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{{Short description|Comic strip by Bill Watterson}}

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{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2013}}

{{Infobox comic strip

|title= Calvin and Hobbes

|image= Calvin and Hobbes Original.png

|caption= The cover of ''Calvin and Hobbes'', the first collection of comic strips, released in April 1987.

|author = [[Bill Watterson]]<!--not a CS1 cite-->

|url=

|rss=

|atom=

|status=

|syndicate= [[Universal Press Syndicate]]

|publisher= [[Andrews McMeel Publishing]]

|first= November 18, 1985<ref name="cleve2010" />

|last= December 31, 1995

|genre= Humor, family life, philosophy, satire

|rating=

|preceded by=

|followed by=

}}

'''''Calvin and Hobbes''''' is <!-- do not change to "was" per Wikipedia guidelines for fiction -->a daily American [[comic strip]] created by cartoonist [[Bill Watterson]] that was [[Print syndication|syndicated]] from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. Commonly cited as "the last great newspaper comic",<ref name="suellentrop2005">{{cite magazine |last=Suellentrop |first=Chris |date=2005-11-07 |title=Calvin and Hobbes: The last great newspaper comic strip |magazine=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2005/11/calvin_and_hobbes.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151103141705/http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2005/11/calvin_and_hobbes.html |archive-date=2015-11-03 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-12-16}}</ref><ref name="ohehir2013" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Let's Go Exploring: Calvin and Hobbes|last=Hingston|first=Michael|publisher=ECW Press|year=2018|isbn=9781773051796}}</ref> ''Calvin and Hobbes'' has enjoyed broad and enduring popularity, influence, and academic and philosophical interest.

''Calvin and Hobbes'' follows the humorous antics of the title characters: Calvin, a precocious, mischievous, and adventurous six-year-old boy; and Hobbes, his [[Sardonicism|sardonic]] stuffed tiger. Set in the contemporary suburban United States of the 1980s and 1990s, the strip depicts Calvin's frequent flights of fancy and friendship with Hobbes. It also examines Calvin's relationships with his long-suffering parents and with his classmates, especially his neighbor Susie Derkins. Hobbes's dual nature is a defining motif for the strip: to Calvin, Hobbes is a living anthropomorphic tiger, while all the other characters see Hobbes as an inanimate stuffed toy. Though the series does not frequently mention specific political figures or contemporary events, it does explore broad issues like environmentalism, public education, and philosophical quandaries.<ref name="astor1989">{{cite journal |first=David |last=Astor |date=1989-11-04 |title=Watterson and Walker Differ on Comics: 'Calvin and Hobbes' creator criticizes today's cartooning while 'Beetle Bailey'/'Hi and Lois' creator defends it at meeting |journal=[[Editor & Publisher]] |publisher=Duncan McIntosh |location=Irvine, California |page=78}}</ref>

At the height of its popularity, ''Calvin and Hobbes'' was featured in over 2,400 newspapers worldwide.<ref name="cleve2010">{{cite web |first=John |last=Campanelli |title='Calvin and Hobbes' fans still pine 15 years after its exit |work=[[The Plain Dealer]] |location=Cleveland, Ohio |url=http://www.cleveland.com/living/index.ssf/2010/02/fans_still_pine_for_calvin_and.html |date=2010-02-01 |access-date=2015-12-16 |archive-date=2011-06-07 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110607014400/http://www.cleveland.com/living/index.ssf/2010/02/fans_still_pine_for_calvin_and.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2010, reruns of the strip appeared in more than 50 countries, and nearly 45 million copies of the [[List of Calvin and Hobbes books|''Calvin and Hobbes'' books]] had been sold worldwide.<ref name="cleve2010" />

== History ==

=== Development ===

{{quote box|align=right|width=25em|quote="I thought it was perhaps too 'adult,' too literate. When my then-8-year-old son remarked, 'This is the ''[[Doonesbury]]'' for kids!' I suspected we had something unusual on our hands."|source=—[[Lee Salem (editor)|Lee Salem]], Watterson's editor at [[Universal Press Syndicate|Universal]], recalling his reaction after seeing Watterson's first submission<ref name="cleve2010" />}}

''Calvin and Hobbes'' was conceived when Bill Watterson, while working in an advertising job he detested,<ref name="detest">{{cite web |publisher= Via Calvin and Hobbes' Magical World (fan site)| url= http://home3.inet.tele.dk/stadil/spe_kc.htm | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060219183419/http://home3.inet.tele.dk/stadil/spe_kc.htm |archive-date= February 19, 2006 | title=Speech by Bill Watterson|location=Kenyon College, [[Gambier, Ohio]]|date=May 20, 1990 |first=Bill | last=Watterson | author-link=Bill Watterson | access-date = March 16, 2006}}</ref> began devoting his spare time to developing a newspaper comic for potential syndication. He explored various strip ideas but all were rejected by the syndicates. [[United Media|United Feature Syndicate]] finally responded positively to one strip called ''The Doghouse'', which featured a side character (the main character's little brother) who had a stuffed tiger. United identified these characters as the strongest and encouraged Watterson to develop them as the center of their own strip.<ref name="tucker2005">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/03/AR2005100301754.html |title=The Tiger Strikes Again |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 4, 2005 |first=Neely |last=Tucker |archive-date=April 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402041616/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/03/AR2005100301754.html |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref> Though United Feature ultimately rejected the new strip as lacking in marketing potential, [[Universal Press Syndicate]] took it up.<ref name="simple">{{cite news | title=Calvin and Hobbes Creator Draws on the Simple Life | first=Paul|last= Dean |work=Los Angeles Times | date=May 26, 1987}}</ref><ref name="christie1987">{{cite web|last=Christie |first=Andrew |date=January 1987 |title=An Interview With Bill Watterson |publisher=[[Honk (magazine)|Honk!]] via Calvin and Hobbies: Magic on Paper (fan site) |issue=2 |agency=[[Fantagraphics Books]] |access-date=December 24, 2011 |url=http://ignatz.brinkster.net/chonk.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607004149/http://ignatz.brinkster.net/chonk.html |archive-date=June 7, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref>

=== Launch and early success (1985–1990) ===

The first ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strip was published on November 18, 1985<ref name="pr_calvin" /> in 35 newspapers. The strip quickly became popular. Within a year of [[print syndication|syndication]], the strip was published in roughly 250 newspapers and proved to have international appeal with translation and wide circulation outside the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-11-19|title='Calvin and Hobbes' just turned 30 -- here's the history of the strip and its mysterious creator Bill Watterson|url=https://www.businessinsider.com.au/calvin-and-hobbes-just-turned-30-heres-the-history-of-the-strip-and-its-mysterious-creator-bill-watterson-2015-11|access-date=2021-10-13|website=Business Insider Australia|language=en-AU}}</ref>

Although ''Calvin and Hobbes'' underwent continual artistic development and creative innovation over the period of syndication, the earliest strips demonstrated a remarkable consistency with the latest. Watterson introduced all the major characters within the first three weeks and made no changes to the central cast over the strip's 10-year history.

By April 5, 1987, Watterson was featured in an article in the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.<ref name="simple" /> ''Calvin and Hobbes'' earned Watterson the Reuben Award from the [[National Cartoonists Society]] in the Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year category, first in 1986 and again in 1988. He was nominated another time in 1992. The Society awarded him the Humor Comic Strip Award for 1988.<ref name="reuben">{{cite web |title=NCS Reuben Award winners (1975–present) |publisher=[[National Cartoonists Society]] |url=http://www.reuben.org/ncs/archive/divisions/reuben2.asp |access-date=July 12, 2005 |archive-date=June 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628201752/http://www.reuben.org/ncs/archive/divisions/reuben2.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Calvin and Hobbes'' has also won [[Bill Watterson#Awards and honors|several more awards]].

As his creation grew in popularity, there was strong interest from the syndicate to merchandise the characters and expand into other forms of media. Watterson's contract with the syndicate allowed the characters to be licensed without the creator's consent, as was standard at the time. Nevertheless, Watterson had leverage by threatening to simply walk away from the comic strip.

This dynamic played out in a long and emotionally draining battle between Watterson and his syndicate editors. By 1991, Watterson had achieved his goal of securing a new contract that granted him legal control over his creation and all future licensing arrangements.<ref name=":4" />

=== Creative control (1991–1995) ===

Having achieved his objective of creative control, Watterson's desire for privacy subsequently reasserted itself and he ceased all media interviews, relocated to [[New Mexico]], and largely disappeared from public engagements, refusing to attend the ceremonies of any of the cartooning awards he won.<ref name=":1" /> The pressures of the battle over merchandising led to Watterson taking an extended break from May 5, 1991, to February 1, 1992, a move that was virtually unprecedented in the world of syndicated cartoonists.

{{multiple image

| align = right

| header = Comparison of Calvin and Hobbes' following layout changes

| direction =

| width = 260

| image1 = Calvin and Hobbes 6 Sep 1987.jpg

| alt1 =

| caption1 =

| image2 = Calvin and Hobbes 26 Sep 1993.jpg

| alt2 =

| caption2 =

| footer = The comic strip on the left from 1987 illustrates the layout constraints that Bill Watterson was required to work within for the first 6 years of the comic's syndication. The comic strip on the right from 1993 demonstrates one of the more creative layouts that Watterson had the freedom to employ after 1991.

}}

During Watterson's first [[sabbatical]] from the strip, Universal Press Syndicate continued to charge newspapers full price to re-run old ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strips. Few editors approved of the move, but the strip was so popular that they had no choice but to continue to run it for fear that competing newspapers might pick it up and draw its fans away.<ref name="astor1991">{{cite journal |last=Astor |first=David |title=Nine-month Vacation for Bill Watterson |page=34 |journal=[[Editor & Publisher]] |publisher=Duncan McIntosh |location=Irvine, California |date=1991-03-30}}</ref> Watterson returned to the strip in 1992 with plans to produce his Sunday strip as an unbreakable half of a newspaper or [[Tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloid]] page. This made him only the second cartoonist since [[Garry Trudeau]] to have sufficient popularity to demand more space and control over the presentation of his work.

