# What's the deal with the pissing Calvin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 20, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297 "2003-05-20T03:21:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Resalg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cab0a1/32.png) [@Resalg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Resalg)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/1 "2003-05-20T03:21:56Z")
I admit to being culturally deprived and have no clue as to the significance of the pissing Calvin decorating the back windows of many vehicles. How and why did THAT get started? Is it supposed to be humorous or does it convey some esoteric meaning not intended for the uninitiated? ---
**Author:** ![Eegba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Eegba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eegba)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/2 "2003-05-20T04:38:21Z")
[This](http://www.annoying.com/nightmares/obsessive/02/0001/0001.html) guy provides some history, as well as a large gallery of various peeing Calvins. Basically Calvin was bootlegged onto everything imaginable, and eventually pictures of him peeing on something that the owner didn’t like became popular. Most of the decals I’ve seen don’t have him peeing on anything in particular, so it seems many folks just like the image of a small peeing kid. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/3 "2003-05-20T05:36:24Z")
I want to make a t-shirt of Calvin pissing on the word “Bootlegging.” ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/4 "2003-05-20T05:44:21Z")
How about Calvin pissing on a smaller pissing Calvin? ---
**Author:** ![rico776](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@rico776](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rico776)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/5 "2003-05-20T06:23:59Z")
Are you joking? could you please tell me you’re joking…a kid (in sticker form, STICKER FORM) pissing on the same sticker though smaller or on the word “bootlegging”? move over jerry seinfeld, tangent and troy are too funny for this message board… ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/6 "2003-05-20T07:57:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eegba \* > \*\*it seems many folks just like the image of a small peeing kid. \*\* Apparently so: MANNEKEN-PIS (STATUE OF THE PISSING BOY), City of Brussels Museum [photo](http://www.clubworkout.com/bonvoyage/wow/brussels.htm) Recent pissing boy fountain sculpture was installed near the Engineering Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia [cite](http://funreports.com/2002/06/18/30567.html) Replica of Pissing statue causes controversy in Orlando, FL [cite](http://www.dazereader.com/000499.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/7 "2003-05-20T08:06:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rico776 \* > \*\*Are you joking? could you please tell me you’re joking…a kid (in sticker form, STICKER FORM) pissing on the same sticker though smaller or on the word “bootlegging”? move over jerry seinfeld, tangent and troy are too funny for this message board… \*\* _Do_ clarify that post, please. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/8 "2003-05-20T10:22:12Z")
If they’re bootlegs, how come people who put them on their cars/trucks/whaddevers aren’t being arrested? Just seems so wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/9 "2003-05-20T12:06:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*If they’re bootlegs, how come people who put them on their cars/trucks/whaddevers aren’t being arrested? Just seems so wrong. \*\* Perhaps because, in my jurisdiction at least, breach of copyright is not a criminal offence. It follows that it is not an offence to display articles that breach copyright. If it was, it’d sure put a hold on those trips to Bali. 😉 Alternatively, I’ve been soundly whooshed. :o ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/10 "2003-05-20T12:16:06Z")
It’s not a criminial offense? Then how come it’s called bootlegging? 🙂 I think it’s just that the police - or any authority - can’t just bust someone for having something that violates a copyright; action has to be taken by the copyright holder, right? After all, if I violate copyright of MS Office by distributing it to my friends, I could be severely punished - IF Microsoft wanted to do something about it. Right? ---
**Author:** ![MSU\_1978](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@MSU\_1978](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MSU_1978)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/11 "2003-05-20T13:46:24Z")
Wouldn’t Bill Watterson have to file suit against the counterfeit Calvins to stop them? Maybe he hasn’t because there are just too many to go after, or maybe he just isn’t pissed off enough. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/12 "2003-05-20T14:55:47Z")
Here are a couple of relevant threads… [Pissing Calvin is classy](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=123896&highlight=straightdope%2Bcalvin%2Bpissing). [Calvin Peeing stickers on car windows](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=146084&highlight=straightdope%2Bcalvin%2Bpissing). In the second thread above, **Achernar** posted… > [@](#): > > That could well be, but that’s not the impression that I got reading a foreward to one of the books by Watterson himself. He adamantly fought merchandising by the people who produced his strip and anyone else. I got the impression that this constant battle drained him and led to his getting out of the business. It seemed to me that if he didn’t fight these violations, it was more out of weary resignation than out of acceptance. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/13 "2003-05-20T16:15:18Z")
Bill Watterson tried to stop the bootleggers, but there were too many of them. He eventually gave up. ---
**Author:** ![Ill\_Logik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Ill\_Logik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ill_Logik)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/14 "2003-05-20T18:17:40Z")
There was an article in a Farmington, NM newspaper about the guy who supposedly started this whole phenomenon. He worked in Albuquerque for an auto detailing store or something like that and started producing the stickers at customers request. The article also said he eventually found God and now only makes decals of Calvin kneeling and praying. Sorry I don’t have an exact cite but I’m pretty sure thats the jist of the article. I was wondering how this guy knew he started it all. I remember seeing a Freshjive shirt in Seattle about 7 or 8 years ago with a picture of a kid that looked kind of like Calvin (though not enough to be copyright infringement) pissing the word “FreshJive” on a fence, so I guess the kid peeing thing has been around for quite a while. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/15 "2003-05-20T19:26:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dantheman \* > \*\*It’s not a criminial offense? Then how come it’s called bootlegging? 🙂 > > I think it’s just that the police - or any authority - can’t just bust someone for having something that violates a copyright; action has to be taken by the copyright holder, right? > > After all, if I violate copyright of MS Office by distributing it to my friends, I could be severely punished - IF Microsoft wanted to do something about it. Right? \*\* You violate copyright by making copies of copyrighted material. If you buy one of the copies, that’s not a copyright violation. ---
**Author:** ![typhoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@typhoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typhoon)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/16 "2003-05-20T19:52:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ill Logik \* > **Farmington, NM** \I’m typing this from Farmington, NM. Small world.\ ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/17 "2003-05-20T19:59:13Z")
I’d like one of Calvin peeing on a copyright symbol. Except that would be illegal. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-the-pissing-calvin/176297/18 "2003-05-20T20:04:50Z")
How about a decal of Calvin pissing in a toilet/urinal for once?