Little did I know that in another part of the world a kid was really growing up with a tiger. I discovered this kid in 1995, ironically, the year that this kid and his tiger made their last public appearance. Calvin & Hobbes bid goodbye to millions of readers around the globe. But our friendship had just begun.
The first Calvin & Hobbes strip was published in 1985; just a year before I was born. Calvin and his imaginary friend, Hobbes had captured the imagination of millions of readers, young and old, around the globe. People waited everyday for the daily paper to continue their journey with Calvin. And then everything came to a standstill in 1995.
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| First Calvin & Hobbes strip, published November 18, 1985 |
But I was not aware of this at the time. At the age of nine, following the demise of my grandfather, I discovered a kid as crazy as my imagination. In Calvin I found the realization of all that I wanted to do in my life but was told that it would be abnormal. So the abnormal me took refuge in daily cartoon strips. For long, my father had tried to inculcate the habit of reading the newspaper. I had finally picked up the paper, but my reason did not match his. I was not interested in the political state of affairs. I was more interested to know the state of affairs in Calvin's home and school. My curiosity lay in finding out more about the progress of G.R.O.S.S (Getting Rid Of Slimy girlS).
Calvin & Hobbes had opened a whole new world for me. They were the voice of reason that could say aloud that the adult world did not make any sense. For years, Calvin & Hobbes have defined friendship and fun, with little doses of though-provoking philosophy. Every time there was need for a little smile, Calvin's smart-ass comments and Hobbes voice of reason were right at hand.
I discovered years later that Bill Watterson, the creator of Calvin & Hobbes, had started the series purely for his wife's entertainment. Although he syndicated the series, he never let go of complete control, in that he dictated the size and print of the series, and never agreed to merchandising. In doing so, Watterson is no different from Calvin who is not willing to let go of his imaginary world and join the world of adults.
I have never been much interested in the world of graphic novels. To me they have always been limited to the daily comic strips in the newspaper. But Calvin & Hobbes is an exception. It is the only graphic novel collection, a gift from my brother, that stands proudly amidst my book collection.
The original series had concluded with the iconic "Let's go exploring." In my life the series never came to an end and the exploration continues.
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| Last Calvin & Hobbes strip, published December 31, 1995 |
