Onerthinking Comics (Calvin and Hobbes)

[richardf8]

One of the things I've always found puzzling about Calvin and Hobbes is the exact nature of Hobbes. At first glance, he seems an A.A. Milne type stuffed animal whose life is led solely in the imagination of a child. In form and action he reminds one of no one so much as Milne's "Tigger," complete with overwhelming greeting habits. This theory of Hobbes is well supported by the "Yukon Expedition" storyline (Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes, 64-70)in which Calvin decides to run away to the Yukon after being told to clean his room. In many ways, this storyline seems a tribute to Milne's "Expotition to the North Pole," but one of the important distinctions between the Milne play-world and the Watterson play-world is that while Christoper Robin is Lord and Master of the the 100-Acre wood, sought by all for wisdom and judgement, Calvin is very often the butt of some joke of Hobbes'. The Yukon expedition, however, appears to make it clear that Hobbes is a stuffed toy whose life is led entirely in Calvin's imagination, because after a tiff with Hobbes, Calvin leaves Hobbes and the Tobboggan outside. Hobbes must be sought for and returned to the house by Calvin's dad.

As if to drive the point home, the first strip after the resolution of the Yukon Expedition shows us Susie with a "Mr. Bun" complaining of Calvin and his inanimate Hobbes never playing with her and Mr. Bun. When Susie is safely away an animate Hobbes describes Mr. Bun as seeming comatose (Authoritative, 71). This leaves the reader to wonder what imaginary life Mr. Bun and Susie might share.

Well this is all well and good, but there is a problem with the simple-stuffed-toy theory, and that is that, on very rare occasions, actions undertaken by Hobbes have real-world consequences that cannot be explained by Calvin having taken those actions on Hobbes' behalf. This is glaringly apparent in the "Houdini" storyline, (Authoritative, 97-98) in which Calvin asks Hobbes to tie him into a chair so he can escape. When Calvin proves unable to, Hobbes renders only perfunctory and minimal assistance, appearing to amuse himself at Calvin's expense. We see Calvin bound in the chair in a manner that would be impossible if he had bound himself, since his arms are completely immobile. Only Calvin's Dad can rescue him at this point, and can only ask how Calvin got himself like that. He has no theory, only wonder. When Calvin explains (truthfully, near as the reader can tell) he is admonished by his father not to lie. His response to this is to lie about Hobbes' motivation, saying that Hobbes was going to hold him for ransom. As soon as Dad is away, an animate Hobbes calls Calvin a "big fibber."

This storyline leaves little doubt that Hobbes can act in the world in ways that leave empirical evidence of his action, even if his action is not accepted as an explanation of that evidence. From this, one is left to believe, perhaps, that Hobbes is a magical creature whose animate form is visible only to the child with whom he has bonded. He seems often to be a moral guide for Calvin, not in the sanctimonious "Jiminy Cricket" style, but rather as a trickster who ensures that Calvin gets to not only to act as he wishes, but to feel the full consequences of those actions.

So, anyone have any other thoughts, or has Watterson ever commented on the matter?

Comments

[kevinjdog.livejournal.com]

Watterson, in "The Tenth Anniversary" book, considered the matter deliberately vague. (So vague, that he thought a real life Hobbes doll would actually settle the question: "I don't want the issue of Hobbes' reality settled by a doll manufacturer.") I quote:

The nature of Hobbes's reality doesn't interest me, and each story goes out of its way to avoid resolving the issue. Calvin sees Hobbes one way, and everyone else sees Hobbes another way. I show two versions of reality, and each makes complete sense to the participant who sees it. I think that's how life works... Hobbes is more about the subjective nature of reality than about dolls coming to life.

It's not a bad way to look at it, though I agree with the Houdini story he really did lob a strange curve at the parents' reality. However, if you stretch the established cartoon parameters a little, you could include Calvin somehow tying himself up. (You could imagine a scene in Gilligan's Island, for instance, where the Skipper gives Gilligan some rope, walks away with the castaways, and finds Gilligan in that predicament.) In a world where TV's are animated things that bounce on the table, it didn't matter HOW Calvin tied himself up if Hobbes isn't real, it was just typical of a wacky misbehaving kid that he DID.

I think Watterson painted Susie as too much of a "grown-up" kid who already has visions of adult ideals dancing in her head. She does "kid" things because it's expected of her, which is why Mr. Bun never became animate. Calvin, on the other hand, would always be an eternal irresponsible kid, and therefore Hobbes would be more important than real reality. If Calvin grew up, I could imagine him sitting in his underwear playing Grand Theft Auto while Hobbes makes mac and cheese with tuna in the kitchen, complaining that Calvin still doesn't have a job. ;)

[moult.livejournal.com]

I never thought it was improbable that Calvin could tie himself up. Knots are after all easier to tie than untie. Only the thoroughness of his restraints needs explaining by Wattersonian exaggeration.

I'd test it empirically by tying myself to a chair now, but I don't have an imaginary friend around to verify that I'm doing it properly.

What always bothered me more, for related reasons, was the strip in which Hobbes assented to Calvin's line 'I suppose it'll all make sense when we grow up'. Before then (and, really, after) I'd supposed Hobbes to be ageless, a kind of independent spiritual entity or morality finding a dependent physical manifestation. For Calvin to imagine him as his age made him too specific. But I mysticise.

[richardf8]

I find myself sometimes comparing Hobbes to the Daemons of Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials."

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

no comment.. but wow.... what a neat read! 8>

[timtylor.livejournal.com]

Similar situation with Adrian Ramos' Count Your Sheep (http://countyoursheep.keenspot.com/), with the big difference that Ship exists for both Katie and her mother Laurie (being somehow handed down from Laurie's own childhood). There was one strange episode in which Ship took a phone call from Katie's grandmother, who freaked out to find an imaginary entity on the other end of the line. Ship acts a bit more adultly when alone with Laurie, making her tea and talking about financial issues etc.

In form and action he reminds one of no one so much as Milne's "Tigger," complete with overwhelming greeting habits.

He wrote that he based that aspect on his own cats. I can believe it - for several years we had an Alistair-colored cat from down the road adopting us and constantly fawning on us. If we bent down to do gardening he'd be up on our shoulders.

[richardf8]

I've gone and turned one of our housecats, Maeve, into a shoulder rider. I've always wanted a shoulder riding cat, and now we've got Maeve to the point where she can do so comfortably.

[deckardcanine.livejournal.com]

I've heard that some cats insist on riding shoulders even when they get awfully big for it. I hope yours is done growing.