The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes)

The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes)

 by Bill Watterson
(based on 336 customer reviews)

The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes) (Hardcover)
Author: Bill Watterson
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing


List Price: $150.00
Amazon's Price: $94.50
You save: $55.50 (37%)

click for more info




Most useful review as voted by customers:
1118 out of 1143 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/4/05


Minor flaws don't take away from this--the ultimate collection.

(I just received this today--The Complete Calvin and Hobbes! 10/4/05)

4.9 Stars

The collection consists of 3 books within one slipcase. Each page notes the date(s) of original publication of the strip(s) on that page. The strips have an appearance of being imposed on the page separately in respect to their original publication dates. This differs from other Calvin and Hobbes collections/treasuries; within those pages you find the strips laid out as a combined whole without distinction between each strip. There are also, of course, the wonderful watercolors by Watterson which appear occasionally, on pages respective of content and chronological order.

Book One starts with a 14-page introduction/forward written autobiographically by Watterson on his view of comics and his relationship with Calvin and Hobbes. Includes photo of Sprite and a few other comics/early works by Watterson, as well as an early version of Calvin and Hobbes. Book One includes all the comics of 1985-1988; Book Two 1988-1992; Book Three 1992-1995.

This is definitely an archival collection and not ideal for constant casual perusing, though the attractiveness makes it hard to resist. The printing, layout, paper, binding are beautiful but any wear and tear would be heart-breaking. This leads me to describe one drawback: these books aren't really hardbound books. They look so, because of their hard covers, but actually they are what's called "cardboard articles", meaning the pages are not stitched to the spine, and instead glued. Albiet, this is common book binding practice, but I'm sure most of us wouldn't have minded paying some more for real hardbound articles for the sake of longevity in preservation. So although this collection is best left for archival purposes, it's unfortunate they are not exactly archival quality.

Despite the books being cardboard articles, the pages are easy to open up without damaging the fabric covered spine due to the generous space and horizontal orientation. However the images of Calvin and Hobbes on the front and back faces of the slipcase are printed on separate squares of paper glued to the surface, rather than integrated, or printed directly on. This is something I realized as I slid the collection onto my bookshelf and found I had to be careful or the sides of those squares might catch and lift a bit.

The total collection weighs about 22.5 lbs, which makes it a bit awkward to handle. This wouldn't be such an issue except the books are snugly fit within the slipcase, meaning they're a bit difficult to extract without having to tilt the case forward a bit. It would be ideal if the slipcase had round cuts on the top and bottom corresponding to each book so one's fingertips could pry out the books with ease.

The bottom line is that for Calvin and Hobbes fans who want to own a nice comprehensive collection, imperfections are there, but not enough to deter. The beauty of the pages and the excitement of owning this make those issues mere minor annoyances. It is also the ideal purchase for those who are new to Calvin and Hobbes. At one concise and reasonable price you get the Complete Calvin and Hobbes. This collection is sure to please. Yes, I admit, I am a bit prejudiced by my absolute adoration for this boy and his tiger.

159 out of 204 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 11/1/05


ORIGINAL DIALOGUE FROM COMIC EDITED 11-25-88

There is something unique about Watterson; all Calvin and Hobbes fans know that. No one should expect an explanation from Bill as to why he completely edited and altered the "biological mother" strip from November 25, 1988, which is reprinted in its original form in "Weirdos from Another Planet". He is like J.D. Salinger and simply won't talk to the media; he has complete control over his edits, which means IT WAS HIS IDEA TO CHANGE IT, and thus, BLAME WATTERSON if you don't like the edit, NOT THE PUBLISHER.

The original goes:
CALVIN: Watch out, Mom. I'm in a bad mood.
MOM: Be in a bad mood somewhere else, OK? I'm busy.
CALVIN: Hmph! I'll bet my BIOLOGICAL MOTHER would've bought me a comic book and made me feel better instead of shunning me like you.
MOM: Kid, anyone but your BIOLOGICAL MOTHER would've left you to the wolves long ago.
CALVIN: Yeah right. REALLY, HOW MUCH DID YOU PAY FOR ME?

Watterson CHANGED IT IN HIS OWN FREE WILL to read;

CALVIN: Watch out, Mom. I'm in a bad mood.
MOM: Be in a bad mood somewhere else, OK? I'm busy.
CALVIN: Hmph! I'll bet A GOOD MOTHER would've bought me a comic book and made me feel better instead of shunning me like you.
MOM: Kid, anyone but your GOOD MOTHER would've left you to the wolves long ago.
CALVIN: Yeah right. LET'S SEE YOUR TRAINING CERTIFICATE.

It changes alot of the meaning of the strip itself; instead of ending in a preguntory, philosophical QUESTION, he changes it to a flat statement with no rhetorical thought at all. maybe he felt it was anti-adoption, and maybe he had a change of view after 15 YEARS. it happens. buy the set, respect watterson for not giving in to big business TEN years ago or selling out to plush toys and stickers, which are ALL illegal and never approved by Bill. He is a genius, and should be able to edit ONE comic in his opus if he felt the need-- he deserves all the credit he receives.

