Why Calvin and Hobbes is the Greatest Comic Strip Ever Made

a true centennial celebration
00:00 - Intro
01:28 - Chapter 1: An Overview of Why Calvin and Hobbes Uncompromisingly Slaps
13:28 - Chapter 2: Cats, Commodities, and Consumerism
19:44 - Chapter 3: Calvin and Hobbes, the Internet, and the Culture of Corporate Sameness

[@ultimateeick2910]

Ok, so this video blew up way beyond what I thought it would, and I really appreciate all the wonderful comments! You’ll notice that I’m liking nearly every comment I see, and that’s just a sign that I’ve read and appreciated it :) However, as the video continues to grow, it might get harder to keep up with hearting every comment, so if I haven’t, it’s not personal, it’s just that the amount of comments has grown past my usual amount :)

[@joshuawargo6446]

I never saw the strips with Rosalynn playing Calvin ball with him! =D That's SO GREAT! Not to mention a resolution between the two, but I feel that ALSO shows a side of a more adult character ACTUALLY acknowledging Calvin's intelligence even if its in such a weird , Avant Garde way Edit; Just bravo man...almost tearing up seeing that last panel. so much of my childhood was calvin and hobbes as well...and i believe its why i am the person i am somewhat too. unafraid to be me. cynical, sadly realizing the truth of the world, yet sometimes naively wanting to HOPE in the good of man

[@davidplowman6149]

Well, you did a good job. You deserve it.

[@Foreskin-Bandit]

Have you read Chesterton? Wonderful video, brother, subscribed and expecting more content that is just as great.

[@helmetfire5973]

This video is not even close to done blowing up. Not. Even.

[@MsCassidy23]

There's so much to discuss with Calvin and Hobbs. I think that would please Bill Watterson to know how much of a impact it had on everyone.

[@Morgil27]

Following up on Calvin's parents and that raccoon story, there's another one that left a big impact on me as a kid. There's a storyline where their house gets broken into and robbed while they were out of town, and one strip was just the mom for all four panels talking to herself about how scared and vulnerable she feels. It ends with her contemplating that Calvin is lucky to have Hobbes to help him feel safe and secure.

[@ultimateeick2910]

Oh my god I love that one!! That’s kind of what I was talking about in the end where I mentioned how I didn’t even cover everything amazing about it even though I talked for 27 straight minutes haha

[@MsCassidy23]

I also love Calivin's dad's take on it, and the comic showed both parents discussing their fears and insecurities about the situation openly. The parents had excellent communication in the comics. My favorite statement was when Calvin's Dad said, "When I was Calvin's age, I assumed adults would always know what to do in a situation like this, but it never occurred to me they might not know how." It hits harder when you become an adult.

[@RainbowMan9407]

My personal favorite line in that strip is "I don't know if I'd have been in such a hurry to reach adulthood if I'd known the whole thing was going to be ad-libbed." That one line describes the feeling of growing up perfectly. You think you'll know everything when you grow up, only to realize that you just have to take a leap and hope for the best.

[@VVeremoose]

"Mom says nobody would steal Hobbes because he's not valuable. But he's valuable to me" I haven't read my C&H collection in a decade and I can still quote panels like that.

[@hadtopicausername]

My home is my castle, but does it have to be a fortress?

[@doghouse4584]

Honestly, I think my favorite character in the C&H comics has to be Calvin's Dad. Hobbes might be a good compliment to Calvin's imagination, but his Dad is the perfect foil in every way possible. He always responds to Calvin's outlandish remarks with the perfect witty comeback, essentially poking holes in Calvin's childlike wonder and showing him how little he really understands the outside world. Going off what Bill Watterson said, if Calvin is meant to be a representation of his struggles and complaints, then Calvin's Dad is meant to be his own personal response to those struggles (not to mention that his dad is designed to look like Bill.) Certainly when I was a kid, I found Calvin super relatable, but as an adult, I relate even more heavily to his Dad. That being said, the comic also had a huge impact on my life as well. Whenever I try to draw goofy or exaggerated expressions, I always think back to how expressive the characters were. Such striking poses and excelling compositions that told you everything without saying a word. I'm glad that there will never be a Calvin and Hobbes TV show, but it would have had some serious standards to look up to. But more importantly than its artistic influence, its philosophy about human nature and the absurdity of the universe is something I always hold dear. Since no one else has named it, I hereby nominate the name "Wattersonian" philosophy. Some of my favorite lines are: "Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us." "That's one of the remarkable things about life. It's never so bad that it can't get worse." "Life could be worse, Calvin." "Life could be a lot better, too!"

[@ultimateeick2910]

I’ve actually never thought about Calvin’s dad that way before. He and Calvin’s mom have always been really interesting to me, but I haven’t thought of the dad in such a way that he’s a self-insert for Watterson himself. Similarly to many other characters in the strip, I feel that Calvin’s Dad is an amalgamation of many personas from Watterson’ life that he uses to explore various subjects in whatever way he seems to wish, since Calvin’s dad often gives Calvin false info for the sake of a laugh.

