[bombcar]

Watterson and Larson (both who retired at or near the "top" of their game) could easily have gone on for a year or two more - or three, or five, or twenty.

But they both knew that the font was running low, if not completely dry; likely triggered by starting a joke and realizing they'd done it before years ago.

Both have "come back" here and there to dabble, as appropriate for someone who actually knows how to retire.

[tombert]

I respect it honestly.

The Simpsons used to be my favorite show, but I feel like the quality dropped dramatically after season ~13 or so. Part of that is because I got older, I'll admit, but even rewatching the older seasons, I still find them funny while season 13 and onward I simply don't.

I would have so rather they ended the show twenty years ago and use whatever budget they spent making it on new cartoons.

[vintermann]

Schultz, who is still fairly universally beloved (including by Watterson I think?) went on forever. So did Johnny Hart (BC). The trick is that they're not really trying to get a laugh out of you every day. They're a slightly surreal setting with warmth, and a few recurring gags.

Larson and Watterson were high intensity in a way classic cartoonists weren't. That's not bad, but most people are probably going to burn out or worse (e.g. ending up like Scott Adams).

[bombcar]

I take Schultz as the epitome of the “danger” of going forever - the early Peanuts is substantially different than the later ones.

But he’s also a good example of “growing with his audience” - the latter strips pleased his readers even if they didn’t gain many additional.

I do find that it’s sad that in an era of increasingly cheaper and cheaper printing that comics continue to shrink.

[youainti]

Another example of retiring at the top was Howard Tayler's Schlock Mercenary. A 20 year run of daily comics with about 16-17 years of that being a reasonably consistent storyline.

[dhosek]

Berke Breathed should have taken their example more seriously.