What Ever Happened to the Creator of Calvin and Hobbes?

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In this video:
It was on November 18, 1985, when Calvin met Hobbes. As the first appearance of this legendary comic strip shows, Calvin sets a trap for a tiger using a tuna sandwich because “tigers will do ANYTHING for a tuna fish sandwich.” Sure enough, hanging by one foot and munching on the sandwich, Calvin’s freshly caught tiger confirms this, “We’re kind of stupid that way.”
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[@TodayIFoundOut]

Speaking of comic strip creators that very suddenly disappeared from the spot light, see our video On The Far Side: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5-Zk4KqZ9WkmbM&lc=Ugxe21DMPIBU0pohSnF4AaABAg

[@everythingpony]

Today I Found Out whos daven?

[@everythingpony]

Today I Found Out wait? How did your monitor fall out the window?

[@thatguybrody4819]

ah the far side. great comic it was. had the book beyond the far side myself up until it got lost.

[@272flashlites]

Could you try a spot on Burke Breathed from Bloom County?

[@newdawn1full]

Thanks for this. I loved the strip and enjoyed hearing from the creator's point of view. Thank you Simon for finding such interesting topics.

[@andyginterblues2961]

Cool. My favorite Calvin and Hobbes strip of all time was the one in which Calvin asks his dad why old photographs, etc., are only in black and white, his father replies that colors didn't exist before (whatever date- the 1850's, etc.), that everything back then was only black and white. When Calvin asks why paintings before that date contain colors, his dad replies that it's because artists were all insane.

[@Rhino-ep6of]

AndyGinterBlues My favorite was the wordless comic showing Dad refuse to play in the snow, then joining Calvin

[@Neko.091]

So OG

[@texas2step266]

That's my favorite too! A close second would be any of Calvin's very original snowmen. I worked at a firm of patent attorneys in the mid-90's, and many of them were very like Calvin's dad. Oh, how I cried when I read that last strip.

[@texas2step266]

@Mourning Star It's calss picture day! Another good one. I so miss that strip.

[@kshred3043]

@AndyGinterBlues Definitely my favourite too. I was blown away to read you single out that particular strip in your comment and learn that I have at least one kindred spirit somewhere out there. That interchange between Calvin and his father was totally sublime. In fact, it inspired me to model a bit (just a little bit mind you) of my parenting style/philosophy on Calvin's father. And I hope that my daughters were a little bit better for it.

[@rdyer8764]

My C&H favorite: Calvin is loudly pounding nails into the living room coffee table. His mom rushes in and screams, "What are you doing?" He looks down at the coffee table for a moment, and then back at her and asks, "Is this a trick question?"

[@penguinsscareme]

R Dyer my favorites are the ones when Hobbes has to go in the wash.😂

[@mathewhale3581]

Brilliant

[@dreamsofsnow6521]

Classic lol

[@florbengorben7651]

That's the favorite of my brother and I. I loved calvinball too

[@fergusontea]

That one is one of my favourites!

[@TheRusty]

His answer to "Do you regret quitting so early?" can really be boiled down to "No, I don't want to be another Garfield"

[@heyNebraska]

I think he said in the 10th anniversary book somewhere that he wouldn‘t run his comic strip into the ground like a certain cartoon cat.

[@gymnastoman1]

Best to go out on top

[@shywitchanimations5235]

I actually think Garfield got funnier overtime, but then it started to go downhill around the early 2000's-ish.

[@skism007]

Or Simpsons. That series should have ended well over a decade ago when it was still funny.

[@kenhammond3810]

Jim Davis' expressed goal with Garfield has always been to make a boatload of money with as little effort as possible. And he's been wildly successful in that effort.

[@dataman6310]

My favorite strip is the one where Calvin asks Hobbes to think of anything in the world he wanted at that moment, to which Hobbes replies "A sandwich". Calvin ridicules his wish, stating that he'd want his own continent and a billion dollars. The final panel shows a disgruntled Calvin sitting next to Hobbes, who has made himself a sandwich, saying "I got my wish".

[@michelvanderlinden8363]

The strip where Calvin flatout asks his dad why he's living with his mom and not in a house with scantily clad ladies will never stop being hilarious to me XD

[@StukInBuf]

@Michel van der Linden(open): He must've been watching too much *THREE'S COMPANY* at such a young age...

[@randomgrinn]

Uhh....what was the answer to that question again?

[@robertmiller7721]

There was no answer. If I remember right Calvin gets sent to his room.

[@michelvanderlinden8363]

@@robertmiller7721 yes. I dont know what the english reply to it was, but if I recall Calvin asked the question, his dad just had a zoned out "wtf" look, and the next panel calvin was grounded or something, mumbling about asking too many questions or something.

[@MsCassidy23]

Or when he asked his mom why it cost four bucks a minute to talk to "goofy ladies in their underwear" in television commercials.

[@cosmicphoto05]

Bill Watterson is a model of artistic integrity. I love that he held onto the copyright for Calvin & Hobbes and didn’t sell out. He could have become a gazillionaire if he had licensed the brand to dolls, backpacks, lunchboxes, cross-promotions; if he had optioned an animated series or feature film franchise. But C & H was a labor of love for him, and we are all the better for it.

[@Ayanami0001]

Benjamin Green well said

[@TheDashingStallion]

He simply did not care about the money. All he wanted to do was draw and tell stories. Wise man.

[@nolanboles8492]

He has no children, either, I noticed--so no heirs to worry about betraying his wishes regarding the strip.

[@Dane_Youssef]

@@nolanboles8492 He has a daughter and has for a while now. Her name is Violet.

[@nolanboles8492]

@@Dane_Youssef My bad, I thought I remembered reading he had no children.

[@Shinesprk]

I’ve always respected Watterson for understanding that good stories need to end eventually.

[@grandmalovesmebest]

Jacob, the Brits always said that about tv shows. Pat Rutledge said it was better to say about a show "oh yes, i rem that" rather than "oh, is that old thing still on?"

[@thatswhatshesaid2777]

I've always like how he never accepts merch deals.

[@Mario87456]

@@thatswhatshesaid2777 I HATE him for that stupid bastard just can’t understand how merchandising is not inherently a bad thing.

[@SergeantExtreme]

Basically, Watterson is the previous generation's Alex Hirsch.

[@rhettpeter83]

can you please tell that to marvel

[@CamaroAmx]

“Do you think there’s intelligent life out there?” “The surest sign that there is intelligent life out there, is that they have never tried to contact us.”

[@korrupted80]

Lol....😂 So True! 😂😂😁

[@vectorm4]

I think of that comic every time I see trash in the woods.

[@theduckchick]

@Pat Mgroin I have several, including Something Under The Bed is Drooling!

[@entity-hp3xw]

@@theduckchick Homicidal psycho jungle cat! Scientific progress goes boink! It's all coming back...

[@theduckchick]

@@entity-hp3xw Ah, the memories!!

[@jasonp3484]

"Bad news dad, your polls are way down" :)

[@ahcokris]

Camping builds character.

[@dak4465]

YES

[@chrissegura1246]

I love this comment so much

[@ayceyspacey]

"CALVIN, YOU DIDN'T GET DESSERT LAST NIGHT BECAUSE YOU FLOODED THE HOUSE!"

[@aaronying4989]

I remember this line sooo much!!! Gah

[@TheFoodieCutie]

To be completely honest, if anyone read his foreword in one of the final books, he stated he wanted it pure and not commercialized and that’s that. In the spirit of purity, I don’t want to know about him, I just want to enjoy Calvin’s world, remember being like a carefree child reading it and go through the strips and immersing myself in Calvin’s experiences. The final quote in the series couldn’t be more fitting: “It’s a magical world Hobbes ol’ buddy.... ....let’s go exploring!”

[@idontknowwhattoputhere7017]

That last comic made me cry

[@jamesbrady8535]

You experience Art,and don't want it quantified by somebody else's box.I concur.

[@davidnoseworthy4540]

Well put! Thank you.

[@Adam-qs5ir]

The corporate office of the publisher is in my city. Same building my organization is in. They still sell his books. Seems wrong, with the falling out they had over merchandising.

[@jeremyk4611]

Exactly. They just lifted stuff from the forward. There is nothing in this video that anyone isn't already aware of.

