# Poll: Is Frazz a rip-off of Calvin and Hobbes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-strips\ **Created:** [September 24, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504 "2011-09-24T22:40:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/41 "2011-09-26T23:56:14Z")
There’s a few months’ worth here > **[Frazz by Jef Mallett for April 11, 2011 | GoComics.com](https://www.gocomics.com/frazz/2011/04/11)** > > Mrs. Olsen says, "Any questions?" Caulfield says, "How come you can't put a Nikon lens on a canon camera but you can put kodachrome in both?" Caulfield says, "Boy, that went over like a picture of a crow in a coal mine." Frazz says, "They don't even... ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/42 "2011-09-27T08:19:35Z")
Frazz is way too out there to be taken seriously. My mother would’ve freaked if she knew I was friends with the janitor. “That’s what you DON’T want to be at such a young age. This is why you’re going to college!” And every present soccer mom would agree these days. Maybe they should make a character like me, the kid who can’t be caught speaking with him. Even though I like the comic, I can’t help but wonder exactly what community would be willing to accept a young janitor as a friend (who dates a TEACHER!!). Fact is, Frazz would be the spot on perfect recipient of practical jokes around the school. Things like, “Ha! Is your dad an alcoholic???” Not, hey, Frazz, play ball with us! ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/43 "2011-09-27T11:33:28Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Heck, did anime rip off Disney? If _Disney_ can’ft find grounds to Sue, that’s a pretty definitive “now”. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/44 "2011-09-27T15:52:39Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Frazz is way too out there to be taken seriously. My mother would’ve freaked if she knew I was friends with the janitor. “That’s what you DON’T want to be at such a young age. This is why you’re going to college!” And every present soccer mom would agree these days. > > Maybe they should make a character like me, the kid who can’t be caught speaking with him. > > Even though I like the comic, I can’t help but wonder exactly what community would be willing to accept a young janitor as a friend (who dates a TEACHER!!). Fact is, Frazz would be the spot on perfect recipient of practical jokes around the school. Things like, “Ha! Is your dad an alcoholic???” Not, hey, Frazz, play ball with us! Have you read the strip at all? As someone mentioned upthread, Frazz is a successful songwriter. It’s implied (maybe even outright stated–pretty sure it is at least once or twice) that he’s a _very_ successful songwriter (like, he’s written #1 hits for top stars). He’s got a pile of money from royalties. This isn’t a secret in the strip–everybody knows it. The only reason he works as a janitor is because he used to go to the school and he wants to give back something to the kids. In past strips they’ve talked about how he donates books to the school library and does other projects to help out. He’s smart, funny, a genuinely nice person, and a friend to the kids and the teachers alike. Why would any parent in ings like, “Ha! Is your dad an alcoholic???” Not, hey% Okay, this is getting annoying. I tried to edit this and somehow it got borked. The sentence above should read “Why would any parent in their right mind not want their kid to associate with him?” ---
**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 27, 2011, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/45 "2011-09-27T17:24:45Z")
Well, that’s not the _only_ reason he works as a janitor. He took the job before he hit it big with the songs; at the time, it was the same sort of utilitarian decision most janitors undoubtedly face. He decided to _keep_ the job because he liked it and wanted to give back to the community and so on. ---
**Author:** ![sploosher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sploosher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sploosher)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/46 "2020-10-14T18:49:32Z")
I created an account to add a comment. I totally agree with you. I don’t get the paper so I only recently saw frazz. Not sure how anyone can disagree with you. It’s a total ripoff of Calvin and Hobbes ART STYLE. Doesn’t matter if the writing and characters are different. If he’s not affiliated with Bill Watterson then it’s a ripoff. It’s almost exactly the same art style. I’m honestly surprised he’s still able to make it. If I made a cartoon with cut out paper style like South Park, egg shaped eyes and everything, I’d get my ass sued off. Every time I see the strip now I get pissed. Shamelessly stealing an art style and continually making money on it does not an homage make. These commenters are delusional. The hair, the hands, the mouths, everything is basically wattersons style. He really should be ashamed. Imagine if someone made a strip with peanuts style. It wouldn’t happen. I guess newspaper comics don’t have the same rules as the rest of the art world because this wouldn’t fly anywhere. But as you said, Bill is a big boy and he has to be aware of it. Just really surprised he doesn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/47 "2020-10-14T19:01:50Z")
Waterson doesn’t care because _Frazz_ in no way rips off his “style” any more than _B.C._ or _The Boondocks_ does. Are the styles similar **in some respects**? Of course. Smart cartoonists will use a minimalist approach to panels so that they can still be read when shrunk down to typical newspaper size. Is _Frazz_ a copy of _Calvin & Hobbes_? No freaking way. The idea is absurd. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/48 "2020-10-14T21:04:35Z")
