Calvin and Hobbes Comics About Calvin’s Parents Rank Among the Strip’s Funniest

In Bill Watterson’s comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, the title duo usually gets the attention. The six-year-old boy and his stuffed tiger starred in funny comic strips, thoughtful ones, heartwarming ones, and some that managed all three at once. They were versatile, magnetic characters, so it makes sense they were the stars. Still, another duo in the strip deserves some love, especially for how funny they are.

Calvin’s Mom and Dad have no names beyond those, and each has a separate dynamic with Calvin. Calvin’s Mom is often exasperated with him, since she does the most direct parenting as a homemaker. That leads to plenty of strips where Calvin drives her nuts. Calvin’s Dad gets driven bonkers too. But he also sometimes tells Calvin ridiculous things just to see whether his son will believe them, and Calvin often does.

The two parents have a comedic dynamic of their own, even if it appears less often. Their relationship, at least what we see of it, mostly revolves around commiserating over Calvin’s rambunctious behavior. They are the only two people on Earth who have to live with this wild, imaginative kid, and most of their humor comes from that. Here are seven Calvin and Hobbes comics that star both parents together and show them at their best as an exhausted comedic duo.

7. Regret

In this strip, Calvin’s Mom asks Calvin’s Dad whether he regrets having a child. Before answering, he asks whether she regrets it. Both are clearly waiting for the other to go first. Finally the dad explodes: “All I know is that I offered to buy us a dachshund, but no, you said…” The exchange is a little sweet, a little funny, and pretty realistic.

6. Calvin vs. Rosalyn

This strip works because it is one big funny image. It has no setup followed by a punchline. The whole thing is punchline, with Calvin giving both parents a hard time about being babysat by Rosalyn. She is another Calvin and Hobbes character who deserves more credit as a funny nemesis for Calvin.

5. Calvin’s impression

Calvin snags his dad’s glasses and does an impression of him, saying, “Calvin, go do something you hate! Being miserable builds character!” That’s funny on its own. The last panel is funnier still, with Calvin’s Mom laughing so hard that she falls out of her chair.

4. A potential day off

In this Sunday strip, Watterson shows how good he was at the slow burn. Calvin’s Dad spends the whole strip wondering whether he should call out of work and enjoy a peaceful day at home. He is nearly ready to call when he sees Calvin running away as if he has done something wrong. Calvin’s Mom follows, shouting, “You get back here and pick every one of those dead bugs out of my shampoo!! I mean now!” The punchline is a silent panel of Calvin’s Dad at work, having obviously decided that’s the more peaceful place to be.

3. Babies

This strip builds on Calvin’s relationship with his dad and brings his mom into the mix. In many strips, Calvin’s Dad makes something up just to amuse himself. Here, Calvin asks where babies come from, and his dad says Sears, the once ubiquitous department store chain. Calvin reacts with horror. Watterson then adds another punchline when Calvin’s Mom shouts from the other room, “Dear, what are you telling Calvin now?!” Calvin’s Dad has clearly done this before, and Calvin’s Mom has been the one cleaning up the mess.

2. Where’s Hobbes?

Calvin’s parents aren’t always at odds, and this one is more tender. It shows them looking for Hobbes after Calvin leaves his tiger outside.

1. A really good question

The best strip featuring both parents is one in which they don’t say a word. In this single-panel weekday strip, Calvin simply asks them, “What assurance do I have that your parenting isn’t screwing me up?” It’s a funny thing for a kid to say. The best part, which serves as the punchline, is the blank expression on both parents’ faces.

Perhaps I’m reading too much into it. To me, their faces show more than surprise that their child would ask such a thing. They also seem confused, as if it’s a really good question and they honestly have no idea what the answer is. It may be just one panel, but any parent reading it knows there’s a lot going on.

Source: Polygon