I fell in love with Hobbes when I was ten. My father purchased the 10th Anniversary for my birthday. I never could draw parallels with his Adventure of Tintin series — even though I love detectives and mystery and now can ethereally identify with Captain Haddock — but for some reason, I always seemed to connect to these two animated characters, a ‘precocious mischievous adventurous’ boy and his ‘sardonic stuffed’ tiger. I spent hours of my days climbing into the big grandfather chair, propping the heavy-set book on my lap, turning the pages until it was time for bed. Sometimes I read the comics under my blankets late into the night. Calvin’s propensity to think outside the box and take undue risk complemented Hobbes's analytical reasoning and forethought, which spoke to me on a level that no other comic truly could.

I’ve graduated now to xkcd (for its comedic technical commentary) and The New Yorker (for its satirical political angles), but I always seem to come back to Calvin and Hobbes.

Some praise:

‘At some level, all American childhoods are the same, which probably explains our lasting love affair with Calvin and Hobbes.’ — Timothy R. Smith, The Washington Post

‘Calvin and Hobbes: America's Most Profound Comic Strip’ — The Wall Street Journal

‘Bill Watterson's 'Calvin and Hobbes,' easily one of the most beloved comic strips of all time...’ — Bryan Hood, New York Post

‘A student of comics, Watterson drew from an eclectic set of influences...The result was a strip that was vibrant, accessible, and beautiful.’ — Jake Rossen, Mental Floss

Perfect for both adults and children (though adult fans wouldn’t want their children getting their hands on these comics).

I’d like to share some of my favorite strips, weekly, here. Below was the last comic Watterson created, a day before he ended his decade long journey with the two boys.

Let’s go exploring.