Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for July 06, 2024

In other words, Calvin has regretted playing outside.

Outside, the fresh air is good for you…..

Another fun-spoiler at Calvin’s age (when you’re still so little that you don’t know any better way to do things than running all your actions on nothing but momentary emotional blips) is realizing that your parent was right all along.

A far bigger memory will be of an insufferable excuse of a father! BTW, is Mom STILL on the phone?

Lightning bugs.

Nothing spoils fun more than you learned a valuable lesson from it.

Calvin’s dad is kind of a jerk

Adults take the fun out of everything!

As I commented when I recognized this arc on Tuesday, it is quite a good arc but a short one. It seems to reflect on Bill Watterson’s childhood memories and his relationship with his own father. Watterson comments in The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book, “Dad and I still have this kind of relationship but I like to think I’m easier on my Mom now.”

Really, Calvin? You really want your childhood to be all about watching TV?

My older brother was in a horrible car accident years ago. One of the side effects of the accident was that it messed with his memory. Mine was the only birthday he could remember (for reasons too long to put here), even over his kids’ birthdays. Also, he would sometimes remember something he watched on TV as something he actually did…and vice versa. A few days after the accident he called me from the hospital, in tears, apologizing for every mean thing he ever did, and even mentioned a few. I’ll be honest: I didn’t remember even half of them…but I just let him vent & graciously accepted.

Calvin has uncovered a valuable truth.

Cal is learning. Every good thing can be made into a lesson. Even the bad things can teach, if one survives.

Dad, can you keep your big yap shut for once?

I wonder, if I were to build a character, would be anything like Calvin?

Nothing builds character like crashing your bike, but I’ve never seen Calvin ride one

Dad has just forgotten his memories of being a kid…

You didn’t have to ruin it Dad. You could have caught a few fireflies too. That would have created some great memories for both of you.

It sucks when having fun is disguised as building character.

Tomorrow’s another day, Calvin.

If you put me outside near a stream when I was a kid, I’d be there catching frogs, minnows, tad-poles, crawdads…. and do it all over again the next day. The only thing different now is instead of a stream, it’s a lake that fascinates me when a fishing pole is in my hand!

Hmm. Which category does reading GoComics fall into?

Best punchline!

There’s a great difference between reality and rememberance. Calvin is going to be a great dad one day!

Character quotables… I love it! Kind of like, “This will hurt me more than it hurts you.” That character quote puzzled me for years. Turns out, all I needed to get over it was to go outside and play.

TV memories. Dad’s not quite correct, I have fond memories of staying up and watching late night horror movies on weekends in Cleveland. The Ghoul on channel 61 and Hoolihan and Big Chuck on channel 8. Those campy hosts were the best.

I have many happy memories of watching Gilligan’s Island, Beverly Hillbillies and Get Smart. We also played outside a lot during the summer.

Nothing like the real experience of further threatening an endangered insect species. :)

C’s gotta point. If a child has learned a lesson, the parent should not harp on it.

Dad had to ruin a good evening by pointing it out.

His dad is making sense, so Calvin doesn’t like it.

Though I think Dad was right.

Sadly, all experience builds character.

I still remember complaining to my parents about being kept late at an event and missing Welcome Back Kotter. Actually, it was at a Boy Scout event and my mom was very disappointed that I didn’t join the Scouts. I don’t remember much about the TV shows, but I liked my routines.

This one reminds me of a fun “C&H”. Dad can’t find his glasses, and then Calvin waltzes in wearing them saying “Calvin, go do something you hate. Being miserable builds character” … then Mom cracks up and Dad remarks on how sarcastic Calvin is. One of my favorites. : )

Ain’t that just like a dad to say something like that?