Analysis of the "Calvin And Hobbes" by Bill Watterson

It’s been almost 23 years since the last strip of Calvin and Hobbes was published on December 31, 1995, yet the comic strip is still generating excitement in new audiences today. What is it about this series that makes it able to stand such a span of time, when other newspaper strips have come and gone? In this essay, I intend on analyzing how Watterson’s use of storytelling and formal elements is effective in captivating audiences by questioning whether or not life has any meaning in a heartwarming, comedic way.

To begin to understand what makes this comic series so strong, we must first look at its protagonist, Calvin, and to do this, we must first look at the philosopher from whom the character is based. John Calvin was a French philosopher born in 1509. At the age of fourteen he moved to Paris to study philosophy, where he would later go one to become a major leader of the Protestant Reformation and develop a system of Christian theology later known as Calvinism. His religious philosophy, Calvinism, can be summarized as: God is in complete control over humanity's actions and that nothing happens unless God wills it. In other words, the world is predetermined. In comparison, Watterson’s Calvin is an imaginative kid who looks to plow authority whenever possible. However, the societal authority ultimately puts him in his place. We see the world through his perspective, in which everybody is out to get him. In response, Calvin tries to be as rebellious as possible to maintain some sense of individualism (just like John Calvin did in his life). A great example of this is one of my favorite strips in the series. In addition to Calvin’s tenuous relationship with authority, this strip also shows that Calvin is clearly scholarly when he wants to be and has a firm grasp of philosophical and political concepts. As a child, we can understand with Calvin’s scorn for authority and his desire for freedom, but we can also sympathize with the people that have to deal with him. Watterson is able to demonstrate that while Calvin’s intentions are noble (most of the time), the world still needs an authority to establish rules and maintain order. And because Calvin has childish tendencies and motivations alongside adult characteristics, he is an excellent representation of the curious child in all of us.

This comic shows Calvin complaining about doing his homework, eventually giving up to play outside. In the last panel, Calvin says, "Childhood is short and maturity is forever.” Watterson embraces the idea that childhood is ever fleeting and needs to be embraced throughout the entire series through the universality of the comic, the technical form, and the relationship between Calvin and Hobbes. It’s important to note that this example also shows us that Calvin gets a sense of boredom in the real world, which he finds dull and uninteresting. Watterson tries to show the audience this through his art. I assert that the simplicity of the scenes emphasizes that Calvin sees the world as boring.

Calvin’s imagination, on the other hand, is much more composed than his real life. Others argue that the simplicity of the artwork pulls emphasis to the dialogue and the substance behind the art, and while that may also be true, that argument is beyond the scope of this paper. In addition to the universality of the drawings, the argument itself is something that appeals to a wide spectrum of people. Everyone old enough to read this comic has gone to school at some point, whether it is kindergarten or graduate school, and most people can relate to the feeling of not wanting to do homework. Calvin embodies the inner child in the audience, which works to preserve childhood, furthering the argument that childhood needs to be embraced.

The comic strip is not called “Calvin,” however, and before we further analyze how Watterson made the series so successful, it is important to have some background information on the life and philosophy of Thomas Hobbes. Born in England in 1588, Hobbes would go on to become known as one of the greatest political philosophers. His masterwork Leviathan rivals in significance the writings of Locke, Plato, and Aristotle. He believed that humans were, at their core, selfish creatures. He argued that authority was a device for ensuring collective security and that the best government was a sovereign monarchy. It is this philosophy that sets the stage for Calvin to perform.

The world Calvin lives in seems to be one of Thomas Hobbes philosophy: a world that requires authority to keep stability to life. This is where Hobbes the tiger plays a role. He serves as Calvin’s guide to this world, even if Calvin would rather try to prove that his own views of human nature are correct. Hobbes purpose is limited to influencing Calvin, as Calvin is the only one who can see him (everyone else sees him as a stuffed tiger). As such, Hobbes takes on multiple roles: sometimes as the voice of reason, other times as the cohort in Calvin’s schemes. He seems to understand the world more than Calvin does, but his words often fall on deaf ears. Whether Calvin likes it or not, Hobbes is Calvin’s guide to this world, even if he would rather try and validate that his own views of human nature are correct. Unlike everyone around him, Calvin demands that authority be created out of reasoning and morality, not the, “because I said so,” attitude that enforces the rules he loathes. His self-defined authority is usually the source of conflict between him and those around him, which is where Hobbes is waiting to deliver his punchline.

