Calvin and Hobbes is enjoyed by many; even after its discontinuation, it retained a significant fanbase that is still present today. However, it is not simply beloved for being funny. Calvin and Hobbes discusses many topics satirically, was created by an artist that wanted comics to be seen as equal in validity to any other form of art, and was one of few comics to be guaranteed a full half-page in newspapers, alongside being possibly the only comic with an artist that fought against licensing merchandise for it. To get into all of this in any detail, we need to talk about the artist behind Calvin and Hobbes: Bill Watterson.
Bill Watterson was born in Washington, D.C. before moving to a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio with his parents at the age of 6. He spent most of his childhood drawing art, primarily cartoons. This, alongside a major in political science at Kenyon College and writing political cartoons for the college newspaper, landed him a short-lived job at The Cincinnati Post. While designing car and grocery advertisements, he worked on a comic strip that he submitted to multiple syndicates.
Something important to note here is that Bill Watterson did not consider comics to be 'low art'; in fact, he did not consider 'high art' and 'low art' to be good ways to divide art. While not known, this is presumably part of the reason the names 'Calvin' and 'Hobbes' were decided for the characters: Calvin after the theologian John Calvin, and Hobbes after philosopher Thomas Hobbes. Many of the comic strips are designed for satire, and the comic itself draws from Watterson's childhood experiences in Chagrin Falls, especially the settings. Calvin and Hobbes was significant for many reasons, and continues to be significant to people today. The main significance that this website will focus on is the way that Calvin and Hobbes highlighted real-world issues rather than being pure entertainment, and how it was treated as art rather than 'low art'.
(Robinson) Source 1
Background of the Author
Bill Watterson was born in Washington, D.C. on June 5, 1958. He lived there until he moved with his parents to Chagrin Falls, Ohio — a suburb of Cleveland — when he was six years old. From an early age, comics like Peanuts, Krazy Kat, and Pogo inspired Watterson, and he regularly drew throughout his childhood, usually drawing comics. In college, Watterson continued his regular drawing, creating political cartoons for his college's newspaper, The Kenyon Collegian. After he graduated, he got a short-lived job as the editorial cortoonist for the Cincinnati Post, then a job designing advertisements that he despised.
Historical Context
Comics are an important part of newspapers. However, to preserve space, newspapers would often remove the top two panels from comics; as such, comic authors often had to write comics under the assumption that up to half of their panels would be cut off, leading to reliance on throwaway jokes. On top of this, artist syndicates often had full control over the art syndicated artists made, and could license merchandise or even remove and replace the artist if they desired. Watterson prevented Calvin and Hobbes from being licensed or given to another author because the syndicate did not think another artist could properly replace him, and he got newspapers to print full versions of his comics via negotiations with his syndicate.
Why Calvin and Hobbes is important
Calvin and Hobbes — and Watterson's satire in general — is important because it highlights the ability for comics to bring up serious issues in the real world, rather than being a format only for jokes and children's stories: what some would call 'low art'. Other comics also have satire and critical themes, but most are seen as an entertainment form for children rather than a "serious" form of art for satire and messaging adults will resonate with; and to be fair, many comic artists intend for their comics to be entertainment.
Rhetorical Techniques
When writing Calvin and Hobbes, Watterson primarily used hyperbole and irony; Calvin, being a child, is generally the character used for this satire, as he fits well for the role. He is energetic, has ideas and speech patterns great for satire, and is as hyper as you would expect a small child to be. Most comics are set either in a school or outside, with some panels being written for satire and others being for entertainment.
Specific Examples
Below are two examples of Calvin and Hobbes comic strips. Both are likely intended as satire, but the bottom one has a clearer message than the top one (ie: those who wish to remove all rules tend to want rules binding everyone except them).
(Meyrink) Source 2(“Calvin and Hobbes Page”) Source 3
How Techiques Support Their Argument
The techniques shown in these images highlight that comics can highlight genuine topics while also being humorous. The top comic highlights the detrimental rigidity of schools while also making a joke about Calvin's creative writing, and the bottom comic highlights the childish and fairly common idea that rules should apply to others but not you while also poking fun at the very same idea. Both comics require all of the panels for the punchline to work, but that is not the topic of this website.
Audience Responses
Like any work with satire in it, the response to Calvin and Hobbes has been mixed; in this case, mixed heavily in Calvin and Hobbes' favor. There have been numerous articles — scholarly and otherwise — touching on many ideas; Case Western Reserve University, for example, has an overview on Calvin and Hobbes. There are, of course, negative responses to the comic, but these are few and far between, from what I have found.
Misinterpretations/Controversies
Calvin and Hobbes has been simultaneously misinterpreted as intended wholly for chilren or for adults; either is false, as it is unlikely Watterson intended the comic for one audience specifically. Instead, Calvin and Hobbesis likely meant for everyone, as it holds both satire few children will understand and humor few adult-centric comics would use.
How Research Helps Interpreting Impact
There is no shortage of websites about Calvin and Hobbes, and frankly, mine is nothing special. It acts as a list of sources and overview of a specific aspect people may not have considered before, but others have done the same; I even have one embedded in this section that includes most of the relevant information.
Watterson, Bill. The Authoritative Calvin And Hobbes. United Kingdom, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1990.
Katzmarzik, Joy. “Joy Katzmarzik, Comic Art and Avant-Garde: Bill Watterson’s “Calvin and Hobbes” and the Art of American Newspaper Comic Strips.” European Journal of American Studies, 11 Dec. 2019, https://doi.org/10.4000/ejas.15335. Accessed 15 Sept. 2022.
Abate, Michelle Ann. ““A Gorgeous Waste”: Solitude in Calvin and Hobbes.” Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, vol. 10, no. 5-6, 24 Sept. 2018, pp. 488–504, https://doi.org/10.1080/21504857.2018.1523204.
Moja, B. “Cheap Pills of Philosophy: Calvin and Hobbes and Contemporary Wisdom.” Institutional Research Archive, 19 Nov. 2016, air.unimi.it/handle/2434/480634, http://hdl.handle.net/2434/480634. Accessed 20 May 2025.
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