I won't forget the day I read the last strip.  For years I had torn into the paper as soon as it got to the house to see what Calvin and Hobbes had going on. After that day I never really looked at the comic section again...

Bloom County is back.  It's now Bloom County 2015.

I may have a son whose middle name is Calvin.

 

I truly miss that strip (and hell, reading the comics in general, since newspaper is dead). The final set of strips were awesome and sad at the same time. I honestly think he went out in the right way, and for the right reasons (as I recall, he has said that it was just a natural time to end the strip). It's hilarious how much he looks like Calvin's dad.

Watch out for Dust Guys.

In His Last Moments--Calvin talks to Hobbes one more time.

Calvin? Calvin, sweetheart?"
In the darkness Calvin heard the sound of Susie, his wife of fifty-three years. Calvin struggled to open his eyes. God, he was so tired and it took so much strength. Slowly, light replaced the darkness, and soon vision followed. At the foot of his bed stood his wife. Calvin wet his dry lips and spoke hoarsely, "Did... did you.... find him?"
"Yes dear," Susie said smiling sadly, "He was in the attic."
Susie reached into her big purse and brought out a soft, old, orange tiger doll. Calvin could not help but laugh. It had been so long. Too long.
"I washed him for you," Susie said, her voice cracking a little as she laid the stuffed tiger next to her husband.
"Thank you, Susie." Calvin said.
A few moments passed as Calvin just laid on his hospital bed, his head turned to the side, staring at the old toy with nostalgia.
"Dear," Calvin said finally. "Would you mind leaving me alone with Hobbes for a while? I would like to catch up with him."
"All right," Susie said. "I'll get something to eat in the cafeteria. I'll be back soon."
Susie kissed her husband on the forehead and turned to leave. With sudden but gentle strength Calvin stopped her. Lovingly he pulled his wife in and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. "I love you," he said.
"And I love you," said Susie.
Susie turned and left. Calvin saw tears streaming from her face as she went out the door.
Calvin then turned to face his oldest and dearest friend. "Hello Hobbes. It's been a long time hasn't it old pal?"
Hobbes was no longer a stuffed doll but the big furry old tiger Calvin had always remembered. "It sure has, Calvin." said Hobbes.
"You... haven't changed a bit." Calvin smiled.
"You've changed a lot." Hobbes said sadly.
Calvin laughed, "Really? I haven't noticed at all."
There was a long pause. The sound of a clock ticking away the seconds rang throughout the sterile hospital room.
"So... you married Susie Derkins." Hobbes said, finally smiling. "I knew you always like her."
"Shut up!" Calvin said, his smile bigger than ever.
"Tell me everything I missed. I'd love to hear what you've been up to!" Hobbes said, excited.
And so Calvin told him everything. He told him about how he and Susie fell in love in high school and had married after graduating from college, about his three kids and four grandkids, how he turned Spaceman Spiff into one of the most popular sci-fi novels of the decade, and so on. After he told Hobbes all this there was another pregnant pause.
"You know... I visited you in the attic a bunch of times." Calvin said.
"I know."
"But I couldn't see you. All I saw was a stuffed animal." Calvin voice was breaking and tears of regret started welling up in his eyes.
"You grew up old buddy." said Hobbes.
Calvin broke down and sobbed, hugging his best friend. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry I broke my promise! I promised I wouldn't grow up and that we'd be together forever!!"
Hobbes stroke the Calvin's hair, or what little was left of it. "But you didn't."
"What do you mean?"
"We were always together... in our dreams."
"We were?"
"We were."
"Hobbes?"
"Yeah, old buddy?"
"I'm so glad I got to see you like this... one last time..."
"Me too, Calvin. Me too."
"Sweetheart?" Susie voice came from outside the door.
"Yes dear?" Calvin replied.
"Can I come in?" Susie asked.
"Just a minute."
Calvin turned to face Hobbes one last time. "Goodbye Hobbes. Thanks... for everything..."
"No, thank you Calvin." Hobbes said.
Calvin turned back to the door and said, "You can come in now."
Susie came in and said, "Look who's come to visit you."
Calvin's children and grandchildren followed Susie into Calvin's room. The youngest grandchild ran past the rest of them and hugged Calvin in a hard, excited hug. "Grandpa!!" screamed the child in delight.
"Francis!" cried Calvin's daughter, "Be gentle with your grandfather."
Calvin's daughter turned to her dad. "I'm sorry, Daddy. Francis never seems to behave these days. He just runs around making a mess and coming up with strange stories."
Calvin laughed and said, "Well now! That sound just like me when I was his age."
Calvin and his family chatted some more until a nurse said, "Sorry, but visiting hours are almost up."
Calvin's beloved family said good bye and promised to visit tomorrow. As they turned to leave Calvin said, "Francis. Come here for a second."
Francis came over to his grandfather's side, "What is it Gramps?"
Calvin reached over to the stuffed tiger on his bedside and  held him out shakily to his grandson, who looked exactly as he did so many years ago. "This is Hobbes. He was my best friend when I was your age. I want you to have him."
"He's just a stuffed tiger." Francis said, eyebrows raised.
Calvin laughed, "Well, let me tell you a secret."
Francis leaned closer to Calvin. Calvin whispered, "If you catch him in a tiger trap using a tuna sandwich as bait he will turn into a real tiger."
Francis gasped in delighted awe. Calvin continued, "Not only that he will be your best friend forever."
"Wow! Thanks grandpa!" Francis said, hugging his grandpa tightly again.
"Francis! We need to go now!" Calvin's daughter called.
"Okay!" Francis shouted back.
"Take good care of him." Calvin said.
"I will." Francis said before running off after the rest of the family.
Calvin laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. The time to go was close. He could feel it in his soul. Calvin tried to remember a quote he read in a book once. It said something about death being the next great adventure or something like that. He eyelids grew heavy and his breathing slowed. As he went deeper into his final sleep he heard Hobbes, as if he was right next to him at his bedside. "I'll take care of him, Calvin..."
Calvin took his first step toward one more adventure and breathed his last with a grin on his face.

