I sourced this article from Progressive Boink in a paper I wrote for a Children’s Literature course at my university. The story arc about the little raccoon is definitely high up on my list of favourite Calvin and Hobbes moments because it was so human. I have yet to come across a comic strip that is as artfully poignant as Watterson’s.
The final comic strip is the one that has the most meaning to me, though. It was a perfect way to end the best series ever written.
Compare it to The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne – Christopher Robin informs Winnie-the-Pooh that he will no longer be able to visit the Hundred Acre Wood any longer because he has to go to school and grow up. The author informs us that “a boy and his bear will always be playing” but there is still that hint that there is change coming whether we like it not.
Watterson allowed the magic of childhood to continue forever. Sure, Calvin will grow up one day. He probably won’t be as close to Hobbes as he was as a child (see Toy Story 3), but where we leave the story, Calvin is still a kid. He still has his best friend. “Let’s go exploring!” is one of the single greatest lines ever written. It completely encapsulates the magic of childhood, the sheer joy of friendship, the beauty within the realm of the imagination.
This is one of the topics I intend to explore in my thesis. I owe much of my joy of Children’s Literature to Watterson.