[@yortlebluzzgubbly3871]

The man retired before 40 with millions in the bank and now just spends his time painting and hanging out with his wife. Absolutely winning at life, right there.

[@CalvinsWorldNews]

The bit where he's from northern Virginia too, he obviously inherited wealth too so "paying the bills" was never an issue anyway. I always argue about "winning at life" when people aren't actively contributing or doing something meaningful. Maybe I'm wrong though and he's now secretly an elementary school teacher. But yeah, if I had the money+time there's oodles of stuff I'd want to fund and do beyond crap like going to restaurants/hotels

[@Ob1sdarkside]

That sounds amazing. I loved those comics, the man's a legend

[@Ob1sdarkside]

​@Calvin's World News so he possibly inherited wealth but made his own money. Fair play to him

[@antipatsy]

He has a new book coming out in October!

[@TroIIingThemSoftly]

@@CalvinsWorldNewsWhat's your source for that?

[@copycat21c]

Much respect for Bill Watterson, and his integrity.

[@jlm10181978]

I love his books and he definitely is a man of integrity!!

[@Mario87456]

I don’t respect him fucking dumbass he was to turn down that money.

[@burningchrome70]

I just looked up his picture, he seems to be a very happy person. Probably has all the money he'll ever need without having to do anything. Smart man with uncompromising integrity.

[@39zack]

@@Mario87456 there are more important things than money.

[@Mario87456]

@@39zack Not if it can make you rich.

[@billykuan]

I have always hated the Calvin peeing sticker because it didn't fit the character. Now I know I was right.

[@boythee4193]

those stickers are stupid

[@the4bidden142]

I don't like the sticker much myself but it does remind me of the strip where Calvin keeps peeing out his window because of the monster under his bed and parents notice plants dying outside his room 😄

[@aaronying4989]

Yeah they are terrible.

[@dsandoval9396]

@@the4bidden142 yeah I remember him peeing in a comic I'm sure, I could be wrong though. Also it's not like he did it all the time. Of course I could have seen so many of those stickers it might've just implanted a subliminal message in my brain.

[@the4bidden142]

@@dsandoval9396 Calvin pissing on Ford logo is funny though.

[@tomr3529]

Calvin's snowmen always cracked me up. What an imagination

[@Laygoon23]

tom r the snowmen comics are my favorites!

[@TheOneWhoMightBe]

Snow Goons!

[@beckyguelette5114]

I connected with his little boy outlaw attitude

[@CharlieTooHuman]

I remember trying to make my snowmen just like Calvin’s lol, dead snowmen with crosses as eyes didn’t sit well with my parents and neighbors

[@dennisbergendorfii5440]

Yeah, great imagination, but who in the lower 48 gets enough snow to create a whole life-sized diorama of a crowded crime scene? I know, "suspension of disbelief," but still...

[@philanthropicnightmare1206]

That last strip he drew is so emotional and really sums up the spirit of Calvin and Hobbes. Growing up with this strip was a privilege. Thanks, Mr. Watterson!

[@PunguinYoga]

Did the last one end with "Let's go exploring!"?

[@Dukerdr]

@@PunguinYoga Yes. I remember cutting it out and sticking it inside my medicine cabinet in the bathroom so I'd see it first thing every morning...

[@ForgeMasterXXL]

I collected them all and loved every single cartoon.

[@joanieponytail57]

My daughter refused to learn to read - much easier to have mom and dad read to her - until I brought a Calvin and Hobbes book on our drive to school. By the end of the week she had read it three times, though I believe it took a bit longer to master the word “transmogrification.”

[@jur22gen]

That is my son's favorite storyline. That and the duplicator (same box)

[@tylerdohoney1544]

joanieponytail57 This is my favorite KZbin comment ever.

[@jochenstacker7448]

The fact that Watterson included words like "transmogrification" instead of talking down at kids makes him 10 times more awesome.

[@dtanaka869-d]

My elementary school had a thing where 3rd-5th graders would read to the K-2nd graders; I read some Calvin & Hobbes collection book to a kindergartener.

[@sheryarhafeez1006]

I too, learned how to read thanks to Calvin and Hobbes.

[@CJusticeHappen21]

Don't be sad because it's over. Be happy that it happened.

[@varkadegames]

CJusticeHappen21 well said. 😃✌️

[@juttamaier2111]

But impossible to do

[@raytomshadow]

Absolutely impossible.

[@chrisrae5589]

I like that.. Well said.

[@beckyguelette5114]

My very favorite comic

[@strawberrycream2974]

"Attack of the deranged mutant killer snowgoons" is still my favorite anthology book

[@strawberrycream2974]

@@Illphaqup oh I have. I have a complete box set of all the books

[@dsandoval9396]

@@strawberrycream2974 NO WAY!? Very cool. I remember I read a couple of books as a kid in class for our free read hour (elementary). Calvin and Hobbes and also Far Side books. I LOVED them so much in the year I'd read them a few times over.

[@JMon2021]

That was my First Calvin and Hobbes book, i got it for Christmas in (I think) 1995, I still have it somewhere, it is BEATEN to hell, dog eared and bent with failing binding, but I love that book. I have the full box set as well, and I love it, but that first book will be a treasure to me.

[@MortyC--js7oo]

I have some pieces of the collection, like there's "treasure everywhere" and "attack of the deranged mutant killer monster snowgoons", but my absolute favorite is "lazy Sunday book"

[@danieljob3184]

I loved the fact that every year around Christmas, our state weekly newspaper would publish one of the strips where Calvin had made snowmen, even if it was out of chronological sequence!

[@magicemperor2420]

*Absolutely gorgeous sunset over pure natural splendor.* Calvin: “I’ll bet I’m missing some great TV shows. 😒”

[@jeffwatters7902]

Dope profile pic btw

[@Wonderhussy]

I love his reaction to the Calvin pissing phenomenon. That guy is true Zen

[@nerdandnerdier887]

What was his reaction?

[@Wonderhussy]

@@nerdandnerdier887 he didn't try to stop it; he just took it in stride. I don't remember what his exact comment was but it's in an interview he gave about it

[@iller3]

what a f***ing Hero. He recognized long before most people that overwrought consumerism actually undoes all the circumstantial _magic_ that made your characters so adored by millions in the first place

[@knightwolfpro4494]

I thought there was actually a lawsuit about that though that he lost.

[@faerieSAALE]

Plus, it elicits great chagrin from the target that Calvin is pissing on. Say like him pissing on a DEMOCRAT sign! Or a FORD. Or a Logo!

[@cantbeleveitsnotnaru]

Makes me so sad that he would secretly sign copies so fans could have something surprising, and then they would just sell them. He must have been so sad :(

[@hollandscottthomas]

I'd be pissed to learn that someone was using that to make themselves a small fortune.

[@rodrigobento4570]

@@hollandscottthomas I'd be more sad over the fact they'd prefer money over my signature. Clearly not very big fans.

[@badbishop1049]

I imagine some of those signed books that were sold, were sold by parents who bought the book for their 13 year old and snatched it back once they realized it was signed. Also some were sold by kids who hung on to them until they grew up and developed a nasty drug habit and sold it because it was the only thing of value they had. Reality sucks and is brutal. Bill often lived in his own reality much like Calvin and didnt understand human nature very well, just like Hobbes. So it's no surprise that he probably held on to the dim hope that true fans would somehow be the only ones to get ahold of these and they would treasure it. Reality is a bitch however, and he shouldn't have been so naive that it crushed him to find out people were selling copies that he accidentally made valuable by signing them years ago.. Once the comic blew up like it did, he should have expected crap like that to happen. Well, I'm at least happy that those are out of the hands of the people who sold them and maybe into someone else's hands who will actually appreciate it.

[@jakzine540]

@@badbishop1049 Given the nature of some of his strips, I doubt very much that he held any naive ideas about what could happen to his signed books, but it still kinda sucks that it happened.

[@badbishop1049]

@@jakzine540 I think he held out the naive hope that most of his readers loved the strip and characters as much as he did. I dont think he wouldve mentioned how crushed he was when he found out if he hadn't of had some other idea in his head of how that was going to work out instead. I think that's what disappointed him the most.. he knew the reality but held onto his hope😔

[@MoluskToeCheese]

I love the panel where Calvins mom is so upset about the raccoon that even she starts to confide in Hobbes.

