Issue Date: July 16, 2010
City: Columbus, OH

 

It’s the perfect excuse for a mischievous boy – that a person’s actions can’t alter their future, because everything is predetermined. That is the philosophy of c...  more

Issue Date: July 16, 2010
City: Columbus, OH

 

It’s the perfect excuse for a mischievous boy – that a person’s actions can’t alter their future, because everything is predetermined. That is the philosophy of cartoonist Bill Watterson’s six-year-old hero, Calvin, named for 16th century French philosopher John Calvin. It’s also an attitude that gets Calvin into never-ending trouble. His overactive imagination created several alter egos, including Spaceman Spiff and Stupendous Man.

 

Calvin’s sidekick is his stuffed tiger Hobbes. Named after English philosopher Thomas Hobbes, Calvin’s tiger believes people are a bit absurd, but he is a willing partner in Calvin’s games anyway. 

 

Everyone else sees Hobbes as just a stuffed tiger, but he comes to life when alone with Calvin. Hobbes is the voice of sarcasm rather than the voice of reason, and is Calvin’s ally in their mischief. One game they play is Calvinball, which makes fun of organized sports. In Calvinball, rules are made up on the spot, and no rule can be used more than once. 

 

Calvin’s long-suffering parents (known just as “Mom” and “Dad”) try to keep up with their energetic son, but have only limited success. Rosalyn the Babysitter is a feared foe, and Susie Derkins, the little girl down the street, always seems to get the best of Calvin and his pranks.