Calvin and Hobbes is a comic strip created by American cartoonist Bill Watterson. It first appeared in newspapers on November 18, 1985, and ran until December 31, 1995. The comic features a mischievous six-year-old Calvin and his stuffed tiger and imaginary friend Hobbes. The stories typically involve imaginary games, wild misadventures, troubles at home or school, quarrels with Calvin’s classmate Susie Derkins, confrontations with the school bully Moe, or, sometimes, one of these stories leads to the comic sharing deep experiences, often relatable perspectives for both younger and older readers and social commentary.
Calvin’s creativity turns even the most boring day into an epic adventure. A lazy walk or a chore-filled Saturday becomes a spaceship mission, a dinosaur battle, or a daring jungle trek in Calvin’s mind. A simple bathtub transforms into a sea adventure, and a backyard tree becomes a Martian landscape. This infectious joy of play reminds us how fun it is to see the world through a child’s eyes. In the end, as Calvin concludes in the very last strip, “It’s a magical world, Hobbes ol’ buddy… Let’s go exploring!”. That final line (and image) invites us all to keep having adventures, no matter how old we get.
Calvin is unusually thoughtful for a six-year-old, regularly pondering life’s big questions. In one strip he screams “I’m significant!”, then, after a pause, “screamed the dust speck,” suddenly aware that his life is tiny against the cosmos. This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment captures an existential crisis in miniature: a child realising he might be “just a speck” in the universe. Calvin often uses these epiphanies to urge living fully. In one inspired moment as he walks with Hobbes, Calvin notes that if nothing lasts forever, we should make the most of every moment.
Calvin’s philosophical side also explores right and wrong – but always with a mischievous grin. Often a parent or teacher commands Calvin to do something (eat spinach, take a bath, finish homework), and Calvin immediately questions why that should be his duty. Hobbes observes that “the only problem with people is that they’re only human”. In one conversation, Calvin asks if the Devil must exist to tempt people, and Hobbes grins, “I’m not sure man needs the help” – implying people can do plenty of bad on their own.
Calvin and Hobbes is full of satire on modern life. For instance, Watterson famously loathed merchandising, refusing to sell Calvin and Hobbes toys or ads – a bold statement against consumerism. In the strip itself, Calvin parodies advertising and media. Calvin begs for a logo T-shirt, declaring it would show he “paid the company to advertise its products”, and mocking how we tie identity to brands . Calvin and Hobbes also champion environmental awareness through Calvin’s eyes. When Calvin sees a forest cut down for a housing development, he hollers, “Animals can’t afford condos!”, perfectly capturing how short-sighted human ‘progress’ can be.
Calvin and Hobbes remains relevant today as it questions authority, values imagination, critiques shallow success, and reminds us to stay curious and human in a world that often pushes conformity.
