As a comic starring an imaginative, anarchic six-year-old, it's no surprise that Calvin and Hobbes often deals with the subject of Santa Claus. Year after year, fans saw Calvin write hilarious letters to Santa and then struggle to stay on the right side of naughty/nice, with Santa himself making multiple appearances in the strip. As with many aspects of childhood, creator Bill Watterson knows how much thought kids put into Santa Claus.
Here are the 15 most heart-warming Calvin and Hobbes comics about Santa Claus, as Calvin does his best to acquire the maximum amount of "loot" while being forgiven for the worst possible behavior.
15 Is He Naughty or Nice?
Calvin and Hobbes' December 24, 1995 Comic
Calvin's imagination is a huge factor in Calvin and Hobbes, with Watterson penning some stunning comics featuring dinosaurs, monsters and alien life in order to convey the enormity of a six-year-old's creativity. Here, Calvin imagines Santa and his elves debating whether he qualifies as naughty or nice, with a conclusion so nailbiting that he literally can't sleep and risks missing out on presents for a totally different reason than his behavior.
A lot of Calvin and Hobbes' Christmas comics revolve around Calvin trying and failing to resist the lure of misbehavior, with Hobbes providing self-aware commentary. Multiple arcs (like the one below, from December 1990) see Calvin doing his best to make it onto the 'Nice' list.
The idea of Calvin being able to be 'good' is obviously a pipe dream, leading him to argue for extenuating circumstances, trying to barter good deeds for bad deeds, and even hiring Hobbes as his lawyer. Sadly, true satisfaction remains out of reach, as Santa refuses to bring Calvin the high-explosives he routinely asks for.
14 This Year I've Been Extra Good
Calvin and Hobbes' December 7, 1995 Comic
Calvin writing to Santa is a running gag in Calvin and Hobbes, as the rambunctuous kid uses the opportunity to try and beg, threaten and fool Santa into providing some Christmas Day loot. Hobbes keeps a far more level head, acting as the foil to Calvin's attempts to outplay Ol' Saint Nick.
If you're the type of Calvin and Hobbes fan who thinks that Hobbes is all in Calvin's head, it's easy to read these strips as Calvin's childish desires conflicting with his more realistic appreciation of the world around him. But if - like creator Bill Watterson - you think Hobbes is something more, then Calvin's fiendish attempts are even funnier, since he's 100% committed.
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13 Santa Flambé
Calvin and Hobbes' December 24, 1990 Comic
While Calvin might be imaginative, he also has a child's nack for poking logical holes in the stories his parents would like him to believe. In this case, he's instantly outraged when he sees a roaring fire, since he knows that's how Santa arrives to deliver presents. While they may be long-suffering, Calvin's parents only have themselves to blame here.
12 You Rotten Little Kid
Calvin and Hobbes' December 17, 1989 Comic
In a surprise comic, the gag of Calvin writing to Santa is flipped, with Father Christmas writing back ordering Calvin to be kind to animals if he wants presents this year, calling him "the naughtiest kid in the whole world"... or so it seems. Actually, the writer is Hobbes, trying to buy himself the perfect week of pawing through Calvin's comics. To be fair to Calvin, there's a reason he doesn't want Hobbes reading his comics, as seen in the strip below.
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11 He's Saying Something
Calvin and Hobbes' December 24, 1987 Comic
While Calvin and Hobbes often dips into Calvin's imagination for its most fantastical stories, sometimes readers get to see what's really going on. In this case, a rare 'Santa sighting' is actually Calvin's dad stubbing his toe, and engaging in the time-honored 'not quite swearing' found in classic kids' media from Looney Tunes' Yosemite Sam to Home Alone's Harry Lyme.
10 Do You Have a Pen?
Calvin and Hobbes' December 9, 1995 Comic
While Calvin's parents may try and control him, the only people who can truly beat him at his own game are Hobbes and Calvin's friend Susie. That's because they exist in the same imagination-rich world - one where Susie threatening to report Calvin to Santa Claus is enough to dissuade him from pelting her with snowballs... at least for now.
Calvin and Susie's snowball fights are another running gag throughout the franchise, and one of the main 'temptations' that Calvin complains Santa can't possibly expect him to resist.
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9 Long, Fine Print Disclosure
Calvin and Hobbes' December 5, 1995 Comic
In another 'writing to Santa' gag, Calvin attempts to use a little subterfuge stolen from the adult world. Watterson depicts Calvin as a kid who is just starting to notice odd details about the human world without understanding the bigger picture, leading to a mix of sly experimentation and sincere naivete.
8 Evil Santa
Calvin and Hobbes' December 7, 1995 Comic
In this strip, Calvin applies his imagination to thinking up Santa's opposite, who he nicknames 'Evil Santa.' It's a kind of superhero logic that can be expected from a kid who is constantly reading comic books, and even has his own costumed persona as Stupendous Man. Sadly, this villainous Father Christmas isn't around to provide Calvin with army-surplus weapons.
7 I Don't Want Any Gifts
Calvin and Hobbes' December 8, 1992 Comic
In another 'letter to Santa' gag, Calvin attempts to get in Father Christmas' head by lying about what he wants for Christmas. Thankfully, as usual, Hobbes is there to reign in his worst ideas, pointing out that if Santa takes him seriously, he'll end up getting no presents at all. Over the course of Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin tries everything to get Santa to deliver his dream presents, with Hobbes often mocking his friend along the way - even at one point refusing to be his character witness because, "I'm not going to perjure myself for you!"
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6 Santa Didn't Bring Hobbes Anything
Calvin and Hobbes' December 25, 1988 Comic
Watterson crams multiple jokes into this strip, with the first two s being a fun gag in their own right. Calvin and Hobbes often plays with the idea of how Calvin squares events in the real world with his 'imaginary' friend, though Watterson is skilled at leaving multiple possibilities open. Did Santa forget Hobbes' gift because the tiger isn't real, or because he knows he'll be completely satisfied with a hug from Calvin? Of course, the strip below offers the most practical answer - lazy parents.
