Cal And Hobbes to think about

Earlier tonight a friend short-message me a happy Hari Raya wish. Along with the wish was an update saying some Calvin And Hobbes comics are available at a bookstore she visited. In my thank-you reply I mentioned having complete collection of Cal And Hobbes.

A minute after that, I gaze over the collection. I quick-browse some pages and found some that has some nostalgic values. To say I’m a fan is an understatement. To say I’m a fanatic would be offensive. Fanatic has some sort of stupid ring to it. I detest any day someone saying I’m stupid. I love the comic and that’s it. And I love it with reasons.

Everyone there is in the comic
The name Calvin actually came from John Calvin —the reknown theologist— and Hobbes from Thomas Hobbes —the philosophist. That alone says everything of why the comic covers such deep issues of faith and reason. Mr. Watterson magicly prescribed a new explanation of why a ten-year-old boy is such a mistery to parents and adult: because they have such a rich and encensored faith and reason. That, he wrapped in a comedic fashion.

You will notice that his last name is never even once mentioned. His mum and dad are just mum and dad, no name. I thought about that for awhile and I think I know why Mr. Watterson omitted them. When I was ten, or so, my mum and dad were also just mum and dad. Sure, they have names: Anis and Anwar, but mum-dad have so much more history with me than Anis-Anwar. Dad, not Anwar, was the one bought me toys from his trips. He was the one that told me bed-time stories until I was seven, not Anwar. Mum was the one who fixed me my school lunch, not Anis. She also happens to be the one for hours patiently wait on me reading books in library, not Anis. Mum-dad are my parents, not Anis-Anwar.

You know who needs names? Uncles and Aunties do: Uncle Ichsan, Uncle Idir, Auntie Ita, Auntie Irma. You know why we gave them names? So we can tell one from the others. As I grew up, my mum and dad becomes Anis and Anwar in addition. The names other people know them by tells me the great things they’ve accomplished. By then, I was a lot older than ten year old.

Every kid story covered
You will also notice that Mr. Watterson covers so many sides of life of a ten-year-old boy, and funny is not directly one of them. I say Cal is terrible. He’s a nightmare. He’s menace. He did everything in his power to escape classes and exams: from making excuses to burning down the building. He spent his boring hours in class daydreaming of superhero and spaceman. He has numoerous strategic plans to get away from his vegetable dinner. But to his mum and dad, he’s a lovely nightmare. That’s about everything you can describe of a kid, any kid.

Cal And Hobbes is also a story of everything else. Mr. Watterson injected a philosophical mind into Cal. Once, Cal build a snowman staring a small snowball in its hand. Cal said it was contemplating the origin of its life, and found it saddening for, ironically, it is almost over (spring is coming, no more snow). Another time, Cal was asking where he came from. Hobbes took a peak at his buddy’s t-shirt tag and found that Cal came from Taiwan (He can tell from the brand tag). You will see Calvin as John Calvin when he wrote ‘I refuse to answer this question because it is against my religious background’ to answer his exam. The question was what is 5 + 7. The full-of-reason Cal you can see when he said, ‘a pronoun is a noun that has lost its amateur status’.


Above everything Calvin is a son and a friend. Some strips are very touching, espescially on christmas occasions. These are strips to cry for. Once, Cal apologized to Hobbes because his mum and dad forgot to buy Hobbes christmas presents. As Cal gave his stuffed-tiger buddy a dead-bolt hug, Hobbes whisper ‘Best gift doesn’t come from boxes. I’ll cherish this one forever.’

Bill Waterson
I never knew what he looked like. I’ve searched every Cal And Hobbes-related pages and found no pictures of him. I found, however, his self caricature wearing a space suit. I have no idea why he put himself as a spaceman. In his interviews, Mr. Watterson persisted that Calvin was not him as a child. He admitted that he actually was oppositely obedient.

Unlike all comic artist, Mr. Watterson uses water-brush to draw Cal. One thing I learned about waterbrush is: that’s the hardest drawing media to master.

Mr. Watterson was also a writer and a poet. I found some of his writings and speeches. Moving ones, all of them. He delivered speeches on many celebrative occasions. When once was invited as a guess speaker for his old almamater, he addressed the fresh graduates about finding their own thing and being true to their hearts at the same time. You can read his poetries on some of Cal And Hobbes books. Not only he knows how to write a poem, he master the knowhow a ten-year-old write a poem.

Mr. Watterson was very protective of Cal And Hobbes. He put a lot of fights to make sure no Cal And Hobbes gimmicks were made. He said he doesn’t want publishers to exploit them, no matter how much money opportunity they would missed. Any products other than books you find, is pirated.

In 1995, he retired Cal And Hobbes. A sad day for me and everyone who grew up ten years with Cal. On his last strip, Cal said to Hobbes, ‘let’s go exploring.’

PS: I came across a particular strip that reminded me a conversation I had with my dad. I remember he said, ‘Thank Goodness I don’t have him (Cal) as a son.’ I remember giggling and told him, ‘too late, dad.’ Why did he think I bought the damn books in the first place?