Watterson took a second sabbatical from April 3 through December 31, 1994. His return came with an announcement that ''Calvin and Hobbes'' would be concluding at the end of 1995. Stating his belief that he had achieved everything that he wanted to within the medium, he announced his intention to work on future projects at a slower pace with fewer artistic compromises.<ref name=":4" />

The final strip ran on Sunday, December 31, 1995, depicting Calvin and Hobbes sledding down a snowy hill after a fresh snowfall with Calvin exclaiming “Let's go exploring!".<ref name="CC+H_final_strip">[[#CITEREFWatterson2005|Watterson (2005)]]. vol. 3, p. 481. Comic originally published December 31, 1995.</ref><ref name=25yearsago>{{cite news |date=December 31, 2020 |title='Calvin and Hobbes' said goodbye 25 years ago. Here's why Bill Watterson's masterwork enchants us still. |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/12/31/calvin-hobbes-bill-watterson/ |access-date=January 3, 2021}}

</ref><ref name="pr_calvin">{{cite web |url=http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/calvinandhobbes/pr_calvin.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051026183516/http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/calvinandhobbes/pr_calvin.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2005-10-26 |access-date=2009-05-02 |title=The Complete Calvin and Hobbes |publisher=[[Andrews & McMeel]]}}</ref>

Speaking to NPR in 2005, animation critic Charles Solomon opined that the final strip "left behind a hole in the comics page that no strip has been able to fill."<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Complete Calvin and Hobbes |url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/4968065|series=Day to Day |series-link=Day to Day |credits=Charles Solomon |network=[[National Public Radio|NPR]] |air-date=October 21, 2005 |minutes=3:28.50 |quote=In the final strip, Calvin and Hobbes put aside their conflicts and rode their sled into a snowy forest. They left behind a hole in the comics page that no strip has been able to fill. |archive-date=November 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113232016/https://www.npr.org/transcripts/4968065 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Sunday formatting==

[[File:Comics half page.svg|thumb|This standard half-page layout can easily be rearranged for [[:File:Comics full page.svg|full]], [[:File:Comics third page.svg|third]], and [[:File:Comics quarter page.svg|quarter]] pages (optionally discarding panels 1 and 2). However, Watterson wished to draw comics which did not conform to the standard panel division.|alt=|205x205px]]

Syndicated comics were typically published six times a week in black and white, with a Sunday supplement version in a larger, full color format. This larger format version of the strip was constrained by mandatory layout requirements that made it possible for newspaper editors to format the strip for different page sizes and layouts.

Watterson grew increasingly frustrated by the shrinking of the available space for comics in the newspapers and the mandatory panel divisions that restricted his ability to produce better artwork and more creative storytelling. He lamented that without space for anything more than simple dialogue or sparse artwork, comics as an art form were becoming dilute, bland, and unoriginal.<ref name="west1989">{{cite web|url=http://ignatz.brinkster.net/ccomicsjournal.html|title=Interview: Bill Watterson|last=West|first=Richard Samuel|date=February 1989|work=[[The Comics Journal]] / [[Fantagraphics]] via Calvin and Hobbies: Magic on Paper (fan site)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714012735/http://ignatz.brinkster.net/ccomicsjournal.html|archive-date=July 14, 2011|url-status=dead|access-date=August 30, 2012|issue=127|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="astor1988">{{cite journal |title=Watterson Knocks the Shrinking of Comics |first=David |last=Astor |journal=[[Editor & Publisher]] |publisher=Duncan McIntosh |location=Irvine, California |date=1988-12-03 |page=40}}</ref>

Watterson longed for the artistic freedom allotted to classic strips such as ''[[Little Nemo]]'' and ''[[Krazy Kat]]'', and in 1989 he gave a sample of what could be accomplished with such liberty in the opening pages of the Sunday strip compilation, ''The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book—''an 8-page previously unpublished Calvin story fully illustrated in watercolor. The same book contained an afterword from the artist himself, reflecting on a time when comic strips were allocated a whole page of the newspaper and every comic was like a "color poster".<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book|last=Watterson|first=Bill|publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing|year=1989|isbn=0836218523|url=https://archive.org/details/calvinhobbeslazy00watt}}</ref>

Within two years, Watterson was ultimately successful in negotiating a deal that provided him more space and creative freedom. Following his 1991 sabbatical, Universal Press announced that Watterson had decided to sell his Sunday strip as an unbreakable half of a newspaper or [[Tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloid]] page. Many editors and even a few cartoonists including [[Bil Keane]] (''[[The Family Circus]]'') and [[Bruce Beattie]] (''Snafu'') criticized him for what they perceived as arrogance and an unwillingness to abide by the normal practices of the cartoon business.<ref name="astor1992">{{cite journal|last=Astor|first=David|date=1992-03-07|title=Cartoonists discuss 'Calvin' requirement|url=http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/article_brief/eandp/1/1165165|url-status=dead|journal=[[Editor & Publisher]]|location=Irvine, California|publisher=Duncan McIntosh|page=34|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320192434/http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/article_brief/eandp/1/1165165|archive-date=2007-03-20|access-date=2007-01-19}}</ref> Others, including [[Bill Amend]] ([[FoxTrot|''Foxtrot'']]), [[Johnny Hart]] ([[B.C. (comic strip)|''BC'']], [[The Wizard of Id|''Wizard of Id'']]) and [[Barbara Brandon-Croft|Barbara Brandon]] (''Where I'm Coming From'') supported him. The American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors even formally requested that Universal reconsider the changes.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://timhulsizer.com/cwords/cmoreresponse.html|title=More response to half-page 'Calvin' strip|last=Astor|first=David|date=11 January 1992|work=Editor & Publisher|page=30}}</ref> Watterson's own comments on the matter was that "editors will have to judge for themselves whether or not Calvin and Hobbes deserves the extra space. If they don't think the strip carries its own weight, they don't have to run it." Ultimately only 15 newspapers cancelled the strip in response to the layout changes.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=http://www.tcj.com/|title=Watterson Returns, Demands His Space|date=February 1992|work=Comics Journal|access-date=19 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19971224031534/http://tcj.com/ |archive-date=December 24, 1997|issue=148|pages=14–15}} [http://timhulsizer.com/cwords/cdemands.html Alt URL]</ref>

== Sabbaticals ==

Bill Watterson took two [[sabbatical]]s from the daily requirements of producing the strip. The first took place from May 5, 1991, to February 1, 1992, and the second from April 3 through December 31, 1994. These sabbaticals were included in the new contract Watterson managed to negotiate with Universal Features in 1990. The sabbaticals were proposed by the syndicate themselves, who, fearing Watterson's complete burnout, endeavored to get another five years of work from their star artist.<ref name=":1" />

Watterson remains only the third cartoonist with sufficient popularity and stature to receive a sabbatical from their syndicate, the first two being [[Garry Trudeau]] (''[[Doonesbury]]'') in 1983 and [[Gary Larson]] (''[[The Far Side]]'') in 1989.<ref name=":3" /> Typically cartoonists are expected to produce sufficient strips to cover any period they may wish to take off. Watterson's lengthy sabbaticals received some mild criticism from his fellow cartoonists including [[Greg Evans (cartoonist)|Greg Evans]] ([[Luann (comic strip)|''Luann'']]); and [[Charles M. Schulz|Charles Schulz]] (''[[Peanuts]]''), one of Watterson's major artistic influences, even called it a "puzzle". Some cartoonists resented the idea that Watterson worked harder than others, while others supported it. At least one newspaper editor noted that the strip was the most popular in the country and stated he "earned it".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://timhulsizer.com/cwords/cmixedresponse.html|title=Mixed Response To Second Sabbatical|date=26 March 1994|work=Editor & Publisher|access-date=19 September 2018|issue=13|volume=127|page=30}}</ref>

==Merchandising==

Despite the popularity of ''Calvin and Hobbes'', the strip remains notable for the almost complete lack of official product merchandising. Watterson held that comic strips should stand on their own as an art form and although he did not start out completely opposed to merchandising in all forms (or even for all comic strips), he did reject an early syndication deal that involved incorporating a more marketable, licensed character into his strip.<ref name="christie1987" /> In spite of being an unproven cartoonist, and having been flown all the way to New York to discuss the proposal, Watterson reflexively resented the idea of "cartooning by committee" and turned it down.

When ''Calvin and Hobbes'' was accepted by Universal Syndicate, and began to grow in popularity, Watterson found himself at odds with the syndicate, which urged him to begin merchandising the characters and touring the country to promote the first collections of comic strips. Watterson refused, believing that the integrity of the strip and its artist would be undermined by [[commercialization]], which he saw as a major negative influence in the world of cartoon art,<ref name="west1989" /> and that licensing his character would only violate the spirit of his work.{{sfn|Watterson|1995|pages=10–11}} He gave an example of this in discussing his opposition to a Hobbes plush toy: that if the essence of Hobbes' nature in the strip is that it remain unresolved whether he is a real tiger or a stuffed toy, then creating a real stuffed toy would only destroy the magic. However, having initially signed away control over merchandising in his initial contract with the syndicate,<ref name=":1" /> Watterson commenced a lengthy and emotionally draining battle with Universal to gain control over his work. Ultimately Universal did not approve any products against Watterson's wishes, understanding that, unlike other comic strips, it would be nearly impossible to separate the creator from the strip if Watterson chose to walk away.

One estimate places the value of licensing revenue forgone by Watterson at $300–$400 million.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://bigthink.com/Picture-This/what-is-the-legacy-of-calvin-and-hobbes|title=What is the legacy of Calvin and Hobbes?|last=Bob|first=Duggan|work=Big Think}}</ref> Almost no legitimate ''Calvin and Hobbes'' merchandise exists.<ref name="items">{{cite web | url=http://ignatz.brinkster.net/citems.html | title=A Concise Guide to All Legal Calvin and Hobbes Items | last=Hulsizer | first=Tim | publisher=Calvin and Hobbes: Magic on Paper (fan site)| access-date=December 24, 2011|archive-date=July 19, 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110719004818/http://ignatz.brinkster.net/citems.html | url-status=live}}</ref> Exceptions produced during the strip's original run include two 16-month calendars (1988–89 and 1989–90), a t-shirt for the Smithsonian Exhibit, ''Great American Comics: 100 Years of Cartoon Art'' (1990) and the textbook ''[[Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes]]'',<ref name="twch">{{cite book |last1=Holmen |first1=Linda |last2=Santella-Johnson |first2=Mary |last3=Watterson |first3=Bill |author-link3=Bill Watterson |others=Cover and supplementary art by Jan Roebken |title=Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes |year=1993 |publisher=Playground Publishing |location=Fargo, North Dakota |isbn=1-878849-15-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Radigan Neuhalfen |date=2004 |title=Teaching With Calvin and Hobbes |website=ignatz.brinkster.net |url=http://ignatz.brinkster.net/cteaching.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110426032853/http://ignatz.brinkster.net/cteaching.html |archive-date=April 26, 2011}}</ref> which has been described as "perhaps the most difficult piece of official ''Calvin and Hobbes'' memorabilia to find."<ref name="Martell 2010 p. 236">{{harvp|Martell|2010|p=236}}</ref> In 2010, Watterson did allow his characters to be included in a series of [[United States Postal Service]] stamps honoring five classic American comics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2010/pr10_068.htm |title=Sunday Funnies Comic Strips Debut on Stamps |date=July 16, 2010 |publisher=[[United States Postal Service]] [[press release]] |location=Columbus, Ohio |access-date=January 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101027144142/http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2010/pr10_068.htm |archive-date=October 27, 2010 |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref> Licensed prints of ''Calvin and Hobbes'' were made available and have also been included in various academic works.

