marley bone coach

Future Echoes je název, který jsem zvolil pro sérii stripů o výletu Calvina do budoucnosti. Abych byl přesný, do velmi blízké budoucnosti. Calvin má totiž během dnešního odpoledne či podvečera sepsat příběh, ilustrovat jej a už další den přinést do školy. Nejenom, že se mu nechce, přijde mu to nemožné. Rozhodne se tedy využít kartonové krabice s nápisem TIME MACHINE (která skutečně funguje) a přenést se o pár hodin dál do budoucnosti, kde jeho dvojník, Calvin z budoucnosti už bude mít příběh sepsaný, vzít si jej a strávit zbytek večera obvyklým způsobem, to jest dováděním svých rodičů k nepříčetnosti.

Future Echoes je jednou z nejdelších souvislých sérií, na které jsem v C+H narazil, je roztáhnutá asi na šestnáct stripů. Zde si uvedeme první čtyři z nich.

CALVIN & HOBBES IN FUTURE ECHOES

part one: the unvarnished truth

in which Calvin finds it hard to believe that he is expected to write a story for tomorrow’s class within the next few hours

This is the worst assignment ever! I’m supposed to think up a story, write it, and illustrate it by tomorrow — Do I look like a novelist? This is impossible! I can’t tell stories! — What about your explanation of the noodle incident? — That wasn’t a story! That was the unvarnished truth! — Oh, don’t be so modest. You deserved a pulitzer.

assignment … úloha
think st up … vymyslet
by tomorrow … do zítřka, nejpozděj zítra
novelist … spisovatel, který píše romány (romanopisec)
noodle … nudle
unvarnished truth … ničím nepřikrášlená pravda
modest … skromný
Pulitzer … Pulitzer prize (prestižní literární cena)

part two: waiting for inspiration

in which Calvin procrastinates, waiting for inspiration to strike. Or rather for last-minute panic to set in. Panicking makes him work like nothing else can

Do you have an idea for your story yet? — No, I’m waiting for inspiration. — You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood. — What mood is that? — Last minute panic.

procrastinate … dělat cokoli jiného namísto toho co byste měli, odkládat práci, flákat se
strike … udeřit, zde: náhle přijít
set in … nastat, přijít
faucet … kohoutek

part three: deadlines and grades
in which Calvin explains how assignments like these result in children hating to write. When Hobbes suggests that maybe he could enjoy the process of creation, Calvin points out that every time he does something he enjoys he gets sent to the school psychologist

If you ask me, these assignments don’t teach you how to write. They teach you how to hate to write. — Deadlines, rules how to do it, grades … How can you be creative when someone’s breathing down your neck? — I guess you should try not to think about the end result too much and just have fun with the process of creating. — Every time I do that, I end up in the school psychologist’s office. — Well, maybe not that much fun.

deadline … lhůta, nejpozdější doba pro odevzdání práce
grade … známka (školní)
breathe down sb’s neck … stát někomu za zády a kontrolovat ho
end result … konečný výsledek

part four: enter the time machine

in which Calvin comes up with an idea. Inevitably, the idea centers on how to avoid doing the assignment. Hobbes has been there done that and he doesn’t like the direction this is taking one little bit

Say, I’ve got an idea! — For your story? — No, I thought of a way I won’t have to write one! — Oh no. — Hop in the time machine, Hobbes! We’re going a few hours into the future! I’ll have finished my story by then, so we’ll just pick it up and bring it back to the present! That way I won’t have to write it! — Something doesn’t make sense here, and I think it’s me sitting in this box. — Relax! We’ll be back as soon as we go.

say, i’ve got an idea … ty, já mám nápad
by then … tou dobou už
that way … tak (tím způsobem, pokud to tak uděláme)

GUIDE

1. IMPOSSIBLE / NOODLE
2. INSPIRATION / MOOD
3. ASSIGNMENT / FUN
4.IDEA / WRONG

INQUIRY QUE / FOLLOW-UPS

a) what’s a Pulitzer?
» who deserves one?
» does Calvin know he deserves it?
» who does?
» what does Hobbes think Calvin should get a Pulitzer for?

b) do I like deadlines?
» grades?
» rules?
» time travel?

c) suppose you have to write a story and you just don’t know what to write and it has to be finished by tomorrow and there should be illustrations in it too. Is there a way to get around it so that you don’t have to write it?

A.T. IDEAS / SPIN-OFFS

monolog by / interview with

a) the teacher: on Calvin
I’ve tried punishing him, nothing works…

b) Hobbes: on Calvin
he just won’t listen to me…

c) Calvin: on Hobbes and the teacher

conversation between

a) the psychologist and Calvin’s parents
kick-off: I’m sorry you had to come here on such short notice…

b) Hobbes and Calvin’s teacher
kick-off: you may want to know that my friend Calvin was cheating…

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

&#187 how stuff works: how does lying work? are you a good liar?
&#187 what would you do: if you had a time machine
&#187 devil’s advocate: there should be no homework in schools