Review of Dear Mr. Watterson (2013) by Lee D — 04 Jun 2014

I'm not really well versed in what makes a good documentary but I know what interests me. Bill Watterson's comic strip creation "Calvin and Hobbes" wasn't a part of my childhood really as much a part of my latter teen years and early 20s.

and while I may not be a die hard fan compared to others, I do consider myself as one who loves the strip and the characters found throughout its panels. Dear Mr. Watterson tries more to showcase the love the fans of this comic have rather than tell some deep profound history of the comic that no one has ever heard.

Most fans of C&H know a lot of the history behind the strip and to be honest none of it is really a mystery so a documentary about nothing but how the strip started would've been no more than white noise to the fans of the strip.

This collection. of interviews and discussions does a great job discussing the things that made C&H great, who it influenced and how, the things that people agreed with/disagreed with in regards to Watterson's decisions on how to distribute (or not distribute rather) his creation and a little bit about the comic strip industry in general.

the only thing I think I and most other people wish they could've seen out of this film is Bill Watterson himself but his absence from the documentary is nothing that should surprise anyone who knows anything about the beloved, elusive artist.

All in all I deeply enjoyed watching Dear Mr. Watterson as a fan of the strip but I can see how anyone without any exposure to the comic may not find it as engrossing. So I'd say if you love C&H or any other comic strip series, check this one out.

If , however, you do not have much love for these things then I would say use your own discretion.