Calvin and Hobbes
by Bill Watterson · first published 1987
51% recommend49% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Delightful, endlessly rereadable comic strip that readers return to as adults, praised for its imagination and its creator's refusal to commercialize it. Suits fans of comics and anyone wanting a happy, thoughtful read.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A collection of comic strips following the adventures of Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes.
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Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
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…Satrapi. Among lot of books i've read this was the one that pushed me towards questioning my beliefs. Although i can't say this book made me irreligious it certainly was a gateway to a whole new world. * Calvin and Hobbes. this is one of those things that completely changed my perspective on creativity, oh and not to mention all the things about life and philosophy in there, its in good spirit. * Animal Farm This is…
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life?” ↗Lives of the Great Composers by Harold Schoenberg The merry adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle The Magicians Book #1 by Lev Grossman Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
on “Ask HN: What books do you want to read over again?” ↗I'm not sure how many times I've read this before - at least twice, I think. Much like Calvin and Hobbes, it never gets old. I'm too young to remember Calvin and Hobbes as a new comic. But, my parents had a complete anthology and I must have read the entire thing half a dozen times, cover to cover. I think…
on “Introduction to Calvin and Hobbes: Sunday Pages 1985-1995 (2001)” ↗…Have a Nice Day! by Mick Foley - Pro wrestling is my guilty pleasure and like many fans, Foley's life resonated with me about friendship, giving 110%, all the while keeping a positive outlook on life - Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson - A comic is a book with pictures. Out of all the comics about superheros, webcomics, and old newspaper comics, if I had to only read one of them for the rest of my life it'd be C&H…
on “Ask HN: What book had a big impact on you as a child or teenager?” ↗"Calvin and Hobbes: there is treasure everywhere" This book was amazing.
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗Calvin and Hobbes
on “Ask HN: Most influential books you read growing up” ↗I have severely mixed emotions about Bill Watterson, mostly in a philosophical frame. On the positive side, I am a great fan of his Calvin and Hobbes work over many years, and would quickly state that it had a significant influence on my developing worldview. As I grew both as a person and artist, I took great interest in his pushback against commercialism,…
on “Bill Watterson talks” ↗Now if Bill Watterson comes out of retirement and starts drawing Calvin and Hobbes again that’d make everyday just a little bit better. A fan made Hobbes and Bacon https://imgur.com/gallery/tUzAL usually fan art never measures up to the original but this is that exception to the rule.…
on “New Stuff” ↗Calvin and Hobbes ran from 1985 to 1995. Bill Watterson drew thousands of strips, and while I wish like hell that he would come back and draw more, it's probably best to reflect and be thankful for what he's done. This…
I'm not sure which is more amazing: that Watterson finally gave another interview, or that we're so eager to read it. "Calvin and Hobbes" has been discontinued for one and a half times the length of its run, and still we remember it with so much interest; Watterson was -- is -- a master. (And while we're on a roll, can we also get an…
on “Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin & Hobbes, first interview since 1989” ↗…convince any one artist - present or past - of any creative medium, whether books, movies, TV or whatever else, to produce just a bit more of a certain work, it would definitely be Bill Watterson for Calvin and Hobbes.
on “The Deaths of Legacy Strips” ↗I like The Catcher in the Rye quite a lot and have read it three or four times. I also loved the Calvin and Hobbes cartoons of Bill Watterson. It is interesting to me how both authors chose shy away from fame and to protect their works from commercialization so ardently. I am fascinated by their single minded integrity.…
on “Phonies: J.D. Salinger and Wielding Copyright as Self-Protection” ↗Funny that you mention these two, as Bill Watterson cited both Pogo and Krazy Kat as major influences on Calvin and Hobbes in the Tenth Anniversary Book. BTW, if you are a fan and for some reason have not read the Tenth Anniversary Book, I strongly recommend it. Watterson's commentary throughout is awesome and really highlights…
on “Dear Mr. Watterson” ↗…Atlas Shrugged (Rand), Invisible Man (Ellison), Debunking Economics (Keen), Blood Meridian (McCarthy), The Center Cannot Hold (Saks), This Time Is Different (Reinhart/Rogoff), Infinite Jest (Wallace), Calvin and Hobbes (Watterson) All of these books are well written and have given me some perspective on interesting people/situations/ways of thinking.
on “Ask HN: What books do you wish your manager would read?” ↗I come back to Calvin and Hobbes regularly as an adult and every time I do I'm reminded just how delightful Watterson's work is. Truly a one-of-a-kind comic strip.
on “How too much daydreaming affected me” ↗