this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2024

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Calvin and Hobbs (July 19, 1993) (i.imgur.com)

submitted 3 months ago by TehBamski@lemmy.world to c/comicstrips@lemmy.world

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[–] pruwybn@discuss.tchncs.de 30 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Damn, this comic was deep sometimes.

[+] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world -19 points 3 months ago (4 children)

And then you had other panels where the whole joke was Calvin being pounced on by Hobbs. A recurring event that as a kid I always compared to Charlie Brown trying to kick the football.

The difference is, Charlie Brown makes no attempt to substitute the ball holder, and continues to get frustrated at an obvious outcome.

Calvin is a child playing by himself, using imagination to create a fantasy world where he's sailing the seas, or exploring the moon, or being hunted by dinosaurs.......and then he pretends his best friend uses his distractions to tackle him at 60mph.

When you think about it, Calvin & Hobbs is really the story of a lonely boy seeping deeper and deeper into mental illness, while he struggles with low self esteme due to lack of a social life.

Meanwhile his parents mostly ignore him. Only being used in panels where Calvin needs discipline. Which is ironic, because the most famous image of Calvin is him peeing.

[–] DaGeek247@fedia.io 34 points 3 months ago (2 children)

When you think about it, Calvin & Hobbs is really the story of a lonely boy seeping deeper and deeper into mental illness, while he struggles with low self esteme

What? No, not even. First of all, Calvin and Hobbes is written specifically to allow for a Toy Story situation; they're only pretending to be not alive when adults are watching.

Second of all, Calvin never had any major mental illnesses (except maybe undiagnosed ADHD), much less "seeping deeper and deeper" into it. The author never intended that, and I damn sure never got that from any of my re-reads either.

Meanwhile his parents mostly ignore him. Only being used in panels where Calvin needs discipline.

Again, not even close. It wasn't even hard to find counter-evidence for this.

the most famous image of Calvin is him peeing

Only in the same way that Shirley Temple is most famous for her childhood acting, despite being a US diplomat later in life. What Calvin and Hobbes is most widely recognizable as has no bearing on what the majority of the comic was about.

[–] JohnDClay@sh.itjust.works 25 points 3 months ago

Plus Cavin peeing has nothing to do with the author and isn't legal since he's never let Calvin and Hobbs be merchandised.

https://youtu.be/fPahl9phavA

[–] Sotuanduso@lemm.ee 16 points 3 months ago

Calvin never had any major mental illnesses (except maybe undiagnosed ADHD), much less “seeping deeper and deeper” into it.

Events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.

[–] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Bill Watterson never approved the Calvin peeing decal. Calvin was filling a water balloon in the OG strip, which was lifted and edited to the decal illegally and without Bill's permission.

Furthermore tell me you never had an imagination as a kid without telling me you never had an imagination as a kid, I guess.

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago

Having an imagination counts as a mental illness now, according to this revisionist.

[–] recklessengagement@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

If this is serious, it's a garbage-tier take.

[–] MonkderDritte@feddit.de -5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Wrong comic for this topic.

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

? How so?

[–] MonkderDritte@feddit.de -5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Because the MC is a little boy and his plush tiger.

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago

And? He touched on deep philosophical points all the time.