What do you love about Calvin and Hobbes?

OMG, you just nailed me in the heart. Chowderheads unite! I knew a guy that was Calvin reincarnated. A little part of me died when he stopped the series.

What’s not to love? The artwork was incredible, the characters felt genuine, the strips were funny and thought-provoking. Top-notch creativity. I was heartbroken when he stopped, but I wholly respect that decision.

I highly recommend the recently released Dear Mr. Watterson documentary.

Calvinball, of course.

I admired the way that the comic appealed simultaneously to the kid and the adult in us. There were some serious issues that were addressed but were always credible as coming from a kid’s point of view. The quality lasted until the last comic, unlike some other comics, which I will not name, that keep going even after they run out of fresh ideas.

I have the last Calvin and Hobbes strip in a frame on my wall :). I grew up loving Calvin and Hobbes and now going back reading it, it is a totally different comic, as @LostInParadise said, you can really read them from two different points of view.

Last year someone illustrated a quote from Bill Watterson, if you haven’t seen it, check it out.

On anther note I am quite confused as to how Calvin peeing on something became a thing.

@uberbatman: Love it! Thanks for sharing! I also agree about the Calvin peeing nonsense. It has always irked me because it is so not what C&H were about.

@hearkat Exactly. Seriously, every time I see it I just can’t help but thinking CALVIN WOULD NEVER DO THAT!!

@uberbatman I have the last Calvin and Hobbes strip in a frame on my wall :). I grew up loving Calvin and Hobbes and now going back reading it, it is a totally different comic, as @LostInParadise said, you can really read them from two different points of view.

Same here. I loved them as a kid, but I didn’t understand all the jokes. I liked the more simple stuff, like Calvin getting attacked by his dinner or his bike, or his epic snow sculptures. Sometimes I skipped the strips that had too much writing. You go back and read them as you get older, there are always new surprises. And even the stuff that I understood from day one never gets boring. Bill had such a way to create the series that nothing ever gets dull, ever, no matter how many times you go through the books. A real talented man. I love the comics to this day, always will.

One thing I always think about is, when I read these, or anything for that matter, I never have a problem imagining what the voices of the characters would sound like. Hobbes is no exception, except I would never be able to describe his voice with words. It’s not the voice of a child or a grown up…it’s the voice of Hobbes. I know exactly what he sounds like in my head, but could never describe it. It’s just plain weird.

Also Hobbes looks all soft and snuggly. :D

If I had pursued my MA in Children’s Literature, then I was fully set on writing my thesis on Calvin and Hobbes, particularly in making a comparison between how beloved children’s series come to a conclusion.

I learned to read, in part, because I wanted to understand what was happening in the comic strips without having to ask my mother to interpret the panels for me. As a result, the series has a special place in my heart.

@uberbatman Thanks a lot for making me cry! Too many feels.

@muppetish Yea, I know what’s coming and it still makes me cry when I read it.

Calvin and Hobbes has been essential reading for me for many years. I had not realized that the strips in my Daily Express (Trinidad) were re-runs until a short while ago. It is at the top of the list of Comic Strips I Have Read and Liked.

I think this may be my favorite.

I loved Calvin and Hobbes. I miss the series every day, and especially the amazing snow sculptures he did.

This is what Calvin and Hobbes are all about. This is why I love them.

@chyna – My old avatar!

The friendship between Calvin and Hobbes.

@hearkat I remember!

I love the delightful humor and wacky imagination

I got here late. It’s been said.

The irreverence without meanness.

Calvin is the only tattoo I ever gave serious thought to. Just a little unobtrusive one that I could see and enjoy endlessly.