Calvin & Hobbes C or D

http://www.whirlybird.org.uk/fgs.jpg

(hobbes = in purple)

I think Schulz was a writer of astonishing greatness and Waterson learnt a lot from him, but C&H is funnier and better drawn. The only basis on which I'd nonetheless rate Peanuts above C&H is that there is around five times as much Peanuts. There hasn't been a humour artist as good as Waterson come along in newspaper strips since the form's great heyday in the first half of the 20th Century - Herriman, Segar, Sterrett, maybe a few others (McManus, Capp), though they're the only three I'd confidently rate above Waterson. It's even more extraordinary when you look at the much tighter limitations, the smaller space allowed (there is an excellent C&H about this).

And Hobbes is so adorable. I wish there was a cuddly toy.

As a matter of fact, some independant animator somewhere did do a brief short Calvin & Hobbes film. He sent the film off to Watterson for his approval, and Watterson replied with something along the lines of "I think this is a good film, but I'd rather you not release it or make anymore". So it hasn't been seen by anyone except a chosen few. I think some of the actors who voiced it have the film mentioned on their IMDb entries.

The idea of the possibly brilliant C&H film that no one can see has me ripping my hair out in frustration right now.

I adored Calvin and Hobbes as a kid and at some point determined it was too sentimental, which it is at times. But I think I'm ready to appreciate it again.

"It's psychosomatic. You need a lobotomy. I'll get a saw."

http://www.berkeleybreathed.com/opus_returns.html

I preferred his daily strips though.

this is one from of the funniest strips. i love those ones where watterson does (what he declares to be) lame marvel rip offs, they are so silly. also into the poantheon of greatness- the one where he starts seeling homemade lemonade for $5 a glass, and as Mark S noted, every single one that involved snowmen or sculpture in snow. esp the modern art ones. kinda obvious but they hurt my sides, sort of....

Your right, though, Outland kinda petered out.

Favorite C&H strips? I love the one drawn up in 50s film noir involving Calvin and Susie, when they're playing house, and Calvin's character, puffing a pipe, longs for a divorce and rejects their "baby" (a plush pg, if I remember). I also like the one where Calvin scuplts his parents an ashtray, and Hobbes points out that Calbvin's parents don't smoke, and Calvin shouts "OK, Michaelangelo, YOU sculpt something!!" But of course, it's all in the drawings. I can't do any of them justice.

Favorite snowman strip is when Calvin gathers a crowd of horrified onlooking snowmen gasping at the sight of a dismembered snowman lying at the foot of his father's parked car. Calvin's dad: "I think we better get that kid to a psychiatrist."

The hundred-and-first viewing will change that, I promise.

Family Circus is the most accurate representation of childhood evah.

i am also going to scratch off the letters so that instead of toyota it says either "YO" or "TOY" it's going to be AWESOME

Let's enter Nerve.com's bad erotica writing contest!

WOW

And for going on 10 years now, the only thing that has continually gotten me close to crying is the last strip. The emptyness of the last panel just opens a hole in my heart like nothing else.

If you say "dud" you have no soul.

And remember, at midnight opposite day is over, right?

"Yes."

Calvin and Hobbes fans, feast your eyes on this!!

Sadly, I have to buy this. This is not going to be optional, even though I also have the individual books. CURSES.

(oh no!)

I also need that book, wow. It's going to sell *a lot* as a Christmas present.