One suspects that he's probably going to have a hard time in high school. It's impossible not to adore Calvin, a true testament to Watterson's characterization skills when you consider that the kid is essentially a composite of nearly all of humankind's least attractive traits. It touches all the bases, from highbrow, considerably exclusive wit, to pricelessly rendered slapstick, to flat-out potty humor, to laugh-out-loud (loud!) knockout punchlines, and then every now and then for good measure it would either make you cry or question your very existence. The comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes" was, and continues to be, like the best gifts, unexpected and undeserved. Maybe I'm reading too much into all of this, but that's what the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip meant to me. However, kindness, the ray of light, and a general sort of sentimentality sometimes crept in and would make you sense that there was hope and a reason to fight on. Watterson clearly felt mankind needed improving and he used his strip to convey those feelings. Often times the Calvin and Hobbes strip had a sarcastic edge or left you soured on humanity. Having said that, Watterson did flex his muscle occasionally, especially when he would let us enter Calvin's dreamworld. But who cares? You don't read either of these comics for the artwork. Watterson had a steadier hand, better technique. Some pages were just bridges, and that's okay, because as a whole that series of strips gained a certain gravitas that created more of a solidified "book", which these comics collections often lack.Įarlier I said that I didn't think Watterson was necessarily better than Larson, but I'd have to hand it to Watterson over Larson when it comes to drawing. This meant that not every page was hilarious or even had a point to make. Some probably intentionally deflected any self recognition in Watterson's work, because what you saw wasn't always pleasant.Īs a book, The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes allowed Watterson to carry a topic from one strip to the next without preamble. If you were the least bit reflective, you could see yourself in Calvin. Watterson took a subtle approach to pointing out people's foibles. These strips weren't about hitting you over the head with gags. I'm saying I felt like I was taking college classes, and I was loving it! I'm not saying one was better than the other. I was a teen and I was loving The Far Side, but then I found Calvin and Hobbes, and it was like going from sociology class to philosophy.
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