[@citycrusher9308]

@@ultimateeick2910 153 subs after 3 years? Hey pal, I feel you. I am in the same boat. Your ''Watterson-ing'' is commendable

[@fishdude666ify]

I loved his dad's explanations for Calvin's questions. "Wow, that's not what Mom said at ALL! She must be totally off her rocker!" "Well, we men are better at abstract thought than women, go tell her that."

[@jayhenderson5872]

one of my favorite calvin quotes is "when you look into infinity you realize that there are more important things than what people do all day"

[@Theomite]

"There would be more kindness in the world if people didn't take it as an invitation to walk all over you." - Calvin's mom

[@jonservo]

Calvin and Hobbes is the the reason I looked forward to the Sunday paper. I still remember when I found out the strip was being discontinued. I was sad to see it leave but now know it’s what made it timeless. Calvin and Hobbes left us wanting more, and will be remembered as one of the best written and illustrated comics of all time

[@binguette]

You should get the book collections!

[@Theomite]

I read _Calvin & Hobbes_ in it's original run and half-thought that Watterson had cameras in my house and was just translating my shitty life experiences as an undiagnosed autistic kid into hilarious comic strip form. C&H is so accurate to what my actual childhood was like (my parents looked EXACTLY like Calvin's) that the only things that *DIDN'T* match are 1) hills for my red wagon (yes I had one but never used it) to roll down 2) Calvin's vocabulary being much better than mine @ 6yo, and 3) not having enough snow to make sculptures. Otherwise, I can go through each strip and find an analog for a real-life incident (or 2 or 3 or more) that happened to me. The series is basically my unofficial biography.

[@anomalotheriataurus8806]

Great Minds Think alike

[@Foreskin-Bandit]

Noodle incident.

[@alkalinekats8300]

I know you commented about this dislike for the algorithm, but without it, I would have never seen this masterpiece. I love the fact that you make sure to never villainize a comic or art creator, because you knew that even though some may be producing a 'consistent thing' it doesn't mean that they are doing their job worthlessly, or that they are a miserable person who shouldn't even make more comics. I love how this video, along with the calvin and hobbes, teaches that there is always deeper emotions, always deeper meanings, that everybody deserves a redemption. I actually had a tear in my eye at the end. This was amazing.

[@k3kli0n12]

As a kid who grew up on Calvin and Hobbes seeing a creator break down the true greatness of the comic is such a treat. I hope both the video and the comic strip get the love it deserves!

[@wizardoferror9942]

As a kid you relate to Calvin. Like Calvin, we were egotistical as kids. As an adult, you relate to Hobbes since he’s more than just a stuffed animal, he’s like a voice of reason to Calvin. This truly is a masterpiece of a comic strip!

[@Ryan-nh1tl]

These comics literally made my childhood. I remember my parents told me that my older brother would read our Calvin and Hobbes books and laugh at the silly images before he could read, and I bet if I asked them they would tell me that I did too. Thanks for taking me back to that time even if it was just for half an hour.

[@atoster7042]

this guy has great production quality, you deserve to be a bigger channel, especially since you like calvin and hobbes

[@909sickle]

