Bill Watterson: Calvin & Hobbes

To ursa,

Meet Calvin, one half of my way the most favorite toons. I know, you know him already, but could you try and forget all about him now, and get to know him ... again? Fall in love all over again!



The other half is Hobbes, a tiger, for whom we aren't sure whether he is stuffed or alive. We like to believe the latter, and you know what, we can, for that dilemma really doesn't count much. It's like in the Life of Pi where reality is the one to follow imagination.

Calvin and Hobbes are the best friends under the sun. Whenever Calvin is down, Hobbes can put him even a bit lower, but usually he doesn't do that, for he loves him and wants to be there for him. It can get very emotional when Hobbes takes Calvin in his arms and gives him the biggest and softest hug you can imagine. You have to have a tiger for that.

Nobody besides Hobbes really understands Calvin. His parents give him a hard time, especially mum nagging all the time about him taking the bath, and dad constantly giving smart-assy remarks. But it can get even more frustrated for Calvin. School is such a waste of time for him, for he is way too intelligent to spend even the tiniest bit of time there. He shares the belief with perhaps the sanest of Slovene models of all time, Manca Zver, who said: "I never liked school. I always wrestled with the system which is so stupid that force one to learning and sitting even when one doesn't feel like it."



So it's just the two of them, Calvin & Hobbes, and that's great, for it feels like a true love. It would always be, had only they gained some sort of a fellowship (for being so lovely for example) or maybe won a lottery, for their expenses aren't exactly small and they both hate the terms: job and work.

But, as I said, it's all imagination here, so let's imagine they won that lottery. I would like to see their love never ends. I can't get enough of them. I think I am in love (with a comic!)

Philosophy of Calvin & Hobbes is deep and their deeds speak for themselves:
- being artistic [2 - very funny],
- not being able to do nothing,
- praising teve,
- having packed days,
- not caring for math,
- knowing where their place is,
- really wanting to read,
- looking for shortcuts,
- setting out priorities [2, 3],
- being economical (or just avoiding work? Now Calvin ...),
- being i-m-a-g-i-n-a-t-i-v-e,
- hating growing up,
- being smart-assed by dad (this one is my favorite, it's great - oh like others are not?),
- being smart-assed by dad again.

Notes:
- You must note that Bill Watterson ended doing the Calvin comics in 1995. This doesn't sound so bad, when you come to realize that the spirit of the comics endured and will probably live to see us leaving the solar system. The first comic came out in 1985. See also the last one, and one particular in between.
- Comics were being published in newspapers around US on the fly, and later compiled into neat books: see the complete list with picture covers (- white border ones are still waiting for me to ...)
- See my favorite of them aquarelles.
- There is a huge PDF file, compiling all of the comics, on eMule. You might want to check it out, but then you can always ask me for it. I could upload it somewhere, you know. However, reading them on paper feels much more real, does it not? I myself feel like Calvin almost becomes me, or at least that he walks into my room, and we start to chat, go on an adventure together, take Hobbes with us of course, and our friendship is growing ever stronger. It's lovely and so much fun.

10/10