20 ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ Quotes To Make You Smile
Ask anyone — expert or otherwise — to name the most popular newspaper comics of all time, and Calvin and Hobbes is sure to be on the list. Created by cartoonist Bill Watterson, who credited Peanuts as an inspiration, Calvin and Hobbes was first published in November 1985. At the height of its popularity, it was syndicated in more than 2,400 newspapers worldwide — quite an achievement for a story about a 6-year-old boy and his stuffed tiger.
The comic strip appealed to a large audience. Kids could appreciate the colorful characters, slapstick action, and flights of fancy, while adults could ponder the comic’s exploration of issues such as public education, environmentalism, family life, and art. Watterson’s approach was at times highly philosophical — he did, after all, name his two central characters after the 16th-century theologian John Calvin and the 17th-century philosopher Thomas Hobbes.
Through Hobbes — Calvin’s Bengal tiger — the very nature of reality is questioned. For Calvin, Hobbes is indeed a real tiger, while everyone else in the comic sees him as a stuffed toy. The truth is left for the reader to decide. This contemplation of truth and reality was important to Watterson and integral to the comic. As Watterson once told students at Kenyon College, “To invent your own life’s meaning is not easy, but it’s still allowed.”
The inquiring and philosophical nature of Calvin in Hobbes was, of course, underlined by one key component: humor. Here are some of the funniest quotes from the comic strip, as spoken by Calvin, Hobbes, Calvin’s long-suffering parents, and other beloved characters.
