The Complete Calvin and Hobbes [Box set] [Hardcover]

There are many strips I really enjoy: For Better or for Worse; Betty; Monty; Bizarro; Speed Bump; Fisher; Mutts; Dilbert; Adam; Ben; Big Nate; 9 Chickweed Lane. All of those are comics that I read daily; some of them are only available to me online because my papers don't carry them.

But if there's one strip that I just adored, it was Calvin and Hobbes.

"Calvin and Hobbes" - named after the 16th century theologian who believed in predestination, and the 17th century philosopher who called human life "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short" - follows the adventures of a boy with an adult's maturity and penchant for finding mischief. - ABC News

A couple of days ago, I received my copy of The Complete Calvin & Hobbes.

If you're a fan of Calvin and Hobbes, it's worth every penny. The books are beautifully bound and printed on nice heavy coated paper; this is the kind of binding and paper you might well expect of those tomes of artworks museums publish - they weigh a ton! This edition is definitely meant for the dedicated fan as a permanent addition to their personal library.

If you're daunted by the price, relax. If you bought every single book, you'd spend more and still not have all the comics. If you have all the books, but this set anyways.

The first volume includes a preface with the history of the strip and commentary by Bill Watterson, the cartoonist. It was educational reading about his battle with the comic syndicate over the licensing of spin off products like t-shirts, coffee mugs, greeting cards, plush toys, etc. Bill said no to all of that, and I admire him for both his reasons for that and more importantly standing by his principles. Any Calvin and Hobbes merchandise you find is bootleg.

My first adventures with Calvin and Hobbes were as a university student. The strip was funny and enjoyable and really appealing to me on many levels. I particularly enjoyed Calvin's snowmen and his irrepressible enthusiasm for adventure. Now, a decade after Bill Watterson put down his pens and ended the strip, I'm rediscovering the joy of his humour. As a parent, some of the strips are even more poignant and meaningful, and yes, funny; some have made me laugh so hard, I had tears in my eyes and difficulty breathing.

It's been like welcoming home an old dear friend that you haven't seen in too long.

This beautifully produced three-volume set is the complete collection of Calvin and Hobbes cartoon strips from the newspapers over the decade that Bill Watterson produced them. I have several paperback editions of these strips, but it invariably happens that a strip I remember is not among the ones I have. For example, for the longest time I searched for the one in which Calvin expresses his difficulty with mathematics, and Hobbes explains that this is nothing - wait until he reaches imaginary numbers (like eleventeen, thirty-twelve, and other such, which tigers of course have a natural instinct for). It might take some thumbing through to find things, but then, who would mind going through this glorious collection?

All of the characters are here - Calvin and Hobbes, and all the long-suffering around them: the teacher Miss Wormwood, Susie, Rosalyn the babysitter, and Calvin's parents (who are not mentioned by name in the strip). There are also the bit players (imaginary or not imaginary) characters such as aliens, the doctor, the principal, Moe, dinosaurs, and more. We re-learn the rules to Calvinball, and re-enter the club G.R.O.S.S. (which is an acronym that stands for Get Rid Of Slimy girlS).

There are three books, each about 500 pages each. It includes a good introduction with autobiographical information about Bill Watterson, who is known to be a reclusive figure, shying away from the limelight and avoiding marketing opportunities that might have made much more money (those images of Calvin on the various trucks and cars, seen in rather mischievous situations, are actually not authorized by Watterson). Watterson recounts part of his struggle to contain the world of Calvin and Hobbes into such a short space. He also discusses the difficulty and irony of dealing with characters that are very much a part of the culture they are at the same time critiquing. The strips are a bit smaller than might wish, but in order to keep all things in one collection (without going to another large volume, and adding to the already 20+ pounds of this one) I think the decision was a good one to go with the size here.

This makes a fabulous gift, for oneself and for friends. Calvin and Hobbes live forever in the world of imagination. Go explore.