"I'm a snowflake on the wind" - Firefly&Serenity

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December 29 2008

"I'm a snowflake on the wind". Hijinks Ensue does a Serenity-flavored tribute to Bill "Calvin and Hobbes" Watterson.

C. A. Bridges | Firefly&Serenity | 14:48 CET | 30 comments total | tags: webcomic

That's so cool.

Beth | December 29, 14:54 CET

Does laughing so hard make me a bad person?

Craig Oxbrow | December 29, 14:55 CET

Nice catch, C.A.Bridges. I'd would've missed that one.

Madhatter | December 29, 15:20 CET

That's awesome!

mongorules | December 29, 16:56 CET

That's messed up; funny & macabre. I miss C&H.

kazzmere | December 29, 17:20 CET

That's terrible. I laughed.

hacksaway | December 29, 17:58 CET

That's just so wrong. But hysterical.

palehorse | December 29, 18:34 CET

Likely the best Firefly/Serenity comic strip reference ever.

The One True b!X | December 29, 18:49 CET

"I'm Hoban Washburne, and I'm dead now. And the story wasn't real funny at the time, but you should hear me tell it now. Especially over dinner..."

damaged justice | December 29, 18:49 CET

OMFG. I want that on a t-shirt. I'm must be sick in the head.... laughing so hard!

NYPinTA | December 29, 19:14 CET

Erm. Although it's styled as a "tribute" to Bill Watterson, I would caution against taking his appreciation of it for granted. Watterson is known to be very protective of his intellectual property per the article linked here.

I am probably the only cartoonist who resented the popularity of his own strip. Most cartoonists are more than eager for the exposure, wealth, and prestige that licensing offers. When cartoonists fight their syndicates, it's usually to make more money, not less. And making the whole issue even more absurd, when I didn't license, bootleg 'Calvin and Hobbes' merchandise sprung up to feed the demand. Mall stores openly sold T-shirts with drawings illegally lifted from my books, and obscene or drug-related shirts were rife on college campuses. Only thieves and vandals have made money on 'Calvin and Hobbes' merchandise.

BrewBunny | December 29, 20:23 CET

I don't think homages from other cartoonists was what he was talking about.

The One True b!X | December 29, 20:24 CET

I dunno, BrewBunny, this seems more an homage in the style of, rather than the wholesale ripping off Watterson so detested. While Joel has lifted visual elements, down to the layout and fonts for the titles he isn't actually using Calvin or Hobbes.

Most importantly, not only is he not using the characters, he also didn't just lift Watterson's images and use them for his own gain, like those t-shirt makers and christian bumper sticker makers I've seen.

[ edited by guntharr on 2008-12-29 20:35 ]

guntharr | December 29, 20:33 CET

B!X, He clearly didn't like other people making money off of his characters. And the big "GET A SIGNED PRINT OF THIS COMIC" for the price of $10 right next to this comic kind of takes this out of the "homage" category and puts it a little closer to the profiting off of someone else's intellectual property category. I'll leave it for the intellectual property lawyers to sort out whether or not Joel has lifted enough visual elements from the original works to constitute actionable infringement. I just wanted to make the point that Watterson is uniquely protective of his characters and should not be assumed to be appreciative of people "paying tribute" to his own work for their own profit.

BrewBunny | December 29, 20:40 CET

I'd still be willing to actually bet real cash that this isn't what he's concerned about.

The One True b!X | December 29, 20:44 CET

*shrugs*

BrewBunny | December 29, 20:46 CET

Calvin's not in the strip. Hobbes isn't either. There is a use of snow to depict morbid events, which is not something you can copyright. It is a homage in the proper use of the word, and not an unauthorized digital reproduction of any of Bill Patterson's intellectual property.

See also: Gary Larson.

Ironically that Far Side page has the word CENSORED on it. Another misapplication of language, there.

Sunfire | December 29, 20:53 CET

Going purely off the paragraph BrewBunny offered above, because I haven't got time to read the linked article, I'd have to agree that his issue seems to be more about licensing and merchandising than the idea of another artist paying respect to his work. Really don't think he would have an issue with this comic strip at all.

The Arcane | December 29, 20:53 CET

I think it's brilliant.

Ghalev | December 29, 22:07 CET

Aww, this is great but very sad.

DeathIsYourGift | December 29, 22:36 CET

Awesomesauce :)

Spikesgurl | December 29, 22:53 CET

I agree wholeheartedly with DeathIsYourGift. However, it DOES make me want to go dig around my parent's house for my old C&H collections. Hmm....

katetwo | December 29, 23:43 CET

Forget Watterson, I bet Joss is pissed. And Alan's probably still crying.

I doubt that anyone would be upset over this one. Present company excepted, of course.

DisChunk | December 30, 01:00 CET

I think it's extremely clever homage. A very clean, cold, and painless death.

Alan's letter: Dear Joel the Bastard Watson, just when I had gotten over my character's untimely death, you dredge it all up again for me. Please find enclosed my therapy bill, you heartless cartoonist...

Tonya J | December 30, 01:46 CET

This isn't the first time a webcomic has aped C&H: http://xkcd.com/409/, for instance.

jclemens | December 30, 02:39 CET

That is just...yow.

It totally captures the feel of C&H, and the pain & surprise of Wash's untimely death (Joss, you meanie!!!) and makes you actually giggle, even though his death was terrible and tragic and totally uncalled for (Joss, you big meanie!!!).

In all - well done.

I wonder how many non-Serenifly fans would get this?

ShadowQuest | December 30, 06:35 CET

Brilliant. Miss C&H dearly, and especially loved the snowmen sequences. This is a perfect melding of Calvin & Hobbes with Whedonverse in-joke. I love it.

barboo | December 30, 07:23 CET

Harsh.

Yeah, I just finally saw this. Funny, too.

electricspacegirl | December 30, 07:23 CET

Aww, I have all of the Calvin and Hobbes comics. I grew up reading them over the summer. Good stuff.
This comic is greatness. Sad, but greatness.

Btw...nice name there DeathIsYOURGift.....heh

death is my gift | December 30, 20:32 CET

Well that's just...sad (and a little funny)!

Becca5002 | December 31, 02:21 CET

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