[@TheOmegazerox]

Her words wer you know I'm woried when I start talking to you.

[@blueazure9658]

Yeah it’s really bad

[@davcar23]

I love how even with the sadness of that storyline he was able to sneak in some appropriate humor. Just got a little knot in my throat remembering the little raccoon storyline...

[@jeredsmith6456]

I always remember the strip with the sunset, and Calvin asking his dad "where does the sun go when it sets" and his dad tells him something like "I think somewhere in Arizona" and when Calvin asked why it didn't crush everyone who lived there, his dad holds up a quarter and goes "see? if you hold up a quarter it's about the same size!" and Calvin always looks so puzzled and confused after his dad's hilarious and ridiculous explanations of everything.

[@yortlebluzzgubbly3871]

There's an entire subreddit caled r/explainlikeimcalvin where people will ask questions and responders must reply like Calvin's dad does.

[@hulkslayer626]

Hahahaha My favorite is when Calvin asks why old pictures are black and white and his Dad says because PEOPLE weren't in color until the 50's or whatever lmfao

[@mattischastan7967]

Fun fact : not a single photo of Bill is shown in this video, as well as no low gossip about his personal life. (except mentionning his hometown maybe) I just love that fact : you CAN describe the full life of a great and intricate piece of work and talk about his author in lenght WITHOUT having to take a single bite at his privacy. Glorious ^^

[@peoples2296]

Well it's not like any exist. He's a very private individual.

[@iWrick8111]

I have seen one pic of Bill. He looks like Calvin's Dad, but has a mustache like his uncle Max.

[@johnIZaUWL]

Well he’s not exactly Brad Pitt lol

[@rpfree]

I really wanted confirmation that he had a kid ... I think he did.

[@rpfree]

@Salty Pete I think you underestimate his fame. You would hear if anything happened to him. But I bet you don't know he has a child (all grown up!).

[@ryand.3858]

I remember being very impressed with the level of artistry he would put into the color panels. Those watercolor sci fi landscapes Calvin would imagine as spaceman spiff were awesome. I respect his commitment to living a low-key life; good for him.

[@SynchronizorVideos]

The alien landscapes were brilliant, as was how he would find creative ways to break out of the panel format.

[@lisagulick4144]

And he painted all those originals by hand! Then he did line-art copies with color-wheel numbers written in to let the printers at Universal Press Syndicate know what colors to use. The shading quality at UP got better over time, so later he could do fabulously gorgeous panels.

[@scottthewaterwarrior]

As a kid I would use those color panels as a reference to color all the black and white ones myself with crayons. Probably ruined the resell value of the books, but it's not like I would ever sell them anyway!

[@tiedomi80]

37 year old me has the same tears in his eyes that 15 year old me did reading that very last strip. That's the impact that Calvin and Hobbes has on me.

[@futurestoryteller]

I still find it interesting that people cry. I cannot imagine my life without those strips and the only effect is a little tug on my heartstring and regret that I can't read more. Can't begrudge anyone who does cry, but I don't know that anything has had that affect on me.

[@parimabartender]

So did I. I remember the entire week before it, when we all knew it was ending. It's like looking back on when my parents died 12 years ago. I miss them equally.

[@finfrog3237]

same haha

[@Deamons64]

Calvin and hobbes is basically the only thing from my childhood that hasn't been ruined by time or modern sensibilities. It's some of the only joy I can distinctly remember from a time in my life where I can generally only remember pain. Bill Watterson is on the of the people who I will always hold the utmost respect for.

[@JonahNelson7]

Yeah. Imagine if there was a Netflix show of it. Glad some things are kept sacred because of the creators

[@jamiejordan4821]

I always loved how he would set up a car accident with snowman

[@davidhonez8859]

Ioved his snowmen

[@TheOmegazerox]

I remember the throwaway comic atached to that. Calvin rote something in the snow and his dad looks out the window and reads. My dad is a big HAY!

[@Alrisha6]

Bill Watterson created the most perfect characters and choose not betrayed his creation in exchange of money. I respect that. A lot. The strips are so perfect, you can read them over and over again and never feel the same. Also, love how he never wanna be the center of the story. He let his art talk for him and in do so, he create a legacy that will live for years to come.

[@eggabacon]

I love re-reading Calvin and Hobbes. I always will re-read it, and I'm also showing it to my kids if I ever have any

[@rhettpeter83]

well said

[@LnPPersonified]

I grew up with C&H in the 80s and 90s. I was a senior in high school when he stopped, and while I was sad, I absolutely adored that final comic. I cut it out to keep it, but sadly it got lost a long, long time ago. Alas. Also, side note, I remember learning the word lobotomy because it was used in a C&H strip. Suzy is telling Calvin how happy she is to go back to school and learn new things, and Calvin tells her "Your bangs do a pretty good job of covering the lobotomy scars." I had to ask my dad what that was, and the look on his face was priceless.

[@cb-stops2777]

I’m 14. Most complex words I know are from those books. When I was four we went to my grandmas house. I was looking at all the “old stuff” when I came across C&H. It changed my life...

[@ellencameron3775]

That's where I learned what an aneurysm is! Also defenestration. For being a little kid, Calvin sure had one hell of a vocabulary.

[@LnPPersonified]

@Warren Higgins Well, c'mon, it's just snow!

[@ericthered1274]

I've used the lobotomy joke to a girl with bangs while intoxicated let's just say it's good to know your audience

[@xade4861]

What does lobotomy mean.

[@stardust949]

I loved that at the end---Calvin makes peace with his long term enemy, Rosalind the baby-sitter. She all out PLAYS a game of Calvin Ball with him. They have a blast, and the beast in him is tamed. Not quelled, not dispirited ~ just satisfied and worn out from playing. Genius.

[@mangrove]

I thought I'd read every strip, but didn't recall those. Reading them was like a welcome new discovery. Thanks 😄

[@jackal59]

That's one of my favorites because Rosalind actually _gets_ Calvinball and, maybe for the first time, Calvin.

[@gidzmobug2323]

What about his relationship with Susie (classmate) and Miss Wormwood (his teacher)? Or Moe (the bully)?

[@Lazmanarus]

@@gidzmobug2323 I saw a story on Facebook about Calvin as an old man on his deathbed, he had married Susie & had children & grandchildren, he asked Susie to find Hobbes one last time, he has a long conversation with Hobbes & apologises for growing up, growing old & forgetting to stay a kid & play with Hobbes all the time. Hobbes tells him no apology needed & he knew all the time that it would go that way, then his grandchildren come in & he gives Hobbes to the youngest & tells him the secret of Hobbes coming to life. Just summarising that story has got my eyes welling up again. I don't know if it was written by Watterson, but it had the right feel to it.

[@gidzmobug2323]

@@Lazmanarus Sounds like Watterson. Calvin's teacher might have passed. Moe (hopefully) would have grown wiser

[@douglascox9996]

30 years ago, while traveling, I saw a Hobbes-like stuffed tiger toy in an airport gift shop and knew right away that had to be my unborn boy’s first toy. Later, in school, my son drew a fairly detailed portrait of his Hobbes friend and labeled it “Hobbes is dignified”. It still adorns our refrigerator. Hobbes himself resides in a box somewhere to emerge triumphant once again when my son graces his Mom and me with a grandchild.

[@datathunderstorm]

As an adult with children a few years ago, I also acquired a stuffed Tiger from a Boot Sale whom I promptly dubbed “Hobbes” - he spent many years on my bedroom window sill - and I occasionally even spoke to him - in true Calvin style. You need to understand that I’d worked as a humour (and sci-fi) cartoonist at some point in my distant past in my twenties - I no longer do cartoons but retain the crazy imagination - and yes, I totally loved Calvin & Hobbes!

[@foxtoxic9722]

I inherited my stuffed tiger. It was my aunts childhood toy but when she saw how much I loved it she let me keep it. I never officially named it Hobbes but funnily enough it has a very long body with short legs.

[@madmaxx4793]

This is so amazing

[@brianvogel9069]

Watterson did draw again. He authored a couple of strips of Pearls Before Swine, posing as a character in the strip named Libby who criticizes Stephan Pastis's artwork. Pastis challenges Libby to do better, and she draws a couple of the strips in the visual style of Calvin and Hobbes. It's fantastic and hilarious and will make you miss his work even more.