The strip's immense popularity has led to the appearance of various [[counterfeit]] items such as window decals and T-shirts that often feature [[Off-color humor|crude humor]], [[binge drinking]] and other themes that are not found in Watterson's work.<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson1995|Watterson (1995)]], p. 12.</ref> Images from one strip in which Calvin and Hobbes dance to loud music at night were commonly used for copyright violations.<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson1995|Watterson (1995)]], p. 36.</ref> After threat of a lawsuit alleging infringement of copyright and trademark, some sticker makers replaced Calvin with a different boy, while other makers made no changes.<ref>{{cite news |first=Adam |last=Bernstein |title=Calvin's Unauthorized Leak: Stock Car Fans Misuse Comics Character |work=[[The Virginian-Pilot]] ([[Norfolk, Virginia]]) via [[The Washington Post]] via Calvin and Hobbes: Magic on Paper (fan site) |page=B9 |date=July 17, 1997 |url=http://ignatz.brinkster.net/cstockcars.html |access-date=April 18, 2011 |archive-date=July 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722001516/http://ignatz.brinkster.net/cstockcars.html |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Watterson wryly commented, "I clearly miscalculated how popular it would be to show Calvin urinating on a [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]] logo,"<ref name="amiv" /> but later added, "long after the strip is forgotten, [they] are my ticket to immortality".<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/53216/mental-floss-exclusive-our-interview-bill-watterson|title=Our Interview with Calvin and Hobbes Creator Bill Watterson!|last=Rossen|first=Jake|date=17 October 2013|work=Mental Floss}}</ref>

===Animation===

Watterson has expressed admiration for animation as an artform. In a 1989 interview in ''[[The Comics Journal]]'' he described the appeal of being able to do things with a moving image that cannot be done by a simple drawing: the distortion, the exaggeration and the control over the length of time an event is viewed.<ref>{{Cite web|last=The Comics Journal|date=2013-12-06|title=The Bill Watterson Interview|url=https://www.tcj.com/the-bill-watterson-interview/|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-18|website=The Comics Journal|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131208121422/http://www.tcj.com:80/the-bill-watterson-interview/ |archive-date=December 8, 2013 }}</ref> However, although the visual possibilities of animation appealed to Watterson, the idea of finding a voice for Calvin made him uncomfortable, as did the idea of working with a team of animators.<ref name="west1989" /> Ultimately, ''Calvin and Hobbes'' was never made into an [[animated cartoon|animated series]]. Watterson later stated in ''The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book'' that he liked the fact that his strip was a "low-tech, one-man operation," and that he took great pride in the fact that he drew every line and wrote every word on his own.<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson1995|Watterson (1995)]], p. 11.</ref> Calls from major Hollywood figures interested in an adaptation of his work, including [[Jim Henson]], [[George Lucas]] and [[Steven Spielberg]], were never returned<ref name=":1" /> and in a 2013 interview Watterson stated that he had "zero interest" in an animated adaptation as there was really no upside for him in doing so.<ref name=":2" />

==Style and influences==

The strip borrows several elements and themes from three major influences: [[Walt Kelly]]'s ''[[Pogo (comic strip)|Pogo]]'', [[George Herriman]]'s ''[[Krazy Kat]]'' and [[Charles M. Schulz]]'s ''[[Peanuts]]''.<ref name="Watterson 1995 p. 21">{{harvp|Watterson|1995|p=21}}</ref> Schulz and Kelly particularly influenced Watterson's outlook on comics during his formative years.<ref name="christie1987" />

Notable elements of Watterson's artistic style are his characters' diverse and often exaggerated expressions (particularly those of Calvin), elaborate and bizarre backgrounds for Calvin's flights of imagination, expressions of motion and frequent visual jokes and metaphors. In the later years of the strip, with more panel space available for his use, Watterson experimented more freely with different panel layouts, art styles, stories without dialogue and greater use of [[White space (visual arts)|white space]]. He also experimented with his tools, once inking a strip with a stick from his yard in order to achieve a particular look.<ref>Watterson's personal conversation with [[Bill Amend]] as reported in ''Camp [[FoxTrot]]'' ([[Andrews McMeel Publishing]], 1998, 978-0836267471).</ref> He also makes a point of not showing certain things explicitly: the "Noodle Incident" and the [[Children's literature|children's book]] ''Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooie'' are left to the reader's imagination, where Watterson was sure they would be "more outrageous" than he could portray.<ref>{{harvp|Watterson|1995|p=200}}</ref>

== Production and technique ==

Watterson's technique started with minimalist [[Sketch (drawing)|pencil sketches]] drawn with a [[light pencil]] (though the larger Sunday strips often required more elaborate work) on a piece of [[Bristol board]], with his brand of choice being Strathmore because he felt it held the drawings better on the page as opposed to the cheaper brands (Watterson said he initially used any cheap pad of Bristol board his local supply store had but switched to Strathmore after he found himself growing more and more displeased with the results). He would then use a small [[Kolinsky sable-hair brush|sable]] brush and [[India ink]] to fill in the rest of the drawing, saying that he did not want to simply trace over his penciling and thus make the inking more spontaneous. He lettered dialogue with a [[Rotring|Rapidograph]] [[fountain pen]], and he used a [[quill|crowquill]] pen for odds and ends.<ref name="Watterson 1995 p. 20">[[#CITEREFWatterson1995|Watterson (1995)]], p. 20.</ref> Mistakes were covered with various forms of [[correction fluid]], including the type used on typewriters. Watterson was careful in his use of color, often spending a great deal of time in choosing the right colors to employ for the weekly Sunday strip; his technique was to cut the color tabs the syndicate sent him into individual squares, lay out the colors, and then paint a watercolor approximation of the strip on tracing paper over the Bristol board and then mark the strip accordingly before sending it on.<ref name="Watterson 2001">[[#CITEREFWatterson2001|Watterson (2001)]].</ref> When ''Calvin and Hobbes'' began there were 64 colors available for the Sunday strips. For the later Sunday strips Watterson had 125 colors as well as the ability to fade the colors into each other.<ref name="Watterson 1995 p. 20"/>

==Main characters==

===Calvin===

[[File:Calvin, of Calvin and Hobbes.png|thumb|146x146px|The main character, Calvin]]

Calvin, named after the 16th-century theologian [[John Calvin]], is a six-year-old boy with spiky [[blond]] hair and a distinctive red-and-black striped shirt, black pants and sneakers.<ref name="Watterson 1995 p. 21" /> Despite his poor grades in school, Calvin demonstrates his intelligence through a sophisticated vocabulary, philosophical mind and creative/artistic talent. Watterson described Calvin as having "not much of a filter between his brain and his mouth", a "little too intelligent for his age", lacking in restraint and not yet having the experience to "know the things that you shouldn't do."<ref name="williams1987">{{cite book|title=Watterson: Calvin's other alter ego|last=Williams|first=Gene|work=[[Cleveland Plain Dealer]]|year=1987}}</ref> The comic strip largely revolves around Calvin's inner world and his largely antagonistic experiences with those outside of it (fellow students, authority figures and his parents).

===Hobbes===

[[File:Hobbes comic strip character.jpg|thumb|152x152px|Hobbes]]

From Calvin's point of view, Hobbes is an [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] [[tiger]] much larger than Calvin and full of independent attitudes and ideas. When the scene includes any other human, they see merely a stuffed toy, usually seated at an off-kilter angle and blankly staring into space. The true nature of the character is never resolved, instead as Watterson describes, a 'grown-up' version of reality is juxtaposed against Calvin's, with the reader left to "decide which is truer".<ref name=":4">{{Cite book|title=Looking for Calvin and Hobbes : the unconventional story of Bill Watterson and his revolutionary comic strip|last=Nevin.|first=Martell|date=2009|publisher=Continuum|isbn=9781441193667|location=New York|oclc=682891953}}</ref> Hobbes is based on a cat Watterson owned, a grey tabby named Sprite. Sprite inspired the length of Hobbes' body as well as his personality. Although Hobbes' humor stems from acting like a human, Watterson maintained Sprite's feline attitude.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.calvinandhobbes.com/about-calvin-and-hobbes/|title=About Calvin and Hobbes|website=www.calvinandhobbes.com|access-date=2020-03-10}}</ref>

Hobbes is named after 17th-century philosopher [[Thomas Hobbes]], who held what Watterson describes as "a dim view of human nature."<ref name="Watterson 1995">[[#CITEREFWatterson1995|Watterson (1995)]].</ref> He typically exhibits a greater understanding of consequences than Calvin, but rarely intervenes in Calvin's activities beyond a few oblique warnings. He often likes to sneak up and pounce on Calvin, especially at the front door when Calvin is returning home from school. The friendship between the two characters provides the core dynamic of the strip.

===Calvin's parents===

[[File:Calvin's mom and dad.png|thumb|142x142px|The unnamed parents of Calvin]]

Calvin's [[Secondary characters in Calvin and Hobbes#Calvin's mother|mother]] and [[Secondary characters in Calvin and Hobbes#Calvin's father|father]] are typical [[Middle class|middle-class]] parents who are relatively down to earth and whose sensible attitudes serve as a [[Foil (literature)|foil]] for Calvin's outlandish behavior. Calvin's father is a [[patent attorney]] (like Watterson's own father),<ref name="Watterson 1995" /> while his mother is a [[Homemaker|stay-at-home mom]]. Both parents are unnamed throughout the entire strip, as Watterson insists, "As far as the strip is concerned, they are important only as Calvin's mom and dad."

Watterson recounts that some fans are angered by the sometimes sardonic way that Calvin's parents respond to him.<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson1995|Watterson (1995)]], p. 23.</ref> In response, Watterson defends what Calvin's parents do, remarking that in the case of parenting a kid like Calvin, "I think they do a better job than I would." Calvin's father is overly concerned with "character building" activities in a number of strips, either in the things he makes Calvin do or in the austere eccentricities of his own lifestyle.<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson1995|Watterson (1995)]], p. 194.</ref>

===Susie Derkins===

[[File:Susie Derkins.png|thumb|95x95px|Susie Derkins, Calvin's classmate]]

Susie Derkins, who first appears early in the strip and is the only important character with both a first and last name, lives on Calvin's street and is one of his classmates. Her last name apparently derives from the pet [[beagle]] owned by Watterson's wife's family.<ref name="chars">{{cite web |url=http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/calvinandhobbes/characters.html |title=''Calvin and Hobbes'' Cast of Characters Cast of Characters |publisher=Andrew McMeel |access-date=March 19, 2006 |first=Bill |last=Watterson |archive-date=February 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212095028/http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/calvinandhobbes/characters.html |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref>

Susie is studious and polite (though she can be aggressive if sufficiently provoked), and she likes to play house or host [[Tea party|tea parties]] with her stuffed animals. She also plays imaginary games with Calvin in which she acts as a high-powered lawyer or politician and wants Calvin to pretend to be her [[Stay-at-home dad|househusband]]. Though both of them are typically loath to admit it, Calvin and Susie exhibit many common traits and inclinations. For example, the reader occasionally sees Susie with a stuffed rabbit named "[[Secondary characters in Calvin and Hobbes#Mr. Bun|Mr. Bun]]." Much like Calvin, Susie has a mischievous (and sometimes aggressive) streak as well, which the reader witnesses whenever she subverts Calvin's attempts to cheat on school tests by feeding him incorrect answers, or whenever she fights back after Calvin attacks her with snowballs or water balloons.

Hobbes often openly expresses romantic feelings for Susie, to Calvin's disgust. In contrast, Calvin started a club (of which he and Hobbes are the only members) that he calls G.R.O.S.S. ('''G'''et '''R'''id '''O'''f '''S'''limy Girl'''S''') and, while holding "meetings" in Calvin's [[tree house]] or in the "box of secrecy" in Calvin's room, they usually come up with some plot against Susie. In one instance, Calvin steals one of Susie's dolls and holds it for ransom, only to have Susie retaliate by nabbing Hobbes. Watterson admits that Calvin and Susie have a nascent crush on each other and that Susie is a reference to the type of woman whom Watterson himself found attractive and eventually married.<ref name="Watterson 1995" />

Susie features as a main character in two of the five storylines that appear in ''[[Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes]]''.<ref name="twch" />

===Secondary characters===

{{Main|Secondary characters in Calvin and Hobbes}} Calvin also interacts with a handful of secondary characters. Several of these, including '''Rosalyn''', his [[babysitter]]; '''Miss Wormwood''', his teacher; and '''Moe''', the school bully, recur regularly through the duration of the strip.

