As a child, I used to clip the comics from the newspaper, and put them in a photo album, creating a book as they ran. When the next book was published, I would toss the old ones from the album as the book replaced them. That way I always had all of what had been published. I looked forward to it daily. Now, I have the big complete collection, and turn to it regularly.
As a child, I read the comic through Calvin's eyes. As a parent, I now see them from his mom and dad's perspectives, and understand and appreciate the levels that Watterson layered into C&H. It's hilarious, philosophical, richly imaginative, filled with still relevant cultural observations and insights into human (and tiger) nature, and often quite bitter sweet. (The break in, the raccoon, the noodle incident.)
It's diffiuclt to overstate the impact Calvin and Hobbes had on me, and continues to. I cannot read that last comic and not tear up. I think of Calvin and Hobbes (and peanut butter on crackers with hot cocoa) every time it snows. Thanks, Bill, for that.
In related news holy shit am I getting old.
One of the greatest pleasures of my time raising my kids so far has been introducing them to C&H. They latched on and lit up.
