Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes was a beloved newspaper comic that ran for ten years, gaining a huge fan base along the way. Now, almost 30 years on, the imaginative antics of six-year-old Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes are still a huge part of many fans' childhoods.
Calvin and Hobbes was more than just a typical newspaper cartoon, though; it was often a comment on the ways of the world through the eyes of a very peculiar little boy. Calvin and Hobbes ranged everywhere from whimsical to introspective to just plain silly, but often it was truly touching. These ten comics are the most heart-warming the strip had to offer.
Treasure Everywhere
A perfect representation of the spirit of the strip, this cartoon shows off how Calvin and Hobbes could find fun in pretty much anything. Hobbes asks Calvin if he has found any treasure yet, and Calvin shows him his less than pleasant finds so far, including bugs and rocks.
Of course, to an imaginative six-year-old like Calvin, all of this is treasure. This is the same kid who could make a cardboard box into a transmogrifier after all. This strip perfectly encapsulates the fun and imagination of both the characters and the comic itself, and easily brings a smile to the face.
A Mom for a Mom
Calvin's mother has a long history of having to put up with a lot from Calvin, from his constant misbehavior to his well-established dislike of her cooking. Thankfully, there are strips like this one to remind them that there are good times too, and are sweet enough to rival even the best Charlie Brown specials.
When his mom is in bed with a cold, Calvin tries his best to cheer her up the way she helps him when he is sick. Calvin finally learns to appreciate some of the difficulty of being a mother, and his mom pulls him into a big reluctant hug of appreciation.
A Bright Fall Morning
Throughout Calvin and Hobbes, Calvin is often tormented by the school bully Moe. Thankfully, he always has a good friend to come back to in Hobbes. In this strip, Calvin tells Hobbes about his encounter with Moe earlier in the day.
Calvin starts off frustrated, talking about how it is hard to find people to really like, or even tolerate, much less be good friends with. Hobbes on the other hand, knows exactly what Calvin needs, just a friend to sit and talk to. They both agree that they couldn't ask for much more.
A Father's Wisdom
Calvin and his dad do not always see eye to eye in the series, but like with his mom earlier, this strip shows a glimpse of the warmer side of their relationship. As Calvin asks about the complex workings of the solar system, his dad is all too happy to playfully make up his own answers.
Telling Calvin "facts" like the sun setting in Arizona and the sky turning red because it catches on fire, Calvin's dad is clearly enjoying his harmless bit of tomfoolery. Calvin marvels at the chance to hear his father's words of wisdom, even if it is all completely fictitious. Despite being in a comic strip, Calvin's dad could stand alongside even the best dads on television.
Hobbes' Wish
Calvin and Hobbes have very different personalities sometimes, and Hobbes often has to step in to show Calvin the moral of the moment. This strip is one of the best of these moments, as Calvin learns the lesson all on his own during an adorable tiger nap.
When Hobbes says he would wish for a big sunny field to be in, Calvin berates him for not being more imaginative. When Hobbes' wish comes true, Calvin realizes sometimes the simplest things in life are the best. While Calvin's imagination is one of his best qualities, Hobbes seems to channel the voice of Garfield as he shows him how happy he can be with the basics now and then too.
The Raccoon
One early multi-week story in Calvin and Hobbes shows Calvin finding an injured baby raccoon in the woods and bringing it back home to try to nurse it back to health. Unfortunately despite he and his parent's best efforts, the raccoon still dies.
Even though the story is a sad one, it is still meaningful and often touching, as Calvin and his parents genuinely care about saving the raccoon. Calvin's parents help him understand the situation in a mature and sweet way, and it ends with this touching scene of Calvin and Hobbes comforting each other like only great friends can.
A Christmas Hug
Christmas is one of Calvin's favorite time of the year, and features pretty heavily in Calvin and Hobbes, usually as Calvin struggles to be good in order to appease Santa. In this strip though, Calvin finally understands a little bit about giving as well.
Distraught over not having gotten Hobbes a present, Calvin tearfully apologizes before Hobbes comforts him a big, fluffy tiger hug. It is a tender moment that captures both the true spirit of Christmas and Calvin and Hobbes' friendship. The best give they have is each other.
It's A Magical World
One of the best parts of Calvin and Hobbes was always how well it captured Calvin's sense of wonder about the world. As this strip perfectly captures, Calvin's sense of adventure was rivaled only by his imagination.
While this strip does not necessarily have a punch-line, it is a touching reflection of just how fun and optimistic Calvin and Hobbes could be. This was also the final Calvin and Hobbes cartoon published, so it serves as both a touching send-off and a happy note for the future.
Snow Day With Dad
Calvin's dad is often shown to be a hard-working, often strict man throughout Calvin and Hobbes, usually because he has to deal with Calvin's shenanigans. That is what makes strips like this so touching, because it shows that Calvin and his dad do truly love each other anyway at the end of the day.
Conveying the sweet message without a single word, Calvin's dad sadly tells an excited Calvin that he is too busy to play with him in the snow, before putting it aside to build a snowman with him anyway. Dad ends up working into the night, but he and Calvin are both clearly happy with the day's adventure, and the moment could be right at home in a cheery, feel-good movie.
Dreams
Calvin and Hobbes are shown throughout the strip's history to be nearly inseparable from each other. When Calvin is not at school, he is with Hobbes playing some kind of creative game. This strip perfectly captures their friendship with a healthy dose of childhood imagination.
As Calvin and Hobbes wonder why they dream, they decide that it is so they can play together even while they sleep. The cartoon itself is already heartwarming enough, but the Calvin and Hobbes 10th Anniversary Book reveals that Bill Watterson wrote this comic as a tribute to his beloved cat Sprite, who was often the model for Hobbes. Everyone can be together in dreams.