# For those who miss Calvin and Hobbes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 18, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906 "2003-08-18T04:46:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/21 "2003-09-22T15:17:18Z")
Frazz is probably my favorite current strip, and Calvin and Hobbes was my favorite strip in its day. And there are some similarities, but more differences. For instance, they both explore intellectual and philosphical ideas, but C&H did it via the ignorance of Calvin, whereas Frazz does it via the learnedness of Caulfield. And the kids in both have active imaginations, but we never see “inside” the fantasies in Frazz. And to anyone who seriously thinks this is Watterson under a pseudonym, I’m sure it’s not. I haven’t yet figured out exactly where Frazz takes place (Michigan?), but it’s certainly not Cleveland. Seeing as Watterson is a Cleveland native and set Calvin in Cleveland, it’s probably safe to say that he would do the same for another strip he drew (write what you know, after all). ---
**Author:** ![Tygr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@Tygr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tygr)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/22 "2003-09-22T15:21:37Z")
Well, I ain’t read them all yet, so I can’t decide definitively.BUT… …the August 24, 2003, strip explains why I frequent the Straight Dope. > [@](#): > > _little girl:_ Are you a genius? > _Frazz:_ Heavens, no…I just hang around people who are a lot swifter than me. And then I try like mad to keep up. ---
**Author:** ![that.sound.again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@that.sound.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/that.sound.again)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/23 "2003-09-22T15:54:18Z")
I just wanted to repeat my former opinion - you can clearly _see_ at first glance that Frazz isn’t drawn by Watterson. Look at the line quality generally, and the perspective in panels one and four of the strip **Achernar** linked to. Sure, some of the poses and facial expressions in Frazz are clearly inspired by C&H, but not nearly as well done (and frankly, that can be said about many comics today). ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/24 "2003-09-23T01:15:12Z")
Technically, **Chronos** , Waterson’s a product of the Cleveland suburbs, and it appears that, while Calvin’s father commutes to Cleveland for his work as a patent attorney, they live out in the suburbs, and, apparently, at almost exactly the point when the Cleveland suburbs end. Having looked at a few sample strips, the artwork is nothing like Waterson’s in several eays (coloring, for instance), and the reference made to Waterson wouldn’t be so obscure in the comic world, where he (and his battles with the syndicate) are legendary. ---
**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:** [September 23, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/25 "2003-09-23T01:39:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by qwanderer \* > \*\*That’s really strange, because the thing that’s been going through my head since C&H ended is that the comic Zits, by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman, is exactly what Calvin and Hobbes would be if he grew up. The pen work is similar but a little more complex; they have a lot of the same kind of humor; they even have the same old tree house in one strip; but the focus on teenagerhood makes it plenty original. Either these guys are huge Watterson fans, or one of them is the real deal. Check it out. > [http://www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/zits/about.htm](http://www.kingfeatures.com/features/comics/zits/about.htm) \*\* Actually, Borgman appears to have influenced Watterson from early on, which could be the reason for the similarity. [Cite.](http://ignatz.brinkster.net/chonk.html) But I’m sure the inspiration has gone in the other direction as well – how could anyone work in comics and not be influenced by Watterson? ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/26 "2003-09-23T01:55:18Z")
I honestly never thought it was Bill Watterson, but rather someone who was heavily influenced by him. However, the fact that there are differences between this strip and _Calvin and Hobbes_ is not a good reason. Who said it would have to be identical? Just because the main characters have different personalities doesn’t mean the strips aren’t very similar. The styles are as close as any two comics (except maybe _Wizard of Id_ / _B.C._), at least to me. Frazz looks like Calvin and carries himself like Hobbes. ---
**Author:** ![teemingONE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@teemingONE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teemingONE)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/27 "2003-09-23T02:12:03Z")
But he’s a janitor. I don’t think Watterson would let his Calvin be a janitor. I always thought he’d grow up to be a teacher or something. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/28 "2003-09-23T03:04:51Z")
He is a teacher. Just because that’s not his career doesn’t mean he doesn’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![teemingONE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@teemingONE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teemingONE)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/29 "2003-09-23T03:49:50Z")
Of course, but I didn’t mean it that way. I meant teacher as the kind that give out homework and such. I also didn’t mean janitor as a bad thing, just as something I couldn’t imagine Calvin growing up to be. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/30 "2003-09-23T04:30:46Z")
I think the closest thing we have to _Calvin & Hobbes_ is _Ozy & Millie_. I like _Frazz_ a lot, but I neve made any connection with C&H. ---
**Author:** ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/31 "2003-09-24T02:10:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Governor Quinn \* > \*\*Technically, **Chronos** , Waterson’s a product of the Cleveland suburbs, and it appears that, while Calvin’s father commutes to Cleveland for his work as a patent attorney, they live out in the suburbs, and, apparently, at almost exactly the point when the Cleveland suburbs end. > \*\* When and where was it revealed that they live in the Cleveland area? I don’t remember it coming up, so I always guessed it was sort of a “Where is Springfield?” type question. ---
**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:** [September 24, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/32 "2003-09-24T03:34:29Z")
According to [this](http://www.chagrin-falls.k12.oh.us/CFHS/newspape/m02_issu/metro/metro19.html), the back cover of _The Essential Calvin and Hobbes_ shows a giant Calvin stomping through Watterson’s hometown of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. The strip where Calvin finds a buckeye and decides to dent Susie’s skull with it is also an Ohio reference, as it’s the Buckeye State. Barring that evidence, we do know that Calvin lives somewhere near the giant E in the word “States.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![raizok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4491bb/32.png) [@raizok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raizok)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/33 "2003-09-24T04:09:03Z")
Glad I downloaded every C&H comic strip and slapped it onto cd for my little sisters to enjoy. It will not die! ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906/34 "2003-09-24T13:05:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skwerl \* > \*\*When and where was it revealed that they live in the Cleveland area? I don’t remember it coming up, so I always guessed it was sort of a “Where is Springfield?” type question. \*\* **Already in Use** gave a couple of examples, but here’s another item: In one strip, they live in the Eastern Time Zone, of which Ohio is a part. In addition, seeing as how Calvin’s dad has the same job Waterson’s father did, and considering that Calvin’s dad resembles Waterson, there’s the added assumption that Waterson would set this close to home. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-who-miss-calvin-and-hobbes/195906.md?page=1)