A six-year-old boy in a striped red tee lays a trap for a tiger with a tuna sandwich as bait. Soon enough, the tiger falls prey. Thus began a 30-year journey of imagination and the magical friendship between Calvin and Hobbes.
Calvin, a mischievous kid named after a 16th century theologian who believed in predestination, and Hobbes, his stuffed tiger, named after Thomas Hobbes, an English political philosopher with a grim view on human nature, are the creations of acclaimed cartoonist Bill Watterson. They debuted on November 18, 1985, and had a successful run in 2,400 newspapers and several languages until Watterson called it quits on December 31, 1995. The comic strip is an ode to childhood and the pains of growing up, transmogrifying the reader into the bratty child that lurks inside everyone who wants to rebel against society.
Shakti Swaminathan When once quizzed about the relationship between Calvin and Hobbes, Watterson remarked that he saw Hobbes more as subjective reality than as a stuffed tiger that springs to life in Calvin’s imagination. “That’s how life works, we all see a different side to it,” he said. Sharanya Gopinathan, a student of Law and Gender Studies, at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, loves the comic especially for its philosophy. “I just love the gentle unobtrusive philosophy and wisdom each strip is loaded with. It makes you laugh not only at the kid and the comic but at yourself and the strange world around you.” Calvin’s rants on human nature, pop culture and his curiosity abut the natural world are balanced by the quiet dignity and intelligence of Hobbes, making their conversations a delight to read and ruminate upon even many hours later.
Calvin and Hobbes are supported by an amusing motley crew of secondary characters, which include Calvin’s parents, Rosalyn, the babysitter, Moe, the school bully, Mrs. Wormwood, the disgruntled schoolteacher, and Susie Derkins, his classmate. Interestingly, the reader is not given any information about Calvin’s parents, their names, professions or even the city they live in, thus defining their roles only as exasperated parents, who act as foils for Calvin’s mischief, or are the stable family life upon which Calvin’s creativity is grounded.
Calvin has a mild crush on Suzie that he chooses to express by annoying her, a dynamic that is perhaps true of modern day romance. Siddarth John, an animator based in California drew inspiration from Calvin to create his own character Spitz. For others, like Shankar Swaminathan, a new parent, the conversations between Calvin and his dad, an amusing motif in the series, sparks interest. “The comic is infused with lessons on parenting and dealing with children, he says. But would he like a Calvin at home? “Of course not. Calvin is always adorable as someone else’s child,” he laughs.
Watterson, a recipient of the Reuben Award for outstanding cartoonist of the year — twice — is known to be a recluse. He chose not to appear in the documentary Dear Mr. Watterson and has given only two interviews so far. Watterson declined to give merchandising rights for his strip, believing it would turn the characters into celebrities who need to be profitable and compromise the freewheeling spirit of the comic.
A part-time cartoonist himself, Shiva Nallaperumal is astonished at the process that Watterson might have gone through as an artist. “He was full of ideas, despite having the constraints of having to involve this kid, his environment, his parents and an imaginary world. It’s a strict framework but he was able to explore so much within that.”
Some of the recurring themes of the comic include the evil snowmen Calvin builds, the conversations with his dad, his grouse with the educational system, his fascination with television, the 20th century’s drug of choice, and the good vs. evil debate portrayed through Calvin’s love for Christmas. In one strip, Calvin selling a ‘swift kick in the butt’ for one dollar is shocked that business is terrible, given that ‘everyone he knows needs one!’
Calvin and Hobbes enthusiasts are legion, and they have been collecting many quirky facts about the strip. For instance, did you know that Calvin is ambidextrous, multilingual and a fan of Batman , Star Wars and Bugs Bunny but hates Disney? Have you noticed that Hobbes never calls Calvin by name? Saturday mornings begin with the cereal ‘Sugar frosted chocolate bombs’ and Hamster Huey and the Gooey Gablooey is his favourite bedtime story?
These 30 years may have been about friendship, but as Watterson says, it’s also about “finding your own meaning of life; it’s not easy but it’s still allowed, and I think you will be happier for the trouble.”