52 out of 60 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/4/05


Watterson deserves the Nobel Prize for literature

Bill Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" was and is a singular achievement in art, blending the distinctive fantastic integrity of George Herriman's "Krazy Kat," and Berke Breathed's "Bloom County," the simple exploration of humanity of George Schulz's enduring "Peanuts," and raising and perfecting the lesser talents of Hank Ketcham's circumscribed worldview of "Dennis the Menace," and Gary Larson's skewed humor in "Far Side." From this constellation of comparisons, Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" is by far the brightest star, a supernova against white dwarfs, for it also adds and reveals an interior narrative that is simultaneously whimsical, and profound and moving like the deepest texts of ancient culture. To say that Watterson has created a visual poetic achievement on the scale of The Odyssey or The Holy Bible is not overstated, for as the appearance of this volume attests, something very significant has been achieved here. And yet, like blowing the seeds of a dandelion, it also is fun.

It has been previously noted, but frankly too little has been said, of Watterson's refusal to license the Calvin and Hobbes characters for mass market merchandising. Such costly integrity is unknown in this day and age, and therefore a text such as this merits more critical attention, for Watterson has therefore said more loudly than he ever otherwise could have that he is saying something with his art that is beyond price. He could not sell it in that way, and as he allows in his few writings outside of the comic strip itself, Calvin and Hobbes is a deeply personal creation. Perhaps most of us will never be able to create something ourselves so deeply personal, and so we must pause and attention must be paid to the artist who has, particularly the artist who has at great cost.

Fandom has explored the philosophical dimensions of "Calvin" versus "Hobbes" in the strip, and this again points to the inexhaustible nature of this classic text, for new dimensions are emerging in online discussions even now. Apart from the artistic integrity of the illustrations, Watterson's narrative is proving to be enduring beyond generations, combining the summit of achievement in two fields. Watterson is, therefore, an American artist simultaneously equal to both Mark Twain and John James Audubon, and from his merits deserves the Nobel Prize for literature. Would that the committee had the vision, this volume would certainly be among the finest ever to be recognized.

As I live in France, I currently am among the few in the world to enjoy "Calvin and Hobbes" daily re-runs in "The International Herald Tribune." This is always a delight, yet Watterson would weep at the compressed space in which his creation appears. This volume, therefore, corrects what many of us suffered under during "Calvin and Hobbes" print run and displays the strips in their proper originally intended size, with the Sunday features fully colored and breathtaking. For that alone this volume deserves five stars, and the additional collected material on Watterson's battle with comic space editors is always a welcome re-read.

Watterson's deceptively simple use of line has influenced a new generation of artists, among notable ones are Aaron McGruder and his current strip "Boondocks" and children's illustrator Jeff (Jef) Kaminsky in his "Poppy and Ella" and other works. For this legacy, Watterson is to be thanked. But for this complete collection and the excellent material assembled here as a permanent library worthy edition, Watterson deserves the highest distinctions both this nation and the world can offer. Let us hope that with the appearance of "The Complete Calvin and Hobbes" this recognition is hastened.

49 out of 55 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/10/05


A must-have for many reasons and an insight into the creator of the strip

Many people here are probably familiar with Calvin and Hobbes, with the often manic Calvin and his comrade in adventure/escapades, Hobbes. Many have probably already bought various compilations of the comic strips and looked through them again and again. So why buy THIS collection?
Mainly because it goes WAY beyond anything else that is already out there - and not just because it contains EVERY single one of the comic strips in one collection, nicely slipcased. Buy it because it comes closest to reflecting what Bill Watterson, creator of these comics, wanted, exceptional color quality, pretty much up to his very perfectionistic standards. Buy it because for the first time you'll see the comic in as close to perfect form as you'll find...and yes, buy it because you'll finally have all of the strips in one set.
How much of a perfectionist was Watterson when it came to having control over his beloved characters? Well, imagine turning down a call from Steven Spielberg because you just aren't interested in collaborating with anyone, genius or not, on a work based on your comic strip. Imagine giving up lucrative contracts for lunch boxes, animated films, stuffed Calvin and Hobbes figures.
Whether you think that turning down all those potentially lucrative opportunities was admirable or crazy, there is no denying that he poured his heart, soul and psyche into his work, not distracted by meetings about the design of a lunch box or the decal that woould appear on clothing.
Nope, he just did his work, day in and day out, until he decided, at an early age (around 37) that he'd done enough and simply....stopped. That was a sad day for me,as I'd grown to love Calvin and Hobbes and their unique world, one in which you never really knew the names of Calvin's parents (anyone know?), one in which his teacher could morph into a monster, one that exemplified the psyche of one little boy so well and which hasn't been equaled since.

36 out of 45 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/6/05


Shame on those who complain about the edit.

The strip in question is from 25 November 1988. The original dialogue goes like this:

CALVIN: Watch out, Mom. I'm in a bad mood.
MOM: Be in a bad mood somewhere else, OK? I'm busy.
CALVIN: Hmph! I'll bet my biological mother would've bought me a comic book and made me feel better instead of shunning me like you.
MOM: Kid, anyone but your biological mother would've left you to the wolves long ago.
CALVIN: Yeah right. Really, how much did you pay for me?

In the Complete C&H, however, the phrase 'my/your biological mother' is changed to 'a good mother,' and Calvin's final bit of dialogue has been altered to: 'Yeah, right. Let's see your training certificate.'

Since Bill Watterson exercises strict control over the strip, clearly the edit was his. Why? I don't know, but I can make a pretty good guess: The original language is insensitive to adoptive families. It implies that biological parents/children have a bond that adoptive parents/children don't.

Why would this matter to Bill? Maybe he's got friends who adopted, or maybe he did. Look at the dedications in the book. The last dedication made by Bill is to his wife and .... who?
Bill is 47 now. He didn't have a kid when the strip was running, even though he was married. Perhaps he and his wife adopted.

Books

(display all categories)

Adjust text size.