There’s a reason Calvin and Hobbes is considered one of the greatest comic book series of all time, and it’s all due to creator Bill Watterson’s expert storytelling and character development skills. Watterson not only gave readers two well-rounded and genuinely hilarious protagonists (along with a host of great supporting characters), but he also masterfully told a cohesive story about a child’s childhood while also making readers nostalgic about their own. .
Calvin and Hobbes It perfectly captures the feeling of being a child, with all the ups and downs of childhood. From imaginative play to quizzes and long-lasting homework, Calvin and Hobbes it covers everything, and it does so through the eyes of six-year-old Calvin and his (supposedly) imaginary friend, Hobbes. Their story is told between the years 1985 and 1995, giving fans an entire decade of Calvin and Hobbes continuity – and it all started with the first 10 strips.
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Calvin and Hobbes details the origin story of the titular characters in their first graphic novel
Calvin and Hobbes – November 18, 1985
Calvin and Hobbes doesn’t waste time telling readers exactly how the titular best friends actually became best friends. Typically a series just throws fans into its world and worries about delving into the backstory later, but Bill Watterson decided to eliminate that from the start. Their friendship begins when Calvin becomes interested in capturing tigers, as he sets a tiger trap himself in hopes of catching his own feline – and sure enough, Calvin succeeds.
Calvin places a tuna sandwich in the middle of a trap and Hobbes happily lets himself be captured with the promise of free food. This comic not only reveals how Calvin and Hobbes met, but also establishes Hobbes’ famous love of food – something that remains a mainstay throughout the series.
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Calvin and Hobbes reveal the hilarious reason they became best friends
Calvin and Hobbes – November 19, 1985
While the first Calvin and Hobbes comic book showed how Calvin and Hobbes met, this establishes why and how they became (and remained) friends. After Calvin catches his tiger, he asks his father what to do next. Calvin’s father tells him to stuff the tiger, which is what a hunter would do to keep the tiger’s corpse as a trophy. But, Calvin considers this as feeding the tiger as much food as he can eat until he is ‘stuffed’.
From a single tuna sandwich to an entire feast later, Hobbes certainly finds satisfaction in meeting Calvin, and it apparently leaves an impression. Calvin treated his new tiger well and made Hobbes his friend for life. as a result. From this moment on, Calvin and Hobbes became inseparable.
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Calvin and Hobbes confirm how everyone (except Calvin) sees Hobbes
Calvin and Hobbes – November 20, 1985
The true nature of Hobbes’s existence has always been somewhat ambiguous in Calvin and Hobbesespecially after the first two comic books. In them, Calvin clearly catches a tiger before gaining its trust through food, and it’s not even hinted that Hobbes is actually a stuffed animal/imaginary friend of Calvin’s until this comic. However, no matter what the nature of Hobbes’s existence actually is (be it that anthropomorphic tiger, stuffed animal, or some kind of shape-shifting magical being), one thing is clear: everyone except Calvin sees Hobbes as nothing more than a stuffed animal.
Furthermore, because of this, Hobbes regularly does things that get Calvin in trouble without having to face the consequences himself, a trend that is also established in this comic.
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Calvin and Hobbes creates the oldest joke in the series
Calvin and Hobbes – November 21, 1985
In this Calvin and Hobbes comic book, Calvin takes Hobbes to school for show and tell, and his teacher tells him to put the stuffed tiger on his desk. While this comic further confirms that anyone other than Calvin only sees Hobbes as a stuffed animal, it also sets up the longest-running joke in the entire series. While Calvin is working on a math assignment, he asks Hobbes what is 7 plus 3, to which the anthropomorphic tiger responds: 73.
Hobbes confidently gives Calvin the wrong answer to his math problemsomething that happens many more times throughout the series. From confusing him with advanced math formulas to point-blank telling him the wrong answers, Hobbes is the reason Calvin is so bad at math – and that joke started right here.
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Calvin and Hobbes establish the nature of their relationship
Calvin and Hobbes – November 22, 1985
As Calvin’s father is putting Calvin and Hobbes to bed, he leaves without saying goodnight to Hobbes. Calvin yells for his father to come back and say goodnight to the tiger, which Calvin’s father promptly does (with no shortage of sarcasm in his voice). But that wasn’t enough for Hobbes, as he wanted a goodnight kiss and a bedtime story. However, Calvin seemed pleased with the criticism and told Hobbes to go to bed – calling him “sissy“How did he do it.