==Recurring elements and themes==

===Art and academia===

Watterson used the strip to poke fun at the art world, principally through Calvin's unconventional creations of [[snowman|snowmen]] but also through other expressions of childhood art. When Miss Wormwood complains that he is wasting class time drawing impossible things (a ''[[Stegosaurus]]'' in a rocket ship, for example), Calvin proclaims himself "on the cutting edge of the ''[[avant-garde]]''."<ref>{{Cite comic|cartoonist=Bill Watterson|title=Calvin and Hobbes|date=October 31, 1990|publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing}}</ref><ref>{{Cite comic|cartoonist=Bill Watterson|title=Calvin and Hobbes|date=November 1, 1990|publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=November 01, 1990 |url=https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1990/11/01 |website=GoComics |language=en |date=1 November 1990}}</ref> He begins exploring the medium of snow when a warm day melts his snowman. His next sculpture "speaks to the horror of our own mortality, inviting the viewer to contemplate the evanescence of life."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Watterson |first1=Bill |title=February 21, 1990 |url=https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1990/02/21 |website=GoComics |language=en |date=21 February 1990}}</ref> In later strips, Calvin's creative instincts diversify to include sidewalk drawings (or, as he terms them, examples of "suburban [[postmodernism]]").<ref>{{cite web |last1=Watterson |first1=Bill |title=July 13, 1995 |url=https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/07/13 |website=GoComics |language=en |date=13 July 1995 |ref=none}}</ref>

Watterson also lampooned the [[academia|academic world]]. In one example, Calvin carefully crafts an "[[artist's statement]]", claiming that such essays convey more messages than artworks themselves ever do (Hobbes blandly notes, "You misspelled ''[[World view|Weltanschauung]]''").<ref>{{Cite comic|cartoonist=Bill Watterson|title=Calvin and Hobbes|date=July 15, 1995}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Watterson |first1=Bill |title=July 15, 1995 |url=https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1995/07/15 |website=GoComics |language=en |date=15 July 1995 |ref=none}}</ref> He indulges in what Watterson calls "pop [[psychobabble]]" to justify his destructive rampages and shift blame to his parents, citing "toxic codependency."<ref>{{Cite comic|cartoonist=Bill Watterson|title=Calvin and Hobbes|date=January 21, 1993}}</ref> In one instance, he pens a book report based on the theory that the purpose of academic writing is to "inflate weak ideas, obscure poor reasoning and inhibit clarity," entitled ''The Dynamics of Interbeing and Monological Imperatives in [[Dick and Jane]]: A Study in Psychic Transrelational Gender Modes''. Displaying his creation to Hobbes, he remarks, "Academia, here I come!"<ref>{{cite web |last1=Watterson |first1=Bill |title=February 11, 1993 cartoon |url=https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1993/02/11 |website=GoComics |language=en |date=11 February 1993}}</ref> Watterson explains that he adapted this jargon (and similar examples from several other strips) from an actual book of art criticism.<ref name="Watterson 1995" />

Overall, Watterson's satirical essays serve to attack both sides, criticizing both the commercial mainstream and the artists who are supposed to be "outside" it. The strip on Sunday, June 21, 1992, criticized the naming of The [[Big Bang]] theory as not evocative of the wonders behind it and coined the term "Horrendous Space Kablooie",<ref>{{cite book|title=The Complete Calvin and Hobbes|last=Watterson|first=Bill|publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing|year=2012|isbn=978-1-4494-3325-3|volume=3|page=287}}</ref> an alternative that achieved some informal popularity among scientists and was often shortened to "the HSK."<ref name="sampson">{{cite book|title=Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe|last=Singh|first=Simon |publisher=Fourth Estate|year=2006|isbn=978-0-00-716220-8|author-link=Simon Singh|title-link=Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe}}</ref> The term has also been referred to in newspapers,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/11/us/calling-big-bang-a-dud-journal-seeks-new-name.html|title=Calling 'Big Bang' a Dud, Journal Seeks New Name|date=June 11, 1993|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 27, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414044730/http://www.nytimes.com/1993/06/11/us/calling-big-bang-a-dud-journal-seeks-new-name.html|archive-date=April 14, 2012|url-status=live|df=mdy}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3626029/We-are-wandering-stardust.html|title=We Are Wandering Stardust|last=Martin|first=Andy|date=October 17, 2004|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=February 27, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501200955/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3626029/We-are-wandering-stardust.html|archive-date=May 1, 2010|url-status=live|location=London}}</ref> books<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1fKKq44B9ewC&q=horrendous+space+kablooie&pg=PA47|title=Creation, Evolution, and Modern Science|last1=Anderson|first1=Kerby|last2=Bohlin|first2=Raymond G.|publisher=Kregel Publications|year=2000|isbn=978-0-8254-2033-7|access-date=February 27, 2008}}</ref> and university courses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://supernova.lbl.gov/~evlinder/umass/sumold/subsum.html|title=Cosmology Summary|last=Linder|first=Eric|access-date=February 27, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Moseley|first=Caroline|date=May 7, 2001|title=Faculty Team Serves Up a Slice of the Universe|url=http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/01/0507/3a.shtml|url-status=live|volume=90|issue=27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629083526/http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/01/0507/3a.shtml|archive-date=June 29, 2011|access-date=February 27, 2008|journal=Princeton Weekly Bulletin}}</ref>

There are many recurring gags in the strip, some in reality and others in Calvin's imagination. These are as follows:

===Calvin's alter-egos===

Calvin imagines himself as many great creatures and other people, including [[dinosaur]]s, elephants, jungle-farers and superheroes. Three of his [[alter ego]]s are well-defined and recurrent:<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-01-12 |title=Spaceman Spiff and the Stupendous Man: The Culture Industry in "Calvin and Hobbes" |url=http://www.stripteasethemag.com/spaceman-spiff-and-the-stupendous-man-the-culture-industry-in-calvin-and-hobbes/ |access-date=2022-06-19 |language=en-US}}</ref>

*{{anchor|Spaceman Spiff}}"'''Spaceman Spiff'''" is a heroic spacefarer who narrates his adventures in the [[Third-person pronoun|third person]]. As Spiff, Calvin battles aliens (typically his parents or teacher, but also sometimes other kids his age) with a ray gun known as a "zorcher" (later "frap-ray blaster", "death ray blaster" or "atomic napalm neutralizer") and travels to distant planets (his house, school or neighborhood), often crashing unhurt on a planet. Calvin's self-narration as Spaceman Spiff is frequently riddled with alliteration: "Zounds! Zorched by Zarches, Spaceman Spiff's crippled craft crashes on planet Plootarg!" Watterson has stated the idea of Spaceman Spiff came from an earlier attempt as a cartoon,{{sfn|Martell|2010|p=28}} and is meant as a parody of [[Flash Gordon]].{{sfn|Martell|2010|p=58|ps=: "A sarcastic send-up of classic Sci-Fi strips, Spiff paid backhand homage to flashy space heroes like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon while tapping into the Star Wars craze."}}

* "'''Tracer Bullet'''" is a [[hardboiled]] private eye, who says he has eight slugs in him ("One's lead, and the rest are bourbon."). In one story, Bullet is called to a case in which a "pushy dame" (Calvin's mother) accuses him of destroying an expensive lamp (broken during an indoor football game between Calvin and Hobbes). Later, he is snatched by the pushy dame's "hired goon" (Calvin's father having a talk with him). In another, he "investigates" a math word problem during class, "closing the case" with an answer of 1,000,000,000 when the correct response was 15. He made his debut when Calvin donned a [[fedora]] in order to hide a terrible haircut Hobbes had given him. These strips are drawn in elaborate, shadowy black-and-white that evoke [[film noir]]. Watterson did not attempt Tracer Bullet stories often, due to the time-consuming way the strip needed to be drawn and inked.<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson1995|Watterson (1995)]], p. 132.</ref>

{{anchor|Stupendous Man}}

* "'''Stupendous Man'''" is a superhero who wears a mask and a cape (made by Calvin's mother) and narrates his own adventures. While Calvin is in character as Stupendous Man, he refers to his alter ego as a mild-mannered millionaire playboy. Stupendous Man almost always "suffers defeat" at the hands of his opponent. When Hobbes asks if Stupendous Man has ever won any battles, Calvin says all his battles are "moral victories." Stupendous Man's nemeses include "Mom-Lady" (Calvin's mom), "Annoying Girl" (Susie Derkins), "Crab Teacher" (Miss Wormwood) and "Baby-Sitter Girl" (Rosalyn). Some of the "super powers" of the villains have been revealed: Mom-Lady has a "mind scrambling eyeball ray" that wills the victim to "do her nefarious bidding"; and Baby Sitter Girl has a similar power of using a "psycho beam" which weakens "Stupendous Man's stupendous will". The "powers" of Annoying Girl and Crab Teacher are never revealed. Calvin often tries to pretend he and "Stupendous Man" are two different people, but it fails to work. Stupendous Man has multiple "superpowers", including, but not limited to, super strength, the ability to fly, various vision powers such as "high-speed vision", "muscles of magnitude" and a stomach of steel.

===Cardboard boxes===

{{more citations needed section|date=November 2022}}

[[File:Scientific Progress Goes Boink (Calvin and Hobbes).jpg|thumb|Calvin duplicating himself using a cardboard box, as seen on the cover of ''Scientific Progress Goes "Boink"'']]

Calvin also has several adventures involving corrugated [[cardboard box]]es, which he adapts for many imaginative and elaborate uses. In one strip, when Calvin shows off his [[Transmogrifier]], a device that transforms its user into any desired creature or item, Hobbes remarks, "It's amazing what they do with corrugated cardboard these days."<ref name="watterson1988_p229">{{cite book |last=Watterson |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Watterson |title=The Essential Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury |year=1988 |publisher=Andrews and McMeel |location=Kansas City, Missouri |isbn=0-8362-1805-1 |page=[https://archive.org/details/essentialcalvinh00watt_1/page/229 229] |title-link=List of Calvin and Hobbes books }}</ref> Calvin is able to change the function of the boxes by rewriting the label and flipping the box onto another side. In this way, a box can be used not only for its conventional purposes (a storage container for water balloons, for example), but also as a flying [[Time travel|time machine]], a duplicator, a transmogrifier or, with the attachment of a few wires and a colander, a "Cerebral Enhance-o-tron."

In the real world, Calvin's antics with his box have had varying effects. When he transmogrified into a tiger, he still appeared as a regular human child to his parents. However, in a story where he made several duplicates of himself, his parents are seen interacting with what does seem like multiple Calvins, including in a strip where two of him are seen in the same panel as his father. It is ultimately unknown what his parents do or do not see, as Calvin tries to hide most of his creations (or conceal their effects) so as not to traumatize them.

