Calvin and Hobbes

I'd like to meet:

Calvin

How can you describe Calvin? For starters he is named after a sixteenth-century theologian named John Calvin who believed in predestination. Most people have speculated that Calvin might be based on a son of Bill’s, or based on detailed memories of his childhood. But the truth is, he doesn’t have any children, and he was a fairly quiet, obedient kid growing up. In fact almost Calvin's opposite. Bill has alwasys said that this was one of the reasons he enjoyed writing Calvin and Hobbes so much because he all to often doesn’t agree with Calvin.

Hobbes was named after a seventeenth-century philosopher with a dim view of human nature. He is a stuffed tiger who appears very much real and alive to his best friend Calvin. This is the so-called "gimmick" of the strip. In which there is the two versions of Hobbes. But, Hobbes is not just a doll that miraculously comes to life when Calvin's around. Nor is he the product of Calvin's imagination. Hobbes is more about the subjective nature of reality than about dolls coming to life. Calvin sees Hobbes one way, and everyone else sees Hobbes another way. These two versions of reality make complete sense to the participant who sees it. Which is just how life works. None of us sees the world exactly the same way, and Bill just found a way to draw that literally in the strip.

This section spotlights Calvin's mom and dad. Calvin's parents have never been given names, because Bill felt as far as the strip was concerned, they are only important as Calvin's mom and dad. In fact we usually only see them when they're reacting to Calvin. So as secondary characters, Bill tried to keep Calvin's parents realistic, with a reasonable sense of humor about having a kid like Calvin.

Calvin's mom has the tough job of being the daily disciplinarian. This is a job that taxes her sanity as she is never given that much time to her self. Bill has tried to hint at other aspects of her personality and her interests by what she's doing when Calvin barges in. These seem to include gardening and reading mostly, but again they are usually spoiled by Calvin throwing a water balloon at her. In the end she is most noted for having to chase Calvin around the house to get him to take a bath and go to bed.

Calvin's dad has been rumored to be a self-portrait of Bill himself. However Calvin's dad is also partly a satire of Bill’s own father. They even share the same profession patent attorney. Any strip about how suffering "builds character" is usually a parody of his dad's explanations for why they were all freezing, exhausted, hungry, and lost on camping trips. His dad is most recognized for his talks with Calvin on "how the world works" and his strange habit of riding his bike everywhere he goes.

Susie is Calvin's neighbor, and she and Calvin also go to the same school. She is very much the earnest, serious, and smart kind of girl. Her last name "Derkins" was also the nickname of Bill’s wife's family's beagle. It has been suspected that Calvin may have a mild crush on her that he expresses by trying to annoy her, but Susie is a bit unnerved and put off by Calvin's weirdness, which then just encourages Calvin to be even weirder. Neither of them really understands what's going on yet, which is probably true of most relationships.

Mrs. Wormwood is Calvin's first grade teacher. She was named after the apprentice devil in C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters. Now, despite her appearance she knows how to lay down the law on Calvin better than anyone else. She also seriously believes in the value of education.

School was always full of idiots like Moe. (They spawn on damp locker room floors) Basically, when you get right down to it Moe is simply the bully of Calvin's school. He is big, dumb, ugly, and cruel. He takes Calvin's money and is always "mauling" Calvin in gym class.

Rosalyn is questionably the only person Calvin really fears. She is Calvin's babysitter, not by Calvin's choice but because she is the only one who dared to baby-sit Calvin more than once. Rosalyn also has a habit of taking advantage of Calvin’s parents, and there desperation to get out of the house by demanding advances and raises.