h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ah, yes, I *LOVE* those strips! The day he stopped cartooning was a very sad one for me. I've got so many fond memories of Calvin and Hobbes, I mean, you would just not believe. . . remember the times that Calvin used that cardboard box of his to make inventions like a time machine, or a duplicator, or The Transmogrifier? I think I've got all the books. I might be missing "Yukon Ho!" but I think its somewhere around here. Anyway, thanks for the great tribute to this great strip. Have you submitted this entry yet? Have you? It needs to be submitted.

I too am a great fan, and agree that they merit an entry. But I notice you didn't mention the most important thing about Hobbes - that he's only alive to Calvin, and reverts to being a stuffed tiger the moment anyone else appears. This to me is how Waterson manages to convey the self-obsessed inner world of a child so well.

...and don't forget Calvin-ball! the only game that's even _sillier_ than cricket

Ah, but does Calvin really believe Hobbes is alive? And if so, why isn't he in therapy? And why doesn't he ever play with other kids? And given he is clearly a typically dysfunctional five year old why is he so much funnier and sharper than the frankly pedestrian Garfield, Peanuts etc?

Is Hobbes really alive? That's what's so fun for me, like Calvin I'm not sure if he is or not!

Why isn't he in therapy? Are you kidding? You've seen the answers his dad gives when he asks questions, they all belong in therapy.

Why doesn't he play with other kids? Would you talk to other kids if you had a talking tiger? The only other kid who accepts Calvin is Susie, and they have the boys vs. girls cooties thing going on.

Why is he so much funnier than Garfield, Peanuts, etc.? He's funnier than Garfield 'cause he's not going through the same jokes for the fourth time. Remember way back when Garfield was hilarious? That's why I think Bill Waterson quit, he didn't want to drive Calvin & Hobbes into the ground. Charles Schultz is a lot more subtle with the humor in Peanuts, especially since most of the punchlines were used in the seasonal specials.

It stunk when Calvin and Hobbes went 4 years ago, and now that Peanuts is ending it seems the comic strip world has gotten almost barren. Why do we have to lose these comics instead of other crap old ones like Family Circus (which is beaten silly by the excellent Rose is Rose, which is cute and funny at the same time, unlike Family Circus).

Okay, Hobbes is not just a stuffed tiger that comes to life when no one else is around. Neither is he just the figment of Calvin's imagination. In the Calvin & Hobbes Tenth Anniversary book, Bill Watterson says that "The actual specifications of (Hobbes's) existence is unexplained. In fact, I go out of my way to not explain it. I like it that way." At least, I think thats what he said. To really be sure I'd have to go look it up, and I may have lost the book.

Hey, no one mentioned that Hobbes eats fish. How can a stuffed animal eat fish?

Ahem, cricket is not "silly", it is the sport of gentlemen.
And not to be pedantic or anything but isn't Watterson spelled with two 't's?

Don't worry, I'm pedantic too. Yes, Watterson is spelled with two "t"s, but I'm not going to comment on cricket. The only thing I know about cricket beyond that it is played in England and some other countries is what Douglas Adams wrote about it in "Life, The Universe, And Everything." So, I don't like criticising things I know nothing about.

I think cricket's silly, but don't fret too much- I also think baseball is silly. 'Gentlemens' games tend to be silly. I think golf is the ultimate of silliness. I've played it a few times and it's nothing more than whacking a ball and chasing it. They've built a whole industry around it now. You have to buy the right clubs, the right balls, the right bags, the right clothes, etc. Golf is now geared toward getting rich people to spend more money to improve their play at a game that requires more skill and luck than most people have. Then they televise it!
And now to tie this in to the original subject... forget it, I'm just ranting.

And through all of this, Calvin Ball rains supreme!

Depends on what you believe. If Hobbes is real then he eats the fish. If not then Calvin's eating it for him.
I love the way that Watterson mixes fantasy and reality, and a big salute to Spiff the Spaceman!

If calvin ate all of the food prepared for hobbes, wouldn't he be really fat. (We're talking about almost 6 meals a day, maybe that's why he's so hyper)

But Hobbes is real, so Calvin doesn't put on weight.
Then again, he does play a lot of Calvinball...

I don't think of Hobbes as being real or imaginary. Hobbes is Hobbes.

I always thought of it as a "Kids see what adults don't" kinda thing. I never thought of Hobbes as imaginary...

What don't tell me Calvin isn't real..oh my god!!My whole world has shattered is in shards around me......by the way Bill watterson Salute

One of the true cartoonists who respected his work enough to fight the Universal Press Syndicate.

Do you guys remember in Yukon Ho! when Calvin and Hobbes take off and then Calvin leaves Hobbes all by himself, then, in the evening, after Calvin gets home his mom and dad go and search for Hobbes and his mom yells out Hobbes name? That was really cool. I think it sorta gives some insight into Hobbes. I personally think Hobbes is real! Especially when he attacks Calvin! lol!

I love the bits where his parents start believing in Hobbes, and then realise what they're doing
I have to admit, I've always thought of Hobbes as being real though. I always figured it would be fun to see it from Suzy's perspective- y'know, where Hobbes is just a stuffed toy and Mr Bun is real...