How many Asperger’s kids like me survived elementary school solely because of their C&H collections? I know that’s what I spent every recess doing. I still have a Beanie Buddy tiger named Hobbes that I bought when I was ten.

Although people will sneak peeks at their paper’s funnies section now and then, there are few people I know who actually purchase many comic collections or anthologies, even though I regularly make people laugh by quoting my favorite strips.

Once I found myself in a meal line ahead of Watterson. No conversation took place. Yet I still remember it as a notable moment.

I think you should profile the commenter who declares him “the greatest cartoonist in the world.” I have never met anyone who has read all the cartoonists in the world and is qualified to make the decision.

Seriously, he gave us an awesome body of work, of interest to a broad range of readers.

I still laugh myself silly over C&H. I went to Carleton, a liberal bastion similar to Kenyon, and can just imagine how Watterson’s experiences there would have informed his work. (Can you tell I was an English major too?)

I love C&H and have read them all many times. One of my favorite cartoons was the one where Calvin is on his soapbox about getting paid $1 to rake the leaves, and his dad looks at him and says, “In a minute, you’ll do it for nothing because I said so.” For some reason, that still cracks me up.

And the other one I have been thinking about recently depicts Calvin and Hobbes playing cowboys and indians. Calvin shoots Hobbes numerous times and Hobbes refuses to “die.” Finally Calvin points his finger right into Hobbes’ chest and yells “BANG” and Hobbes replies, “My you’re a terrible shot!” LOVE IT!!!!!