Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for April 20, 2021

Always knew Hobbes couldn’t be trusted.

…..a voice that only a mother could love.

Hobbes must’ve been practicing.

Now that’s the spirit the club needs!

Anarchies don’t really fit a rebel of a group.

when you first read this, did any of you imagine the melody of the GROSS anthem to be that of “The Star-Spangled Banner”?

The King of Calvinball blame Anarchy?

Timing is everything, right?

He must have grown up in Portland, where anarchists rule the streets and destroy business.

Most clubs won’t start singing until they’ve had a few drinks. But G.R.O.S.S has to do it differently.

Oh! The irony!

I wonder how the rest of the GROSS anthem goes

The next thing you know he’ll be taking a knee!

“Anarchy for the GROSS Club. I’s coming sometimes and maybe”

Anarchist with only two teeth!!

A civil war brewing in G.R.O.S.S.?

The best part about being the Monarch for life is making all the rules. The worst thing about it is enforcing all the rules.

How many sang the words?

Careful Calvin, Hobbes is the rebel with the claws.

Point of Order Mr. Chairman! Poor Colonel Robert’s Rules Of Order are getting shredded by that Tiger!

While we stand here waiting,

For the ballgame to start,

Let’s give thanks for our homes,

And our two car garages,

Let’s give thanks for TV,…

Calvin complaining about someone not following the rules. Oh the irony.

When I first read this I never thought I’d see real anarchists.

Tigers have trouble distinguishing misogyny from anarchy.

“Ah, music. . . A magic beyond all we do here!”—APWBD

Yesterday, I commented that I started out thinking Hobbes was only alive in Calvin’s imagination but started to doubt this when I saw that in some strips he does things when Calvin isn’t around. Someone then claimed that the only thing we see Hobbes do when Calvin isn’t around is to lounge around.

Sometimes we see Hobbes preparing to pounce on Calvin before Calvin arrives. Sometimes we see Hobbes standing by himself after Calvin has left and making a comment to us about Calvin. The second Calvin and Hobbes collection “Something Under The Bed Is Drooling” ends with a special drawing of a live Hobbes standing by himself and waving goodbye to us.

In addition to scenes of a live Hobbes without Calvin, I also started to notice that Hobbes sometimes says things which Calvin doesn’t understand including sarcastic remarks which Calvin is either slow to get or misses completely.

My suspicions that Hobbes isn’t part of Calvin’s imaginary world were confirmed for me after about four years when I read that Watterson had been asked whether Hobbes is real and had replied “More real than any kid can make up, I think.”

This quote from Watterson appears in “The Encyclopedia of Cartoon Animals” by Jeff Goldberg.

we had something called robert’s rules of order our club went by…

and THEN we drank!

Let’s see how much controversy this club can withstand.

(foreshadowing)

Hobbes is on his way to Portland now!

I’ve always aspired to be an anarchist, but my OCD gets in the way.

LOL at the drawing of Hobbes singing in the last panel!

I’m still amazed at this kid’s vocabulary.

The anthem starts with “Oh, Gross!”?!? It doesn’t get any better than that!

Cal, just sing it at the end too…

(◔_◔)

lol

Hobbes is leader of anarchists especially when it comes to Calvin’s club; Hobbes loves girls.

I think this is the arc where Suzie goes to them.

This is a G.R.O.S.S. violation of the rules! :D

He could just move to amend the agenda. But that would be less funny.

Splinter religions have gone to war over less.

Gee, they sing the national anthem first at ballgames and pledge allegiance first in school. Why save the club anthem for last? Oh, right: because Calvin likes to buck trends.

The finance secretary turns out to lead the coup. He does have a soft corner for girls, especially Susie.

No, only because I first read it when I was a kid and I didn’t discover how gross the National Anthem is until I became an adult.