Loved the video. What Waterson could do with a just few brush strokes has never been matched. The coolest, most futuristic comic art ever, combined with the best comic writing ever. His ability to understand people, culture, ethics, art, and history and project it through the eyes of a psychedelically creative child mind, while layering multiple narratives for readers of all stages of human development, makes me think how amazing it would be to discuss art with him. I wish he did more interviews and wasn't so secretive, but maybe he already said everything he wanted to say. I remember enjoying Garfield as a child. I think Garfield was (perhaps accidently) profound in some ways. One thing I've learned over the years is that no matter how commercially motivated something is, no matter how vapid or pandering it is, nothing gets globally popular without something profoundly meaningful hidden between the cracks. This has to be true, because if it were not, corporations would be able to create successful global brands on demand. But instead, it's always been the illusive realm of random chance and rare magicians. Jim Davis may have sold out, but I don't think he pretended to be something he was not (although I never dug into his philosophy at all, so I could be wrong). I briefly had a popular comic and I remember refusing to monetize it, because Bill Waterson never did, and I saw that as the ultimate artistic purity. But as I was staving to death, watching millions of views coming in every day, I remember Randall from XKCD responding to one of my journal posts, saying that he always greatly admired Waterson, but he thought selling merchandise did not actually go against Waterson's philosophy. He said his refusal to sell merch was more about not cheapening the magic of Hobbes' reality and not about not making large sums of money from art. At the time I thought he was justifying shameless profit and I was convinced if I stuck to my values that everything would come together magically somehow. Looking back, it's plain to see I was stuck in a transition point between the old way and the new way of art. The old way required institutional approval and book deals. Being in newspapers was the dream. The new way is individual based communities. The so-called "creator economy". Money is no longer seen as corrupting, but as compressed appreciation which can be used to expand your artistic vision and make the world suck less. Randall was actually a visionary and one of the first to catch on to this. Integrity is about protecting your values, not about copying the values of great artists. How else could progress be made? One thing I got wrong (among many), a thing that most cynical artists get wrong, is the idea that financial success comes from selling out. I am now thinking the true source of financial success is giving away something amazing. Once you've earned the appreciation of others, you can choose to sell things for money, or not. The problem is, historically, there's always been the slimiest people who attach themselves to successful artists, because artists are usually horrible business people. The endless juxtapositions of popular art and exploitive business people has formed a connection in our minds that doesn't need to be there. However, the new and growing ability for artists to more easily sell things themselves has been eroding away at that perception. I think a lot of artists spend too much time (including myself, in the past) resenting successful artists, and never enough time going deep, really deep, diving into the depths of their vision and spending unreasonable absurd amounts of time thinking about their art, to bring something truly original and amazing into the world. We see someone hit it big with something we feel we could easily do ourselves, and think why them and not me? We focus on their lucky breaks and assume that's all that success is. I think the real reason there's so many examples of people getting lucky and so few examples of great art is, there's just so few people even trying to create great art. Also, many times there is a lot of hard work happening in secret, that we don't see, that amplifies luck. I think there's a subtle subconscious global despair permeating the art world right now, because on some level we know that if AI doesn't destroy civilization, we will soon have tools that will make the grunt-work so easy, that any massive efforts spent on grunt-work now, will seem like an absurd waste of time looking back. We can see hints of this with AI image generation and the way it makes visual artists feel. If civilization survives, we are about to enter an unparalleled explosion of art, bad art and amazing art. I could go on, but I've rambled too much and doubt anyone will make it this far. These topics have been heavily on my mind and this video trigged a mini-thought dump, and I'm curious what you think, if anyone reads this. I don't know any creators in my personal life, so I never get to hear feedback on opinions like these.

[@ultimateeick2910]

Firstly, I’m glad to see that this video inspired your profound commentary! I think that every point you make is right on the spot, and I do think it’s a rather simple take to try and apply bill watterson’s philosophy to modern, online art forms. That’s why I emphasize the word “try” when I explain that I want to try to be like him. You can’t make money these days without monetizing your videos, and as much as I respect Dunkey and Joel Haver and all those other KZbinrs I mentioned, they’ve all done sponsorships and merch drops and whatnot, simply because it’s necessary to survive, and because the way they’ve done their sponsored content has been consistent with their brand. Haver specifically talks about not wanting to use the auto-generated script companies give you and believes that artists should be given more agency over how they present their sponsorship, which is what he did when he was sponsored by Elden Ring and Baldur’s Gate 3. Either way, I had a fear when posting this video that people would find my take, and by extension watterson’s philosophy, to be fairly privileged and naive, due to the necessity of artists to survive in the capitalist world of the internet, but I feel as if that’s not what people have taken out of it. I appreciate deeply what you have to say because you’re one of the first people to touch on the nuances of that point and it’s refreshing to engage with someone about it.

[@909sickle]

@@ultimateeick2910 Thanks! I agree that the more control the creator has over the ad, the better it will be. Smart businesses are catching on to this. I also think creators will get more creative about ways to join forces with quality "brands" they vibe with. I also think the perception of money itself will continue to change as more things get open sourced and less corruption is able to leach off producers. Without some form of money, we're back to barter, which makes most trades impossible. The problem with money is, whoever prints it and moves it, is guaranteed to become corrupt. But making money by giving value is not just acceptable, it's absolutely a noble thing. If someone voluntarily gives you money, you must have given them something even more valuable. Just like, if someone voluntarily gives you their time, by watching your video for example, it must have been the most valuable thing for them to do, at that time. And time is quite valuable. Rock on.

[@Moffics]

What a fantastic deconstruction of the series! I love how you touched on how anti-profit Calvin and Hobbes is by nature, not just cause of Watterson’s intentions

[@headphonesaxolotl]

I feel like it's fine to profit off of a story or something you made, and C&H set a standard. You can market and profit so much the original work feels oversaturated and soulless (As Garfield feels to be nowadays) while Calvin and Hobbes didn't make any money from products other than the collections themselves. I think the balance is somewhere in the middle, but it's interesting to see how C&H is willing to stand against what was and still is sadly all too common where the ones making the work don't realize the effect excess commercialization has on their art.

[@ErizotDread]

I miss this comic so much it almost hurts, and I've felt that way ever since the day he announced he was retiring the strip. A small part of me has wished he had kept it going, but the majority understands that all good things must come to an end, before they become a parody of themselves and are just going through the motions creatively. I've learned as I've gotten older that it's best to just enjoy the things you enjoy, and when they're no longer around, find something else. Trying to constantly resurrect these things is to ultimately just pervert everything that made them enjoyable in the first place. They'll always pale in comparison, and never scratch that itch again. Just cherish the memories, maybe revisit them if you're able, but ultimately move on to other things.

