Few cartoon characters have captured the business of life as beautifully as the long-running series of Calvin and Hobbes. First appearing as a daily strip, it ran for ten years from 1985 to 1995. It featured the existential antics and philosophical angst of everyday living through the adventures and conversations between six-year-old Calvin and his anthropomorphized stuffed tiger, Hobbes. While Hobbes is nothing more than a stuffed animal to the rest of the world, he comes to life most delightfully in his private interactions with Calvin. And together, they explore the entire spectrum of human existence, poignantly and, in most cases, humorously, delving into the subtleties of changing seasons, friendship, family, and politics with a searing soul searching that leaves the reader enchanted, amused, and bemused.
Bill Watterson, the creator of the strip, has crafted a spectrum of characters with incisive wit, showcasing the highs and lows of daily existence with a deft pen. Both the writing and the art are in a league by themselves. Unsurprisingly, the comic strip won numerous awards and was internationally syndicated and translated into several languages. Collections and treasuries of the comic strips were compiled into books, and no book lover’s library can be complete without the addition of at least one of these. From ‘Days Are Just Packed’ to ‘Scientific Progress Goes Boink’, these books both entertain and uplift. If you want some heavy philosophy presented with the lightest touch; if you want to see your own life through a humorous yet quizzical lens; or if you just want to drown out the cares of the world and immerse yourself in a world of wit, wisdom, and humor… then these strips are your go to. Pick one, any one of the collections, or get them all… it will not disappoint. It’s the gift that keeps giving no matter how many times you go back to it.
Available online as daily strips, or order the books off Amazon.