A collaboration, and it’s already number one on Amazon.

https://www.simonandschuster.ca/books/The-Mysteries/Bill-Watterson/9781524884949

Weird. I really have no idea what to make of that.

Following the link you gave (Canadian site) the link for Amazon was also Canadian, which goes to an Amazon where I have no history - but was able to sign in. Thought it might be a phishing scam for a sec. But I relogged in to USA Amazon and found the book there. Looks like something I need to have!

Cool, big fan of that other comic strip he did. Will need to check this out.

Will almost definitely disappoint “normie” fans of Calvin and Hobbes, but I’m excited to see something mature and experimental from these two creators.

I went ahead and preordered it. I’m excited to check it out.

So you’re saying this won’t be a collection of Calvin peeing on various truck logos I hate? Preorder cancelled.

This is coming out on Tuesday. I forgot that I had preordered it. I had the charge pop up on my Capital One Account and thought my card had been compromised, but it was the preorder for The Mysteries.

Thanks for the reminder! I have it in my Amazon wishlist, but don't check it very often.

I had forgotten about it, but now placed an order.

I'm not sure what to expect, but it'll be interesting to see it.

Me too!

Looking forward to getting this tomorrow.

I keep seeing this thread bumped and expect someone to have a hands on review...

Yeah, mine has shipped, and will be here tomorrow.

I remember reading about an interview in which John Lennon was asked if the Beatles would ever reunite, and he said “No, because people would be expecting God.” That’s kinda how I feel about this project, in that Watterston has been gone so long after his monumental creation, expectations might be unreasonably high. I’m definitely interested but will wait for reviews.

Still kind of amazing to me that Watterson was never tempted to milk his franchise and the only pseudo sequel we got was in... Bloom County.

But yeah this looks super different like in every way so hopefully that tempers expectations.

He did the art for a few Pearls Before Swine strips too.

Bill Watterson speaks (off camera)! He and John Kascht talk about the process behind this book:

I read it. It's basically a children's book/multi-allegory - complacency, climate change, immigration, blind loyalty - about the Modern World, but so brief, restrained and varied that it lacked bite or specific purpose.

By amalgamating every ill into an (unseen) composite set of 'mysteries', none can be truly unraveled or addressed. Which may be the point - mysteries remain mysterious - but renders the effort a little... pointless? The illustrations are good and interesting, but expectations were definitely stoked too high. Not just because of the creators, but also the time that was spent on them.

It's very short, it's very slight, but it does have limited merit in its half-hearted message.

I suppose it should be unsurprising that the first major thing he does in almost three decades is self-indulgent and disappointing.

It seemed like it really wanted to dig in and explicitly condemn a lot of the current idiocy afoot in the world but either decided it wasn't worth it, somethingsomething political leanings or residual fear over Scott Adams fallout.

Very well said ntnon !

It’s beautiful, and I’m glad I own it. I went in with tempered expectations and love experimental and non-commercial art, but this just felt a little empty.