[@eduardo_corrochio]

In my teen and college years, this comic strip was something to really look forward to each day in the newspaper. I had grown up enjoying Schulz's charming "Peanuts" and a couple of other strips that were better than most, but C&H came along and was something impressive and marvelous, often extremely hilarious or sometimes profound and touching. I wish I had a copy of the rare legit wall calendar featuring our mischievous boy and his toy tiger pal. Once Watterson chose not to market the characters, all we had were the books (and also the three treasury collections of them). I completely understand his reasoning behind such a big and controversial decision. Controlling one's original characters is something priceless, I imagine.

[@insidespin2698]

I have the comprehensive box set of Calvin & Hobbes. Every few years I have an irresistible urge to re-read it, and it never disappoints. Huh, looks like it’s about time for another read.

[@elibridgers2781]

As someone who got the complete box set, I can confirm that Calvin and Hobbes is pure art. Going back to the comparison between Davis and Watterson, a similar case could be made about Illumination Entertainment and other studios that have artistic integrity, at least, before now, in Financial Success vs. Artistic Integrity.

[@stevenr540]

"Calvin & Hobbes" made me literate to this adventure called LIFE! Well done, sir! 💜

[@atruepanda1782]

The fact that Calvin & Hobbes only lasted 10 years is simultaneously one of the saddest tragedies and one of the holiest blessings.

[@metallord6960]

Calvin and Hobbes is one of those great written masterpieces that will always be successful, simply because those of us who grew up with it will show it to our kids and them to their kids. Garfield may still be "going strong", but it could never hope to capture my hype the way that Bill Watterson collaborating on Pearls Before Swine did.

[@filker0]

Very well done! I was an adult when Calvin and Hobbes began. I grew up on Pogo. Bloom County came later, and then Calvin and Hobbes. The two I remember most fondly are the first and the last.

[@Theomite]

I tried to read _Bloom County_ back in the day but it never made sense to me. Same with _Doonesbury._ I just didn't have the frame of reference for it.

[@Trollificusv2]

OMG, Pogo. Wonderfully wise and literate. And funny. Very different from Calvin, but very similar in the fact that the commentary on the absurdities of our society was delivered by characters that were themselves absurd, so that the commentary was itself colored by their quirks and personalities. I'd have to go back and re-read some of the Pogo content, to more deeply examine the sense that there was a lot of commonality between the two strips. Hadn't thought of Pogo in a while...

[@LordRodri]

This vid be getting 3M views calling it now

[@WobblesandBean]

Hello fellow duck

[@ab-hx8qe]

Where are the views Lebowski?!

[@reptikrookgaming6227]

I’m watching this at 2:30 am

[@haydnberthold9489]

Give it time. It will.

[@justusP9101]

Too bad

[@rayencid7423]

Your video really brought me to tears. Me and my friend usually listen to videos while we're working and this is one of my favorites. Thank you!

[@magillavanzeppelin]

It is definitely the greatest comic of all time. I fell in love with it immediately back in 1985 when it first came out. I was 14 at the time. Less than 4 years later, in 1989, I went in the Army. My mom would cut the strip out every single day and send them to me in batches every few weeks. This included when I was in basic training, as well as 1990-1991 when I was in Saudi Arabia and Iraq for the Gulf War. My buddy in the Army and I made a pact to get them tattooed on us, and we did. He got Spaceman Spiff, I got Calvin & Hobbes. But I'm working on expanding mine into much, much more.

[@shelleyweiss9920]

I don’t know how this video can have 63,000 views yet your channel only 1400 subscribers. Your beautiful essay has earned my subscription. I am thankful for the glitch in the algorithm that delivered this video to me. I look forward to similar well thought out and well-built videos like this one in the future. Thank you!

[@ibruceeasily1728]

My jaw dropped when I saw the lack of subs to this channel And the crazy low views is just baffling. Best of luck you definitely deserve a lot more attention

[@zorothe9th]

He'd probably get more subs if the music wasn't so loud and if he slowed down a little.

[@sethd.8381]

Calvin and Hobbes still manages to be so relevant with its social commentary and critiques of the artistic world. It was a surprise going back and rereading the strip last year and realizing how much ofnit is still relevant. Either Waterson has created something timeless or people really haven't changed since the 80s.

[@drobinson-uo7ic]

Great video. Thank you for making and sharing this 😊

[@procrastinator99]

This was awesome, and earned my Sub. More people need to be talking about Calvin and Hobbes.

[@x8bitpixel]

This strip was awesome to me when I was younger. My granddaddy used to read it to me and we’d have a lot of fun voice acting the characters. I realize how much more there is to this strip now, and it makes me love it even more.

[@Dissection39]

This was a fascinating and deeply personal video. I loved it very much and I'm glad you could share it. Calvin and Hobbes was a masterpiece.

