Calvin and Hobbes is nearing the anniversary of its launch date, November 18th, 1985. It ran for 10 years and captured the hearts and minds of comic readers of all ages. Because the setting was based on Bill Watterson's Ohio home, when it was wintertime in North America, it was wintertime in the comic.
This led to readers eagerly anticipating the changing season and holidays which would lead to certain running gags in the comics. One of the wintertime gags were the elaborate snowmen Calvin would build that would end up being treatises on life and art and excuses for Watterson to draw some creative and hilarious art. The wintertime set Calvin and Hobbes comics are always funny examples of Watterson's wit and excellent artistry.
Nobody Sells Houses On This Block
Bill Watterson has an excellent sense of comic timing in his strips. It's not an easy thing to accomplish when there are a set number of pictures that can be shown to get a joke across. This strip is an excellent example of building a readers' expectations. In the first , Calvin's making a snowman, in the second it's clearly a strange snowman, and in the third, he has somehow pitched himself into the open maw of the creation for some bizarre performance art.
The third ends up being an extra joke by this point as readers are already most likely laughing. Susie, the constantly "over-it neighbor" comments on the fact no one is able to sell their house on the street. Calvin's antics are clearly not one time events and Watterson somehow perfectly captures a bemused expression with only the side of her face.
Snowman Bowling
Many Calvin and Hobbes comics have the joke implied or happening somewhere off-strip, and it's up to the reader to figure out what the joke is. In this strip, Calvin's mother has shouted two things at him, once for him to go outside and then after his art is made, to come back inside.
Watterson does not need to write the mother's dialogue in the comic, Calvin's conversation with Hobbes tells the audience everything they need to know. And the grisly but hilarious visual of a snowman happily using his friend's head as a bowling ball would be the exact type of creation a mother would have some concerns about.
The Triumph Of Perseverance
It's always hilarious when Calvin's ambitions are ended by his own disinterest. Calvin is nearly soliloquizing in this comic, speaking out to more than just Hobbes when he announces his brilliant sculpture will be monumental.
However, one later, he gives up. Calvin has shown time and again that he will spend hours creating the most intricate snowscapes. So the one time he tries to make something to represent that very patience and craftsmanship, he quits because he's bored. Calvin does have a lot of natural talent, but he seems to hate using it when there are expectations set on him, even if they are set by himself.
Egad! Bad Dad!
Calvin and his dad are often at odds in the 80s newspaper comic. Most of Calvin's grievances are spelled out here by his army of unionizing snowmen. Bath time, bedtime, and homework are the major issues Calvin tends to have with his dad's "strict" parenting style.
Each of the snowmen has a slightly different expression which would probably have taken some time to sculpt but was probably worth it for Calvin. And the fact that his Dad brings up his child's strange behavior at work conjures up the hilarious image of Calvin's antics from the strip being told by his dad to increasingly horrified coworkers.
Townsfolk
The patience Bill Watterson has in his drawings not only makes for some fun drawings but also shows how patient Calvin is himself. The little snowmen he makes in this comic must have taken a long time for Calvin and Watterson to make, but the end result is both cute and realistic.
It's unclear where the joke is going with these tiny snow people and Calvin whistling as he walks up a hill hides the hilariously dark turn in the fourth . In the whole comic, the reader is watching a happy scene be set up only to have Calvin imply in a narrator-like voice that the small townsfolk in the way of his sled are about to have a very bad day. Some kids set up fantasy towns to play in, while Calvin sets them up to destroy them.
Well-Adjusted
Even without words, this would be a very funny comic. A cackling snow chicken is just simply a funny visual and Calvin's use of a tree stump and an ax is another example of his ingenuity. Calvin's response to his mom's unheard question is a funny look into their relationship as well.
His mom must have asked something about Calvin being well-adjusted, not the most common phrase to lob at a kid, but she clearly knows Calvin well because not only does he understand her implication, he wants her to explain what's so not well-adjusted about his work of art.
A Sordid Story
In the Calvin and Hobbes' comics where Calvin acts heartwarming, readers know it's only a matter of time before he reveals a weirder side to his behavior. Calvin shows Hobbes a snowman creation that at face value is perfectly innocent, he's just happily enjoying a snow cone.
But in the last , the comic pans to Hobbes' only question about the creation, which is about whether the dead snowman with scoops taken out of his back has anything to do with the first snowman. Calvin confirms they are related pieces, and it's a sordid story at that. The only way for Calvin to create a normal snow sculpture is to also include a ghoulish one to accompany it. Hobbes seems to take this in stride.
Good For Traffic
In Calvin and Hobbes, the way Calvin's parents constantly try to figure out their son's behavior is a source of a lot of comedy. The pair look out their window at their son spending the day making snow sculptures that involve some sort of death and dismemberment.
As someone who often complains about traffic, Calvin's dad can't help but note that at least cars seem to be avoiding their street. Each of the snow sculptures is funny in its own way too. The look of surprise on the snowman shot by a cannon, the snowman with a proud "job-well-done" smile looking upon his work, and the third standing unsmiling, resolutely accepting his fate are all great visual gags.
Grant Money
This comic is a great example of Watterson using snow sculptures to criticize the art world and the artists themselves. Calvin makes avant-garde art in order to criticize lowbrow art lovers but is unable to get any grant money for his work. It's strange he would think he would receive grant money either way, but Hobbes points out why the public should his art if they don't like it.
Calvin counters by saying they aren't supposed to like it, he doesn't create art for the public. Hobbes then points out the problem with the argument wondering how Calvin can both decry the public's opinion but also demand their money. The comedy of their high-concept argument about merit is compounded by the fact Calvin's creation is one of the stupidest-looking creations Watterson has ever designed.
Eggplant Casserole
This comic strip is a feat of joke-making as Bill Watterson has three jokes with no set-up. Calvin has made four snowmen, all in various states of suffering, so the reader does not even need to see Calvin in order to know what his character is thinking.
Then, his father who is surprised in the first quickly figures out the meaning of the snowmen, and asks what Calvin already knows is for dinner. And the way he asks makes it seem like while he isn't as upset as his son, he's also not a fan of eggplant casserole. And finally, Calvin's mom's reaction to her husband's guess implies she is completely unaware of how much her family does not like this particular dish.