[@damitdonTV]

www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/06/06/exclusive-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-bill-watterson-returns-to-the-comics-page-to-offer-a-few-pearls-gems/?noredirect=on&.d75ab60fc303

[@tarmaque]

Watterson has also done a few collaborations with Berkley Breathed that have appeared on Breathed's Facebook page. I'm honestly not sure who drew what on them, but they have his signature on them and his blessing.

[@BlackTomorrowMusic]

I remember those 3 strips. Pearls is so different from C&H, but the combination was done brilliantly. Shortly after, Working Daze did a strip with one character lamenting that he didn't get to be drawn by Watterson. The artist drawing it actually drew that one in a style surprisingly close to Watterson's.

[@ThePrimith]

I remember seeing those cartoons as they were published. Always was a fan of Pearls Before Swine, and seeing Bill do a cameo in realtime made me lose my shit.

[@timothymclean]

I agree with Bill Watterson. A comic strip, like any other serial medium, can have only two possible fates. It can end too soon, or it can drag on too long. I'm glad Watterson went with the former.

[@claudiobizama5603]

I'm looking at you Garfield

[@nobodyimportant2470]

That is the true secret to making a lasting impact. Always leave them wanting more

[@dawn8293]

In this way, and in the merchandising, I think that Garfield is kinda the antithesis of Calvin and Hobbes.

[@deadfreightwest5956]

Or Peanuts

[@ashknoecklein]

Plenty of things have dragged on too long. Not just Garfield (Jim Davis is literally the opposite of Watterson. He lives for the merchandising) but the Simpsons, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Anne Rice's vampire novels, Death Note after L is out of the picture. When the quality tanks it hurts the overall work IMO.

[@Ariakiri_]

One of my fondest childhood memories is sitting in the living room of my parents' old house, grabbing a Calvin and Hobbes book out of the tiny bookcase my dad made, and sitting down in the space between the back of the couch and the living room window, and just reading through those books. Watterson's imagination is probably what's fueled mine for years and years on, now. I am very happy he gave us all the art that he did.

[@dkupke]

In a high school philosophy class, we once got assigned a project to do a write up about two pre-chosen philosophers. I cannot say how delighted I was when I got assigned Calvin and Hobbes.

[@Montork]

"If humans could put rainbow's in zoos they'd do it"

[@victorrice4549]

yas

[@JoshTheValiant]

Is it weird that my first thought was "I'm sure that I've seen a rainbow in a zoo, it's not hard to paint one." And then I realized the point. 😅

[@davidhong1934]

If we had any decency, we'd put it in a public library. A rainbow belongs to everyone, and everyone deserves at least a chance to see it.

[@dylanzrim3635]

Cool quote, but it forgets the true reasoning why zoos exist today, and that’s to preserve life nolonger found in the wild wether the endangering is natural or human influenced.

[@Montork]

@@dylanzrim3635 ok but your missing the entire context and the reason id attach this quote to a video about the creator of calvin and hobbes.

[@luke-i1w]

Best comic ever. And props to Mr. Watterson for sticking to his guns on merchandising. He gave up oodels of money to keep his art's message intact. And I am damn thankful for it. Calvin and Hobbs is a national treasure.

[@badkitty4922]

I agree with you! Although, I would've loved to have a stuffed Hobbes.

[@luke-i1w]

@@badkitty4922 I have a son that looks exactly like Calvin down to the hair and everything. I also wish I could buy him a Hobbes, but in the end I am glad I can't. I think I need to learn to sew so I can just make one myself!

[@IcenPower]

@@luke-i1w buy him a stuffed Tiggr and make a stuffed Hobbes for yourself.

[@gregvassilakos]

Calvin & Hobbes is still finding new fans. When my young daughter had a particularly disastrous attempt at learning to ride a bike, I showed her some of the cartoons of Calvin being attacked by his bike. She instantly went from sobbing to giggling and spent the rest of the afternoon with a collection of Calvin & Hobbes books.

[@markukrainetz5058]

I remember one of the 4 panel comics: Calvin: “What is a pronoun?” Hobbes: “ A noun that lost it’s amateur status.” Hilarious.

[@DrWhom]

It is the same "pro" in the sense of "on behalf of". A pronoun stands for a noun, simples. Professional (non-amateur) comes from profess, which is "an acknowledgement on behalf of" which stands for a public declaration of what one stands for. This _in fact not actually wrong_ is what makes Hobbes so funny for me.

[@RHCole]

"...maybe I'll get a point for creativity."

[@prestonowens4594]

I always loved the strip where Calvin gets stuck staring at his reflection in a puddle of water all day because it puts him into an existential crisis.

[@TheOmegazerox]

My top favorite is Calvin clymbing out the window at knight' going to a payphone across the street and calling his dad. Hello dad it is now three in the morning. Do you know where I am!

[@Canada_Dominium]

@@TheOmegazerox How about when Calvin's plaid pants and striped sweater made him walk?

[@TheOmegazerox]

@@Canada_Dominium Look at you! Have you gone color blinde! I don't want to hear about it. Yes another great one. How bout when his snowman' the leafpile or his bubble bath comes to life and tries to kill him?

[@thelowestoflow5486]

@@TheOmegazerox I’m thinking of a number between one and seven-hundred billion

[@TheNinjaDC]

"I figure that, long after the strip is forgotten, those decals are my ticket to immortality." 🤣 🤣 🤣I love this guy

[@General12th]

I can't imagine everyone, realistically, forgetting Calvin and Hobbes. Even if the apocalypse happens tomorrow, enough copies will survive and be enjoyed by survivors.

[@TheDoopes]

So I'm from Chagrin Falls and he came to speak to us in the late 90s. We were specifically told to not bring anything for him to sign as he was not signing things anymore at that point. Also he brought his letter from the peanuts author to show us. He told us to do whatever makes us most happy, and to stop doing it if it stops making us happy no matter what anyone else says. He showed us some art, and early comic sketches, and a picture of his cat.

[@indieWellie]

John Gault answers don’t change, but the questions we ask do.

[@justsomestuff4971]

Indignant Wellington I think it’s the other way around. More often than not we are always asking the same questions but as time progresses our answers change because we learn a little more. Such as when you ask yourself a question and say “I don’t know” right now but 20 years from now it would be an entirely different answer.

[@paulmanson253]

Danielle Barr Thanks for the post. Calvin and Hobbes was a joy I looked forward to. Looking at both the child and the adults behaviour was part of the pleasure. I was not a particularly pleasant child to raise but there were indeed two sides to that story. Making fun of the little shit I was sometimes capable of being helped me to see from a balanced adult look. Cheers.

[@donnyboon2896]

Yep, he was a kook.

[@caulkins69]

I find it ironic that Watterson takes pride in that letter from Charles Schulz. Peanuts is one of the most egregious examples of a comic strip running longer than it should have and being excessively merchandized.

[@alanhill2331]

Watterson is such an intelligent creator, a true loving artist who cares about what he created and doesnt want to see it tarnished by shills. Much respect.

[@rhettpeter83]

think its well summed up here in this quote: "The hard part for us avant-garde post-modern artists is deciding whether or not to embrace commercialism. Do we allow our work to be hyped and exploited by a market that’s simply hungry for the next new thing? Do we participate in a system that turns high art into low art so it’s better suited for mass consumption? Of course, when an artist goes commercial, he makes a mockery of his status as an outsider and free thinker. He buys into the crass and shallow values art should transcend. He trades the integrity of his art for riches and fame." -Calvin/Watterson

[@yeef3493]

@@rhettpeter83 classic

[@parapsycho13]

Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, and The Far Side were huge parts of my childhood and well into my teenage years.

[@distantlol]

Two Mewtwos in Too-toos dude old garfield is amazinf

[@deemueller6470]

Do you remember "Sherman on the mount"? I always thought It ranked with with some of the best.

[@pseudonayme7717]

I was fortunate enough to have a young son to read Calvin and Hobbes to(among other things) and we are both big fans to this day. He would pretend to be Hobbes when I came back home, pouncing on me with a KAPOOOOW! 😄

[@TheMrfoxguy]

Wasn't far side made into a series.

