The Sunday Funnies: A Boy and His Tiger

Today, I’m introducing a new column, “The Sunday Funnies,” which will focus on the comic strips that a lot of us already know and love.  Though the main objective of these comics is humor, many of them also take the time to make a larger statement on society as a whole.  I would say that, ultimately, comic strips that run in the Sunday papers are just as worthwhile as comic books or graphic novels.

Nothing has been able to capture a child’s imagination quite like Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes, which ran from 1985 to 1995.  If you don’t know, Calvin and Hobbes follows a boy named Calvin and his anthropomorphic stuffed tiger, Hobbes, as they create adventure after adventure through their suburban town.  However, while Calvin can talk to and play with Hobbes, other characters can only see an ordinary stuffed animal.

One of the main themes in the comic strip is relationships.  Watterson explores both the family unit, made up of Calvin, Mom, and Dad (and by extension, Hobbes), and a number of friendships.  Of course, the primary relationship in the comic is between Calvin and Hobbes.  As an only child, Calvin takes it upon himself to create fantastic adventures, which he goes on with Hobbes.  These include alien encounters, cloning machines, and snowmen apocalypses.

Looking deeper at the comic, one can see that there is a layer beneath all the fun and games.  Calvin is named after the theologian, John Calvin, and Hobbes after the philosopher, Thomas Hobbes.  True to their nature, the two often ponder deep, philosophical issues.  Over the course of the comic, Watterson uses their thoughts to comment on politics, religion, environmentalism, technology, and many other important topics without undercutting their status as children.

Overall, Calvin and Hobbes is a great comic that evokes childhood nostalgia while pointing out several flaws in society.  Even with its absurdist humor and its more serious vibes, Calvin and Hobbes remains sincere and touching.  It truly has a whole lot of heart.  You can browse through some of the comic strips here.