A Boy and His Tiger

I'm coming to this review from a different perspective than others who have written about The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book. While they seem to have been long devoted fans, I just recently (with this book in fact) realized the greatness of the comic strip. Oh, when Calvin and Hobbes was still a regular in the funnies, I read it, but my real concentration was on For Better or for Worse and Family Circus. I barely noticed when the Calvin and Hobbes strips stopped coming.

Then, maybe a month ago, my boss printed out some selections from the computer. It was of Calvin and his rather morbid 'snow art'. Well, the only thing that stopped me from howling with laughter was that I was in a library. I immediately tried to find more on Calvin, and this book was the result.

For those of you who don't know, Calvin is a six year old boy and Hobbes is a tiger and his best friend. Calvin is a winning combination of deep intelligence combined with childish brattiness. Except for Hobbes, he's a loner. But he has a vivid imagination to stave off lonliness, and his daydreams aren't passive. When Calvin wants another him to do his chores, why he just creates duplicates in his Duplicator (Of course, it all backfires).

Hobbes, how shall I describe him? A much more endearing tiger than Tigger. He can be Calvin's conscience sometimes, but also join in and create his own trouble.

Calvin's mom and dad are also important presences here. These are the most realistic parents in a strip. With a kid like Calvin, you know the parents are going to get frustrated, and Watterson shows it. Calvin sends some pretty good slams their way, and they're as quick at sending their own quips back. Yet, they can be loving and supportive when the need arises.

Add to them the rest of the characters in Calvin's world. His arch enemy, Suzie Derkins, his dreaded babysitter Rosalyn, and others. This helps give a full picture of what made the strip so memorable to so many.

Besides an ample selection of the Calvin and Hobbes strips, this book gives the reader insight into its creator. Even if you haven't been a long time fan, you will gain a new admiration for him. He talks about his problems with the syndicate of his strip, his refusal to license his characters, how the characters emerged over time. Some ideas were discarded, and others evolved.

Watterson brings you into the life of Calvin. Calvin's reality is our reality. He trusts you to suspend your disbelief. So, don't question what state Hobbes exists in or wonder at some of Calvin's elaborate schemes. Just go along for the ride. And what a ride it is.