Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for September 12, 2022

Hey Hobbes, no touching there!

It probably would be cool to have a tail. Maybe to bounce and stuff.

No opposable toes or fangs either.

He’s not an Instagram woman.

Tails may BE aesthetic but that’s not ALL they are!

Hey! It’s the next big fad! After long hair, and nose rings, and tattoes, and devil horn implants, and gender flip-flop surgery, a tail is the next big thing on the list! Maybe with unicorn horns after that! How about long ears? Up or down?? Gotta make ourselves different than the last (and obviously out of touch) generation. Be cool, Daddy-O.

Needs clean underwear!!!

Until the next better thing comes along.

Never heard a tail described in that way. Good one.

Sometimes it does, Calvin. A hand whack or two!!

That’s what I’m always going to say when a cute girl compliments me on my butt… which, by the way, will statistically never happen!

One does exist, it’s an inny though.

Technically, Calvin does have a tail, as in tailbone.

But your butt needs all the help it can get Calvin. You keep getting your butt kicked.

A very human Hobbes today rather than the animalistic Hobbes of yesterday’s strip.

Watterson explains in The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book that he sees Hobbes as more animal than human and based him partly on his cat Sprite. He goes on to state in the third paragraph on Hobbes “I do not see Hobbes as a toy who miraculously comes to life when alone with Calvin. Nor do I see Hobbes as a product of Calvin’s imagination.”

As I have explained before, I originally assumed that the living Hobbes was meant to be part of Calvin’s wonderful imagination but I read my first Calvin and Hobbes collection in May 1988 and noticed that some strips show Hobbes as alive when Calvin isn’t with him. After that I kept an eye out for strips that show Hobbes without Calvin. Some strips certainly show the living Hobbes as catlike while others show him more as an enlarged version of the stuffed toy that characters other than Calvin see him as.

Sounds like that guy who’s obese but says he’s a perfect physical specimen.

Aesthetic? Oh, no my friend! A tail will help with your balance, AND give you something to chase.

Hobbes begs to disagree, Calvin!

Ok, Hobbes, that’s a no peeking zone….

Hobbes literally making Calvin the butt of the joke.

Have you heard the tail of Calvin?

But just in case you change your mind:

https://rounderbum.com

I agree Hobbes – I’d like to hang around by my tail IF I had one. Gently swinging in the breeze while I read or meditate or snooze. Kinda like my hammock but much less of a nuisance to set up.

Tails are cool…

“Mrs. Robinson, if you don’t mind my saying so, this conversation is getting a little strange.”

contrary to popular belief, evolution isn’t progressing toward perfection, it’s just adapting to environment

I have to admit. We tailless creatures seem to be somewhat of a rarity among the population of earth. Where did we go wrong?

If Calvin is the pinnacle of creation, then I’m in serious trouble…

No tail, no stripes, no claws, and small teeth.

What about claws? Pretty puny excuse for claws. :)

I have to go with Hobbes on this one…

Hey! Quit looking at my tucus!

It’s for balance when you’re running on all fours. How are you going to take down a zebra without one?

I’ve seen a number of anthropomorphic animals with no tails. It bugs me, but I suppose the cartoonists see it as just a needless, well, detail.

I’ve always wanted a tail, preferably prehensile.

I’ve long thought that tails would be nice, but frankly a tail made of regular skin wouldn’t cut it. Nor a tail covered with stringy chimpanzee-sy hair, either. So maybe it’s for the best. It is curious that all of our closest primate cousins are tailless. Must have been some sort of fad that was going around, eight or ten milliion years ago.

If we had tails we would know if someone was glad to see us because they’d wag.

With tails, we could go back to swinging through trees. Perhaps we’re headed that way anyhow

This reminds me of a comment once made about the Green Bay Packers’ all-time great middle linebacker, Ray Nitschke: “Didn’t have a nickname; didn’t need one.”

LOL… Hobbes checking out Calvin. Too funny.

Have you taken a poll, Calvin?

He is not a Kardashian!

‘Superiority’ is a matter of perspective.

Nobody’s butt needs as(s)thetic enhancement, but the Kardashians do it anyways.

I think it is the cutest drawing, Hobbes looking for Calvin’s tail!!!!!!!!

I like how there are a thousand different ways Hobbes could refute Calvin’s delusional statement and THAT’S the one he picks.

A six year old wirh such confidence. Hail to Calvin! Thanks for keeping us hooked on to this strip.

Some days I think it would be cool to have a prehensile tail, so I can grab on to things. It’d be like have a third hand. But then I think about sitting down anywhere with it and decide it’s not worth it.

Tell that to the Kardashians.

I still lack three fox tails, I wanna be a half-kitsune!