We had a crank phone- had to crank it once to get the operator. We gave her the name of the person we were calling and she connected us. We were on a party line and heard all the rings and could call someone just by cranking their number- 3 longs and a short or what ever their ring was. I was in Jr Hi when the dial system was installed.
The old style phones. Calvin’s Dad in an unspecified office job in the big city. All these things may date the strip- but it doesn’t matter; it still works better than a lot of current strips trying to make the humor ‘about’ new technology. Watterson was simply using the props that were needed, traditional and recognizable.
@Marty241Hard to say. Watterson has said that he was not like Calvin when he was a little boy; he was a good student and hardly got into trouble. Plus, he didn’t have an imaginary friend — tiger or other specie.He has maintained a very close relationship with his parents. He and his father still paint landscapes together in the small town in Ohio that he was raised in.
@rekam: Today’s Calvin and Hobbes is from 1990, and dial phones were becoming quite rare by then. The Ziggy I posted above also has a dial phone (and a phone booth!) but it is from 1975.
Calvin called his dad at work, but he was pretending to be a superhero. His dad said he would see him later and Calvin thought “boy, this superhero stuff is hard!”
Susie Derkins D: over 10 years ago
Calvin your parents aren’t dumb.
BE THIS GUY over 10 years ago
It took Batman awhile, also:“I’m Bru… Batman.”
ORMouseworks over 10 years ago
Gotta figure out a better way to do things, Calvin! ;)
ShortStraw over 10 years ago
and yet superman gets away with it with a simple comb over
Hobbes Premium Member over 10 years ago
Some of the shorter superheroes need to use stools.Notice that Calvin’s phone still has a dial on it.
Hobbes Premium Member over 10 years ago
Click here: Thatababy (July 3, 2013)Click here: Thatababy (July 5, 2013)Click here: Ziggy (March 5, 1975)Click here: The Argyle Sweater (October 22, 2011)
cloudy now over 10 years ago
These days kids have it even harder – your name/number displays when you’re calling.
KSfarmgirl over 10 years ago
We had a crank phone- had to crank it once to get the operator. We gave her the name of the person we were calling and she connected us. We were on a party line and heard all the rings and could call someone just by cranking their number- 3 longs and a short or what ever their ring was. I was in Jr Hi when the dial system was installed.
jrankin1959 over 10 years ago
Why do you think Clark Kent worked for a newspaper?
Thomas Scott Roberts creator over 10 years ago
The old style phones. Calvin’s Dad in an unspecified office job in the big city. All these things may date the strip- but it doesn’t matter; it still works better than a lot of current strips trying to make the humor ‘about’ new technology. Watterson was simply using the props that were needed, traditional and recognizable.
King_Shark over 10 years ago
@ leftwingpatriot: “I’m Bru… Batman.” Or, more simply, “Bruteman.”
Marty241 over 10 years ago
I know this is just a comic strip but do you ever wonder if Calvin is the way he is because his parents are the way they are?
BE THIS GUY over 10 years ago
@Marty241Hard to say. Watterson has said that he was not like Calvin when he was a little boy; he was a good student and hardly got into trouble. Plus, he didn’t have an imaginary friend — tiger or other specie.He has maintained a very close relationship with his parents. He and his father still paint landscapes together in the small town in Ohio that he was raised in.
dflak over 10 years ago
Me (Calling my mother): Hi momMom: Who is this?Me: Mom, you only have one son. How many adult men are going to call you “Mom?”
Hobbes Premium Member over 10 years ago
@rekam: Today’s Calvin and Hobbes is from 1990, and dial phones were becoming quite rare by then. The Ziggy I posted above also has a dial phone (and a phone booth!) but it is from 1975.
InuYugiHakusho over 10 years ago
I think Calvin’s dad is a patent attorney.
CalvinObvious over 10 years ago
Calvin called his dad at work, but he was pretending to be a superhero. His dad said he would see him later and Calvin thought “boy, this superhero stuff is hard!”
Reality,really? over 10 years ago
That’s crap. Nobody in any of my family going back at least 4 generations.