Though they were never given real names, the parents of Calvin and Hobbes were an important part of the comic’s success. Not just foils for the main character, Calvin’s parents were just as much sources of philosophical musing and comedic foibles as their son.
While Calvin encapsulated childhood with its ups and downs, his parents also represented what it was like to be an adult. In these 10 best comics below, they admit they don’t know what they’re doing, get depressed about their achievements in life, and debate over which lessons they should teach Calvin. They also experience love and joy at having him in their lives, which made the relationship feel so real to the fans of the comic.
10 Calvin the Altruist
June 9, 1992
Calvin proudly declares that he’s been doing a good deed, saving all his snot for hospital transfusions. His mother’s reactions are perfectly drawn here, making two different disgusted faces as she informs him that no one needs that. In a lesser comic, this would have been the punchline, but creator Bill Watterson holds for another beat to hit the real kicker: Calvin confesses he has a jar for his mother to wash.
One of the important parts of Calvin’s personality is that he’s rebellious and rambunctious, but his heart is in the right place. This comic excels at laying that out: he thinks he’s helping the poor kids out there who don’t have enough boogers. In practice, however, he’s made an incredibly disgusting jar that his mother now has to clean up (or maybe just throw away).
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9 Calvin Expresses His Needs
November 15, 1995
Parenting can seem easy on the outside: feed and clothe the kids, teach them right from wrong, keep them alive until adulthood. In reality, it’s full of much more nuance and deal-making, as Calvin smartly navigates his way to getting the last piece of pie. When his mother chides him for being selfish, he asks if it’s better to be dishonest than selfish. She cedes the point, and the pie, to her son.
Kids learn a lot from the people around them, and while Calvin doesn’t excel in school, he quickly mastered debate and wit from both of his parents. Calvin’s mother’s wordless expression shows she somewhat admires his argument, even if she doesn’t love the things he’s picked up. She’d prefer that he’d be neither selfish nor dishonest, but knows to choose her battles.
[Calvin’s mom’s] own mother used to tell her that she hoped she would have a kid who put her through the exact same trouble, suggesting she was as bad as Calvin as a child.
8 A Calvin and Hobbes Christmas Special
December 25, 1992
For many parents, this Christmas morning scene is very familiar: an excited kid wakes everyone up far too early to see what presents they have waiting under the tree. Calvin, an overactive and imaginative kid on the other 364 days, is no different. This strip paints the dichotomy of being dragged out of bed early, but also being content with family and childlike whimsy. Calvin is excited, his dad is grumbling that the sun isn’t even up, and Calvin’s mom, smiling, tells him to take a picture.
Christmas affects Calvin’s family’s life in the comic beyond December 25. He builds an enormous wish list, worries that Santa sees him play pranks on Susie Derkins, and reminds his parents to get Hobbes gifts as well. Once again, the magic of Calvin and Hobbes is how well it reflects real life.
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7 Calvin’s Mom’s Accomplishments
November 8, 1993
One of the reasons Bill Watterson never gave Calvin’s parents names is that he didn’t want to focus on them beyond their roles in Calvin’s life. Thus, we know little about Calvin’s mom other than she’s a homemaker who quit her stressful job when she had Calvin. She’s generally happy with her life – until Calvin knocks her into a midlife crisis with one sentence.
Calvin’s mother went to college (it’s where she met Calvin’s father), and her own mother used to tell her that she hoped she would have a kid who put her through the exact same trouble, suggesting she was as bad as Calvin as a child. She may have had her own Spaceman Spiff she dreamed of being, and didn’t realize what she was missing out on until this day.
This is a reflection of something almost all adults find out – growing up doesn’t give you any answers, and the adults you looked up to were largely flying by the seats of their pants.
6 Calvin’s Contract Negotiations
August 4, 1992
Calvin’s dad is famous for coming up with wild explanations for everyday tech (one appears later in this list), and here he employs a similar strategy to make Calvin go to bed. When Calvin declares he doesn’t have to do what his parents tell him, his dad informs him that there’s nothing to be done: it’s in his contract. Surprisingly, the idea that there’s an official contract regulating his bedtime is enough to get Calvin in his pajamas.
