Hobbes is the co-main character/sidekick in Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes and named for philosopher Thomas Hobbes. It is nearing 37 years since the creation of the stuffed tiger who comes to life whenever Calvin is alone, and he remains an iconic and lovable character that made the famed comic strip the cultural touchstone it remains today.
The tiger is used as a friend, foil, and audience surrogate for Calvin's antics and adventures that he participates in willingly and often nervously. He can be Calvin's best friend one moment and in the next tackling him off the stoop when he arrives home from school. Hobbes is a multi-faceted character who is shown throughout the series, whether he's a tiger or a stuffed animal, to be Calvin's best friend.
I Got My Wish
The difference in worldview between Calvin and Hobbes creates some of the best moments of humor in the comic strip. Calvin loves to pose hypothetical questions, usually more because he's excited to give his own answer rather than actually listen to Hobbes'. In this instance, Hobbes sends Calvin into a spiral by stating if he could have anything in the world, he would have a sandwich.
Calvin spouts off about how he should have asked for a billion dollars, anything more than a sandwich. But the wisdom of Hobbes' worldview is shown in the final . Sure his wish is much simpler than Calvin's but at the end of the day, he's the only one of the two who has it granted.
Girls And Smooching
A characteristic of Hobbes told early on is his view that girls are cute, while Calvin thinks the complete opposite. Their club, G.R.O.S.S., even stands for Get Rid Of Slimy girlS. But Hobbes can't help expressing his iration for girls even when he's assigned the task to write all the things they're good for.
Hobbes writes they're good for "smooching" a favorite word of the tiger's that he uses throughout the series. And when he does have something good to say about girls, he doubles down even in the face of Calvin's indignation. It takes a presidential pardon to calm the two down, but it doesn't stop Hobbes from saying smooching some girls is oOK.
Why Are We Here?
While Calvin likes to think deeply about the mysteries of the universe (until he gets bored) Hobbes is generally OK with taking things at face value. This often leads to the pair getting into arguments when they're unable to communicate what they're thinking effectively. In this comic, Calvin wants to talk about why "we are here" as in what is man or tiger's purpose, a deeper question on life and death.
All Hobbes can think about is the literal meaning of the question. They're under the tree because they walked there, they're on earth because they were born. Calvin becomes frustrated with the answer, and Hobbes becomes frustrated with the questions so like what happens so many times with the pair, they sit in sullen silence.
Cold Feet
Hobbes is a lot like a house cat. With that comes a love affair with sleeping and there are many comics that revolve around Hobbes sleeping or trying to sleep while Calvin keeps him up. They both argue about bed space and sheets like an old married couple.
This comic is a classic example of Hobbes just trying to get to sleep while ignoring Calvin's whining. Their inevitable fight tires them both out, but it doesn't end the fight as now they're both too hot and arguing about being too close rather than too far.
Itinerary
No one could depict what summer vacation felt like as a kid as well as Bill Watterson in the heartwarming summer Calvin and Hobbes comics. And this comic shows how an entire action-packed day can still only cover about half of the activities Calvin and Hobbes actually wanted to accomplish.
It also gives a great look into Hobbes and his relationship with Calvin both in good and bad ways. Each depicts a different characteristic that sums up the tiger. He can tease, fight, explore, play, trick, and just look at clouds with Calvin. But no matter what they do, there isn't one single image in the 15 s that shows the two apart.
Tiger Instinct
While Hobbes generally acts like a human in most ways he is still a tiger and takes great pride in his non-human genealogy. But just because he's proud to be a tiger does not always mean he knows exactly what that entails. For instance, in this iconic 80s comic strip, Hobbes has convinced Calvin he can do math on of being a tiger.
But it's clear quickly from both Watterson's drawings and his answer to a question that Hobbes is making it all up. Credit to him for accidentally stumbling upon the real notion of imaginary numbers but his explanation that he didn't need to go to school because tigers are born with an instinct for math, is classic Hobbes superiority.
Tiger Attack
If there is one lasting image from the Calvin and Hobbes comics, it's the visual of Hobbes flying through a door at a surprised Calvin who has just returned from school. Like clockwork, Hobbes waits for Calvin to come home every day just to tackle him into the dirt leaving Calvin bruised and beaten, but leaving Hobbes proud.
In this slow-motion version of a scene that has appeared multiple times in the comic series, the audience finally gets to feel exactly how Calvin does when the jungle cat comes exploding out of the dark to pummel him. Also, Hobbes' melancholy note that the good times go so quickly proves that Calvin's dread is Hobbes' favorite pastime.
Live For The Moment
Calvin and Hobbes's differing philosophies are not set in stone but can usually be boiled down to Calvin having unrealistic expectations for himself and others and Hobbes being the more grounded and realistic of the pair, and Hobbes rarely misses an opportunity to poke a hole in Calvin's logic.
In this strip Calvin says his new philosophy is to live for the moment, citing the fact that one could be alive one day and hit by a car the next. Hobbes then says his philosophy is to "look down the road". He can understand Calvin's philosophy but at the same time, makes a good point that Calvin would not even need the philosophy if he tried a little more forward-thinking.
The Ends Justify The Means
Hobbes is an important person (or tiger) in Calvin's life because not only does he question some of Calvin's more preposterous philosophies he also occasionally takes it upon himself to challenge them outright. In this comic, it is another classic walk-and-talk between the two as Calvin spouts some obnoxious, but well-thought-out, diatribe.
Calvin thinks that the ends justify the means, and he should just take whatever he wants in a dog-eat-dog world. Hobbes shows Calvin what a world like that would look like by immediately shoving him in mud, tiger-eat-kid style. Calvin screams that he only meant for himself to do whatever he wants, and it appears that Hobbes knew that was the case all along.
Christmas Poem
Above all the fights, arguments, pounces, and name-calling, Hobbes and Calvin are best friends. When Hobbes goes missing, Calvin is distraught and near tears, and plenty of comics end with the pair shaking hands, playing, and even hugging.
In this poem created by Bill Watterson, the warm relationship between Calvin and his stuffed tiger is laid out in a magical story. There is no dialogue, and it's only one , but the loving relationship between the two is enough that even Calvin is willing to wait longer for Christmas morning. It's an example of how much comfort and peace Hobbes brings to the young boy's world.
