Summary
Calvin and Hobbesis a beloved comic strip series focused on an honest depiction of life as seen through the eyes of a child, complete with heartfelt moments, social commentary, and hilarious humor.The strip was created by Bill Wattersonin 1985 and ran for ten years before ending in 1995. And within that relatively short period of time, Watterson gave fans some of the best panels in the history of the short-form comic strip medium.
Calvin is just a normal six-year-old boy who primarily hangs out with his imaginary friend (who’s really a stuffed animal tiger), Hobbes. The two go on all sorts of adventures, some based purely within Calvin’s imagination, with others being as simple as a walk through the woods, or a funny prank being pulled on the other. No matter what these two (or sometimes just Calvin) do throughout the series, one thing is always certain: it’s hilarious.
And now, a whole month’s worth ofCalvin and Hobbesstrips just turned 30, which is the perfect excuse to give that portion ofCalvin and Hobbeshistory a re-read, especially because itcontains one of Calvin’s biggest disasters. Here are the10 funniestCalvin and Hobbescomics that just turned 30!
10Calvin Proves (Yet Again) That He’s a Little Dictator in the Making
Calvin and Hobbes- July 20, 2025
Overall, Calvin is a sweet kid with a wild imagination, but every now and then, he does things that indicate he’s a little dictator in the making. During one such occasion, Calvin and Hobbes form a club, and since it was Calvin’s idea, he decides that he’s the president. So, Hobbes says that he’s going to be the ‘king and tyrant’. At which point, Calvin quickly changes his mind, claiming the ‘tyrant’ role for himself while allowing Hobbes to be the president instead.
Calvin has said before that he has thoughts about ridding himself of all his morality and ethics, and he regularly enjoys causing others discomfort and humiliation, makingthis strip just the latest example of how Calvin is a little dictator in the making.
10 Calvin and Hobbes Comics That Prove Calvin Is Kind of… Evil
Calvin and Hobbes is one of the most accurate depictions of life through the eyes of a little kid, at least, if that kid proved to be kind of… evil.
9Calvin Explains How Much He Appreciates Hobbes (Even if He’s Annoying)
Calvin and Hobbes- August 05, 2025
Calvin and Hobbes' friendship is the main reason to read the comic strip, and while evidence of their close bond is usually shown in subtle ways - like when they’re playing or going on adventures together - sometimes the comic goes into the more heartwarming aspect of their relationship. In this strip, Calvin is talking to Hobbes about how much better animals are as friends than people, making it clear that he’s talking about him.
Then, as if on cue, Hobbes asks Calvin to make him a tuna sandwich, to which Calvin replies, “Of course, some animals get on your nerves once in a while”.This exchange is the perfect example of Calvin and Hobbes' friendship as a whole: equal parts unconditional love, and unending annoyance.
8Calvin Pulls Off Superman’s Most Impossible Feat as ‘Stupendous Man’
Calvin and Hobbes- June 01, 2025
Like most kids at the age of six, Calvin has his own superhero alter ego in the same vein as the iconic Superman: Stupendous Man. As Stupendous Man, Calvin has super strength, he can fly, and - most importantly - he doesn’t have to do his homework.Calvin imagines himself as Stupendous Man, reversing the rotation of the Earth to turn back time, which thereby makes the weekend longer by a day, getting him out of doing his homework.
Superman once did this exact same thing to save the life of Lois Lane, and while it’s impressive that Calvin’s superhero alter ego was able to accomplish this absurd and impossible feat himself, his reasons for doing so are decidedly (hilariously) less heroic.
7Calvin and Hobbes Prefer THEIR Version of Baseball (for 1 Hilarious Reason)
Calvin and Hobbes- August 03, 2025
It’s been well established inCalvin and Hobbeslore that the two do not know how to play baseball. And here, readers see exactly what Calvin and Hobbes think the game entails, as well as why they refuse to learn the actual rules. In their version, there are more than twenty-five bases the runner has to cover after getting a hit, giving the other team ample time to get them out.
At the end of the strip, Calvin admits that maybe he’d like to learn how to play baseball the proper way, to which Hobbes replies, “Oh, you want to play the sissy way”. To them,baseball is ‘sissy’ if it’s not either impossibly difficult or done to their own made-up standards, which is a hilarious reason why they refuse to actually learn the game.
6Calvin’s Obsession with Dinosaurs has Never Been Cooler
Calvin and Hobbes- July 09, 2025
Calvin has long-been obsessed with dinosaurs, and the comic series as a whole depicts that brilliantly. EntireCalvin and Hobbescomics are dedicated to dinosaurs, with the titular characters barely making an appearance - and this one is no exception. While eating chicken with his family at a picnic table,Calvin imagines a scenario where a T-Rex kills its prey, and is feasting upon the dino-fleshbefore more T-Rex come to claim its kill.