> [@sploosher](#): > > I guess newspaper comics don’t have the same rules as the rest of the art world because this wouldn’t fly anywhere. This flies pretty much everywhere in the art world. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/49 "2020-10-14T23:57:57Z")
While the character models might be kind of sort of similar, Frazz I don’t believe is known for the kinds of zoinks kinds of panels with a lot of frenetic action that often made C&H so awesome. ---
**Author:** ![sploosher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sploosher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sploosher)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/50 "2020-10-15T16:58:15Z")
I guess there’s no way for me to convince your eyes that frazz looks exactly like watterson’s style. And again, it doesn’t come close to what Calvin and Hobbes is in spirit, I tried to clarify that. And I’m rather certain it doesn’t fly anywhere else in the art world. If you have any examples of this happening without incident I’d like to hear them honestly. And if you think it’s just as different from watterson as BC or Boondocks is then we’re in different dimensions. I can’t find any other two comics that look that similar. It’s not absurd to me, it seems very obvious. The mouth the hair the eyes the hands. Using minimalist style doesn’t lead anyone else to looking like watterson. It’s clear as day to me to the point where I see it as objective, if you can’t see it then I can’t convince you. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/51 "2020-10-15T17:01:37Z")
> [@sploosher](#): > > I guess there’s no way for me to convince your eyes that frazz looks exactly like watterson’s style. You guess correctly, because it doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/52 "2020-10-15T17:03:55Z")
Sometimes unconnected things look alike. The Frazz guy looks a lot like a grown up Calvin. Phil Collins looked a lot like a grown up Charlie Brown but I don’t remember anyone saying he ripped off Charles Schulz. ---
**Author:** ![sploosher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sploosher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sploosher)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/53 "2020-10-15T17:04:26Z")
Thanks for your informed reply. I guess my claims are unfounded. Wonder why there’s a whole wiki section addressing it. > **[Frazz | Comparisons to Calvin and Hobbes](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frazz#Comparisons_to_Calvin_and_Hobbes)** > > Because of similarities in calligraphic style, Frazz's physical appearance, station in life as a brilliant underachiever, and his age relative to Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes, jokes and rumors arose that Mallett was actually Bill Watterson. In a May 2006 series of strips, Frazz and Caulfield invent a game called "Bedlamball" that, like "Calvinball", has no apparent rules or scoring. Mallett was flattered by the comparison and acknowledges Watterson's influence, but denies that he is Wa In a piece ... ---
**Author:** ![sploosher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sploosher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sploosher)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/54 "2020-10-15T17:05:09Z")
lol that’s not an argument. A real human looking like Charlie Brown doesn’t really mean anything. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/55 "2020-10-15T18:02:08Z")
Maybe you should talk to Phil Collins before jumping to that conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/56 "2020-10-15T18:24:25Z")
> [@sploosher](#): > > Wonder why there’s a whole wiki section addressing it. Doesn’t say much. “Frizzy hair and underachiever”? Yawn. Plus it’s made worse because people were trying to make the connection so the artist starts playing it up now and then, wink wink, and people start taking THAT as evidence that it was intentional all along. “Hey, they did a Calvinball thing!” as though he was trying to slip one past the goal there. ---
**Author:** ![sploosher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sploosher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sploosher)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/57 "2020-10-15T18:53:57Z")
Glazed right over the calligraphic style and physical appearance. I just think it’s too similar to be unique. Which is what most comics are. And I’m only talking about the faces. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/58 "2020-10-15T19:44:16Z")
> [@sploosher](#): > > Glazed right over the calligraphic style and physical appearance The writing looks like pretty generic comics font to me. The physical appearance is only noteworthy because of the “frizzy hair”. If Frazz switched hair with some other character, no one would pick up on any similarities. The characters themselves are nothing much alike. “Underachiever” is meaningless – Frazz is only “underachieving” in that people wonder why he’s happy where he’s at. But he values hard work, is happy with his manual labor job and takes pride in it. Doesn’t sound much like Calvin. Frazz enjoys the rapport he has with the kids in the school where Calvin famously had no real friends (or interest in them) except for Hobbes. Frazz has his girlfriend as a friend and partner, Calvin had Susie as a comedic foil. I suppose both enjoy the outdoors but I never saw Calvin growing up to be the mountain biking and cross-country running type. Honestly, the most similar they are is… “frizzy hair”. ---
**Author:** ![sploosher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sploosher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sploosher)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/59 "2020-10-15T22:09:22Z")
Again, I’m only talking about the faces. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504/60 "2020-10-15T23:16:03Z")
My vote is no. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-is-frazz-a-rip-off-of-calvin-and-hobbes/597504.md?page=4)