There's a documentary on Netflix right now about the role of newspaper comics, "stripped." He actually did an interview for it (albeit over the phone). I highly recommend it.

As well as "thank you mr Watterson" "Dear Mr Watterson"

It's "Dear Mr Watterson".

I didn't know about "Stripped", I'll add it to my list. Thanks.

Printed this out and left it hanging in my old office when I resigned - after having worked at the place for 20 years.

Still having fun exploring. Same line of work, much better opportunities.

The strip was and is very fitting.

FWIW, I remember from reading several of his books of comics that in one of them he was talking about his constant fights with syndication and it destroying his vision.

The man definitely has an artist's soul.   I love C&H, it used to be what I'd look for every weekend.

Calvin reminds me of the wonderful imagination children can have...
I do miss it. But I got all the books for my son and we both enjoy them.
And they are very well used.

my son is 20, he found my old C&H books.

Whoops! Thanks for the correction!

It's been a while since I've seen it and didn't double check via google.

I've always loved Calvin & Hobbes. I want to make a stuffed "Hobbes" for my niece.

Me too.

Watched it, it really open's your eyes as to how the industry worked and how it was changing. Since comic writers have to tell a story in a very short time and they have to connect it to their reading audience, many of the changes were making it extremely hard to do so to the satisfaction of the creator. Some, like Watterson, had enough and said adios.

I read that cartoon faithfully for years..............it was my favorite. Sad to see it gone

as do I

I think you can still pick them up for $65 or so, well worth the price of admission

ETA:  $60 for paperback, $90 for hardcover

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Calvin-Hobbes-BOX-SET/dp/1449433251/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440767772&sr=8-1&keywords=calvin+and+hobbes+complete+collection

Spaceman Spiff

Never understood the appeal.  Different strokes, I suppose.

I read the first two lines, not sure I want to read anymore.


Edit: Dammit.

same. added

 
That gets me everytime I read it.

The loss of this strip was like the loss of a friend.  You still have the memories...but no new experinces with them.

Agreed.

Best cartoon series Ever, thank you Mr Watterson.

I get the same feeling. When the strip ended, it was like a buddy died or I had to put my dog down. But I still get to re-live the whole journey by letting my children read the books. It brings me the joy again like I was reading the strip for the first time when my daughter bust out laughing from her reading nook. She'll come to find me to show me a strip and why it's so funny, even though I've read that worn out book at least 87 times and read it when it ran in the paper.

People have been banned for less.

I remember once, when I was little, my Dad saying that my brother, sister, and I reminded him of C&H because we ran around outside all the time and made up the rules to the game as we went along...

I have kept this one up in every office or cubical I've sat in for years.







I have this one from XKCD up too.







The two of them have kind of become a measure of people. I tend to followup closely with people who tell me they don't understand either one of them.

Kept all my Calvin and Hobbes comics.

As a kid, I always wanted a Hobbes doll (the version where he is "inanimate", not "alive"). Didn't know until later that I could never find one because Watterson never sold the rights.

Long story short, my girlfriend made me a handmade Hobbes doll using pictures from the internet and comics for me for our first Christmas together. Damn near brought a tear to my eye; that something I mentioned to her in passing one day was put together by hand.

This coming Christmas will be our third together. She is a special lady, that's for sure.

I often thought a Clavin and Hobbes movie would be FANTASTIC.

They can make a Garfield movie, have Bill FUCKING Murray's voice for it, but nothing for an actually funny cartoon? Pfft...

Damn dust! Where did you find that? Or did you write it yourself?

A C&H movie would be terrible unless Watterson wrote, directed and animated it and was 100% in charge of production with full creative control.





I don't think it would translate well to the big screen regardless. Some things need to stay as they are.



Now a video game.... that might work





 

Dusty in here for sure.

I may or may not have a C&H tattoo

She did that for you on your first Christmas together and two years later she is still just your girlfriend?

There is a club of dirty inkies around here with C&H tattoos.

Don't need a club, I just do whatever I want

Yeah we just printed and shipped a bunch C&H treasuries last week. 3 book set? I don't know, wasn't on that line at the time, but I hope Waterson got a decent cut.

Don in Ohio

You have a tattoo= ink.
You have ink= dirty.
You have C&H ink= club.

You are auto enrolled. I hear they have Chocolate Covered Sugar Bombs.

Are girls allowed

For a current fix check out "Franklin Richards; Son of a Genius".  

It certainly has Calvin and Hobbes influence.  My kids love it too.  

Its by no means a C&H replacement or even equivalent.  But it will put a smile on your face.

These were always my favorite

frosted.

the sugar bombs are frosted, not covered.



you may bang your head into the floor until forgiven.