[@jamesvwest2511]

100% agreed. I found this comic by accident when I was 14 years old, during the strip's first year. Nobody told me it was good. I saw it, and I eagerly looked for newspapers and thumbed until I found Calvin & Hobbes. I was always bummed out if it wasn't there. Huge influence on me.

[@andrewdelodance7864]

First time I'm seeing anything of yours, and I share most of everything you had to say. You also present a snapshot of an influential piece of pop culture as a GRADUATE LEVEL PRESENTATION and I am deeply impressed. Screw the algorithm and create the work you care about. This is excellent.

[@andrewscrutton]

This was/is an absolutly amazing video. I cant think of many things from my youth that inspire such nostalgia and feelings. Funny thing, Im actually pretty sure its that dreaded algorythem that actually brought you and your work to my attention. Ive recently been searching C&H for tatoo ideas and here you are poping up on my youtube. Thanks so much for this obviously heartfelt and brilliantly thoughtful look back :)

[@danielshults5243]

This was great- you have a real talent for it. I look forward to digging into more of your content!

[@user-ty7hx1pd4i]

Brilliant piece of work! As a longtime Calvin fan, this is one of the best commentaries/documentaries I've ever watched. Well done!

[@normalityrelief]

Absolutely nailed it friend. I just recently came across all my old Calvin & Hobbes books I grew up reading, and it’s been hard to put them down. Like you said, I see a lot of myself in them too. Loved everything you had to say!

[@galatheumbreon6862]

You truly are underrated as a channel and I hope you grow, I myself was a fan of Calvin and Hobbes ever since my older brother introduced it to me when I was younger and now I have several comic books of the series, you earned a new sub

[@Fnelrbnef]

Calvin & Hobbes are one of the few perfect things in this world. A perfect and unadulterated piece of art

[@chriskaduk7603]

Thank you for this video! Calvin & Hobbes was a must-read for me every day for its entire run! I love the way you explained everything i loved about this strip. It was insightful, and really brought me back to everything i enjoyed about reading it every day. You go, Bill Watterson!! Thank you, so much!

[@flatcat6676]

Calvin & Hobbes is the greatest comic strip every published. I love your presentation, and especially want to complement you on the selection of quality music to backdrop your narration. Excellently done!

[@TeigueHarrison]

This was an amazing video, super informative and helpful to my understanding of the comic. I am busy making a cosplay of Hobbes for Comic Con and I understand him and his relationship with Clavin a lot better after watching this. Thank you

[@willbrgamer5137]

This is easily one of the best videos i watched this whole year, i only remembered of Calcin and Hobbes as a fun comic series that i got to read in school, but you really opened my mind and made me reflect about many things, i am trying to become an artist myself, so someone like Bill Watterson is fascinating to me, and i will definely look up to him as i try to give colors to my own white space. You didn't got a new subscriber, you EARNED a new subscriber.

[@ultimateeick2910]

Thank you so much for your support!!!

[@iankclark]

Thanks for this terrific video essay about the triumph of a true artist, showcasing his great heart and moral fortitude. It took me ages to get through this because I had to stop and read every panel. Reading C&H with my son every night was a huge highlight for both of us (later came The Hobbit and LOTR). We were in fits of laughter on many nights ("this is you - aggle, aggle, aggle").

[@azaleacolburn]

I can’t believe this only has ~200. Please remember me as one of your first fans.

[@neocelestia]

How am I just finding this today? My God, what an amazing video essay on a truly wonderful comic strip! Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! Very insightful!

[@3dagalathor]

thank you for making this.

[@nickjohns999]

An engaging, thoughtful, lyrical, paean to my favourite strip, the true test of whose greatness is the way in which, returning to a sequence at a later stage in my life, often produces a profoundly different reaction in me. Thanks for this upload!

[@user-yr8mu1ce1m]

When I was a kid, I loved this strip. In fact, I still do now. One that always sticks out in my head is where his mom catches him hammering nails into the table, and she asks him “What on earth do you think you’re doing?” And he responds “Is this some sort of trick question or what?”. I also remember one where he yells “Surely you concede I deserve it!” but to find out the context of that one, I’d have to get out The Complete Calvin And Hobbes, and look through all 4 books, which as a young adult who doesn’t leave his couch too often, I don’t have the energy to do that. But great video! Edit: Just got to 3:16, yeah, found the strip. Still very funny.

[@internetwizard4922]

Calvin and Hobbes is one of my favorite comics ever. Tied with Homestuck, probably, but for different reasons. Calvin and Hobbes hit me at an influential point of my life, just like Homestuck did, and what really hits me about C&H is the absurd nature of it. It's full of silliness and craziness, imagination and the mundane, and to a degree it's just representative of Life. I always wanted to be like Calvin when I was a kid. Big-mouthed, witty, always in the right (at least in his own head), and with a best friend to occasionally keep him in check. Someone who speaks their mind but always knows in the corner of their mind that, hey, it's not THAT serious.