[@TheOmegazerox]

Far side has influenced my sense of humor. I drew a silly picture once that sead unknown to history the Thanksgiving tradition saved the world. Two turkeys are talking and one seas with this development we must cancel plans for world conquest.

[@wjtruax]

I grew up in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The town is featured on the back cover of, “The Essential Calvin and Hobbes.” Many of Calvin’s adventures happened in places I know well. The streams and woods Calvin played in were always very familiar. Each strip was a unique mix of commentary on popular culture, human nature, and every individual’s struggle to stand out from the masses, yet still understand and fit into the environment in which we find ourselves. Calvin & Hobbes are greatly appreciated - and missed.

[@virgilcain]

Why'd the Hip song about Chagrin Falls?

[@jrodowens]

7 or 8 year old me would have done anything to just VISIT Calvin's magical, beautiful world. How neat that its modeled after a real place, and even cooler that you got to grow up there.

[@wjtruax]

@@jrodowens it certainly made Calvin’s outdoor adventures realistic to me. I had a crazy sled run down a path to a creek behind our house that was not as death-defying as Calvin’s toboggan run, but still made for hours of frozen fun.

[@lisaclark361]

Lucky you! 😊

[@humanbass]

Man, that last strip is so damn perfect, always makes my eyes a bit wet.

[@idontknowwhattoputhere7017]

Me too😢

[@MrUndersolo]

Let’s go exploring!

[@helenpruzan6970]

A friend of mine has had it on her refrigerator since the day it was published.It always makes me smile.😊💗

[@idontknowwhattoputhere7017]

Vitor Roma I have tears sniff sniff

[@jamie49868]

I kind of wish I hadn't seen it. I was feeling pretty good and reliving some fond memories until that . Now I'm kind of sad. With winter coming, I want to see his snowman collection.

[@alanhawkins808]

Mom: “Life could be a lot worse.” Calvin: “Life could be a lot better to.”

[@yortlebluzzgubbly3871]

I quote and paraphrase this a lot in my day to day life.

[@edennard1]

So do I …

[@talanigreywolf7110]

There's what I believe is a fan made strip that portrays Calvin as an adult with a young daughter who is having trouble sleeping on a stormy night. He gets out of bed and retrieves an item out of a closet, the one thing he's sure will help his child sleep easy; Hobbes. The last panel always makes me smile, with the tiger asking the girl, "Got any tuna fish?"

[@mikegrossberg8624]

I don't remember where I saw it, but someone "fanficted" Calvin, as an old man, on his deathbed. Susie hands him the toy Hobbes, which she found in the attic. As Calvin passes on, Hobbes appears to him, says "it's been a long time. Wanna go exploring?" Calvin, now his USUAL self, goes off for further adventures. In the real world, Calvin's grandson, a rather moody 6 year old child, finds the stuffed tiger; Hobbes asks him if he's got any tuna fish. A new cycle begins

[@WilliamStonerock]

It was a writing prompt on Reddit...

[@pauljs75]

Frazz is what I picture Calvin being like about 25 years after that last comic. Style is almost the same too.

[@RonnieRawdawg]

Then hobbes proceeds to eat her out

[@SupersuMC]

Mike Grossberg Dang it, who put onions in these tuna fish?

[@davedavid7061]

"What good is it being cool if you can't wear a sombrero" Hobbes

[@greyareaRK1]

I cried over that last cartoon. At the time it was the highlight of my day. In residence my wife (then girlfriend) painted a 6' dancing Calvin and Hobbes on the common room wall.

[@becauseimafan]

John Matthias #RelationshipGoals

[@Manganization]

The last strip was arguably one of the best endings for a comic strip. I cried myself.

[@brianmurphy250]

I was crushed when both Calvin & Hobbes and The Far Side both ended in the same period. But they had great runs. Both creators are great human beings

[@TheOneSoulMate_]

For sure. They were and still are my 2 favorite. There was a huge hole left when they both ended. I blame my sarcastic dark sense of humor on them both lol.

[@frankstrawnation]

Retired at age of 38. That's the guy!

[@mattmorgan881]

Meanwhile, I'm 36 and still paying student loans.

[@SupersuMC]

#LifeGoals

[@joegeejoegee]

Yeah. He and I are the same age and I'm still plugging away...though I did make a career change at 40.

[@3daypriest]

This seems to be a common attitude. Great to stop working. If that is the case then said person was expending their life energies in the wrong profession. I was in education until about 38. Decided I wasn’t receiving adequate compensation for my efforts. Got offered a employment in Japan at a much higher salary. After The New wore off, I grew to dislike my ‘work’. Realized I left a job that gave me a sense of satisfaction. If you want to retire, you are in the wrong profession.

[@Mallory-Malkovich]

If you have a sticker of Calvin peeing on something, you’ve profoundly missed the point of _Calvin & Hobbes._

[@RettMikhal]

Osiris Malkovich You also apparently care way too much about lead in your gasoline. Seriously why piss on unleaded?

[@dk50b]

My hope is those crass morons don't even know who Calvin is. It would be far sadder if someone who loved that comic thought "Calvin publicly urinating is exactly what he'd do." I was surprised Watterson seems OK with them, as they make angrier than almost any car stickers I see, including offensive political stuff.

[@johannesk4884]

I remember seeing this car stickef way earlier than ever hearing of this comic. Mostly in a football (soccer) context. Not so popular in Europe I suppose.

[@Tornado1994]

Watterson was never okay about them. He never properly Copyrighted C&H and never successfully Trademarked the Strip and Likeness to prevent them from being made.

[@HTYM]

Osiris Malkovich Truer words were never spoken. I honestly don't care for those urinating Calvin stickers. They're not funny, not "hip" or "cool", and they tarnish the C&H legacy.

[@marcscordato4385]

Far side and Calvin and Hobbs are by far my two favorite modern comics strips. Both had a relatively short but wonderful run .

[@ictyyz]

The best

[@Steve17010]

Another of my favorite comics, Bloom County, had a rather short run.

[@truantray]

Bloom County...you can go back 30 years and still see the accurate depiction of Donald Trump. The idea that he would be President was horrific back then, and now.

[@Octoberfurst]

@@Steve17010 Bloom County was my all time favorite comic strip. It was always funny and poked fun at politicians and trends. I miss it.

[@machinegunmolly1]

I actually saved the last strip and whenever I see it, I always smile. I really miss that little trouble maker and even though I still only read specific comic strips in my newspaper, there has been no one that has come close to Calvin and Hobbes.

[@ashknoecklein]

The final strip still makes me cry.

[@omegafoxxtrot7248]

It broke my heart all over again.

[@zachmueller2912]

Why? It's a happy sledding scene.

[@omegafoxxtrot7248]

A happy ending to something you've loved for a very long time can be a very bittersweet thing, and Calvin and Hobbes taught me and many other people to read. It was just something that was there while we grew up. We never questioned it, and we always went back until one day it just wasn't there anymore.

[@Unhelpful]

Let's go exploring! And then my heart died inside.

[@Ranstone]

It kicks me in the heart, but I smile. I'm in my 20s, but I never lost that love for fun, exploration, and adventure... And I never will. That final strip reminds me a lot of myself.

[@GearheadDaily]

I have the full collection, best fathers day gift ever. I miss his cartoons, poignant and still funny.

[@xboys_archive]

Gearhead Daily I got it 2 years ago for Christmas

[@MonkeyspankO]

just ordered it, can't wait

[@sal8527]

Gearhead Daily I’ve got that too - bought it for myself for my BD a couple years ago. Wish I hadn’t watched this at work because now I just wanna go home and curl up with it!

[@ILikeMyPrivacytbt]

I have the "full" collection too, www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1985/11/18.

[@MonkeyspankO]

lol..will do

[@robertkaslow3720]

The tyrannosaurus scared of mom is the funniest picture in the series, the tyrannosaurus running from a pissed off sabre tooth tiger is just as funny.

[@TheOmegazerox]

How did the great tyranosaur become exstinked? Know we know.

[@Felidae-felicis]

Calvin and Hobbes is my childhood back in the 90's. Went to the library to read each one collection and feverishly looking at the art. And i still remember reading the last panel and crying knowing it is the end of my childhood. I'm watching this with a tear in my eyes remembering those days. Thank you so much for making me remember the best time of my life.

