Wordless Comics - Calvin and Hobbes & Skibber Bee-Bye

CALVIN AND HOBBES
http://www.marcellosendos.ch/comics/ch/1995/05/199505.html
http://www.marcellosendos.ch/comics/ch/1994/12/199412.html

SKIBBER BEE-BYE

http://thehighhat.com/Marginalia/008/lanier01.jpg

Both Bill Watterson with Calvin and Hobbes and Ron Rege Jr with Skibber Bee-Bye are able to tell a story without words, however they have very different approaches. The most obvious difference between these examples are the black and white of Calvin and Hobbes against the vivid color of Skibber Bee-Bye. While neither are lifelike by any means (Calvin is floating in space...), Calvin and Hobbes is more gentle and easier to read. Skibber Bee-Bye, however, is covered in vibrant colors that fill the page and almost seem aggressive. That is, the comic is much more intense than Watterson's simple black and white sketches. Ron Rege Jr creates an almost surreal, dreamlike environment while Calvin and Hobbes are situated in a more conventional frame. Skibber Bee-Bye tells an easy to understand story that many can relate to (being lost in the woods) but puts his own unique twist on it - creating a vivid cartoon world with flying creatures. Watterson's stories are also familiar and his technique common (ex: onomatopoeia), and as such he creates characters that are much easier to relate to. Both artists use pictures to tell a story but the differences in their styles makes a world of difference in the reader's eyes.