Essential Calvin and Hobbes

Regular price €16.99
9-12
A01=Bill Watterson
adventure
Author_Bill Watterson
best friend
cartoon
Category=XY
childhood
classic
collection
comedy
comic strip
comics
coming-of-age
cozy reading
daily comic strip book
eq_bestseller
eq_fiction
eq_graphic-novels-manga
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
existentialism
exploring
family
family-friendly
fantasy
for kids
friendship
funny
gift
gift for
graphic novel
heartwarming
humor
humor book for teens
iconic
imagination
kids
lighthearted read
memories
newspaper
nostalgia
opposites
philosophy
reluctant reader
satire
social commentary
Something Under the Bed is Drooling
teens
thoughtful humor for adults
Tiger
timeless
visual storytelling
whimsical

Product details

  • ISBN 9780836218053
  • Weight: 798g
  • Dimensions: 216 x 279mm
  • Publication Date: 05 Jan 1988
  • Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
  • Publication City/Country: US
  • Product Form: Paperback
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Jump into the earliest adventures of an extraordinary duo— mischievous Calvin and his sardonic tiger Hobbes.  It’s tuna fish traps, time travel, snowman armies, and schoolyard woes—blending sharp wit, wild imagination, and heartfelt moments in every strip.

The Essential Calvin and Hobbes is the perfect introduction to one of the most beloved comic strips of all time. This treasury brings together the first two Calvin and Hobbes collections—Calvin and Hobbes and Something Under the Bed Is Drooling— covering November 18, 1985 to May 23, 1987. The treasury begins with a foreword by Charles M. Schulz, along with a bonus 16-page full-color story exclusive and the illustrated poem, "A Nauseous Nocturne." 

A mix of classic black-and-white daily strips and vividly colored Sunday comics showcases Bill Watterson’s incredible artistic range and sharp, timeless humor. With over 250 pages, this collection captures the essence of childhood imagination, rebellion, and curiosity through the unforgettable duo of Calvin, a wildly inventive six-year-old, and Hobbes, his loyal (and sometimes ferocious) stuffed tiger.

Features include:
  • Includes first two collections: Calvin and Hobbes and Something Under the Bed Is Drooling
  • Bonus 16-page full-color story and illustrated poem
  • Foreword by Charles M. Schulz
  • Mix of black-and-white dailies and full-color Sunday strips
  • Covers strips from Nov 1985 to May 1987

The brilliance of Calvin and Hobbes lies not only in its comedy but also in its depth. Watterson uses everyday moments—battles over bathtime, awkward school photos, epic snowball fights—to explore bigger ideas about friendship, family, creativity, and the wonderful weirdness of growing up. Whether Calvin is zipping through time in a cardboard box-turned-time machine, creating mutant snowmen in the yard, or musing about life’s meaning under the stars, the strip strikes a rare balance between laugh-out-loud funny and unexpectedly profound. Hobbes, with his dry wit and tiger-like instincts, is the perfect foil to Calvin’s chaos, grounding their friendship in warmth and wonder.

A must-have for longtime fans and new readers of all ages, The Essential Calvin and Hobbes is not just a comic collection—it’s a celebration of imagination, wit, and the endurance of a boy and his tiger navigating the world, trying to make sense of it, one outrageous adventure at a time.
Bill Watterson is the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, one of the most popular and well-regarded cartoon strips of the twentieth century. Calvin and Hobbes appeared in newspapers from November 1985 until Watterson's retirement in 1995.