[@randalthor741]

I respect the hell out of Bill Watterson on every level. I was sad when Calvin & Hobbes ended, but as soon as I heard his reasons for retiring I knew that he had made the absolute right decision.

[@Tornado1994]

Honestly, Watterson planned on quitting as early as 1993.

[@MrMackanno]

I applaud his refusal to merchandise Calvin and Hobbes. +1

[@jeric_synergy8581]

Those guys with the "Calvin Pissing" stickers on their trucks? Fuck those guys and the people that make that sticker.

[@dsandoval9396]

I would like a few decals, NONE of the pissing ones though, and even then I'd put them on my glass desk. More than likely I'd make them. There's probably a site out there that has stencils, all I would need is a sheet of adhesive paper or if I really wanted to do it right I'd cut out a stencil out of the adhesive paper and use that etching acid on my desk. Yeahhh... that sounds like an idea.

[@GGorsty]

You get a F from me, respect that.

[@Mario87456]

I HATE him for that stupid bastard couldn’t understand that fans of his work would love merchandise of Calvin and Hobbes.

[@andrewthezeppo]

I still would like a stuffed Hobbs to give to my niece though, I feel that at least is totally in the spirit of the comics!

[@FaLL0uTZ0mBie]

Calvin and Hobbes are a huge part of my childhood. Everytime we had a book fair I would buy all the new books they had and eventually bought the anniversary from a Barnes and nobles 12 years ago. To this day my favorite one was where Calvin and Hobbes find a dead bird and have a really deep message about life and death.

[@rufust.firefly6352]

There are so many Calvin and Hobbes stories that still bring a tear to my eye. They perfectly capture a moment at times...and often...teach something important without hitting you over the head about it. We owe their creator a debt of gratitude for giving us this never ending gift.

[@Bethelaine1]

I was visiting the comic strip museum in France, Calvin and Hobbs has won several international awards for excellence. It was great seeing that they are viewed with such respect around the world..

[@stevend3753]

Thumbs up for Spaceman Spiff!

[@EktoplazmMusic]

Steven D It's Spaceman Craig. *chhhhhhh kuhhhh*

[@sal8527]

Most definitely! And let’s all toss a mental snowball at Suzie Durkins (sp?) while we’re remembering stuff from C&H.

[@TheComicBookJoker]

Sal but not too many, lest we somehow cause a second attack of the deranged mutant killer monster snowgoons.

[@sal8527]

TheComicBookJoker OMG I wish I didn’t have so much grading to finish today or I’d be reading Calvin and Hobbes right now. I’d forgotten that bit - it’s clearly been far too long!

[@yomomz3921]

Tracer Bullet would eat Spiff's lunch.

[@00Skyfox]

I'm 46 and still totally love Calvin & Hobbes. Every now and then I begin re-reading all the C&H books I have. One of these days I'm going to splurge and buy the complete C&H collection in hardcover!

[@HomeDefender30]

That last panel always makes me tear up…. “Let’s go exploring” perfectly encapsulates the character of Calvin, and leaves us knowing that his and Hobbes antics are still occurring off page until the end of time… Not only does it sum up the comic and leave the reader in a perpetual state of indefinite adventures, it also perfectly describes the next evolution of wattersons career… where he gets to explore artistic sides of himself without any constraints… and while he doesn’t know where it’s all going to lead, the only way to find out is to start the adventure and see what happens. It also triples as a life lesson and a last piece of advice to the readers… Calvin ignites the explorer in us all. Now that we can no longer follow along with his on the pages, it’s time for us to go out and create our own adventures, and never allow a ourselves to be put in a box. Thank you for everything bill. You brought joy and wonder to millions.

[@headphonesaxolotl]

I like it too since it means fans can create fancomics or other stuff to show some more funny adventures that may not have been made by Watterson but could have been made by him.

[@Vivalarosa45]

There's a documentary called "Thank You Mr. Watterson" on Netflix. I reccomend it.

[@diesel_dawg]

*Dear Mr. Watterson

[@Dane_Youssef]

I saw it. Fans expressing their gratitude. Understandable.

[@moo-snuckle]

I doubt Ill ever laugh as hard as i did at when calvin was convinced his bike was trying to kill him

[@colleenross8752]

What about his camping trips?

[@EclecticPkm]

Thanks for that one Simon. I'll always remember Calvin and Hobbes as a fond part of my childhood wishing I could go on even one of the adventures he did. My prize collection is the 10 year 3 volume set of all Calvin and Hobbes comics.

[@timearly5226]

EclecticPkm You can! All you need is a big cardboard box..... ; )

[@microbuilder]

I have pictures of me as a kid in the 80s reading his books, I still have them, still read them, still love them.

[@Peecamarke]

Probly why people try to sell the signed copies for so much online

[@thetallman9531]

I still have all of those volumes. I even look through them every once in a while.

[@gingerkittiesfour]

Bill Watterson drew Calvin and Hobbes for the next decade, giving life to six-year-old Calvin and his tiger friend Hobbes-named after the Protestant reformer John Calvin and the philosopher Thomas Hobbes, a choice the cartoonist called “an inside joke for poli-sci majors” per the Los Angeles Times-until

[@cartkart1]

“Hey mom! Here’s my Christmas list! I alphabetized it. This is part 1: Atom Bomb to Grenade Launcher.” - Calvin

[@mitchgordon8199]

I own every Calvin and Hobbs book and from time to time I grab one off the shelf and spend hours laughing on the couch. The snowman series still cracks me up.

[@henkwilliemadriannusvander1955]

The comic was so popular that even my lecturers complimented a student's good job with "Stupendous, man."

[@cb-stops2777]

lol I have a thing for stupendous man

[@dtanaka869-d]

Calvin sneaking out at 3 am and calling his family from a pay phone asking if they knew where he was is my favorite C&H

[@PunguinYoga]

Ha ha ha!

[@GCJACK83]

A study in two comic strips: Garfield is still going on, despite being roughly ten years older than Calvin and Hobbes. Unlike Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield has become stale. An empty farce of what it once was because Jim Davis keeps trying to chase a dragon and keep something going that would be better off being retired with grace. Keep in mind, the last time we saw Calvin and Hobbes, they were riding a sled down a snow-covered hill while saying "let's go exploring". It's an open-ended ending for a beloved strip. Those of us who remained true fans of Watterson's work are left free to imagine how things are going in Calvin's life now. Some like to think he married Suzie, had a kid with her, and their kid now drags Hobbes around. Others prefer to think Calvin stayed young and they're imagining flying through space on another Spiff adventure. The way it ended leaves it open for any number of things to bring a smile to the face of a fan.

[@Ninja-Alinja]

HerpyDerpyDoo11 Davis is famous for being a businessman first (extremely successful one at then, he is worth nearly a billion!!) and artist twentieth. He’s been admitting that in interviews forever, he spends way more time licensing than drawing and drawing is done by a team, not even himself.

[@GCJACK83]

I didn't mean the art style of Garfield. I meant the material overall. There's only so many times we can see Jon get denied by the vet, or Garfield kick Odie off a table, before it just gets stale.

[@Tornado1994]

Garfield has NOT even been drawn or illustrated by Jim Davis himself since 1999.

[@Tornado1994]

Correct. Davis stopped drawing Garfield way back in 1999!!!!! Davis only Drew the Strip for 21 years from 1978 to 1999.

[@Tornado1994]

Nope. Davis FOUGHT in Court against United Feature Syndicate during 1988-1993. He sued them TWICE for Copyright Infringement and IP Infringement in 1989 and 1990. In 1993, UFS lost ALL rights to Garfield. Davis didn't get fully involved in the Business side of things until 1999. When he resigned as Garfield's head illustrator after 21 years.

[@okrajoe]

Calvin and Hobbes and Bloom County were the greatest comics!

[@CelestialLites]

Do you know Bloom County is back on Facebook? .com/berkeleybreathed He's been doing some great work there.

[@mandalorian_guy]

Trump running for president made him come out of retirement and it's the best part of the day when he posts.