In addition, Calvin uses a cardboard box as a sidewalk kiosk to sell things. Often, Calvin offers merchandise no one would want, such as "suicide drink", "a swift kick in the butt" for one dollar<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson1995|Watterson (1995)]], p. 172.</ref> or a "frank appraisal of your looks" for fifty cents. In one strip, he sells "happiness" for ten cents, hitting the customer in the face with a water balloon and explaining that he meant his own happiness. In another strip, he sold "insurance", [[Protection racket|firing a slingshot at those who refused to buy it]]. In some strips, he tried to sell "great ideas" and, in one earlier strip, he attempted to sell the family car to obtain money for a grenade launcher. In yet another strip, he sells "life" for five cents, where the customer receives nothing in return, which, in Calvin's opinion, is life.

The box has also functioned as an alternate secret meeting place for G.R.O.S.S., as the "Box of Secrecy".

[[File:Calvin and Hobbes playing Calvinball.jpg|thumb|296x296px|Calvin and Hobbes playing Calvinball with an assortment of sporting equipment.]]

===Calvinball===

<!-- Courtesy note per [[WP:LiNK2SECT]]: [[Calvinball]] redirects here -->

{{quote box

| align = right

| width = 25em

| quote = <poem>

Other kids' games are all such a bore!

They've gotta have rules and they gotta keep score!

Calvinball is better by far!

It's never the same! It's always bizarre!

You don't need a team or a referee!

You know that it's great, 'cause it's named after me!

<!-- Yes, the strip continues "If you wanna...". We left that out because it doesn't contribute anything to the article. -->

</poem>

| source = —Excerpt from the Calvinball theme song<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson2005|Watterson (2005)]]. vol. 3, p. 432. Comic originally published 1995-09-11.</ref>

}}Calvinball is an improvisational sport/game introduced in a 1990 storyline that involved Calvin's negative experience of joining the school baseball team. Calvinball is a [[nomic]] or self-modifying game, a contest of wits, skill and creativity rather than stamina or athletic skill. The game is portrayed as a rebellion against conventional team sports<ref name="CC+H_b2_p268-273">[[#CITEREFWatterson2005|Watterson (2005)]]. vol. 2, pp. 268–273. Comics originally published 1990-04-16 to 1990-05-05.</ref> and became a staple of the final 5 years of the comic. The only consistent rules of the game are that Calvinball may never be played with the same rules twice<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson2005|Watterson (2005)]]. vol. 2, p. 292. Comic originally published 1990-05-27.</ref> and that each participant must wear a mask.<ref name="CC+H_b3_p430-433">[[#CITEREFWatterson2005|Watterson (2005)]]. vol. 3, pp. 430–434. Comics originally published 1995-09-04 to 1995-09-16.</ref>

When asked how to play, Watterson stated: "It's pretty simple: you make up the rules as you go."<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson1995|Watterson (1995)]], p. 129.</ref> In most appearances of the game, a comical array of conventional and non-conventional sporting equipment is involved, including a [[croquet]] set, a badminton set, assorted flags, bags, signs, a [[Hobby horse (toy)|hobby horse]], water buckets and balloons, with humorous allusions to unseen elements such as "time-fracture wickets". Scoring is portrayed as arbitrary and nonsensical ("Q to 12" and "oogy to boogy"<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson2005|Watterson (2005)]]. vol. 2, pp. 292, 336. Comics originally published 1990-05-27 and 1990-08-26.</ref>) and the lack of fixed rules leads to lengthy argument between the participants as to who scored, where the boundaries are, and when the game is finished.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Philosophical Athlete|last=Reid|first=Heather Lynne|publisher=Carolina Academic Press|year=2002|pages=190}}</ref> Usually, the contest results in Calvin being outsmarted by Hobbes. The game has been described in one academic work not as a new game based on fragments of an older one, but as the "constant connecting and disconnecting of parts, the constant evasion of rules or guidelines based on collective creativity."<ref>{{Cite book|title=Philosophy in Children's Literature|last=Jones|first=Kelly|publisher=Lexington Books|year=2012|pages=112|chapter=Mapping Chris Van Allsburg's The Mysteries of Harris Burdick}}</ref>

===Snowmen and other snow art===

{{unreferenced section|date=November 2022}}

Calvin often creates horrendous/[[Black comedy|dark humor]] scenes with his [[Snowman|snowmen]] and other snow sculptures. He uses the snowman for social commentary, revenge or pure enjoyment. Examples include Snowman Calvin being yelled at by Snowman Dad to shovel the snow; one snowman eating [[snow cone]]s scooped out of a second snowman, who is lying on the ground with an ice-cream scoop in his back; a "snowman house of horror"; and snowmen representing people he hates. "The ones I ''really'' hate are small, so they'll melt faster," he says. There was even an occasion on which Calvin accidentally brought a snowman to life and it made itself and a small army into "deranged mutant killer monster snow goons."

Calvin's snow art is often used as a commentary on art in general. For example, Calvin has complained more than once about the lack of originality in other people's snow art and compared it with his own grotesque snow sculptures. In one of these instances, Calvin and Hobbes claim to be the sole guardians of high culture; in another, Hobbes admires Calvin's willingness to put artistic integrity above marketability, causing Calvin to reconsider and make an ordinary snowman.

===Wagon and sled rides===

Calvin and Hobbes frequently ride downhill in a [[wagon]] or [[sled]] (depending on the season), as a device to add some [[physical comedy]] to the strip and because, according to Watterson, "it's a lot more interesting ... than talking heads."<ref name="Watterson 1995 p. 104">{{harvp|Watterson|1995|p=104}}</ref> While the ride is sometimes the focus of the strip,<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson2005|Watterson (2005)]]. vol. 2, pp. 233, 325. Comics originally published 1990-01-07 and 1990-08-10.</ref> it also frequently serves as a counterpoint or visual metaphor while Calvin ponders the meaning of life, death, God, philosophy or a variety of other weighty subjects.<ref name="Watterson 1995 p. 104" /><ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson2005|Watterson (2005)]]. vol. 1, pp. 26, 56, 217; vol. 2, pp. 120, 237, 267, 298, 443; vol. 3, pp. 16, 170, 224, 326, 414. Comics originally published 1985-11-30, 1986-02-07, 1987-01-11, 1989-05-28, 1990-02-04, 1990-04-15, 1990-06-10, 1992-02-02, 1992-05-17, 1993-04-18, 1993-08-22, 1995-01-14, and 1995-07-30.</ref> Many of their rides end in spectacular crashes which leave them battered, beaten up and broken, a fact which convinces Hobbes to sometimes hop off before a ride even begins.<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson2005|Watterson (2005)]]. vol. 2, p. 373. Comic originally published 1990-12-01.</ref> In the final strip, Calvin and Hobbes depart on their sled to go exploring.<ref name="CC+H_final_strip" /> This theme is similar (perhaps even an homage) to scenes in Walt Kelly's ''[[Pogo (comics)|Pogo]]''.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} Calvin and Hobbes' sled has been described as the most famous sled in American arts since ''[[Citizen Kane]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |title='Calvin and Hobbes' said goodbye 25 years ago. Here's why Bill Watterson's masterwork enchants us still. |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2020/12/31/calvin-hobbes-bill-watterson/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

===G.R.O.S.S. (Get Rid of Slimy GirlS) ===

G.R.O.S.S. (which is a [[backronym]] for '''G'''et '''R'''id '''O'''f '''S'''limy Girl'''S''', "otherwise it doesn't spell anything") is a [[Club (organization)|club]] in which Calvin and Hobbes are the only members. The club was founded in the garage of their house, but to clear space for its activities, Calvin and (purportedly) Hobbes push Calvin's parents' car, causing it to roll into a ditch (but not suffer damage); the incident prompts the duo to change the club's location to Calvin's treehouse. They hold meetings that involve finding ways to annoy and discomfort Susie Derkins, a girl and enemy of their club. Notable actions include planting a fake secret tape near her in attempt to draw her in to a trap, trapping her in a closet at their house and creating elaborate water balloon traps. Calvin gave himself and Hobbes important positions in the club, Calvin being "Dictator-for-Life" and Hobbes being "President-and-First-Tiger". They go into Calvin's treehouse for their club meetings and often get into fights during them. The password to get into the treehouse is intentionally long and difficult, which has on at least one occasion ruined Calvin's plans. As Hobbes is able to climb the tree without the rope, he is usually the one who comes up with the password, which often involves heaping praise upon tigers. An example of this can be seen in the comic strip where Calvin, rushing to get into the treehouse to throw things at a passing Susie Derkins, insults Hobbes, who is in the treehouse and thus has to let down the rope. Hobbes forces Calvin to say the password for insulting him. By the time Susie arrives, in time to hear Calvin saying some of the password, causing him to stumble, Calvin is on "''Verse Seven:'' Tigers are perfect!/The E-pit-o-me/of good looks and grace/and quiet..uh..um..dignity". The opportunity to pelt Susie with something having passed, Calvin threatens to turn Hobbes into a rug.<ref name="watterson1990_p36">{{cite book |last=Watterson |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Watterson |title=Weirdos from Another Planet! |year=1990 |publisher=Andrews and McMeel |location=Kansas City, Missouri |isbn=0-8362-1862-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/weirdosfromanoth00watt/page/36 36] |title-link=List of Calvin and Hobbes books }}</ref>

==Books==

{{Main|List of Calvin and Hobbes books}}

There are 18 ''Calvin and Hobbes'' books, published from 1987 to 1997. These include 11 collections, which form a complete archive of the newspaper strips, except for a single daily strip from November 28, 1985. (The collections ''do'' contain a strip for this date, but it is not the same strip that appeared in some newspapers.) Treasuries usually combine the two preceding collections with bonus material and include color reprints of Sunday comics.

Watterson included some new material in the treasuries. In ''The Essential Calvin and Hobbes'', which includes cartoons from the collections ''Calvin and Hobbes'' and ''Something Under the Bed Is Drooling'', the back cover features a scene of a giant Calvin rampaging through a town. The scene is based on Watterson's home town of [[Chagrin Falls, Ohio]], and Calvin is holding the [[Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop]], an iconic candy and ice cream shop overlooking the town's namesake falls.<ref name="APWattersonPrivacy">{{cite news|url=http://ignatz.brinkster.net/cprivacy.html |title=Calvin and Hobbes Creator Keeps Privacy |last=Milicia |first=Joe |date=October 22, 2005 |agency=[[Associated Press]] via Calvin and Hobbes: Magic on Paper (fan site) |access-date=April 29, 2009 |archive-date=June 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607004646/http://ignatz.brinkster.net/cprivacy.html |url-status=dead |df=mdy }}</ref> Several of the treasuries incorporate additional poetry; ''The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes'' book features a set of poems, ranging from just a few lines to an entire page, that cover topics such as Calvin's mother's "hindsight" and exploring the woods.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes.|last=Watterson, Bill.|date=2015-08-11|publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing|isbn=9781449472351|oclc=1038036726}}</ref> In ''The Essential Calvin and Hobbes'', Watterson presents a long poem explaining a night's battle against a monster from Calvin's perspective. ''The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes'' includes a story based on Calvin's use of the Transmogrifier to finish his reading homework.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The authoritative Calvin and Hobbes|last=Watterson, Bill |isbn=0836218221|oclc=22134006|year = 1990|publisher=Andrews McMeel }}</ref>

A complete collection of ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strips, in three hardcover volumes totaling 1440 pages, was released on October 4, 2005, by Andrews McMeel Publishing. It includes color prints of the art used on paperback covers, the treasuries' extra illustrated stories and poems and a new introduction by Bill Watterson in which he talks about his inspirations and his story leading up to the publication of the strip. The alternate 1985 strip is still omitted, and three other strips (January 7 and November 24, 1987, and November 25, 1988) have altered dialogue.<ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson2005|Watterson (2005)]]. vol. 1, p. 215; vol. 2, p. 33.</ref><ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson1995|Watterson (1995)]], p. 43.</ref><ref name="watterson1990_p125">{{cite book |last=Watterson |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Watterson |title=Weirdos from Another Planet! |year=1990 |publisher=Andrews and McMeel |location=Kansas City, Missouri |isbn=0-8362-1862-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/weirdosfromanoth00watt/page/125 125] |title-link=List of Calvin and Hobbes books }}</ref> A four-volume paperback version was released November 13, 2012.

