Twenty years ago today (November 18, 1985) perhaps the last great comic debuted to little fanfare, yet by the time it finished its ten year run ( December 31, 1995), Calvin and Hobbes had left an indelible imprint upon popular culture.I am in the process of rereading the entire series from start to finish as a personal tribute to Bill Watterson's creative genius and I am finding the humor just as sharp and the subtle commentary just as fresh as it was when I first read it daily in the local paper.
As a college student the imaginary world of Calvin and his pet tiger Hobbes offered a glimpse back into my own childhood and my own dreams. Now as a parent I see that same thing anew in my son's eyes. And I see a bit too much of Calvin's Dad looking back at me in the mirror.
No other comic has approached that same level of whimsy and truth in the years since Calvin and Hobbes sledded away into history. So many comics today are just so much recycled punchline and veiled political agenda, that what was once a Sunday ritual centered around the colored panels has now become a tedious clipping of coupons.
Calvin come back...We need you!
A retrospective slideshow on Calvin and Hobbes influence can be found here.
Another essential resource can be found at the Calvin and Hobbes Jumpstation.
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