[@shuichiboy]

Not only is Bloom County on Facebook, but Breathed and Watterson did some collaboration strips. :)

[@harveyabel1354]

You can also buy new Bloom County books.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

I'd have to add B.C. and Wizard of ID to that; I read them for nearly 40 years. Today, Non Sequitur and Dilbert are my current daily newspaper reads, as B.C. got hosed for religious reasons.

[@wariolandgoldpiramid]

I was reading Calvin and Hobbes comics for a few years, ans had NO IDEA that Hobbes was a toy, I thought he was a real tiger. I wasn't until I read a specific strip that actually showed him as a toy, and I was completly mindblown. Yeah, no joke.

[@toughtittypdiddy4634]

wariolandgoldpiramid you never read any of the books?

[@wariolandgoldpiramid]

Only the comics in a magazine.

[@toughtittypdiddy4634]

wariolandgoldpiramid the books are amazing. If you have the chance you should read them. It's in the books that you see him go from toy to a live tiger then back to a toy when Calvin's parents or nosy neighbors come around. Still I've always wondered about this one thing. There was a running gag in the comic strip that Hobbes would tackle Calvin as soon as he walked through the door, but if he was a toy how did that happen? Did one of the parents throw him at Calvin or something? I guess we will never know. Also the Garfield books were way better than the show or movies.

[@robertromero8692]

The "Hobbes tackles Calvin" answer is easy. Calvin imagines it. If he winds up looking disheveled, it's because of his solo activities.

[@Tornado1994]

Davis HATED Garfield and Friends. He didn't mind the CBS specials, but he DESPISED the Saturday Morning Cartoons because he felt like they dumbed down the value of his Strip. This is why United Feature lost the rights to Garfield in 1993.

[@turntsnaco824]

During the summer, I would build blanket forts in my bedroom, and spend a week or two reading through our entire copy of The Authoritative Calvin & Hobbes Collection. The way it went through the different seasons, including Calvin leaving school for summer vacation, and having to eventually return, resonated with me so hard as a kid. One of my fondest childhood memories.

[@crovax1375]

My favorite Calvin and Hobbes comic is the one when his babysitter figures out the "rules" to Calvin ball and tags him with the "babysitter flag" much to Calvin's suprise.

[@kcollier2192]

Mine is a 3 panel one where you only see a conversation between Calvin and Hobbes. The first panel says"Where do we go when we die?" The second panel says "Pittsburgh" The last panel says "If you're good or if you're bad?" Being from Pittsburgh, I prefer to think it's the former...

[@Tornado1994]

The final year of Calvin and Hobbes: 1995, had some of the Weakest, most lackluster stories in the entire strip's run. If you want see C&H excellence, check out 1986-1988.

[@Tornado1994]

From December 1985.

[@kcollier2192]

I've got all the collections, thanks...

[@SensiofRabbitude]

Im curious as to what Tornado thinks of 89-94. It was amazing early on in its run and quite terrible late. Was the rest just varying degrees of average?

[@kevinjohnson1139]

I would never part with a signed Calvin and Hobbes book. I’ll never part with my unsigned ones.

[@ceciliasosaleger7714]

So true! When I found out a young co-worker didn’t know Calvin & Hobbes I purchased an introductory set of books for him rather than lend any of my own

[@carlozabbia1157]

Even though I'm desperately poor, I'd never sell my complete collection. It was one of the first things I salvaged after Katrina.

[@varkadegames]

kevin Johnson I still have my collection. 😃✌️

[@Peecamarke]

Probly why people were able to sell the signed copies for so much online

[@beckyguelette5114]

I rediscover them constantly

[@Dsdcain]

Ok now it's time to do a video about Gary Larson. He was another cartoonist who retired at the peak of his popularity. Thanks as always for the video Simon and the *TIFO* crew.

[@mallardtheduck406]

Dsdcain I have a large book with All of "The Far Side" comics.

[@JohnBham79]

I grew up reading Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, etc. My favorite comic strips by far

[@doeyjiaz4798]

🤣🤣 i still laugh at the comic where the sandwich mafia is throwing another sandwich from an open ceiling tile into a cafeteria of kids. " Luigi sleeps with the 4th graders"

[@sal8527]

I’ve got both the complete Far Side and the complete Calvin and Hobbes. They’re not cheap but they’re beautiful.

[@better.better]

"retired" isn't really the correct word... after all, they get royalties from the books, calendars, and such. I actually went to a Gary Larson gallery showing some years after he retired from the weekly grind.

[@brickbybrick251lego8]

I grew up with pretty much every Calvin and Hobbes collection available. I spent hours and hours of my childhood reading through those comics, laughing at what I understood and enjoying what I didn’t. I got a stuffed tiger and called it Hobbes because of how much I loved these comics! They’re a special piece of my life, and they’ve only gotten better as I’ve grown older

[@TimeturnerJ]

As they say, quit while you're ahead. It's sad, but it's a good thing. Far too many things keep going for the sake of money and eventually lose all heart and passion as they slowly decline; Calvin and Hobbes, however, will forever remain true to themselves.

[@jaelie8398]

Two words: Spongebob Squarepants

[@TobeyStarburst]

Yup like The Simpsons

[@Lestibournes]

Like the TV show Nikita. Season 1 was good but didn't properly wrap everything up. Season 2 and on the got progressively worse. Same for most TV shows. Great first season leads to the series being extended beyond what the story can support and turning into trash.

[@amandalynn4979]

Why do you think Gravity Falls is so beloved? Alex Hirsch wanted to stop it on a high note.

[@leethompson-kolar6333]

(calmly walking) "What if somebody calls us 'a pair o' pathetic peripatetics?'" (fumes) "I've never heard of anyone taking the trouble to rhyme weird insults." "But shouldn't we have a ready retort?"

[@DT_Worlds_Strongest_Goth]

can't believe you didn't even mention how Bill Watterson returned to comics for a bit and did a guest appearance in Pearls before swine

[@DT_Worlds_Strongest_Goth]

imgur.com/gallery/qDKn2

[@sac58999]

He's also popped up in Berke Breathed's rebooted Bloom County. I can't find the exact strip I'm thinking of, but it was in April 2018.

[@DT_Worlds_Strongest_Goth]

Gotta google that now.

[@DT_Worlds_Strongest_Goth]

in case anyone else was curious www.cbr.com/berkeley-breatheds-calvin-and-hobbes-gag-wins-april-fools-day/

[@thulcandran]

Thank you for posting those. That made my day!

[@jackdeth37]

One of the only reasons I ever read the Sunday Comics was Calvin and Hobbes. I found a bunch of the books recently and have been taken back to many great memories in reading them. So from a long time fan, thank you Mr. Waterson for your brilliant contribution to society. Your view of the world through a 6 year olds eyes and his tiger buddy have brought more joy to the world than you’ll ever know.

[@itmademesignup9508]

"His tiger, Hobbes, who may or may not be real"? Hobbes is real, man. He is real to Calvin, and most readers. That's the point.

[@39zack]

Hobbes is a quantum beeing 🙃

[@ellencameron3775]

There was the series of comics about Calvin finding an injured raccoon. He gets his mom to help, then runs off to get a shoe box and a towel, and mom talks to Hobbes. And for that moment, mom sort of saw Hobbes the way that Calvin does. And that's why Hobbes is real.

[@eggabacon]

I don't care what people say, if Hobbes is real to Calvin, he's real to us

[@JR-ju3kj]

That still doesn't really answer the question of if Hobbes is real but okay. Personally,I'm okay with never getting a definitive answer on the topic.

[@h.calvert3165]

I suppose no one is questioning the objective reality of the stuffed Hobbes. Now, the ACTIVITIES of that granted-to-exist Hobbes are only speculative based on P.O.V. Almost any activity is. If you tell someone you drank 12 cups of coffee before breakfast, but you don't have a witness, how do you prove it happened? Well, Calvin witnesses Hobbes's activities. And through Calvin, so do we. He doesn't TELL us about them. We WITNESS them. That's proof enough for, oh, several million of us. Rock on, Hobbes old boy. Rock on! 🐅 🐯 🐅

[@TopTierTealTippedSpears]

He's like the anti-Jim Davis.

[@runninginsept]

Yes. I used to love Garfield but grew to despise it. The live action movie was vile.

[@mrspeigel3593]

@@runninginsept so does Davis he killed Garfield back in the 80s and has just been dialing it in ever since.