To celebrate the release (which coincided with the strip's 20th anniversary and the tenth anniversary of its absence from newspapers), Bill Watterson answered 15 questions submitted by readers.<ref name="amiv">{{cite web | url=http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/calvinandhobbes/interview.html | title=Fans From Around the World Interview Bill Watterson | year=2005 | publisher=[[Andrews McMeel Publishing]] | access-date=December 24, 2011 | archive-date=July 20, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720001858/http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/calvinandhobbes/interview.html | url-status=dead | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Early books were printed in smaller format in black and white. These were later reproduced in twos in color in the "Treasuries" (''Essential'', ''Authoritative'' and ''Indispensable''), except for the contents of ''Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons''. Those Sunday strips were not reprinted in color until the ''Complete'' collection was finally published in 2005.

Watterson claims he named the books the "''Essential'', ''Authoritative'' and ''Indispensable''" because, as he says in ''The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book'', the books are "obviously none of these things."<ref name="Watterson 1995"/>

===''Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes''===

{{Main|Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes}}

[[File:Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes 1993 Linda Holmen Mary Santella-Johnson Bill Watterson textbook cover by Jan Roebken.jpg|thumb|right|150px|''[[Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes]]'']]

An officially licensed children's textbook entitled ''Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes'' was published in a single [[print run]] in [[Fargo, North Dakota]], in 1993.<ref name="twch" /> The book is composed of ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strips that form story arcs, including "The Binoculars" and "The Bug Collection", followed by lessons based on the stories.<ref name="twch" />

{{quotation|What do you think the principal meant when he said they had "quite a file" on Calvin? -''Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes''<ref name="twch" />}}

The book is rare and highly sought.<ref name="Martell 2010 p. 236"/><ref name="murphy2011">{{cite web |url=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2384102,00.asp |title=Amazon Algorithm Price War Leads to $23.6-Million-Dollar Book Listing |first=David |last=Murphy |date=April 23, 2011 |work=[[PC Magazine]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |location=New York City |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220830193324/https://www.pcmag.com/archive/amazon-algorithm-price-war-leads-to-236-million-dollar-book-listing-263552 |archivedate=August 30, 2022 |url-status=live |accessdate=June 19, 2023 |quote=...you're trying to hunt down that elusive, rare edition of ''Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes''?}}</ref> It has been called the [[wikt:Holy Grail#Noun|"Holy Grail"]] for ''Calvin and Hobbes'' collectors.<ref name="blevins2016">{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-obscure-teaching-with-calvin-and-hobbes-is-a-collec-1798253606 |title=The obscure ''Teaching With Calvin And Hobbes'' is a collector's Holy Grail |first=Joe |last=Blevins |date=October 27, 2016 |website=[[The A.V. Club]] |publisher=[[G/O Media]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528204422/https://www.avclub.com/the-obscure-teaching-with-calvin-and-hobbes-is-a-collec-1798253606 |archive-date=May 28, 2023 |url-status=live |access-date=June 19, 2023}}</ref>

==Reception==

Reviewing ''Calvin and Hobbes'' in 1990, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'s}} [[Ken Tucker]] gave the strip an A+ rating, writing "Watterson summons up the pain and confusion of childhood as much as he does its innocence and fun."<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Tucker |first1=Ken |title=Ken Tucker rates the daily comic strips |url=https://ew.com/article/1990/10/05/ken-tucker-rates-daily-comic-strips/ |access-date=12 December 2019 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=5 October 1990}}</ref>

===Academic response===

In 1993, [[paleontologist]] and [[paleoartist]] [[Gregory S. Paul]] praised Bill Watterson for the scientific accuracy of the dinosaurs appearing in ''Calvin and Hobbes''.<ref>{{cite news|author-link=Gregory S. Paul |first=Gregory S. |last=Paul |url=http://gspauldino.com/Comichistory.pdf |title=A Comic History of Dinosaurs |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] via Bringing Them Back to Life: The Science and Art of Gregory S. Paul (official site) |date=November 6, 1993 |page=A24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414055751/http://gspauldino.com/Comichistory.pdf |archive-date=April 14, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}</ref>

In her 1994 book ''When Toys Come Alive'', [[Lois Rostow Kuznets]] theorizes that Hobbes serves both as a figure of Calvin's childish fantasy life and as an outlet for the expression of [[libido|libidinous]] desires more associated with adults. Kuznets also analyzes Calvin's other fantasies, suggesting that they are a second tier of fantasies utilized in places like school where [[transitional object]]s such as Hobbes would not be socially acceptable.<ref>{{cite book | last = Kuznets | first = Lois Rostow | title = When Toys Come Alive | url = https://archive.org/details/whentoyscomealiv00kuzn | url-access = registration | publisher = [[Yale University Press]] | year = 1994| isbn = 9780300056457 }}</ref>

Political scientist [[James Q. Wilson]], in a paean to ''Calvin and Hobbes'' upon Watterson's decision to end the strip in 1995, characterized it as "our only popular explication of the [[moral philosophy]] of [[Aristotle]]."<ref name="wilson1995">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Protected/Articles/000/000/006/844kyqdt.asp |title='Calvin and Hobbes' and the Moral Sense |first=James Q. |last=Wilson |author-link=James Q. Wilson |date=1995-12-17 |magazine=[[The Weekly Standard]] |publisher=Clarity Media Group |location=Washington, D.C. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009043612/http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Protected/Articles/000/000/006/844kyqdt.asp |archive-date=2015-10-09 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-21}}</ref>

Alisa White Coleman analyzed the strip's underlying messages concerning ethics and values in "'Calvin and Hobbes': A Critique of Society's Values," published in the ''Journal of Mass Media Ethics'' in 2000.<ref name="coleman2000">{{cite journal|last=Coleman|first=Alisa White|year=2000|title='Calvin and Hobbes': A Critique of Society's Values|journal=Journal of Mass Media Ethics|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|volume=15|issue=1|pages=17–28|doi=10.1207/S15327728JMME1501_3|s2cid=145206022}}<!--|access-date=2015-11-24--></ref>

A collection of original Sunday strips was exhibited at [[Ohio State University]]'s [[Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum]] in 2001. Watterson himself selected the strips and provided his own commentary for the exhibition catalog, which was later published by Andrews McMeel as ''Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985–1995''.<ref name="Watterson 2001"/>

Since the discontinuation of ''Calvin and Hobbes'', individual strips have been licensed for reprint in schoolbooks, including the Christian [[homeschooling]] book ''The Fallacy Detective'' in 2002,<ref name="tfd">{{cite book | title=The Fallacy Detective | isbn=0-9745315-0-2 | last=Bluedorn | first=Hans | publisher=Christian Logic | year=2002}}</ref> and the university-level philosophy reader ''Open Questions: Readings for Critical Thinking and Writing'' in 2005; in the latter, the ethical views of Watterson and his characters Calvin and Hobbes are discussed in relation to the views of professional philosophers.<ref name=openques>{{cite book |editor1-first=Chris |editor1-last=Anderson |editor2-first=Lex |editor2-last=Runciman |title=Open Questions: Readings for Critical Thinking and Writing |year=2005 |publisher=[[Bedford-St. Martin's]] |isbn=978-0-312-41635-5 |pages=413–414}}</ref> Since 2009, [[Twitter]] users have indicated that ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strips have appeared in textbooks for subjects in the sciences, social sciences, mathematics, philosophy and foreign language.<ref name="twittertextbook">{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/search?q=Calvin%20Hobbes%20textbook&src=typd |title='Calvin Hobbes textbook' search on Twitter |publisher=[[Twitter]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150902185026/https://twitter.com/search?q=Calvin%20Hobbes%20textbook&src=typd |archive-date=2015-09-02 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-09-02 |quote=I have yet to encounter a statistics textbook that does not contain at least one Calvin and Hobbes comic.}}</ref>

In a 2009 evaluation of the entire body of ''Calvin and Hobbes'' strips using [[grounded theory]] methodology, Christijan D. Draper found that: "Overall, ''Calvin and Hobbes'' suggests that meaningful time use is a key attribute of a life well lived," and that "the strip suggests one way to assess the meaning associated with time use is through preemptive retrospection by which a person looks at current experiences through the lens of an anticipated future..."<ref name="draper2009">{{cite thesis |last=Draper |first=Christijan D. |date=2009-05-14 |title=Exploring Calvin and Hobbes: Comic Strip Illuminates Issues Surrounding Family Recreation |type=M.S. |publisher=[[Brigham Young University]] |url=http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd2924 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328204011/http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/1694 |archive-date=2013-03-28 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-24}}</ref>

Jamey Heit's ''Imagination and Meaning in Calvin and Hobbes'', a critical and academic analysis of the strip, was published in 2012.{{sfn|Heit|2012}}

''Calvin and Hobbes'' strips were again exhibited at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University in 2014, in an exhibition entitled ''Exploring Calvin and Hobbes''.<ref name="exploring2014">{{cite web |url=http://cartoons.osu.edu/events/exploring-calvin-and-hobbes/ |title=Exploring Calvin and Hobbes: March 22, 2014 – August 3, 2014 |year=2014 |publisher=[[Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum]], [[Ohio State University]] |location=Columbus, Ohio |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150811001523/http://cartoons.osu.edu/events/exploring-calvin-and-hobbes/ |archive-date=2015-08-11 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-21}}</ref> An exhibition catalog by the same title, which also contained an interview with Watterson conducted by Jenny Robb, the curator of the museum, was published by Andrews McMeel in 2015.<ref name="cavna2015">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/03/09/bill-watterson-talks-this-is-why-you-must-read-the-new-exploring-calvin-and-hobbes-book/ |title=Bill Watterson talks: This is why you must read the new 'Exploring Calvin and Hobbes' book |first=Michael |last=Cavna |author-link=Michael Cavna |date=2015-03-09 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |publisher=Nash Holdings LLC |location=Washington, D.C. |access-date=2015-11-21}}</ref><ref>[[#CITEREFWatterson2015|Watterson (2015)]].</ref>

==Legacy==

{{See also|Dear Mr. Watterson}}

{{Quote box

| quote = "Since its concluding panel in 1995, ''Calvin and Hobbes'' has remained one of the most influential and well-loved comic strips of our time."