[@GrayNeko]

Calvin and Hobbes is absolutely timeless. It was funny and thoughtful in the 80's, it's funny and thoughtful now, it will be funny and thoughtful a hundred years from now. That's an achievement that cannot be measured in money, only in the influence it's still bringing to bear. ^_^ Great video, sir, very well done, indeed! Keep up the good work! ^_^

[@lucpelletier]

Stellar music selection by the way! Great essay on my favourite comics hands down! Keep doing your thing, you might not produce what the algorith wants but you produce what the world needs!!

[@tegah]

This was such a great video man hope you doing well

[@playgroundchooser]

Calvin is more than a comic strip or even art... he's a way of life. What a great video; I hope it blows up beyond recognition for you!!

[@lumistrad]

Thank you for making this video. This was my favourite comic when i was a child and it never moved from that spot. As i've grown up, the distance to all other comics has grown and grown. There is nothing like Calvin & Hobbes. As i live in sweden there is many strips that never made it over here but hopefully one day i can read all collections at least.

[@matthulhu27]

This is a fantastic video! I was a Garfield fan for a few years before I discovered C&H by accident. It’s now been my favorite strip for decades and I still have my old, worn out collection books, plus the 10th anniversary. I got the new Complete Collection books this past Christmas, and it was like visiting old friends. There will never be a another strip like it, and I’m happy to find people making new videos about it!

[@mileslugo6430]

Garfield is an abominably recognizing culmination of despair, dread, lonesomeness, and merchandise *horror.*

[@Trollificusv2]

It may be awful (never liked it much) but I do respect Jim Davis' honesty about his motives and methods. Nothing wrong with that, tbh.

[@mileslugo6430]

@@Trollificusv2 that is a tough thing to do TBH

[@DocHollidaa]

This was an excellent deep dive into the world of Calvin and Hobbes. Thank you Ultimateeick for creating a well thought of and produced video and for taking me down memory lane. I’m ashamed to say that it’s been far too long since I’ve cracked open one of my collections to visit with Calvin and Hobbes. I was a teenager when this strip hit the stands and it would be the first thing I would read whenever I picked up a newspaper. And when the collections came out, I bought as many as I could afford. Calvin’s never-ending imagination lures you in the moment you read the first panel. Bill Watterson, two things; 1) If you’ve seen this video, please reach out to this creator with some appreciation and if you have already, Thank you. 2) I understand the reasoning as to why you didn’t license your work but, it would’ve been nice to hold something tangible in my hands, aside from the books, to reflect on how visionary a world of Calvin and Hobbes you created and for that I’m forever grateful.

[@twfchamp02]

I just watched this and I’ve got only two things to say. Thank you and you’ve earned a subscription. Cheers.

[@ratbones620]

Hey man, this video made its way into my recommended so I gave it a watch knowing the bare minimum about Calvin and Hobbes. I seriously thought you were a way bigger channel. Seriously you made something really special here. Now I just need to read Calvin and Hobbes.

[@justusP9101]

Omg this video is such a joy to watch. Brings me such nostalgia

[@7cordrom378]

this is such a great video, I've always loved calvin and hobbes since I was younger and for a while I thought it was weird that he stopped making them or that he never made TV shows or merchandise or anything but as I've grown older most of the ideas and concepts proposed by the strip have started to root themselves in my brain and I've found a newfound enjoyment in the philosophy of it. You really covered it well and I was laughing pretty hard at the garfield section, although subscribers are just a vanity number I think you deserve far more 😎👍

[@andrewj497]

Good stuff man - great flow + pacing

[@Kryxx07]

Absolutely fantastic video. I teared up when you showed the final strip. I read the books as a kid and love them so much. Every time a new book collection showed up at Costco, my Mom would always buy it for me. Next time I see her, I need to thank her for that. Videos like these make me realize how much of an impact the comic had on me. I need to go find my old books, now.

[@gabersg]

Excellent video. I, too, am a fan of Watterson. I bought the 10th anniversary book the day it came out. You covered all the nuance and subtext of his creation very well. Brought back great memories.

[@Theindianapatriot]

This video is incredible!!! I can’t believe you don’t have more subs dude! You easily earned a sub today

[@finks1]

My jaw dropped when I saw how few subs you have. This vid was awesome.

[@thebedroomshow9010]

Very well made video man! I also grew up with C&H and couldn’t get enough of the comics. It was one of very few things I was passionate about in my childhood. Seeing your interpretation only affirms what I loved about it to begin with. I’m glad Watterson’s work has affected you the same as it had me

[@mixednarwhal]

9:30-9:37 You bringing this up just made me realize something. Calvin and Hobbes helped me when it talked about subjects I could never comprehend as a kid and helped me learn to just keep reading as a kid and piece together what it meant as they talked about a subject that I didn’t know about more and more. Today whenever I have heard of something but don’t remember it much and someone brings it up in conversation, I tell the person to continue as if I understood and by the end of the conversation I either remember it or have a basic understanding of what it is and can offer my opinion based on what information I just obtained.

