Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes is considered by many to be the last truly excellent newspaper comic strip, and with good reason. The whimsical wonder of childhood and snarky humor was combined with subtle digs at global issues, philosophical difficulties, or random contemporary events at the time.
Today, Calvin and Hobbes remain as relevant as ever. The elusive nature of Bill Watterson himself, and his unique stance on the many trappings of the newspaper strip, also means there’s a deluge of trivia for casual fans to sink their teeth into.
Born from Rejection
Calvin and Hobbes may have been a homerun hit, but its earliest version was decidedly not. Calvin and Hobbes’ premise was originally pitched to newspaper publications and was met with much disapproval. Many of the rejectors said that the cast was too big and that he should focus on “the kid and the tiger”.
Needless to say, Bill Watterson followed that advice and went on to create one of the most iconic comic strips of all time. Funny enough, this has made Watterson rather allergic to adding new characters. The short-lived appearance of “Uncle Max” is one such example, before reshifting focus to Calvin, Hobbes, and the parents.
The Academic History of Calvin and Hobbes’ Names
Many people know that Bill Watterson is a clever writer. Being the award-winning author of an iconic newspaper comic strip tends to prove that. Still, his cleverness sometimes manifests through obscure references to academia. Watterson has always been a big fan of philosophy and its many branches.
Thus, the titular Calvin and Hobbes were based on iconic historical philosophers. Calvin was named after the 16th-century theologian John Calvin, while Hobbes was named after the 17th-century philosopher Thomas Hobbes. The contrast between the innocent nature of Calvin and Hobbes to the decidedly complicated origins of their names is pretty funny in its own right.
Calvin Isn’t an Author Self-Insert
Most people would assume that when an author has a highly successful work, some characters would have to be based on the author. After all, people should write what they know. That much is true for Bill Watterson himself, as he’s based Hobbs on his cat and Calvin’s parents on his own. One of the characters is even based on his wife.
However, Calvin himself was not based on Bill Watterson at all. Calvin was the opposite of Bill in almost every way as a kid. It’s a fascinating way to write a character so near and dear. Watterson’s writing process probably involved the question “What would six-year-old me do?”, then writing down the opposite answer.
The Lack of Official Merchandise
When compared to its contemporaries Peanuts and Garfield, it’s shocking to learn that Calvin and Hobbes had almost no merchandising at all. Yes, there are syndicated collections every other decade or so, but they’re far from what people think of when “merchandise” is said.
Bill Watterson has made his stance on merchandising well-known. He refuses to dilute his beloved characters by grinding them through a “marketability” process. That being said, this does leave fans with free reign to make their merchandise. Quite hilariously, the infamous bootleg sticker of Calvin peeing amuses Bill Watterson, saying that’s his ticket to immortality.
Other Than a Calendar and Textbook
Emphasis on “almost” no merchandise. Bill Watterson, at least before the 90s, did allow some Calvin and Hobbes merchandise to exist. Specifically, two 16-month calendars (from 1988 to 1990) and a children’s textbook named Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes. The latter wasn’t even sold widely, as it was specifically made for schools.
Everything else that people have seen is bootlegs or fan-made products. Ironically, the complete lack of official merchandise means that there’s no profit loss from these bootlegs. After all, there’s nothing to steal from. That said, the calendars and textbooks go for absurdly high prices on eBay. A copy of Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes is currently priced at a whopping $20,000.
Watterson Refused George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Jim Henson
It’s not just merchandising that Watterson is infamously reluctant to share his creation with. Even if the people pitching to him were industry giants with proven talent in storytelling. Watterson famously shot down any attempts to have a movie or series made of his creation. This is not to say that Bill Watterson hated movies and animation.
On the contrary, he had a healthy respect for both and loved what they could accomplish. However, he could never allow another creative vision to “change” what made Calvin and Hobbes so loved. Since he couldn’t very well animate a show on his own, no official adaptation exists to this day. Plenty of fan animation (as well as one Robot Chicken sketch) does exist though, so that helps fans cope.
The Noodle Incident
Regular browsers of the site TVtropes might be familiar with this one. “The Noodle Incident” is used to denote some type of horrific or embarrassing situation that is never expounded on past some hilarious name. Any details are vague and quickly moved on from. It’s a hilarious storytelling tool that existed before Calvin and Hobbes, but the “noodle incident” remains a beloved running gag.
That said, Bill Watterson had no idea what the noodle incident even was. He made the joke on a whim because he felt that the “noodle incident” was a funny name to call something. Watterson considered revealing it at some point, but anything he wrote would inevitably be less funny than what his fans had imagined. Thus, the noodle incident will never be known.
Watterson’s First Publicly Recorded Voice Was in 2014
Bill Watterson’s reclusiveness from the public eye is well-known, but most people kinda just assume he’s done TV interviews here and there. He’s no hermit, as the town he lives in seems to know him more as a landscape painter. He just values his privacy, a respectable decision. That said, his voice was finally heard by the public for the first time in 2014.
The movie Stripped, is a documentary about the transition of newspaper comics to the web and features a short interview with Bill Watterson himself. Not only that, the movie poster was the first publicly seen new artwork of Bill Watterson in over two decades. Stripped is a great documentary for longtime fans of the newspaper comic medium.
Calvin and Hobbes on Mars (As Rocks)
One of the many fancies that Calvin and Hobbes have is going to space. Inevitably, going to Mars was gonna happen. The comic strip itself was typical Calvin and Hobbes, innocent and snarky as usual. Little did they know that years later, Calvin and Hobbes would end up on Mars for real. Sorta.
When the Pathfinder (which also appeared in the original comic strip) finally did arrive on Mars, the nerds at NASA couldn’t help themselves. They named two of the more interesting rocks “Calvin” and “Hobbes” respectively. Even if they’re just rocks, it’s nice to know that somewhere out there, Calvin and Hobbes are playing on Mars. Imagination and all that.
It Only Ran For 10 Years
For such an influential and beloved newspaper comic strip, it’s shocking that it only lasted a decade. There were a lot of behind-the-scenes arguments between Bill Watterson and Universal Press Syndicate about licensing rights. Due to Bill Watterson’s growing frustrations with the corporate aspect, he ended Calvin and Hobbes after an incredible 10-year run.
In contrast, Garfield is still ongoing, while Peanuts ran for five decades. Still, Bill Watterson wasn’t unsatisfied. He had said what he wanted to say, drawn all he could, and it was simply time to move on. Calvin and Hobbes may have ended too soon for fans, but that longing is precisely why it’s so beloved to this day. The author wouldn’t have it any other way.