| source = –''[[The Atlantic]]'', "How ''Calvin and Hobbes'' Inspired a Generation," October 25, 2013<ref name="price-waldman2013">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/video/archive/2013/10/how-i-calvin-and-hobbes-i-inspired-a-generation/280867/ |title=How ''Calvin and Hobbes'' Inspired a Generation |first=Sam |last=Price-Waldman |date=2013-10-25 |magazine=[[The Atlantic]] |publisher=[[Atlantic Media]] |location=Washington, D.C. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141002083513/http://www.theatlantic.com/video/archive/2013/10/how-i-calvin-and-hobbes-i-inspired-a-generation/280867/ |archive-date=2014-10-02 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-21}}</ref>

| width = 400px

}}

Years after its original newspaper run, ''Calvin and Hobbes'' has continued to exert influence in [[entertainment]],<ref name="ohehir2013">{{cite web |url=http://www.salon.com/2013/11/13/dear_mr_watterson_remembering_the_last_great_newspaper_comic/ |title='Dear Mr. Watterson': Remembering the last great newspaper comic |first=Andrew |last=O'Hehir |date=2013-11-13 |work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]] |publisher=Salon Media Group |location=San Francisco, California |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924100511/http://www.salon.com/2013/11/13/dear_mr_watterson_remembering_the_last_great_newspaper_comic/ |archive-date=2015-09-24 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-21 |quote='Calvin and Hobbes' has been immensely influential – but mostly in TV animation, in stand-up and sketch comedy, and in graphic novels and in Internet culture. The newspaper comic, like the newspaper itself, has lost its social meaning.}}</ref><ref name="adkins2012">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/weighing-light-dark-calvin-hobbes |title=Weighing the Light and Dark of Calvin and Hobbes |first=Nickolai |last=Adkins |date=2012-07-13 |work=[[1UP.com]] |publisher=[[IGN]] |access-date=2015-11-21 |quote=Bill Watterson's work is undoubtedly art, but what is more important is what this means for dissonant media like that of video games. Calvin and Hobbes is proof that mass perception does not make a truth -- that a preconception of elitists or the uninitiated about what is and isn't art doesn't make it so.... Calvin and Hobbes proves that any artistic form can wear multiple hats. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208155344/http://www.1up.com/features/weighing-light-dark-calvin-hobbes |archive-date=December 8, 2015 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> [[art]],<ref name="antunes2010">{{cite web |url=http://abduzeedo.com/calvin-and-hobbes-collection |title=Calvin and Hobbes Collection |first=Paulo Gabriel |last=Antunes |date=2010-11-30 |work=Abduzeedo |location=Brazil |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122214922/http://abduzeedo.com/calvin-and-hobbes-collection |archive-date=2015-01-22 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-21 |quote=Bill Watterson's creation gotta be the reason why I love illustration.... And also, there's tons of fan art around the web, really good ones, and even sculptures.}}</ref><ref name="daniel2012">{{cite web |url=http://www.jazjaz.net/2012/06/the-days-are-just-packed-calvin-and-hobbes-inspired-art-print.html |title='The Days Are Just Packed' - A Calvin and Hobbes Inspired Art Print |author=Daniel |date=2012-06-07 |work=JazJaz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322231405/http://www.jazjaz.net/2012/06/the-days-are-just-packed-calvin-and-hobbes-inspired-art-print.html |archive-date=March 22, 2015 |url-status=dead |access-date=2015-11-21 |quote=Casey Weldon's latest art print, inspired by his childhood favorites – Calvin and Hobbes, will be released in conjunction with the opening of his solo show at Spoke Art. }}</ref> and [[fandom]].<ref name="olmstead2013">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.theamericanconservative.com/2013/07/20/imagination-and-the-artistic-value-of-calvin-hobbes/ |title=Imagination and the Artistic Value of Calvin & Hobbes |first=Gracy |last=Olmstead |date=2013-07-20 |magazine=[[The American Conservative]] |publisher=The American Ideas Institute |location=Washington, D.C. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909103656/http://www.theamericanconservative.com/2013/07/20/imagination-and-the-artistic-value-of-calvin-hobbes/ |archive-date=2015-09-09 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-21 |quote=Bill Watterson's comic series ''Calvin and Hobbes'' has inspired a religious following since its publication. Even after its retirement in 1995, millions of readers remained devoted to the series.}}</ref><ref name="hawking2013">{{cite web |url=http://flavorwire.com/425132/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-calvin-and-hobbes |title=10 Things You Didn't Know About 'Calvin and Hobbes' |first=Tom |last=Hawking |date=2013-11-14 |work=Flavorwire |publisher=Flavorpill Media |location=New York, New York |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504012347/http://flavorwire.com/425132/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-calvin-and-hobbes |archive-date=2015-05-04 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-21 |quote=''Calvin & Hobbes'' has always inspired a special brand of obsessive geekdom...}}</ref>

In television, Calvin and Hobbes have been satirically depicted in [[stop motion animation]] in the 2006 ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' episode "[[Robot Chicken (season 2)|Lust for Puppets]]," and in [[traditional animation]] in the 2009 ''[[Family Guy]]'' episode "[[Not All Dogs Go to Heaven]]."<ref>{{harvp|Martell|2010|pp=216-217}}</ref> In the 2013 ''[[Community (TV series)|Community]]'' episode "[[Paranormal Parentage]]," the characters [[Abed Nadir]] ([[Danny Pudi]]) and Troy Barnes ([[Donald Glover]]) dress as Calvin and Hobbes, respectively, for [[Halloween]].

British artists, merchandisers, booksellers, and philosophers were interviewed for a 2009 [[BBC Radio 4]] half-hour programme about the abiding popularity of the comic strip, narrated by [[Phill Jupitus]].<ref name="bbcradio42009">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mr2fj |title=Calvin and Hobbes |date=2009-09-22 |publisher=[[BBC Radio 4]] |location=United Kingdom |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223161243/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00mr2fj |archive-date=2012-02-23 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-21}}</ref>

The first book-length study of the strip,<ref name="matos2009">{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/review/nevin-martell-ilooking-for-calvin-and-hobbesi-33801 |title=Nevin Martell: ''Looking For Calvin And Hobbes'' |first=Michaelangelo |last=Matos |date=2009-10-08 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |publisher=[[Onion, Inc.]] |location=Chicago, Illinois |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202211019/http://www.avclub.com/review/nevin-martell-ilooking-for-calvin-and-hobbesi-33801 |archive-date=2015-02-02 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-21 |quote=It's surprising that until now, no one has attempted a book-length study of Bill Watterson's ''Calvin And Hobbes''.}}</ref> ''Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip'' by Nevin Martell, was first published in 2009; an expanded edition was published in 2010.<ref name="grzegorek2010">{{cite web |url=http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2010/08/31/expanded-book-chronicles-search-for-bill-watterson-calvin-and-hobbes-creator |title=Expanded Book Chronicles Search for Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes Creator |last1=Grzegorek |first1=Vince |last2=Ferris |first2=D. X. |date=2010-08-31 |work=Scene and Heard: Cleveland Scene's News Blog |publisher=[[Cleveland Scene]] |location=Cleveland, Ohio |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013200426/http://www.clevescene.com/scene-and-heard/archives/2010/08/31/expanded-book-chronicles-search-for-bill-watterson-calvin-and-hobbes-creator |archive-date=2013-10-13 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-12-02}}</ref> The book chronicles Martell's quest to tell the story of ''Calvin and Hobbes'' and Watterson through research and interviews with people connected to the cartoonist and his work.<ref>{{harvp|Martell|2010}}.</ref> The director of the later documentary ''[[Dear Mr. Watterson]]'' referenced ''Looking for Calvin and Hobbes'' in discussing the production of the movie,<ref name="hankins2013">{{cite web |url=http://nerdrepository.com/interview-joel-allen-schroeder-explores-impact-calvin-hobbes-documentary-dear-watterson/ |title=INTERVIEW – Joel Allen Schroeder explores the impact of 'Calvin and Hobbes' with documentary 'Dear Mr. Watterson' |first=Brent |last=Hankins |date=2013-11-19 |work=The Nerd Repository |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150331014533/http://nerdrepository.com/interview-joel-allen-schroeder-explores-impact-calvin-hobbes-documentary-dear-watterson/ |archive-date=2015-03-31 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-21 |quote=[Watterson] declined to be interviewed for Nevin Martell's book a few years back, and I felt like if he wasn't going to do an interview for a book, it was unlikely he would be involved or participate in a film.}}</ref> and Martell appears in the film.<ref name="lambert2013">{{cite web |url=http://www.tor.com/2013/11/15/dear-mr-watterson-movie-review/ |title=''Dear Mr. Watterson'': New ''Calvin and Hobbes'' Documentary Has So Many Feels |first=Nancy |last=Lambert |date=2013-11-15 |work=[[Tor.com]] |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151202060740/http://www.tor.com/2013/11/15/dear-mr-watterson-movie-review/ |archive-date=2015-12-02 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-21}}</ref>

The American documentary film ''[[Dear Mr. Watterson]]'', released in 2013, explores the impact and legacy of ''Calvin and Hobbes'' through interviews with authors, curators, historians, and numerous professional cartoonists.<ref name="makice2012">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2012/07/dear-mr-watterson/ |title=Dear Mr. Watterson Explains Why Geeks Love Calvin and Hobbes |first=Kevin |last=Makice |date=2012-07-02 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |location=San Francisco, California |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151202113552/http://www.wired.com/2012/07/dear-mr-watterson/ |archive-date=2015-12-02 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-21 |quote=...the film raised $25,000 to allow the crew to capture interviews with industry cartoonists, including [[Bill Amend]] (Foxtrot), [[Berkeley Breathed]] (Bloom County, Outland, Opus), [[Seth Green]] (co-creator, Robot Chicken) and [[Wiley Miller]] (Non-Sequitur).}}</ref><ref name="goldstein2013">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-dear-mr-watterson-review-20131115-story.html |title=Review: A love letter to 'Dear Mr. Watterson' |first=Gary |last=Goldstein |date=2013-11-14 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |location=Los Angeles, California |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101172810/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-dear-mr-watterson-review-20131115-story.html |archive-date=2015-01-01 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-11-21 |quote=Schroeder interviews a starry array of cartoonists, including [[Berkeley Breathed]] ("Bloom County"), [[Stephan Pastis]] ("Pearls Before Swine") and [[Jan Eliot]] ("Stone Soup"), plus authors, curators, historians and the toon's syndicators, all of whom wax poetic about Watterson's creation and its enduring influence.}}</ref>

The enduring significance of ''Calvin and Hobbes'' to international cartooning was recognized by the jury of the [[Angoulême International Comics Festival]] in 2014 by the awarding of its Grand Prix to Watterson, only the fourth American to ever receive the honor (after [[Will Eisner]], [[Robert Crumb]], and [[Art Spiegelman]]).<ref name="potet2014">{{cite news |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2014/02/02/angouleme-le-grand-prix-attribue-a-bill-watterson-le-pere-de-calvin-et-hobbes_4358548_3246.html |title=Angoulême : le Grand Prix attribué à Bill Watterson, le père de " Calvin et Hobbes " |first=Frédéric |last=Potet |date=2014-02-02 |newspaper=[[Le Monde]] |location=Paris |language=fr |access-date=2015-12-05}}</ref><ref name="angoulême2014">{{cite web |url=http://grandprix.bdangouleme.com/10/laureat-2014.html |title=Election du Grand Prix du Festival d'Angoulême 2014 |year=2014 |publisher=[[Angoulême International Comics Festival]] |language=fr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228184923/http://grandprix.bdangouleme.com/10/laureat-2014.html |archive-date=2014-12-28 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-12-05}}</ref>

From 2016 to 2021, author [[Berkeley Breathed]] included ''Calvin and Hobbes'' in various ''[[Bloom County]]'' cartoons. He launched the first cartoon on April Fool's Day 2016 and jokingly issued a statement suggesting that he had acquired ''Calvin and Hobbes'' from Bill Watterson, who was "out of the Arizona facility, continent and looking forward to some well-earned financial security."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbr.com/berkeley-breatheds-calvin-and-hobbes-gag-wins-april-fools-day/|title=Berkeley Breathed's 'Calvin and Hobbes' gag wins April Fools' Day|date=2016-04-01|work=CBR|access-date=2017-07-06|language=en-US}}</ref> While bearing Watterson's signature and drawing style as well as featuring characters from both ''Calvin and Hobbes'' and Breathed's ''Bloom County'', it is unclear whether Watterson had any input into these cartoons or not.

