From Powells.com
Powell's anniversary list: 1971-2021
Staff Pick
I whiled away many happy hours reading Calvin and Hobbes as a child. The comics are hilarious and delightful, but also something more. In retrospect, they were my first literary introduction to the absurdity of existence and the humor that makes that knowledge tolerable. I know that sounds like a bit much, but hear me out. There’s Calvin’s anguished snowman sculpture entitled, “The Torment of Existence Weighed Against the Horror of Nonbeing,” and Hobbes’s ensuing wisecrack about its lack of marketability. There’s Calvin’s dinner giving an impassioned performance of Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be” soliloquy, and Calvin quickly shoveling it into his mouth to make it stop. There are many sled and wagon rides in which Calvin and Hobbes discuss the passage of time and the fleeting nature of happiness, but always with a punchline to make it okay. No matter your age, Calvin and Hobbes portrays an imaginative world full of wit, wonder, and laughter. Recommended By Leah B., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Beginning with the day Hobbes sprang into Calvin's tuna fish trap, the first two Calvin and Hobbes collections, Calvin and Hobbes and Something Under The Bed Is Drooling, are brought together in this treasury. Including black-and-white dailies and color Sundays, The Essential Calvin and Hobbes also features an original full-color 16-page story.
Perhaps the most brilliant comic strip ever created, Calvin and Hobbes continues to entertain with dazzling cartooning and tremendous humor.
Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes has been a worldwide favorite since its introduction in 1985. The strip follows the richly imaginative adventures of Calvin and his trusty tiger, Hobbes. Whether a poignant look at serious family issues or a round of time-travel (with the aid of a well-labeled cardboard box), Calvin and Hobbes will astound and delight you.
About the Author
Bill Watterson is the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, one of the most popular and well-regarded cartoon strips of the twentieth century. Calvin and Hobbes appeared in newspapers from November 1985 until Watterson's retirement in 1995.