# Calvin & Hobbes: Why do you suppose ... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 1, 2002, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calvin-hobbes-why-do-you-suppose/121922 "2002-08-01T21:07:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calvin-hobbes-why-do-you-suppose/121922/21 "2002-08-02T23:48:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*IIRC, Calvin only fantasized about Spaceman Spiff when he was bored in school. Since Hobbes usually didn’t go to school with Calvin, that would explain why he doesn’t appear. \*\* Teeheehee, who didn’t read the entire thread carefully enough? _cough_3rd post_cough_ I had been thinking it might have some sort of deeper meaning, perhaps a literary one. One that might require the hero to be on his own. Watterson always seemed like he was quite intelligent in such matters, or at least he came off as such. But after reading the responses I think it’s because he was a previous character incorporated into Calvin’s world. Calvin didn’t make Spiff, Calvin became Spiff, hence Calvin could make a character for Hobbes there since there was none before. ---
**Author:** ![WSLer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@WSLer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WSLer)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2002, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calvin-hobbes-why-do-you-suppose/121922/22 "2002-08-03T00:22:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*Not all of the original strips are in the books, right? There have to be some that were never published outside of the newspapers… right? \*\* No, as far as I’ve been able to tell all of the newspaper strips have been published in one of the books, there aren’t any “lost/undiscovered” strips out there waiting to be found. ---
**Author:** ![Ersatz\_Shmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ersatz\_Shmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ersatz_Shmoe)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calvin-hobbes-why-do-you-suppose/121922/23 "2002-08-04T03:16:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*And why the hell are there a bunch of Jesus-freaks driving around my area with a sticker of Calvin _praying to a cross on his knees???_ > > Calvin don’t play that crap! Because Bill Watterson never licensed C&H for any merchandise. The Calvin praying stickers, as well as the ones with him peeing on various things (around here it’s usually NASCAR numbers) are all bootlegged. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calvin-hobbes-why-do-you-suppose/121922/24 "2002-08-04T06:52:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \* > \*\*Hobbes also didn’t appear in the Tracer Bullet strips, or (my favorites) the ones where he and Susie were pretending to be grown-ups. (“No, you’re the president of Deluded Fruitcakes Anonymous. Give me a break!” “You need a lobotomy. I’ll get a saw.”) \*\* He doesn’t _appear_ per se, but in at least one strip in each of these fantasy worlds, Hobbes is referred to. In the Tracer Bullet story where a “hysterical dame” (Calvin’s mom) wants to investigate who trashed her house, Calvin says the culprit “happened to be a buddy of mine.” (Actually, it was Calvin and Hobbes playing football in the house, I think.) And in the Sunday “soap-style” strip where Susie pretends to be president and Calvin makes the Deluded Fruitcakes Anonymous comment, Calvin ends up stripping to his underwear and saying, “Me _Wonga-Taa_, king of jungle! Off to play with tiger friend!” (which leads to the last panel, where we see Calvin’s mom on the phone saying, “What do you mean Calvin left his clothes with Susie?” and Calvin outside in his underwear with Hobbes remarking about the weird things Susie comes up with). ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calvin-hobbes-why-do-you-suppose/121922/25 "2002-08-04T08:02:53Z")
I would like to say that when I am Emperor, depictions of Calvin pissing on anything will be outlawed. Usually it’s Calvin pissing on a Ford logo (if on a Chevy) or on a Chevy logo (if on a Ford). :rolleyes: The other day I saw one of Calvin pissing on … nothing. Just pissing. WTF is up with that? ---
**Author:** ![airdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@airdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/airdisc)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calvin-hobbes-why-do-you-suppose/121922/26 "2002-08-04T15:17:16Z")
WSLer, actually, there’s one strip that never made it into the books: [http://www.reemst.com/calvin\_and\_hobbes/comics/bwstrips/extra.htm](http://www.reemst.com/calvin_and_hobbes/comics/bwstrips/extra.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calvin-hobbes-why-do-you-suppose/121922/27 "2002-08-05T01:48:03Z")
Can anyone describe to me WHY that strip was never put into the books? I’ve never ever been able to figure that out. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calvin-hobbes-why-do-you-suppose/121922/28 "2002-08-05T02:19:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ersatz Shmoe \* > \*\*Because Bill Watterson never licensed C&H for any merchandise. The Calvin praying stickers, as well as the ones with him peeing on various things (around here it’s usually NASCAR numbers) are all bootlegged. \*\* So we have the uber-religious people using bootlegged material? The irony is just so delicious. [Homer voice]MMMMMMM…irony…[/Homer voice] ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calvin-hobbes-why-do-you-suppose/121922/29 "2002-08-05T13:40:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \* > \*\*[http://www.ucomics.com/calvinandhobbes/](http://www.ucomics.com/calvinandhobbes/) \*\* Thanks **Arnold Winkelried** the calvin and hobbes emails are great! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calvin-hobbes-why-do-you-suppose/121922.md?page=1)