This comic is the perfect representation of Calvin and Hobbes’ relationship, as it is equal parts sweet and cruel. Calvin wanted Hobbes to be given a proper good night because he cares about him, but he also criticized him for being a “sissy“, which is honestly the perfect balance of a true friendship.
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Calvin and Hobbes features Calvin as a prominent character from the Strip
Calvin and Hobbes – November 23, 1985
In this Calvin and Hobbes strip, Calvin is sitting down to dinner with his father, although he has his reservations. The food served to Calvin doesn’t look very appetizing to the six-year-old, and when he asks his father what it is, Calvin’s father simply says, “Taste it. You will love it“, avoiding the question entirely. But Calvin knows exactly what that answer means and is sure that whatever is in front of him will be disgusting.
This is the first Calvin and Hobbes comics without Hobbes, but the strip doesn’t suffer from that. This comic confirms that Calvin can survive alone without Hobbes, which is actually the case in several Calvin and Hobbes cops, since Calvin usually appears alone. This means Calvin is clearly Calvin and Hobbes‘prominent characterand this comic proves it.
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Calvin and Hobbes reveals the hilarious extent of Calvin’s imagination
Calvin and Hobbes – November 24, 1985
When Calvin asks his father to check his drawer for monsters, his father refuses before saying one last goodnight and leaving the room. This leaves Calvin and Hobbes in a state of paranoia and fear as they truly think a monster will get them as soon as they fall asleep. So, after the two started making noise, Calvin’s father re-enters the room, but Calvin and Hobbes see him as a snarling monster. before shooting him with a toy dart gun.
Calvin’s imagination is so strong that he convinced himself that his father was a monster. Calvin often flies to his own imaginary world where he fights hideous creatures of all kinds, but this is the first time anyone has suffered as a result.
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Calvin and Hobbes perfectly captures a common childhood fear
Calvin and Hobbes – November 25, 1985
Even after Calvin’s father checked (before he was mistaken for a monster), Calvin and Hobbes were still not convinced that there weren’t monsters under the bed. So, Calvin decides to speak directly to the monsters, warning them that he has a flamethrower and that he won’t hesitate to use it on them. This causes the ‘imaginary’ monsters under the bed to fear Calvin, and they all deny their own existence lest they be set on fire.
Thinking that there are monsters under the bed is a very common fear in childhood, and Calvin and Hobbes not only captures this perfectly, but also teaches kids how to overcome it. Calvin confronts the monsters, telling them that they are the ones in danger if they decide to attack, which is a perfect example of facing fears that everyone can relate to.
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Calvin and Hobbes Sets Up the Series’ Most Chaotic Story Arc
Calvin and Hobbes – November 26, 1985
When Calvin is in the car with his mother, he asks if he can drive. Obviously, since Calvin is only six years old, his mother says no. Calvin then pouts, saying that his mother never lets him do anything, not at all understanding that his requests are out of the question. While this comic is a standalone arc that just shows how funny Calvin is on his own (just like the first time Calvin was without Hobbes), it actually sets up a future story arc – one of the more chaotic ones.
In May and June 1989, Calvin and Hobbes gives readers a story arc where Calvin accidentally crashes his mother’s car, which is exactly what Calvin says he won’t do in this comicproving his mother was right to keep him away from the wheel.
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Calvin and Hobbes establishes Calvin’s borderline evil tendencies
Calvin and Hobbes – November 27, 1985
Calvin always exhibited some evil tendencies in Calvin and Hobbesand that started in this comic. Calvin builds a pretend town in his sandbox, which he explains is prosperous and serene. But then, Calvino fills a bucket of water to flood the metropolis, looking directly at the reader and saying: “Tragically, this serene metropolis sits just below the Hoover Dam…“.
Calvin created an entire city, made it clear that everyone who lived there was happy and prosperous, only to destroy it with a deadly flood. If Calvin were some kind of god capable of creating life, he would be an angry god indeed – if not downright evil. This may be the first time Calvin displays evil tendencies, but it certainly isn’t the last. Additionally, this is also the first time Calvin breaks the fourth wall, something he did later on. Calvin and Hobbes take it off too.