'Calvin and Hobbes' at 40

Enduring impact and multigenerational appeal

• Many readers describe Calvin & Hobbes as a defining part of childhood that still “holds up” for their own kids.
• The boxed “Complete” collection is repeatedly praised; some are rereading it with their children and discovering new layers.
• People note how the strip works on two levels: slapstick and school drama for kids; politics, art, and morality for adults.
• Several credit the strip with expanding their vocabulary and even helping children learn to read.

Tone, philosophy, and character interpretations

• Commenters admire how the strip captures a child’s mind (“cow milk” strip, dinosaur obsession) while smuggling in philosophical commentary.
• There’s debate over Calvin as a role model: some say he encouraged youthful contrarianism; others stress he’s the butt of the joke and a “fool” archetype who lets the strip transmit wisdom (often via Hobbes).
• Discussion around the names Calvin and Hobbes: some insist they’re just playful philosopher references; others try to map deeper meaning, which others dispute.
• The dad character divides opinion: some emulate his deadpan, fanciful explanations; others insist his lying isn’t meant to be aspirational.

Watterson’s integrity, career arc, and ending the strip

• Watterson’s refusal to license or “sell out” is widely revered; he’s seen as a symbol of an era when selling out was considered a sin.
• Several praise his decision to end the strip after 10 years and his insistence on full Sunday formats to preserve artistic quality.
• Others note hints of growing curmudgeonliness and sharper jabs at commercialism towards the end, seeing the ending as perfectly timed.
• One long comment recounts his battles with publishers, sabbaticals, and even potential injury fears; participants acknowledge that some of this is conjectural.

Homages, related works, and cultural references

• Many links to homages and spiritual successors: Hobbes & Bacon, fan stories about Calvin as an adult, Zen Pencils’ Watterson piece, Phoebe and Her Unicorn, Cul de Sac, Wallace the Brave, Frazz, SMBC riffs, Bea Wolf, and xkcd references.
• Opinions on these are mixed: some find them touching or clever; others see them as “too on-the-nose” or emotionally manipulative (e.g., cancer/medication fan strips).

Calvin & Hobbes, childhood media, and behavior

• A long subthread uses Calvin & Hobbes as a springboard into kids’ media more broadly: concern about yelling, hostility, and disrespectful behavior in modern children’s shows.
• Some parents react by limiting screen time or steering kids to gentler fare (PBS Kids, Bluey, Montessori/Waldorf schools); others argue that anger and conflict on screen can help kids process real emotions.
• There’s disagreement over whether problematic characters (e.g., Cartman, other “asshole” sitcom archetypes) function as de facto role models despite creator intent.

Access, exhibitions, and collecting

• Fans lament that it’s getting harder to read the strip freely online due to takedowns; some advocate “just torrent the books” while also buying physical editions.
• Several mention the Stockholm auction of an original strip and a major exhibition in Cooperstown showing original art and process.
• Personal anecdotes include childhood scrapbooked clippings and multiple tattoos of Calvin/Hobbes or Stupendous Man.

International reach and translation

• Experiences vary: some European readers grew up with translated strips in local papers; others only discovered them later through foreign editions.
• Discussion compares C&H’s reach to The Far Side, Garfield, Peanuts, and notes how translation and cultural specificity may have limited or reshaped its overseas presence.