Summary
Described as “the last great newspaper comic strip”,Calvin and Hobbesdetails the hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt adventures of a six-year-old boy and his best friend, an anthropomorphic tiger.Created by Bill Watterson in 1985,Calvin and Hobbesis beloved by millions of readers around the world, and the reason why is obvious. The mischief these two main characters get up to is iconic, and the real-world issues the comic tackles - primarily those of an average kid - are timelines.
One of the coolest things aboutCalvin and Hobbes, aside from its hilarity and how universally beloved it is, is how long it ran for, and how relevant the comic strip still is to this day. In fact, one year’s worth ofCalvin and Hobbescomic strips turned 30 years oldas of May 2024, which is a huge milestone that’s worth reflecting on. And out of them all, here are10 of the funniestCalvin and Hobbescomics that just turned 30!
Calvin & Hobbes' Very First Comic Reveals the Hilarious Way They Met
Calvin & Hobbes' first comic reveals how they met, and it’s not only hilarious, but it redefines everything fans thought they knew about the series.
10Calvin Goes on a Solo Swing Set Adventure, & May Have to Face the Consequences
Calvin and Hobbes- August 20, 2025
This comic shows Calvin sprinting for the swing set at his school playground during recess, as he sees that no one is using them - or even gathered around them. As Calvin is swinging, he notes that there doesn’t seem to be anyone on the playground at all except for him. A few moments later,it dawns on Calvin that the reason he has the swings all to himself may be because he missed the bell marking the end of recess (again), which means he might be in a heap of trouble the moment he gets off the swings.
It’s not often that a standoutCalvin and Hobbescomic doesn’t include both Calvin and Hobbes, but this is a prime example of how a comic featuring just one of the two main characters is still utterly hilarious.
Calvin and Hobbes- June 25, 2025
This strip is essentially a ‘day in the life of Calvin’, beginning with Calvin’s mom calling him from downstairs to get up from bed and get ready for school, followed by Calvin’s teacher at school giving him a hard time for not knowing the answer to a question on the board. In between classes, Calvin is picked on by the school bully, before going home and being forced to do homework. He’s then scolded by his parents for not eating his vegetables, Calvin’s told he can’t stay up to watch TV, and there’s no time for him to have any playtime that day at all before he has to go to bed and start the whole cycle over again.
Another strip void of Hobbes, and this time,Calvin feels the sting of having no time for any imaginative play whatsoever. Sometimes being a kid means doing what one doesn’t want to do, and Calvin is certainly living that aspect of childhood in this strip, which is something all readers can empathize with.
8Calvin Signs Up for Baseball, & Hobbes Thinks It’s Hilarious
Calvin and Hobbes- August 13, 2025
Calvin is complaining to Hobbes about how he signed himself up for team baseball. Calvin says it’s fun playing baseball with Hobbes because they’re both always the pitcher, batter, and catcher, but on a team, Calvin will be assigned a position and will have to wait his turn to do the ‘fun’ stuff. Hobbes responds by telling Calvin that his favorite part of playing baseball is arguing about the rules they make up, and he follows that comment up by questioning if Calvin even knows the actual rules of baseball - and Calvin’s response indicates that no, he does not.
This comic perfectly illustrates Calvin and Hobbes’ own little pretend world they both live in together, as they claim to love baseball, yet have no idea how to play it, so the thought of Calvin playing on a team stresses him out. But the thing is, the two don’t have to know how to play baseball for it to be fun, asCalvin’s games with Hobbes are exclusively imagination-based, and that’s what makes their relationship so special.
7Calvin Stresses the Importance of Not Growing Up Too Fast & Just Being a Kid
Calvin and Hobbes- June 29, 2025
When Calvin’s dad hears that he has signed up for a team sport, he tells his son that that’s a good way to build character. However, Calvin tells his dad that anytime he builds character, he regrets it. Calvin then asks his dad what’s wrong with just playing by himself, and his dad tells him that, as an adult, he won’t be allowed to do that. At that point, Calvin blurts out that that’s exactly his point, and that he should be doing things that he won’t be allowed to do as an adult right now, when he’s still a kid.
This comic is a borderline tear-jerker reading it as an adult, asCalvin is absolutely right. It’s so important to enjoy being a kid during childhood, especially in the face of a society that tries to make kids act like adults far too soon. While preparing children for adulthood is the point of parenting, it’s equally important to let them enjoy just being a kid, which is all Calvin wants to do in this comic.
6Calvin Pranks Hobbes by Locking Him Out of the House
Calvin and Hobbes- Jul 06, 2025
When Calvin gets home from school, he doesn’t simply run through the front door, but instead sneaks into his house through an open window. He does this so he can hide behind the open front door after announcing that he’s home, prompting Hobbes to leap through the open doorway, leaving Calvin open to slam the door behind him. Calvin’s mom comes home from the grocery store some time later to find the stuffed animal Hobbes sitting outside alone, and she can’t wait to hear why.
Other than an unspoken reason why Calvin is mad at Hobbes to prompt him locking the tiger out of the house for seemingly no reason,this comic strip is just a good old-fashioned prank one friend would pull on another - which is absolutely classicCalvin and Hobbes.