Calvin imagines himself as that T-Rex defending his dinner, but aside from the context, this comic strip itself is just plain awesome. Detailed drawings of dinosaurs battling to the death litter practically every panel in an epic fashion that readers can’t look away from, proving that Calvin’s obsession with dinosaurs has never been cooler.
10 Funniest Calvin and Hobbes Comics About Dinosaurs
Nothing showed off the creativity of Calvin and Hobbes more than one particular fantasy. See some of the series’ funniest strips involving dinosaurs.
5Calvin Fully Understands the Nature of Children’s Television (& Loves It)
Calvin and Hobbes- July 02, 2025
Imaginative, mischievous, and a loyal friend. Those are all great ways to describe Calvin, though another suitable adjective would be smart, as the kid has oftentimes proven that he’s downright brilliant. In this comic, Calvin shows his intelligence by excitedly running up to the television, turning on his favorite show, and saying, “Pander to me”.Calvin is well aware that shows meant for children his age are geared specifically for them, usually to sell action figures or merely to fill air time between targeted ads, and he doesn’t carein the slightest.
Calvin knows his favorite show is just pandering to his demographic, but that doesn’t detract from how much he enjoys it, and he doesn’t harp on the fact that this show is probably hollow and stupid, just because he’s smart enough to be aware of it.
Calvin and Hobbes- June 16, 2025
When Calvin is sitting by his record player, listening to music, his dad approaches him and tells Calvin how the record player works. He explains in excruciating detail about the needle and ridge placement, and how varying speeds impact how the music is being projected. The comic strip then cuts to Calvin lying in his bed in the dark, utterly broken by the knowledge that he clearly did not understand.
This comic is a perfect example of how too much information can ruin a good thing. Calvin was happy listening to his music, wrapped in blissful ignorance of how the music was actually able to play. But then, his dad explained it, andCalvin no longer heard music when he played his record, but the endless, incomprehensible words spewing from his dad’s mouth.
3Hobbes Never Misses an Opportunity to Get Under Calvin’s Skin
Calvin and Hobbes- June 28, 2025
Calvin and Hobbes are playing a game that’s essentially a ‘reverse race’. The rules are simple: the person who moves the slowest wins. However, Hobbes decides that he’s going to move so slowly, that he’s actually going backwards, all while Calvin moves forward toward his inevitable loss. Calvin frustratedly calls Hobbes a cheater, all while the anthropomorphic tiger laughs at his best friend’s expense.
Hobbes knew full well that what he was doing would upset Calvin, even if he was technically following the rules of the game- and that was the point. Indeed, as previously mentioned, their friendship is based on unconditional love and unending annoyance, and Hobbes never misses an opportunity to get under Calvin’s skin.
2Calvin Proves He’d Be an Absolutely Terrible Superhero (for 1 Reason)
Calvin and Hobbes- July 26, 2025
Calvin has proven the might of his superhero alter ego, Stupendous Man, when he reversed the Earth’s rotation and turned back time, but just because he’s unfathomably powerful doesn’t mean Calvin has what it takes to be a successful superhero. While on the phone with his dad (who is at work),Calvin meant to call him as Stupendous Man, but keeps letting his secret identity slip, even commenting on how hard it is to keep one’s identity a secret as a superhero.
The main part about being a superhero (usually) is the secret identity, as even loved ones are forbidden from knowing that the person they know is actually a superhero. But here, Calvin proves that he is not up to the task, and wouldn’t last a day in the actual Superman’s shoes (despite previously pulling off the Man of Steel’s most impossible feat).
1Calvin and Hobbes Trash Calvin’s Mom’s Car in Their Most Disastrous Running Gag
Calvin and Hobbes- June 4, 6-11, 13-18, 20-25, 1994
The month of June in 1994 contained a wider story arc in theCalvin and Hobbescomics that showed the two titular troublemakers putting Calvin’s mom’s car in neutral, pushing it out of the garage(to make room for their aforementioned club), and then freaking out when the car rolled down the street and into a ditch. Multiple strips were dedicated to Calvin and Hobbes trying to stop the moving car, only to see the accident they caused, and then running away to live in the woods rather than face the punishment they were surely in for.
While hilariously entertaining, this storyline is actually one of the sweetest in the entireCalvin and Hobbescatalog - both because of Calvin and his parents. Calvin is utterly torn up inside about what he did, showing that he really is a good kid. And when it came time to face up for what he’d done, Calvin’s parents were only concerned for his safety, and even neglected to punish him. This story has everything fans love aboutCalvin and Hobbesall wrapped in a single narrative, making it one of the 10 best comics that just turned 30.
Calvin and Hobbes
Calvin and Hobbes was a satirical comic strip series that ran from 1985-1995, written, drawn, and colored by Bill Watterson. The series follows six-year-old Hobbes and his stuffed Tiger, Calvin, that examines their lives through a whimsical lens that tackles everyday comedic issues and real-world issues that people deal with.