''Calvin and Hobbes'' remains the most viewed comic on GoComics, which cycles through old strips with an approximately 30-year delay.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Voutiritsas |first1=Thea |title=The 12 Most Popular Comic Strips of 2018 {{!}} GoComics.com |url=https://www.gocomics.com/blog/4779/the-12-most-popular-comic-strips-of-2018 |website=GoComics |language=en |date=4 January 2019}}</ref>

===Grown-up Calvin===

A number of artists and cartoonists have created unofficial works portraying Calvin as a teenager/adult;<ref name="huffingtonpost2013">{{cite web |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/28/grown-up-calvin-and-hobbes-craig-mahoney_n_3346746.html |title=Grown-Up Calvin And Hobbes: Craig Mahoney's Painting Will Bring A Tear To Your Eye (IMAGE) |date=2013-05-28 |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |publisher=[[AOL]] |location=New York, New York |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509134514/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/28/grown-up-calvin-and-hobbes-craig-mahoney_n_3346746.html |archive-date=2015-05-09 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-12-05}}</ref><ref name="canavan2009">{{cite web |url=http://gerrycanavan.blogspot.com/2009/03/grown-up-calvin-and-hobbes.html |title=Found on the Internet: grown-up Calvins and Hobbeses |first=Gerry |last=Canavan |date=2009-03-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723235910/http://gerrycanavan.blogspot.com/2009/03/grown-up-calvin-and-hobbes.html |archive-date=2009-07-23 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-12-05}}</ref> the concept has also inspired writers.<ref name="leavitt2015">{{cite book |last=Leavitt |first=Martine |author-link=Martine Leavitt |title=Calvin |year=2015 |publisher=[[Farrar, Straus and Giroux]] |isbn=978-0374380731}}</ref><ref name="jagny2015">{{cite book |last=Jagny |first=Louis A. E. |title=All Grown Up: A Boy and His Tiger |type=[[One-act play]] |year=2015 |publisher=[[Amazon.com|CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform]] |isbn=978-1514752487}}</ref>

In 2011, a comic strip appeared by cartoonists Dan and Tom Heyerman called ''Hobbes and Bacon''.<ref name="heyerman2011">{{cite web |url=http://www.pantsareoverrated.com/archive/2011/05/10/hobbes-and-bacon/ |title=Hobbes and Bacon |first1=Dan |last1=Heyerman |first2=Tom |last2=Heyerman |date=2011-05-10 |work=Pants are Overrated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151103002409/http://www.pantsareoverrated.com/archive/2011/05/10/hobbes-and-bacon/ |archive-date=2015-11-03 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-12-05}}</ref> The strip depicts Calvin as an adult, married to Susie Derkins with a young daughter named after philosopher [[Francis Bacon]], to whom Calvin gives Hobbes.<ref name="krulwich2011">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2011/05/31/136817328/calvin-hobbes-and-comic-book-biology |title=Calvin, Hobbes And Comic Book Biology |first=Robert |last=Krulwich |author-link=Robert Krulwich |date=2011-05-31 |work=Krulwich Wonders... |publisher=[[NPR]] |location=Washington, D.C. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912150150/http://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2011/05/31/136817328/calvin-hobbes-and-comic-book-biology |archive-date=2015-09-12 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-12-05 |quote=Dan and Tom Heyerman...to the delight of many Calvin and Hobbes fans...brought Calvin back...as an adult!... Not only that, he has a kid, a daughter named 'Bacon' (named for the Enlightenment philosopher, Francis Bacon.)}}</ref> Though consisting of only four strips originally, ''Hobbes and Bacon'' received considerable attention when it appeared and was continued by other cartoonists and artists.<ref name="krulwich2012">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2012/02/15/146939479/calvin-and-hobbes-add-the-bacon |title=Calvin And Hobbes, Add The Bacon |first=Robert |last=Krulwich |author-link=Robert Krulwich |date=2012-02-15 |work=Krulwich Wonders... |publisher=[[NPR]] |location=Washington, D.C. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920153452/http://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2012/02/15/146939479/calvin-and-hobbes-add-the-bacon |archive-date=2015-09-20 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-12-05 |quote='Hobbes and Bacon'...went instantly viral.}}</ref><ref name="robinson2013">{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/article/check-out-the-web-cartoonists-continuing-icalvin-a-93700 |title=Check out the web cartoonists continuing ''Calvin And Hobbes'' |first=Tasha |last=Robinson |date=2013-03-14 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |publisher=[[Onion, Inc.]] |location=Chicago, Illinois |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526073337/http://www.avclub.com/article/check-out-the-web-cartoonists-continuing-icalvin-a-93700 |archive-date=2015-05-26 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-12-05 |quote=The strips got a lot of attention when they first posted, and Watterson fans often point back to them.... Terra Snover picked it up with...strips continuing the ''Hobbes And Bacon'' idea... In February 2013, Phil Berry at DeviantArt started posting his own, more elaborate ''Hobbes And Bacon'' strips... Meanwhile, a fourth artist, DeviantArt's DomNX, has spent the past year churning out his own still-ongoing ''Calvin And Company'' strip...}}</ref>

A novel titled ''Calvin'' by [[CLA Young Adult Book Award]]–winning<ref name="cla2013">{{cite web|url=http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=14096&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm |title=Canadian Library Association Announces 2013 CLA Young Adult Book Award Winner and Honour Books |date=2013-04-15 |publisher=[[Canadian Library Association]] |location=Ottawa, Ontario |format=CFM |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508091031/http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=14096&TEMPLATE=%2FCM%2FContentDisplay.cfm |archive-date=May 8, 2015 |url-status=dead |access-date=2015-12-05 }}</ref> author [[Martine Leavitt]] was published in 2015.<ref name="leavitt2015" /> The story tells of seventeen-year-old Calvin—who was born on the day that ''Calvin and Hobbes'' ended, and who has now been diagnosed with [[schizophrenia]]—and his [[hallucination]] of Hobbes, his childhood stuffed tiger. With his friend Susie, who might also be a hallucination, Calvin sets off to find Bill Watterson in the hope that the cartoonist can provide aid for Calvin's condition.<ref name="pw2015">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/68658-pw-picks-books-of-the-week-november-16-2015.html |title=PW Picks: Books of the Week, November 16, 2015 |date=2015-11-13 |magazine=[[Publishers Weekly]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122152055/http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/68658-pw-picks-books-of-the-week-november-16-2015.html |archive-date=2015-11-22 |url-status=live |access-date=2015-12-05}}</ref>

The titular character of the comic strip ''[[Frazz]]'' has been noted for his similar appearance and personality to a grown-up Calvin. Creator [[Jef Mallett]] has stated that although Watterson is an inspiration to him, the similarities are unintentional.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-09-22|title=newsobserver.com {{!}} Jef Mallett: 'Frazz'|url=http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/514066.html|access-date=2021-02-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922222529/http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/514066.html|archive-date=September 22, 2008}}</ref>

==References==

{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==

*{{Cite book |last=Watterson |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Watterson |title=The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book |year=1995 |publisher=Andrews and McMeel |location=Kansas City, Missouri |isbn=0-8362-0438-7|title-link=List of Calvin and Hobbes books }}

*{{Cite book |last=Watterson |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Watterson |title=Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985–1995 |year=2001 |publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing |location=Kansas City, Missouri |isbn=0-7407-2135-6|title-link=List of Calvin and Hobbes books }}

*{{Cite book |last=Watterson |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Watterson |title=The Complete Calvin and Hobbes |year=2005 |publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing |location=Kansas City, Missouri |isbn=0-7407-4847-5|title-link=List of Calvin and Hobbes books }}

*{{Cite book |last=Martell |first=Nevin |title=Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip |edition=Revised |year=2010 |publisher=[[Continuum Books]] |isbn=978-1-4411-0685-8}}

*{{Cite book |last=Heit |first=Jamey |title=Imagination and Meaning in Calvin and Hobbes |year=2012 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn=978-0-7864-9031-8}}

*{{Cite book |last=Watterson |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Watterson |title=Exploring Calvin and Hobbes: An Exhibition Catalogue |year=2015 |publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing |location=Kansas City, Missouri |isbn=978-1-4494-6036-5|title-link=List of Calvin and Hobbes books }}

*{{Cite magazine|last=Suellentrop |first=Chris |date=November 7, 2005 |title=Calvin and Hobbes: The last great newspaper comic strip |url=http://www.slate.com/id/2129373 |magazine=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108090945/http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2005/11/calvin_and_hobbes.html |archive-date=January 8, 2012 |url-status=live |df=mdy }}

*[http://www.toonopedia.com/calhobbs.htm ''Calvin and Hobbes''] at [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]. [https://archive.today/20120409215718/http://www.toonopedia.com/calhobbs.htm Archived] from the original on April 13, 2012.

==External links==

{{Wikiquote}}

{{Commons category|Calvin and Hobbes}}

{{Spoken Wikipedia|date=2006-01-29|CalvinAndHobbes1.ogg|CalvinAndHobbes2.ogg|CalvinAndHobbes3.ogg}}

*{{cite web|url=http://www.adamfishercox.com/calvinandhobbes/ |title=The Calvin and Hobbes Album|editor-last=Fisher-Cox |editor-first=Adam | publisher=AdamFisherCox.com|archive-date= July 7, 2011 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110707082739/http://www.adamfishercox.com/calvinandhobbes/|url-status=live}}

*{{Cite episode | url=http://www.theheartofgold.org/jumpstation/calvin_hobbes_radio_show.html | publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]] |via=TheHeartOfGold.org| year=1995 | medium=MP3 | title=Radio show in which fans of the comic strip express their views about the ending of ''Calvin and Hobbes'' |series=The Heart of Gold |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716151822/http://www.theheartofgold.org/jumpstation/calvin_hobbes_radio_show.html | archive-date=July 16, 2011|url-status=live}}

*{{cite episode |title=Spiffy: 'The Complete Calvin and Hobbes' |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5007825 |series=Morning Edition |series-link=Morning Edition |network=[[National Public Radio|NPR]] |air-date=November 18, 2005 |medium=[[RealPlayer|Real]], [[Windows Media Player|Windows Media]] |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110722195918/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5007825| archive-date=July 22, 2011|url-status=live}}

{{Calvin and Hobbes}}

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[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 1985]]