Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for June 07, 2014

Like those of us that post on GoComics, Stephan must not get out much.

Just got to re-open old wounds don’t you, Pastis.

This was awesome. Stephan got Watterson out of retirement to help him draw the Libby strip as a fundraiser for Parkinson’s. Way to do the impossible Pastis

Has anyone else noticed yet that the name ‘Libby’ is ‘Billy’ spelled kinda sideways?

Nice semi-reference, Libby in the second panel, to the series finale of “Calvin and Hobbes.”

This reminds me of the Dear Mr. Watterson documentary which I saw recently.

Though Stephan yesterday looked closer to the real guy.

Stephan posted something on facebook a few minutes ago about how Bill Watterson was the guest artist. How cool is that!

“Rosebud…”

Awesome. For the story behind Watterson’s guest apperance this week, see Stephan’s blog at http://stephanpastis.wordpress.com. It’s really a very cool story – and if you’ve followed Pastis’ career at all, an honor very much deserved. Way to go, slacker-boy!!!

Pastis, I am in painful envy of you right now. PAINFUL ENVY.

Mr. Watterson couldn’t hide his handwriting if he tried, bless.

As always, Rat is the only voice of reason in a demented and uncaring world.

http://stephanpastis.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/ever-wished-that-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-bill-watterson-would-return-to-the-comics-page-well-he-just-did/

First panel: References to common art themes in C & H.

Second Panel: Reference to the last C & H strip.

Fourth panel: Statement to the effect that there have been so many clues that even Stephan (his character, anyway) should have gotten it.

http://stephanpastis.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/ever-wished-that-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-bill-watterson-would-return-to-the-comics-page-well-he-just-did/

Do you suppose they ever found Hamster Huey’s head?

We have been witness to comic history in the making.

Very, very nice. All this time I was thinking it was just a case of Stephan drawing in the Calvin style. The thought that it was actually BW doing it never occurred to me. Well played, both of them.

Industrious though posting the entire link URL may be, all one need do is click on the big orange B (for Blog) that Pig is pointing out immediately to the right of the strip.…………………………………………………………………I am of two minds regarding Libby’s final query in panel 4. On the one hand, I kinda sympathize with Rat and would be delighted to see Cartoon-Boy take the rap (as it were). But, on the other hand, I am so in awe of this week’s Impossible Dream Accomplishment that I must give Stephan a pass as well as my admiration.

Wow, just wow! congrats to ?Stephen on his historic hookup will Bill Watterson…it’s a dream and a half for sure!

Huge, huge, HUGE fan of Bill Watterson. Thanks so much for the recent delightful strips !!! We miss Calvin and Hobbes sooooo much ! Glad the old strips are running here.

You are the man, Stephan. Loyal fans of the art received a wonderful gift this week.

Well Mr. Pastis, you must be on cloud 9.

-I hope you asked that Mr Watterson to hand draw his portion of these strips.

Thank you Bill (who never reads these comments – unless you really are Hobbes) and Stephan.

I’ll start the slow clap.clap …………… clap ……………. clap ……………

Congratulations! Any idea why Rat made a cameo in Queen Victoia the other day? Was it a red herring- err, red Rat?

Maybe if you hit him he will stop ragging on himself and maybe draw himself like the last strip.

Bill Watterson doing a guest stint goof for Parkinson’s. My god what those originals are going to sell for.

More inside baseball here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/06/06/exclusive-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-bill-watterson-returns-to-the-comics-page-to-offer-a-few-pearls-gems/?hpid=z2

I got the allusion right off, but…does this signal the end of Pearls Before Swine?

Tears in my eyes. Keeping my fingers crossed.We’ve missed you much Bill….

Whack that damn Rat..hurry make him shut his pie hole forever!

Comic coup of the century, thinks I.

So it was Bill Watterson.

Libby’s line in the second panel makes me feel depressed.Calvin and Hobbes was such a legendary strip….

I was laughing and exclaiming and happily stunned at Pastis’s post—what an awesome, awesome gift Watterson gave him! And that he gave Watterson back, in creating a place for Watterson’s fans to tell him how badly he is missed. Whatever the newspaper industry may meander to, the fans are right here solidly with them. Thank you Steve Pastis, thank you Bill Watterson! The front page scoop at the Washington Post today!