[@Lethgar_Smith]

Here's to hoping your channel grows! Good work.

[@mapes9087]

Just... wow. It's been years since I read Calvin and Hobbes, but this video made me realize just how much of it I still remember.

[@robbietheweirdo]

i will always imagine calvin speaking in my dad's voice because that's who introduced me to the comics

[@geekdaddiy]

Nicely done analysis of one of my favorite comics of all time

[@healerofthewaters6508]

I remember reading Calvin and Hobbes for the first time when I was little. I picked up a little book off the floor in my grandparents’ room which was I want to say the There’s Treasure Everywhere compilation of comics. I read it through and loved it. My grandpa then told me there were more and gave me the first big volume of the three he has up in his closet. And I loved them. I never thought Hobbes was a stuffed animal. I thought Calvin was just a special kid who could see this magic tiger even though his parents couldn’t. Now I’m almost 21 and I look back on those comics and will always reread them as often as possible.

[@ariariari7138]

As a kid I loved finding Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield books at this local used books fair every year and i really loved both of them but there was something a bit more magical about finding a Calvin and Hobbes book. After grabbing up all the initial stock I wouldn’t get them all too often while every year I could find probably a half dozen Garfield books but there always felt like there was more meat to a Calvin and Hobbes compilation with a creative name and cover art than a numbered basic Garfield volume. At some point I think I gave away my Garfield books but I held on to the Calvin and Hobbes collections and as an adult I can now see why. I really appreciated this video that really gave context and depth to how I felt as a kid and how I still feel today

[@justdmd6160]

Amazing video. My mum gave me all her Calvin and Hobbes books when I was younger, the full collection and I still go back to read them from time to time. The comic has alot of meaning to me and when I was younger I never really understand all the political riff raff in the comic. One of my favourite videos I’ve seen on KZbin. Thank you 😊

[@lanc782000]

This was great keep blazing this trail i hope for the best

[@user-or1cv6bf2q]

when i was a kid my parents wondered if there were cameras in our house, because i did many of the shenanigans of calvin before even reading the comic, i really feel strongly about calvin and hobbes and vagabond, i think that their message is similar i really do love them deeply

[@link-jb8yy]

This is really well done sir.

[@SpellboundWolf]

Have you seen the fan documentary "Dear, Mr. Watterson"? It's such a delight. This most-recent weekend, my boyfriend visited me. After we watched the episode 'Copycat' of Bluey, I told him it reminded me of a similar Calvin & Hobbes story. I got out my gigantic, entire collection books after looking up which date the comic was printed & read it to him. My most-favorite line of Calvin's from this entire series is "What a stupid world." I created my KZbin channel in 2006, the 2nd year of its existence. I have seen everything in that time. To watch things increasingly get worse really hurts, especially because I can't do anything about it. I feel the first thing to happen that started these disasters we're currently tolerating was when Google purchased KZbin. It's not right, dudes. This is KZbin, not CoperateTube. Where children's cartoon reviews are removed while actual crimes against humanity are left untouched. Just horrid, horrid films that shouldn't exist. It's disgusting & heartbreaking.

[@ladyredl3210]

Calvin and Hobbs are one of my father’s favorite comics, and mine too. Thank you for this great video essay.

[@thomasfahrnholz7397]

I basically learned english (not textbook sentences) as a second language by reading C&H and remember how often I struggled to realy grasp the philosophical discussions and even some of the simple punchlines. Today, I am reading it to my son, fully aware that he will revisit the strips, comprehend more and more every time and it will continue to edicate and entertain him on so many levels. A true masterpiece by a very deliberate creator. Thanks for this video. Liked, subscribed and shared

[@manitoba-op4jx]

this comic all but disappeared from newspapers before i was born, yet here i am with all the books and an appreciation for it. also the choice of music is great. really put me "in the mood". ;)

[@coffeewithjesus7]

Very good video...very authentic...very real. That's hard to come by. Kudos to you for staying true to who you are.

[@johnpaulsartorius9390]

My dad collected the books but had gotten rid of them before I was around except for the Lazy Sundays book. Me and my siblings found it as a kid and stated reading it. We loved them. We’d buy each other the other volumes for birthdays and Christmas, and we completely restored the collection. So many great family memories in those awesome comics!

[@glacialchill]

I'm not sure how I wasa brought to this video, but over the course of it, I happened to come to the same conclusions on the comic's impact on me. Thanks... for reminding me.

[@TheGoldenApex]

Calvin and Hobbes is amazing. I’ve read every comic like 100 times. Nice video!!!

[@Scott89878]

Thank you! I got the inspiration to keep working on my comic.

[@Cleron]

I love the Calvin and Hobbes comics. A friend gave me a compilation a few years ago and I was instantly impressed by its art style and Calvin’s musings about the world. He is naughty, loud and sometimes cynical, but they break through to more quiet, sweet moments (like in one comic, Calvin and Hobbes just sit by the fire and relax, or another where the family just have a nice day in the snow). My favourite comic is probably the one where he is trying to do homework but imagines being turned upside down and furniture floating and stuff. Great vid as always Hayden!

