Calvin and Hobbes

Calvin and Hobbes
The cover of Calvin and Hobbes, the first collection of comic strips, released in April 1987.
Author(s)Bill Watterson
Current status/scheduleConcluded
Launch dateNovember 18, 1985[1]
End dateDecember 31, 1995
Syndicate(s)Universal Press Syndicate
Publisher(s)Andrews McMeel Publishing
Genre(s)Humor, family life, philosophy, satire

Calvin and Hobbes is a daily American comic strip created by cartoonist Bill Watterson that was syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. Commonly described as "the last great newspaper comic",[2][3][4] Calvin and Hobbes has enjoyed enduring popularity, influence, and academic and even a philosophical interest.

Calvin and Hobbes follows the humorous antics of the title characters: Calvin, a mischievous and adventurous six-year-old boy; and his friend Hobbes, a sardonic tiger. Set in the suburban United States of the 1980s and 1990s, the strip depicts Calvin's frequent flights of fancy and friendship with Hobbes. It also examines Calvin's relationships with his long-suffering parents and with his classmates, especially his neighbor Susie Derkins. Hobbes's dual nature is a defining motif for the strip: to Calvin, Hobbes is a living anthropomorphic tiger, while all the other characters seem to see Hobbes as an inanimate stuffed toy, though Watterson has not clarified exactly how Hobbes is perceived by others, or whether he is real or an imaginary friend. Though the series does not frequently mention specific political figures or ongoing events, it does explore broad issues like environmentalism, public education, and philosophical quandaries.[5]

At the height of its popularity, Calvin and Hobbes was featured in over 2,400 newspapers worldwide.[1] In 2010, reruns of the strip appeared in more than 50 countries, and nearly 45 million copies of the Calvin and Hobbes books have been sold worldwide.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Campanelli, John (February 1, 2010). "'Calvin and Hobbes' fans still pine 15 years after its exit". The Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  2. ^ Suellentrop, Chris (November 7, 2005). "Calvin and Hobbes: The last great newspaper comic strip". Slate. Archived from the original on November 3, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference ohehir2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Hingston, Michael (2018). Let's Go Exploring: Calvin and Hobbes. ECW Press. ISBN 9781773051796.
  5. ^ Astor, David (November 4, 1989). "Watterson and Walker Differ on Comics: 'Calvin and Hobbes' creator criticizes today's cartooning while 'Beetle Bailey'/'Hi and Lois' creator defends it at meeting". Editor & Publisher. Irvine, California: Duncan McIntosh: 78.