Full marks to everyone who recognized Bill Watterson’s style. I couldn’t see it and I’m a big fan!

? can someone spell it out for me??

IT’S OVER ALREADY? NOOOOOOOO.

THANKS, YOU TWO.

I saw “Pearls” before getting on GoComics because I was reading iit in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Let’s just hope this experience lights a fire in Watterson.

Can anyone point me to the big comic strip blogs? I’d like to read about how suspicions built up over the week. Thanks.

Now here come all the Captain Obviouses to close read the clues that we should have gotten…after the secret is out of the bag.

AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

I got all the references and recognized they style but I never guessed he was actually drawing those panels! Now see if you can get Berke Breathed to do a few guest appearances.

I cried a little.

Is it me, or does the way Stephan drew Libby/Lib is a homage to the way Calvin looks?

I would have NEVER known about this except for Ted Cruz’s post on FB! Yet ANOTHER reason to like him! (for me, anyway)

Just read an article… the last 3 days were co-authored by Bill Watterson of Calvin & Hobbs fame! Amazing!http://stephanpastis.wordpress.com/2014/06/07/ever-wished-that-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-bill-watterson-would-return-to-the-comics-page-well-he-just-did/

So awesome that he got Mr. Watterson to collaborate on this strip! What a treat!!!

So what is Gary Larson doing these days?

This thought came to mind as I gleefully read your strips this week and phenomenal account of the creation of same…”Moby Dick seeks thee not. It is thou, thou, that madly seekest him!”.

Mad respect for making peace and securing favor with the great whale! “Thar he inks! :-)

Somebody should beat up Rat instead.

I got the reference/symoblism right away but now that I know who really drew the strips it’s even funnier. kudos!

Well played, Mr. Pastis. Well played.

Now with that trip down memory lane, I need to dig out my collection of Calvin and Hobbes books…

My God – FaceBook is only how Libby is really guest=Srtist Bill Watterson – now that sled really makes sense

Now the comment from the last panel of Thursday’s strip makes sense. If I remember correctly, Watterson didn’t like the space constraints in comics.

Genius. Sheer genius.

Thanks so much for the many great years, Bill, and what a teamup for the cameo return.

It’s work like yours that led me to agree that “In the right hands, a comic strip attains a beauty and an elegance that really I would put against any other art,” and to conclude that the greatest artist of the 20th century was, or is, really you. Thanks much for sharing your gift with the world.

“Bored with drawing”, not “of”.

When I saw this, I was wondering why Calvin & Hobbes was being referenced… I NEVER suspected the reason behind it. D’oh!

Next month, Berkeley Breathed.

yeah yeah yeah, Bill Watterson is back.

Surprised by how seeing this made my heart completely flip felt that same twinge as I did when Mr. Watterson ended Calvin & Hobbes. Still my favorite after all these years. Glad you’re back Sir….you have been missed.

Love it. Mozart is alive and well and just drew 3 Pearls strips!

Enjoyable appearance by that master who created the gift we enjoyed that he gave us in his strip. It is wonderful to see people enjoy what they are doing or have done. Good wishes on whatever you do. Enjoy.

How sweet!

What a sweet treat this has been, even if a little bittersweet. Thank-you Mr.Watterson and Mr.Pastis for all you’ve done, and do, to brighten our lives. My youngest was born in 1990, and by 1994, he was Calvin. Same hair, same triangle smile, same wicked sense of humor… a perpetual motion machine. Our family shared and loved C&H then, just as we laugh together at PBS now. It’s a precious gift. I can’t say thanks enough. !♥! Calvin and Hobbes series finale.

“There’s a magical world out there to explore”.THAT reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes last strip.

I got here from the Kevin & Kell homage.<https://www.kevinandkell.com/1996/kk0101.html>

Stephen has likened this collaboration to getting a glimpse of bigfoot. No, this is more like seeing bigfoot for real, him walking up to you, and saying “hey, you want to get a beer?”

A reference to the final “Calvin and Hobbes”, of course.

Libby exactly looks like Calvin Haha