[@biffwellington7577]

@@mrspeigel3593 he doesn't even draw them anymore. And he has a cadre of writers doing most of the writing for him.

[@Tornado1994]

@@mrspeigel3593 He stopped drawing Garfield in 1999.

[@yellowblanka6058]

@@runninginsept As a kid my sister had more than a few Garfield collection books and I would always borrow them, watched the original animated show in syndication and was a fan of it, but the newer Garfield stuff....yikes. Watched a bit of the newer CG show out of curiosity, very cheap CG animation, far cry from the original animated show. They're in merchandising mill mode now.

[@kmaassociates7999]

I'm just an old grandma who has fond memories of the "funnies" that used to take up 3-4 pages in the Sunday paper; and wrestled over after Sunday School without fail. This young cartoonists work is missed and even more appreciated after watching this. (My favorite works were those involving winter activities, specifically those snow sculpture fantasies.)

[@stigrabbid589]

KMA Associates Sadly the comics sections have gotten smaller and smaller over the years. When i was a kid in the early 1990s the largest local newspaper had a 6 page comics section, and i remember when they cut it to 4 pages, and now it is still 4 pages, but they have more comics in the same space, so each one is smaller, and many of the newer comics are not as good as older ones.

[@takenbystatues]

What a thoughtful, brilliant guy. The same could be said for his output. The world is a better place for Calvin & Hobbes. ♥️💫

[@funzjag]

Calvin and Hobbs will always be one of my favorite comic strips. Thanks for the enjoyable video. God Bless you Mr.Watterson!

[@Bellthorian]

Calvin's final moments as written by a reddit user. To me it is the perfect answer to what happened to Calvin. "Calvin? Calvin, sweetheart?" In the darkness Calvin heard the sound of Susie, his wife of fifty-three years. Calvin struggled to open his eyes. God, he was so tired and it took so much strength. Slowly, light replaced the darkness, and soon vision followed. At the foot of his bed stood his wife. Calvin wet his dry lips and spoke hoarsely, "Did... did you.... find him?" "Yes dear," Susie said smiling sadly, "He was in the attic." Susie reached into her big purse and brought out a soft, old, orange tiger doll. Calvin could not help but laugh. It had been so long. Too long. "I washed him for you," Susie said, her voice cracking a little as she laid the stuffed tiger next to her husband. "Thank you, Susie." Calvin said. A few moments passed as Calvin just laid on his hospital bed, his head turned to the side, staring at the old toy with nostalgia. "Dear," Calvin said finally. "Would you mind leaving me alone with Hobbes for a while? I would like to catch up with him." "All right," Susie said. "I'll get something to eat in the cafeteria. I'll be back soon." Susie kissed her huband on the forehead and turned to leave. With sudden but gentle strength Calvin stopped her. Lovingly he pulled his wife in and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. "I love you," he said. "And I love you," said Susie. Susie turned and left. Calvin saw tears streaming from her face as she went out the door. Calvin then turned to face his oldest and dearest friend. "Hello Hobbes. It's been a long time hasn't it old pal?" Hobbes was no longer a stuffed doll but the big furry old tiger Calvin had always remembered. "It sure has, Calvin." said Hobbes. "You... haven't changed a bit." Calvin smiled. "You've changed a lot." Hobbes said sadly. Calvin laughed, "Really? I haven't noticed at all." There was a long pause. The sound of a clock ticking away the seconds rang throughout the sterile hospital room. "So... you married Susie Derkins." Hobbes said, finally smiling. "I knew you always like her." "Shut up!" Calvin said, his smile bigger than ever. "Tell me everything I missed. I'd love to hear what you've been up to!" Hobbes said, excited. And so Calvin told him everything. He told him about how he and Susie fell in love in high school and had married after graduating from college, about his three kids and four grandkids, how he turned Spaceman Spiff into one of the most popular sci-fi novels of the decade, and so on. After he told Hobbes all this there was another pregnant pause. "You know... I visited you in the attic a bunch of times." Calvin said. "I know." "But I couldn't see you. All I saw was a stuffed animal." Calvin voice was breaking and tears of regret started welling up in his eyes. "You grew up old buddy." said Hobbes. Calvin broke down and sobbed, hugging his best friend. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry I broke my promise! I promised I wouldn't grow up and that we'd be together forever!!" Hobbes stroke the Calvin's hair, or what little was left of it. "But you didn't." "What do you mean?" "We were always together... in our dreams." "We were?" "We were." "Hobbes?" "Yeah, old buddy?" "I'm so glad I got to see you like this... one last time..." "Me too, Calvin. Me too." "Sweetheart?" Susie voice came from outside the door. "Yes dear?" Calvin replied. "Can I come in?" Susie asked. "Just a minute." Calvin turned to face Hobbes one last time. "Goodbye Hobbes. Thanks... for everything..." "No, thank you Calvin." Hobbes said. Calvin turned back to the door and said, "You can come in now." Susie came in and said, "Look who's come to visit you." Calvin's children and grandchildren followed Susie into Calvin's room. The youngest grandchild ran past the rest of them and hugged Calvin in a hard, excited hug. "Grandpa!!" screamed the child in delight. "Francis!" cried Calvin's daughter, "Be gentle with your grandfather." Calvin's daughter turned to her dad. "I'm sorry, Daddy. Francis never seems to behave these days. He just runs around making a mess and coming up with strange stories." Calvin laughed and said, "Well now! That sound just like me when I was his age." Calvin and his family chatted some more until a nurse said, "Sorry, but visiting hours are almost up." Calvin's beloved family said good bye and promised to visit tommorrow. As they turned to leave Calvin said, "Francis. Come here for a second." Francis came over to his grandfather's side, "What is it Gramps?" Calvin reached over to the stuffed tiger on his bedside and and held him out shakily to his grandson, who looked exactly as he did so many years ago. "This is Hobbes. He was my best friend when I was your age. I want you to have him." "He's just a stuffed tiger." Francis said, eyebrows raised. Calvin laughed, "Well, let me tell you a secret." Francis leaned closer to Clavin. Calvin whispered, "If you catch him in a tiger trap using a tuna sandwich as bait he will turn into a real tiger." Francis gasped in delighted awe. Calvin continued, "Not only that he will be your best friend forever." "Wow! Thanks grandpa!" Francis said, hugging his grandpa tightly again. "Francis! We need to go now!" Calvin's daughter called. "Okay!" Francis shouted back. "Take good care of him." Calvin said. "I will." Francis said before running off after the rest of the family. Calvin laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. The time to go was close. He could feel it in his soul. Calvin tried to remember a quote he read in a book once. It said something about death being the next great adventure or something like that. He eyelids grew heavy and his breathing slowed. As he went deeper into his final sleep he heard Hobbes, as if he was right next to him at his bedside. "I'll take care of him, Calvin..." Calvin took his first step toward one more adventure and breathed his last with a grin on his face.

[@lisagulick4144]

Damn. A whole C & H expanded universe in one Reddit post! That was amazing!

[@misster490]

someone was cutting an onion again

[@amojak]

Damn onions

[@normanacree1635]

There is a little resemblance of 'Puff the Magic Dragon' there. I often tear up when I hear it.

[@megachad6916]

God damn it you made me cry

[@rancidbeef582]

I bought the box set of all the C&H strips about twelve or so years ago. I spent days chuckling over many I'd missed along the way.

[@calvinbakazan4336]

I’m honored to be named after this masterpiece

[@rampe5610]

My favorite C&H: C: Twitching Tufted Tail, A Toasty Tawny Tummy: A Tired Tiger C: An Alliterative Haiku by Calvin.. Thank you! Thank you! H: Sheesh.

[@BlackZynfyndel]

I really hate Calvin being used on those car decals. Always have.

[@sschmidtevalue]

Rai Gresham Yeah, Bill W hates em too. He's NEVER licensed any products. He doesn't make a dime on them.

[@rhythmf.4460]

Oh he's the boy peeing?

[@BlackZynfyndel]

Rhythm F. Yes

[@rachelhall3892]

Me too! 🤦‍♀️

[@cameron6537]

Never realized that was Calvin

[@shortieberg6343]

Sometimes I think the surest sign of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us

[@erectilereptile7383]

ShortieBerg ! You should at least give him credit for that quote