootlegs to be taking money away from Watterson can't really legally do anything about them. It's been awhile since I read it so that's an incredibly simplified explaination though. There's more to it than that. I don't really understand it fully since I'd think a creator should have total control over his creation whether he allows merchandise or not. Apparently it doesn't work that way for some wierd legal reason.

 

[Drtooth]

I understand the artistic temperament to not want to "cheapen" your vision with crappy over exposed merchandise. But it also robs those who genuinely consider themselves fans legal, legitimate, tasteful, collector's grade merchandise. And by refusing to make decent quality T-shirts that carry the brand, he's allowing the market to be flooded with extremely cheap Calvin whizzing on something T-shirts. I'm sure there is an army of C&H fans that would want a well designed T-shirt to represent.

 

[robodog]

I agree with you Drtooth. I'd love a well designed C&H shirt. And there are tons of people who want collector quality action figures. Allowing quality merchandise doesn't cheapen artistic vision. It's when you go the Jim Davis route and start letting them plaster your characters everywhere from tampons to toilet paper that it starts to get questionable.

 

[Drtooth]

There are those who rubber stamp their names on forms to get stuff made to get as much money as possible. Then there are those who feel that any merchandising is like that. C&H deserves classy, limited release merchandise. Too bad since the creator doesn't want that, we get shirts that insult the characters, rather than give them the nostalgic respect they deserve.

But getting back to the film... Seriously... what can they do? And are they going to just hang lampshades on everything? Is little Billy going to leave a dotted line trail?