It’s been 28 years since Bill Watterson stopped drawing Calvin and Hobbes and people still love it. Why is that? Rather than speculate, I will give my top four reasons why I still love Calvin and Hobbes.
First, I don’t think any cartoon has ever equalled Calvin and Hobbes’ masterful depiction of childhood imagination. As a child, I remember spending one afternoon imagining I was driving my own Porsche 911. All I needed was four couch cushions (front bucket seats), a wooden spoon (shift knob) and a pot lid (steering wheel). And for two hours I was off carving canyons and racing over blacktop straightaways. This beloved strip perfectly captures that wondrous, magical world. Imagination is a super power and Calvin and Hobbes invites us to rediscover it.
Second, Calvin and Hobbes is deeply philosophical. The strip’s titular characters are named after 16th century theologian John Calvin and 17th century philosohper Thomas Hobbes. And Bill Watterson regularly used the strip as a springboard for exploring some deep conceptual themes like free will and the nature of evil. For that reason, there is probably no other popular comic strip more commonly used in upper level philosophy classes. Calvin and Hobbes invites us to contemplate the big questions that make us human.
Third, Bill Watterson refused to license Calvin and Hobbes for commercial merchandise. Watterson himself once said “Only thieves and vandals have made money on Calvin and Hobbes merchandise.” (And yes, judging by the amount of unlicensed merchandise available, there are a lot of thieves and vandals!) This isn’t a knock on Garfield and Peanuts, but Calvin and Hobbes reminds me that not everything should have a price.
Fourth, Watterson drew Calvin and Hobbes for ten years and then stopped, much to the world’s dismay. Watterson beautifully understood what has been called the power of restraint: as the famous saying goes, always leave them wanting more.
