# Is Hobbes the tiger alive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 23, 2001, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391 "2001-01-23T13:47:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Togepi\_no\_Miko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@Togepi\_no\_Miko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Togepi_no_Miko)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/1 "2001-01-23T13:47:26Z")
i put the subject that way to forestall the smart-aleck who would have written back and said that Hobbes the philosopher is long dead. So, is Hobbes of Calvin and Hobbes alive? Here’s my take: he started life as a stuffed tiger, but became alive due to Calvin’s love for him, a la The Velveteeen Rabbit and some Japanese beliefs. OK, Calvin fans, it’s up to you… ---
**Author:** ![Adolph\_Peewee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47c2d/32.png) [@Adolph\_Peewee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adolph_Peewee)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/2 "2001-01-23T13:57:45Z")
I was under the impression that he’s alive in calvin’s mind only. You know how it is with little kids (s’cuse the pun!) and their vivid imaginations! I’d tend to agree with you though, that because of calvin’s love for him he’s come alive, but only in Calvin’s mind! ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/3 "2001-01-23T13:58:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Togepi no Miko \* > \*\*i put the subject that way to forestall the smart-aleck who would have written back and said that Hobbes the philosopher is long dead. > > So, is Hobbes of Calvin and Hobbes alive? > > Here’s my take: he started life as a stuffed tiger, but became alive due to Calvin’s love for him, a la The Velveteeen Rabbit and some Japanese beliefs. > > OK, Calvin fans, it’s up to you… > \*\* Hobbes is alive and well, but only in Calvin’s imagination. That being said, I did have a problem with the fact that there were situations that couldn’t happen as depicted in the comic if my hypothesis was true. But then I said “What the heck, it’s only a comic strip and it’s damn funny!” 🙂 Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/4 "2001-01-23T14:09:44Z")
“The so-called ‘gimmick’ of the strip - the two versions of Hobbes - is sometimes misunderstood. I don’t think of Hobbes as a doll that miraculously comes to life when Calvin’s around. Neither do I think of Hobbes as the product of Calvin’s imagination. The nature of Hobbes’ reality really doesn’t interest me, and each story goes out of its way to avoid resolving the issue. **Calvin sees Hobbes one way, and everyone else sees Hobbes another way. I show two versions of reality, and each makes complete sense to the participant who sees it. I think that’s how life works.** None of us sees the world in exactly the same way, and I just draw that literally in the strip. Hobbes is more about the subjective nature of reality than about dolls coming to life.” (emphasis added) -Bill Watterson, _The Calvin and Hobbes 10th Anniversary Book_ Straight from the horse’s mouth, folks. How’s that for a cite? ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/5 "2001-01-23T15:10:59Z")
No, no, no! Matt, see, this is Great Debates. We don’t come up with answers in here, we just swing cats around in the air until they hit a dead horse or two. Great, thank you for ruining this debate for the rest of us. I really hope you’re proud of yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/6 "2001-01-23T15:15:24Z")
[Moderator Hat ON] Moving to IMHO. [Moderator Hat OFF] ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/7 "2001-01-23T15:33:00Z")
I thought it was like Fight Club. Calvin has a split personality and his stuffed tiger Hobbes represents the “Tyler” personality. Anything Hobbes does in the strip is actually done by Calvin, but we’re seeing what Calvin sees in his own twisted mind. ---
**Author:** ![zub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a6a055/32.png) [@zub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zub)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/8 "2001-01-23T15:44:16Z")
take the example of light sometimes it is treated as particles (photons) sometimes it is just electromagnetic radiation ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/9 "2001-01-23T15:44:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by c\_goat \* > I thought it was like Fight Club. Calvin has a split personality and his stuffed tiger Hobbes represents the “Tyler” personality. The first rule about Calvin and Hobbes is…YOU DON’T TALK ABOUT CALVIN AND HOBBES. jarbaby ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/10 "2001-01-23T16:01:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by c\_goat \* > \*\*I thought it was like Fight Club. Calvin has a split personality and his stuffed tiger Hobbes represents the “Tyler” personality. Anything Hobbes does in the strip is actually done by Calvin, but we’re seeing what Calvin sees in his own twisted mind. \*\* That’s actually kind of reminding me of Psycho now…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/11 "2001-01-23T20:47:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Enderw24 \* > \*\*We don’t come up with answers in here, we just swing cats around in the air until they hit a dead horse or two. > \*\* And mix our metaphors. I hate to admit the duality idea makes sese. I prefer to think that Calvin and Hobbes are real and everything else is imaginary. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/12 "2001-01-24T00:16:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zub \* > \*\*take the example of light > sometimes it is treated as particles (photons) > sometimes it is just electromagnetic radiation \*\* In which case, as per Schrodinger, Hobbes the cat is both alive and dead. ---
**Author:** ![Zarathustra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/898d66/32.png) [@Zarathustra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zarathustra)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2001, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/13 "2001-01-24T01:29:10Z")
Hobbes represents Calvin’s suppressed sexual nature–notice how Susie Derkins lavishes attention on Hobbes, and how much Hobbes likes it, whereas Calvin is still fixated on G.R.O.S.S. (Get Rid of Slimy Girls). Calvin is the superego, and Hobbes is the dangerous, primal id. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2001, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/14 "2001-01-24T01:34:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zarathustra \* > \*\* Calvin is the superego, and Hobbes is the dangerous, primal id. \*\* Who is the ego? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. -Sigemund Freud ---
**Author:** ![Caliban](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecccb3/32.png) [@Caliban](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caliban)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2001, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/15 "2001-01-24T04:29:53Z")
Weird, I just woke up from a dream about Calvin and Hobbes! I haven’t thought about them in months. I guess now I have a duty to contribute to this thread. Anyway, I agree with Watterson on this matter: I’ve never actually cared if Hobbes is “real” and I’ve never understood why people bother to debate it (although I’d be hard-pressed to turn down any conversation about _the_ greatest comic strip of all time). The strip is largely about the boundless qualities of a six-year-old’s imagination (think Calvin’s various adventures as Spaceman Spiff, Stupendous Man, Tracer Bullet, Etc.). If you want to look at things literally, Hobbes is a stuffed animal, Calvin never actually travelled to Mars in his wagon, and the Duplicator is merely a cardboard box. What fun is that? Simple answer: Hobbes is as real as anything else in the strip. Now I gotta break out my Calvin and Hobbes collection and start refreshing my memory. –Caliban ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2001, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-hobbes-the-tiger-alive/51391/16 "2001-01-24T04:49:28Z")
Ah, but we forget the transmogrifier gun. Not only was Hobbes real until transmogrified into a cartoon, we were cartoons until made real. Is the comic not a microcosom of our own… (Here is where Cecil asks, “Did you have a question, or do you want to make a speech?”)