Summary
- Cartoonist Kerry Callen combines Calvin and Hobbes with Shazam in a heartwarming tribute to Bill Watterson’s creations.
- Callen is no stranger to Shazam, having drawn the character in at least one other strip.
- Shazam and Calvin and Hobbes offer children ways to cope with the world, providing joy and humor.
Acclaimed artist Kerry Callen has combined Calvin and Hobbes with Shazam, creating the perfect tribute to Bill Watterson. Callen, whose art has graced the pages of MAD and other humor publications, mixes Watterson’s endearing duo with the World’s Mightiest Mortal. While it may seem like an odd pairing at first, Callen’s heartwarming cartoon highlights the similarities Shazam shares with Calvin and Hobbes.
Kerry Callen unveiled the four panel strip in a post on Instagram. Callen inserts Billy Batson into Calvin’s shoes, and swaps out Hobbes for Tawky Tawny. The strip, called Billy and Tawny, features Billy and Tawny enjoying a lazy afternoon, sitting under a tree. Tawny makes the comment that they have been lying in the same position for hours. Billy agrees. He transforms into Shazam, and in the strip’s final panel, the duo have changed positions.
From there, Shazam and Tawny are ready to enjoy the rest of the beautiful day.
Kerry Callen’s Cartoons Are Hilarious–and Often Insightful
Callen Has Drawn Shazam Before
Mad’s Kerry Callen is no stranger to creating unique pieces such as Billy and Tawny. Callen’s cartoons sometimes mash-up pop culture franchises. They provide left of center perspectives on these heroes, showing them in an exciting new light. His other works include titles such as Halo and Sprocket. Callen has even crafted cartoons based on Shazam. In a previous cartoon, Callen mixed Marvel and DC characters, such as Loki, to weigh in on which company truly held the rights to the name “Captain Marvel.” While the cartoon poked fun at the debate, it was also insightful.
Callen’s latest cartoon about Shazam takes a different approach to the character by mixing him with Calvin and Hobbes. Callen takes advantage of the fact that Billy Batson has a talking tiger friend, much like Calvin has Hobbes. Using this as his springboard, Callen has created a cartoon that speaks to the similarities between the two properties. On the surface, they do not seem to share much in common. Shazam trafficks in high-concept superheroic action, whereas Calvin and Hobbes is more slice-of-life, mixed with philosophical musings.
“Horrendous Space Kablooie”: Calvin and Hobbes’ Name for the Big Bang was Embraced by Real Scientists
A Calvin and Hobbes cartoon that suggested renaming the Big Bang to the “Horrendous Space Kablooie” proved very popular among real scientists.
Kerry Callen Points Out the Similarities Between the Two Franchises
Shazam and Calvin and Hobbes Help Children Cope With Their World
Yet, a deeper look into the two franchises reveals they share a good deal in common. The best approaches to Shazam take a more light-hearted stance, putting it in league with the gentle humor of Bill Watterson’sCalvin and Hobbes. Going even deeper, the two franchises are the ultimate in childhood wish fulfillment. Children often feel powerless, and characters such as Shazam and Calvin and Hobbes give them constructive and healthy ways to make sense of the world around them, be it through high-flying action or deep and humorous looks at life.
Source: Kerry Callen