The unshown fallout of this is that eventually Calvin will realize his dad made the contract up, hopefully well before he turns 18 (his dad’s suggested renegotiation time). Given that sometimes Calvin approaches his dad about his father’s “poll numbers,” he’s already taken his strategies to heart by framing internal family issues as formal procedures.
5 Calvin’s Parents Don’t Have It All Figured Out
May 10, 1989
This comic appeared during a storyline about a break-in to the house while Calvin’s family was on vacation. Though no one was hurt, Calvin’s parents find it hard to get to sleep that night, thinking about a stranger being in their home, and what could’ve happened if they had been there during the break-in. They reflect on their childhood belief that adults had everything figured out, and never worried about anything.
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This is a reflection of something almost all adults find out – growing up doesn’t give you any answers, and the adults you looked up to were largely flying by the seats of their pants. Adults have authority over children, and hopefully they wield that power responsibly, but they themselves are making things up as they go.
Bill Watterson’s masterwork remains timeless because the emotions he portrayed feel real.
4 Calvin the Economist
December 15, 1992
Even though he’s only 6 years old, Calvin sometimes monologues like someone far older. In this December comic, he shares his Christmas wish list with his father, while spouting some talking points about how consumer spending is best for stimulating the economy; shopping and gift-giving aren’t just nice traditions, they’re a patriotic American duty. Luckily, Calvin’s dad instantly knows where his son has been picking up all this filthy language.
Calvin and Hobbes, outside of Calvin’s Christmas excitement, was a fairly anti-capitalist series, echoing the opinions of its creator, Bill Watterson. Calvin’s family has a TV, but they rarely watch it, often spending evenings reading together on the couch. It makes sense that even though he’s not a great student, Calvin would be able to understand and parrot back the financial newspaper, The Wall Street Journal.
While bootlegs exist, Watterson never licensed the characters for official Calvin and Hobbes merchandise. He didn’t want the magic of the comic to be spoiled by stuffed animals or an animated series.
3 Calvin’s Dad, The Expert
November 26, 1992
One of the best running gags in Calvin and Hobbes was Calvin’s dad making up elaborate stories to explain things to his son. This comic even has a two-for-one, as Calvin references another one of his dad’s fibs to compare it to his explanation of how ATMs work. The charm of these comics is a joy parents know – the ability to lie to your kids in little, harmless ways, as a treat.
ATMs only gained popularity in the US in the 1970s, meaning Calvin’s parents would remember their introduction. This story may be what Calvin’s dad used to imagine when he saw his own parents using one, or what his own dad jokingly told him. Either way, it’s clear that Calvin gets his wild imagination from his parents, especially when it comes to how the world works.
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2 Calvin Gets Sick
October 10-15, 1988
Calvin has creative ways of waking up his parents, using band instruments, or asking them philosophical questions in the middle of the night. This storyline, however, showed him really needing his parents after catching the flu. Most parents can sympathize with the rejection of a kid who only wants comfort from one of them, or grumbling as a child interrupts their sleep. Calvin’s mom does exactly that here, muttering that Calvin “better be really sick,” before hearing him vomit. The guilt is instantaneous.
Calvin has faked being sick before, another thing most parents have seen in action. When his mom reminds him that it’s Saturday, so he won’t be missing school, Calvin weakly agrees. Her run to the phone portrays her worry without needing words – if Calvin isn’t putting up a fight, he must really be sick.
1 Calvin’s Dad Gets a Snow Day
January 14, 1990
This top Calvin and Hobbes comic about parenting is told without a single word balloon, because it doesn’t need any. Calvin’s excited to play in the snow with his dad, who shoos him away because there are bills to pay and paperwork to do. Calvin’s dad almost instantly regrets his decision, and realizes what matters in the big picture – time spent with family.
This comic even closes with the entire family smiling as Calvin, ready for bed, kisses his dad goodnight. Bill Watterson’s masterwork remains timeless because the emotions he portrayed feel real. A lesser artist would make this exact same idea feel cheesy or manipulative. However, given all the antics that Calvin and Hobbes get up to, he knew it was important to also show real love both for and from Calvin’s parents.