5Calvin is Emotionally Preparing Himself for Hobbes’ Death - at a Wedding
Calvin and Hobbes- August 10, 2025
Calvin sits with his parents in the pews of a church at a wedding, thinking about how bored he is and how he wishes Hobbes was there. Then, Calvin has the horrific realization that they didn’t leave any food out for Hobbes, despite the fact that they’ll be gone for days.Calvin concludes that Hobbes will probably starve to death, and decides that - in light of the assured tragedy - he’ll let his dad walk in the house first.
This comic is a perfect depiction of a kid’s utterly absurd train of thought that has absolutely no basis in reality. In a matter of moments, Calvin has decided that Hobbes - his stuffed animal tiger - will starve to death just because they didn’t leave two days worth of food out for him, and he’s already come to terms with Hobbes’ death. It’s ridiculous, adorable, and absolutely hilarious.
4Calvin’s Love for Hobbes is Absolutely Heartbreaking When He Thinks He’s Lost Him
Calvin and Hobbes- June 08, 2025
After coming home (presumably from the aforementioned wedding), Calvin’s family discovers that their house has been broken into, and that they’ve been robbed. This sendsCalvin into a panic, as he can’t find Hobbes and fears that whoever broke into their house took him. Calvin’s mom tries to calm him by assuring Calvin that robbers wouldn’t want a stuffed tiger, yet Calvin begins to cry, saying that Hobbes is too trusting, and may have been tricked into going with them.
To Calvin, Hobbes is very much alive, and the thought of losing him is the same as fearing the loss of a friend - not just a stuffed animal. At this moment, Calvin is worried sick, and utterly regrets leaving his friend home alone while they were gone for so long, noting that Hobbes is too trusting to be out in this cruel world without Calvin. Seeing Calvin so worried about Hobbes in the face of losing him is absolutely heartbreaking, and truly speaks volumes to how much Calvin loves Hobbes.
3Calvin and Hobbes Start a Secret Society… For Attention
Calvin and Hobbes- June 10, 2025
Calvin excitedly runs up to Hobbes to tell him that he’s decided to create a secret clubthat consists only of the two of them. Calvin says they’ll have a secret clubhouse, a secret handshake, and will come up with secretive things to do. Hobbes is flattered and accepts the offer, but is confused as to why Calvin wanted to start a secret club to begin with. To that, Calvin responds, “people pay more attention to you when they think you’re up to something”.
On the surface, the irony of Calvin and Hobbes forming a secret club for the sole purpose of attracting attention is humorous, but one can’t help but see the sadness in it, too. Calvin has been taught that the only way to get attention, presumably from his parents, is by acting like he’s up to something, which implies that anytime he’s being ‘good’, he’s also ignored. Calvin and Hobbes doesn’t shy away from deep issues relating to childhood, and this strip seems to be one of those moments.
2Calvin and Hobbes Decide on a Name for Their Secret Club, & the Bickering is Priceless
Calvin and Hobbes- May 31, 2025
In a direct followup to the previous comic strip,Calvin and Hobbes are trying to come up with a name for their secret club. Hobbes thinks the name should be “The Hobbes Fan Club”, which sparks outrage in Calvin, who not only doesn’t want to be known as a ‘Hobbes’ fan’, but he also wants the club to have a name that’s ‘more secretive’. Calvin pitches “The Sinister Icy Black Hand of Death Club”, as that falls more in-line with what he thinks their society should be about, but Hobbes maintains that the name he came up with is better.
This comic strip proves how good a friend Hobbes is to Calvin, or - if Hobbes is, indeed, imaginary - how well Calvin can process complex emotions. Going off of the potential real reason Calvin wanted to make this club in the first place, it seems Calvin feels neglected, and he wants to do something to get attention. Rather than acting out (as many children do in this situation), Calvin decides to go in a more creative and imaginative direction, and Hobbes is right there alongside him.
1Calvin Discovers Hobbes wasn’t Taken by the Burglars - a Happy Ending to a Traumatic Incident
Calvin and Hobbes- June 18, 2025
In an earlier comic strip, Calvin was worried sick that Hobbes was taken by the robbers who broke into his family’s house, leaving readers on a bit of a cliffhanger. However, in this strip, it’s revealed that Hobbes is safe and sound. But more than that, according to Hobbes, he’s the one who scared the robbers away, and will continue to keep Calvin safe if anything like that should happen again. Of course, in true Calvin fashion, he’s more excited about telling his classmates that his house got robbed than he is scared of the robbers coming back, but it’s a safe bet to assume thatCalvin is only able to feel that level of comfort with Hobbes there to protect him.
Having one’s house broken into is a traumatic event, something that Calvin’s parents are having trouble dealing with themselves. However, with Hobbes, Calvin is able to feel safe during an otherwise uneasy time. Sure, Calvin’s crack about being excited to tell his friends about the incident is funny given the very serious nature of the situation, but the strip itself is far more heartwarming than humorous, and speaks to how this timeless comic truly captures the world through the eyes of a child, making this one of the 10 best Calvin and Hobbescomics 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.