[@anomalotheriataurus8806]

I wholeheartedly Agree With Your Sentiment, as yours truly grew up with this phenomenal strip as well

[@MajorProgress]

God Damn Brilliant. Thank you! This was amazing.

[@Itsjettondon05]

I read Calvin and Hobbes as a kid and now that I’m rereading it I see where a lot of my worldviews come from. I’m glad I had the chance to make it a huge part of my childhood in the early 21st century fr. I coulda been just another kid raised on propagandized children’s TV

[@BrianWoodruff-Jr]

Thank you for reminding me of my childhood favorite comic :)

[@quetaka804]

I really enjoyed this video. Liked and subscribed.

[@GTNLOST]

Great video! Great commentary!

[@Red-Wolf-Ben]

Good stuff! I especially love the amount of Zelda music you used here!

[@wellbanana]

This video, and the work of Mr. Watterson reminded me that being an artist is in many ways a Sisyphusian task. An artist is constantly fighting against the odds, and from an outside perspective it may seem entirely futile. An artist could put thousands of hours into a work that could ultimately just be scrapped and be seen by no one, or it could be released and remain unnoticed. But just as Camus said, “one must imagine Sisyphus happy.” Artists often work against the very world itself to portray what it is they want to portray. That, on its own, is an infinitely inspiring notion. (Great work as always, mate. Never stop!)

[@ultimateeick2910]

Much appreciated! I often feel that artists get caught up in the minutiae of viewership, because they believe that art cannot be created in a vaccum, and that’s honestly a decent debate that could go both ways. Is art something to be created and utilized as a tool by the creator to further their own journey of self discovery, or is it something to be shared with and interpreted by others? It’s probably both, but I think people mix up interpretation and judgment and seek positive reviews from others, in turn emphasizing high viewership levels over creative integrity and strong vision. The other important thing is the value of the process itself. Oftentimes scrapping a project is seen as a throwaway or a waste of time but in reality the process of creating something at all, even if it’s unfinished, can still further one on their artistic journey, and people often need to find meaning in that journey, since there really is no end to something like art.

[@wellbanana]

@@ultimateeick2910 I completely agree. For me, I like to say that so long as one person sees something I’ve created and comes away from it feeling even the slightest feeling of inspiration then I am satisfied.

[@ultimateeick2910]

That’s the idea! Keep on creating and making cool stuff! I love to see it! 😁

[@909sickle]

​@@ultimateeick2910 So true. The answer to most either/or questions is usually "both". Art is an exploration into the unknown. It's at the intersection of science, intuition, and imagination. By definition, you don't know what you're going to find. You could discover treasure or come home with injuries and empty hands. If you find treasure, you can keep it all to yourself, or you can figure out a way to share it. It's often difficult to share, because treasure is rarely in the form of gold. Treasure from the unknown must be reshaped, reformed, and translated into something that other people can comprehend. The great artists find the most treasure and are the most adept at transforming into something that can't be denied, or at least, into something that can be comprehended on some level. So many artists think they are failing because don't learn how to translate. They never leave their own heads. They can see it so clearly and can't understand why everyone else can't. They fear judgement and never realize that honest judgement is the greatest gift any artist can receive. When your art is judged, you are not being judged, you are being told exactly what the other person sees, and can now reshape your art to avoid that misconception. Art products should never be confused with the art itself. The art itself is only existing in you, and is only visible to others to the extent you are able to demonstrate it. This is why great art can be made from anything, even the most mundane details of life. There is treasure between every unexplored crevasse. There is also treasure in plain sight. The only questions are, "Can you see it?" and "How can you show it?" Can you bring it into your own consciousness? Can you bring it into your local consciousness group? Can you bring it into the global consciousness? Celebration of great art is the celebration of something new and useful entering into the public consciousness. (Btw, this is also why great artists appear to use so many perceptual tricks. Often times, the best way to communicate "the new" is to exploit the human perceptual system in a way that directly transmits information that would take chapters to explain in words; i.e. showing vs telling, which is why exposition is so annoying, because it's often lazy and inconsiderate to the viewer)

[@michellesprague3163]

Love The Grand Budapest Hotel Soundtrack in the background!! Great topic and thought provoking points.

[@christopherberetta5576]

Thank you for this video❤

[@Renee60722]

Oh, I miss Calvin and Hobbes. Beginning at age three, my oldest son became obsessed with this, and we had to replace his worn out books a few times. We also got him a stuffed tiger which was Hobbes to him and which his brother kept burying out in the woods. We replaced Hobbes a couples times, too.

[@bobmikecong]

Calvin and Hobbes also taught me how to read. When I didn't understand a word I'd ask my mom, and she'd hand me a dictionary. If I had more questions she helped and explained the context I'd missed. I have a plethora of old books that keep me entertained when I'm in the mood, and I hope my nephews enjoy the box set I bought for them