It has been around 37 years of Calvin and Hobbes and though new strips were only made for ten of those, they continue to delight and amuse readers decades after. Some of the fan-favorite comics of the series were the type that began to show up right around November and December.
The Christmas-themed Calvin and Hobbes strips were often Bill Watterson at his most creative and the comics of Calvin trying to devise ways to trick Santa into forgetting how bad he was all year are always great. But Watterson also had a soft spot for the holiday as well because his most heartwarming and touching comics often centered around the Christmas Holiday.
Merry Christmas, Ol Buddy!
While Calvin has a major drive to open presents on Christmas morning, he doesn't forget the most important gift he has, his friend Hobbes. He spends months leading up to Christmas worrying about how much loot he will receive but still takes time before doing so to hug his stuffed tiger.
And of course, once the formalities are done the pair hop out of bed, at 4 am no less, and run downstairs to open gifts but the way Watterson makes sure they share a loving moment with a carefully shaded in the center adds a sense of warmth to the strip.
We May Be On A Later Route
Bill Watterson knows how to perfectly conjure up the feelings many kids had during the night before Christmas. Plenty of people grew up laying awake in their beds listening for every sound to hear if Santa was visiting them.
The comic may end in a funny joke with Calvin's dad holding in a couple of swear words, but that doesn't change the fact that his parents are still quietly putting presents under the tree for their son. And seeing Calvin and Hobbes showing the same expressions many readers also made at young ages adds to the joy.
I Can't Take The Suspense
After so many strips leading up to Christmas that show Calvin trying to do minor good deeds to cover his bad actions, fans are in as much suspense as Calvin is to know if he's going to receive his presents. So it's a fun look Bill Watterson gave 80s newspaper comic readers into the process of St. Nick deliberating if someone is naughty or nice.
Watterson has a way with his colors that very few other comic artists have been able to emulate. With only a few s, the colors let readers know that this place is a colorful, toy-filled workshop and just feels like Christmas. Any kid opening up to this comic would be happy to see how true to life the jolly old elf is depicted.
Ready-Made Snowballs
There is never a clear indication of whether Hobbes is a figment of Calvin's imagination or if he is magical and comes to life whenever adults are around. There has never been a definitive answer made by anyone including Watterson, and it appears that Calvin simply views Hobbes differently than others.
This is one of the few indications that Hobbes can affect the real world because he has created a pile of snowballs for Calvin as a Christmas gift. The pair often pelt each other with snowballs so for Hobbes to give Calvin a gift he would appreciate while at the same time knowing he may need a pile of his own is a true show of friendship and worth a hug.
Three Cans Of Salmon
As much as Calvin's mind is focused on getting gifts on Christmas before the day, the morning of, he often just seems happy to be there. When Hobbes gifts him three cans of salmon, one may expect Calvin to get angry but instead he graciously, and with some confusion, accepts the gifts.
The first thing he thinks of then is how never got Hobbes a gift, but his tiger has a plan for that as well. It's a heartwarming look into Calvin and Hobbes appreciative and playful relationship have that's made especially apparent on Christmas morning.
I'm Changing The Rules!
Reading a unique Calvin and Hobbes strip is in its own way, like receiving a Christmas present. They don't happen every week but when they do, readers could be sure they were reading the best the great Bill Watterson had to offer
This Christmas poem about naughty kids receiving gifts instead of the nice ones is wonderfully cheerful and hilariously catchy. The thought of staying up in bed as a kid and thinking about the times you were naughty is a very relatable experience. And when it's shown in a Calvin and Hobbes comic with a funny poem, excellent art, and unusual style rarely seen on the funny pages, it becomes a cozy memory.
Take A Picture
Even with Calvin's dad slumped over on the sofa thinking about going back to bed, this is a heartwarming comic showing Calvin's family in a brief moment of togetherness. Even his mom, usually exhausted by Calvin's antics knows this will be a memory to cherish.
Hobbes giving Calvin a coupon saving him from any tiger attacks from the day is a happy example of how though the two fight, they remain good friends. It could be a Miracle on 34th Street, the way that Watterson drew this comic in one wide . It perfectly mimics the image of kids at the bottom of a tree opening presents without a care in the world while their parents look on from a distance, but always remain in the same space.
Hope It Fits
Whenever Christmas landed on a Sunday, it was a perfect storm of theme and Bill Watterson's fantastic artistic and storytelling ability. This is a sweet, heartwarming comic punctuated with enough jokes like Calvin's dad getting angry and Hobbes teasing Calvin to make the ending hit that much harder.
Even when Calvin seems unamused by Hobbes' joke he still manages to focus on how the tiger didn't get any gifts, an issue his mother notes as a problem, showing a more loving side of her than we're used to seeing. The dark colors of night change to bright yellows and warm red when Hobbes turns on the Christmas lights and the final of the pair hugging each other in the quiet light of the tree is an image that lingers.
A Tiger Hug
Fans of Calvin and Hobbes almost never saw Calvin sad. Angry, happy, and content, yes but rarely contrite and crying. So when it happens in this Christmas comic, it's a heartwarming and tear-jerking surprise.
The whole relationship between Calvin and Hobbes is summed up in this cartoon. Calvin doesn't do something he should because he forgot, Hobbes forgives him easily, and they both end up happy together as best friends. There doesn't need to be a joke in this strip, just a boy and his tiger glad to have each other on Christmas morning.
My Tiger Is Now Fast Asleep
Bill Watterson wanted something more from the funny pages when he created Calvin and Hobbes, he viewed them as art that could be used to tell any story the artist wanted. They didn't have to be 4- joke machines with interchangeable characters. And Christmas time let him explore that philosophy more than any other.
Watterson believed in the intelligence of his audience, so he created a wonderful poem about Calvin, Hobbes, winter, and Christmas and ended up creating something beautiful. From the art that shows the warm and cozy interior of the house, safe from the white and blue cold outside, to the fire that almost looks animated, to the images he describes in the poem, nothing caps off the comic better than the final line that says Calvin would give up getting closer to his gifts to spend just a little more time with Hobbes.