One thing you might have noticed in the three previous examples is the unconventional use of panel borders. Specifically, the second or third panel of each strip is either partially or completely missing its panel borders. This continues into the analysis of Bill Watterson’s use of form. The lack of panel borders highlights Calvin’s perspective in a given moment: sometimes in panels when Calvin is asserting some revelation he has come to about the world, bringing light to the fact that his thoughts stretch beyond his world and into ours; other times, falling in a beat of rest to show Calvin’s apparent lack of understanding to the world around him. This is a reoccurring theme in the series: of the tradition 3-4 panel comic strips, many are lacking panel borders on the second or third panel. This isn’t the only place Watterson attempted to use the technical aspects of comics to further the story or the philosophies motivating it. Watterson often tried to break away from this traditional panel structure in favor for more abstract paneling. In the example below, he completely throws out the idea that panels contain separate moments of time. Instead, characters interact between and beyond the panels, sometimes including several Calvin or Hobbes side-by-side. Unfortunately, his fight for creative freedom was a tough fought battle because this creativity paneling and juxtaposition took up valuable real estate in the newspaper, a cost the publishers were not easy to give up. As Watterson described it, “space may be money, but to a cartoonist, space is time. Space provides the tempo and rhythm of the strip.” The previous example shows a reoccurring theme through the series: Hobbes pouncing on Calvin. Watterson repeats the same action over numerous comics in the series, but all are different. Watterson enjoyed experimenting with all aspects for the medium during his 10 years with the series, and using the same action allowed him to focus on the form.

In addition to paneling, we see Watterson play with text, speech bubbles, perspective, and color. So how has this Calvin and Hobbes maintained relevance for so long after its conclusion? I believe there are several reasons. First is continuing relevance of the characters, story, and ideologies behind the comic. Second is because of Watterson’s adherence to his belief of that his art was an art, not a business. Calvin and Hobbes didn’t focus on current events or politics that would date the comic, but it was still thoughtful. It focused on timeless philosophies and questions about existence, told through relatable struggles and strong characters. As mentioned before, we can all sympathize with Calvin’s desires and his views of the world, as well understand the world’s realities. This has allowed the series to stand the test of time, as a reader in 2018 can get the same out of it as a reader in 1988. In addition to the subject matter of Calvin and Hobbes, it is important to note that a large deal of credit is due to Bill Watterson for his work in preserving the series. While Calvin and Hobbes has similar fame to some of the most recognized comic series ever (Peanuts, Garfield), Bill Watterson maintained that art should come before commerce. Unlike other popular series, Watterson held complete control over his comics: writing, drawing, and coloring each one himself. Other series succumbed to poor quality due to the lack of involvement of the creator: with assistant writers and artists taking control during the later development of the series. These strips became hollow brands for merchandise, with no passion.

Calvin and Hobbes’ massive cultural footprint comes from great artwork and storytelling, not a flood of merchandise and constant television advertisements. Watterson felt that turning his characters into merchandise would contradict his message and violate the spirit of the strip. He was protective of the medium. Newspaper comics are a dying medium, so it is easy to see why Watterson would be protective of the things he felt made his comic unique. One of the greatest things to come out of Watterson’s refusal to license his characters is the rise of artists creating their own tributes of Calvin and Hobbes. The best thing an artist can do for their fans in inspire them to create themselves. While Watterson won’t create any more strips of Calvin and Hobbes, his dedication to art as art, and his amazing ability to create it, ensured that the series is able to live on in the hearts of those who read it during its original release, as well as new readers today.