For the Love of Calvin

Every kid has his favorite comic: Garfield, Peanuts, Pogo; but for me, it was the always-hilarious Calvin and Hobbes. That crazy, mischievous, imaginative Calvin had the life I wanted. It was the dream life of every neighborhood kid it seemed. Space adventures, riding wagons off of cliffs, becoming the world’s largest dinosaur, to be the terror of every mother’s nightmare. I even had a teddy bear I named Hobbes that I carried with me everywhere.

Calvin: “I’ve been thinking, Hobbes.”
Hobbes: “On a weekend?”
Calvin: “Well it wasn’t on purpose…”
- The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes, p155

I wanted to be Stupendous Man, and Spaceman Spiff, and I wanted to solve crimes as Tracer Bullet. And I can safely say that at ten years old, my large(ish) vocabulary was almost entirely due to trying to imitate Calvin’s memorable personality. He was the highlight of every Sunday.

People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don’t realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world.
- The Revenge of the Baby-Sat, p100

Dear Mr. Watterson

Since the final strip was published in 1995, the popularity of the Bill Watterson’s beloved comic has not waned. On October 26, 2006, rumors began of a documentary in the making called Dear Mr. Watterson. The following year, the still-strong Calvin and Hobbes community learned that very early pre-production had been started and that filming was now in the works. At the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con, those behind the project came forward to talk more about what they had in mind, and we met the faces behind it: Joel Schroeder, Andrew Waruszewski, Matt Mcusic, and Christopher Browne. Last year, the crew released a teaser trailer with interviews from Seth Green, Berkeley Breathed, and other cartoonists, and the project picked up momentum. On December 15, 2009, Dear Mr. Watterson put out a call for help; they wanted to raise at least $12,000 to cover the cost of production. They hoped to raise it in 90 days.

Twenty-one days later, they had surpassed their goal, thanks to the support of Calvin and Hobbes fans worldwide. As of today, they have well over $13,000 and donations are still coming in.

I can’t tell if that’s funny or really scary.
- The Days are Just Packed, p64

This project just goes to show how large of an impact Bill Watterson’s creation has had on the lives of so many people. The books that contain the most beloved of these comics are still selling strong at every bookstore, and it is rare to find anyone who has not read at least one strip and smiled. It is easy to see even a little of one’s self in Calvin. He is every child – even the best of us.

I’M SIGNIFICANT! … screamed the dust speck.
- There’s Treasure Everywhere, p30

Links to the Project

For more information about the Dear Mr. Watterson project, please visit any of the following links:

• DearMrWatterson.com
• @dearmrwatterson
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Donate to the Project!