"Calvin? Calvin, sweetheart?" In the darkness Calvin heard the sound of Susie, his wife of fifty-three years. Calvin struggled to open his eyes. God, he was so tired and it took so much strength. Slowly, light replaced the darkness, and soon vision followed. At the foot of his bed stood his wife. Calvin wet his dry lips and spoke hoarsely, "Did... did you.... find him?" "Yes dear," Susie said smiling sadly, "He was in the attic." Susie reached into her big purse and brought out a soft, old, orange tiger doll. Calvin could not help but laugh. It had been so long. Too long. "I washed him for you," Susie said, her voice cracking a little as she laid the stuffed tiger next to her husband. "Thank you, Susie." Calvin said. A few moments passed as Calvin just laid on his hospital bed, his head turned to the side, staring at the old toy with nostalgia. "Dear," Calvin siad finally. "Would you mind leaving me alone with Hobbes for a while? I would like to catch up with him." "All right," Susie said. "I'll get something to eat in the cafeteria. I'll be back soon." Susie kissed her huband on the forehead and turned to leave. With sudden but gentle strength Calvin stopped her. Lovingly he pulled his wife in and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips. "I love you," he said. "And I love you," said Susie. Susie turned and left. Calvin saw tears streaming from her face as she went out the door. Calvin then turned to face his oldest and dearest friend. "Hello Hobbes. It's been a long time hasn't it old pal?" Hobbes was no longer a stuffed doll but the big furry old tiger Calvin had always remembered. "It sure has, Calvin." said Hobbes. "You... haven't changed a bit." Calvin smiled. "You've changed a lot." Hobbes said sadly. Calvin laughed, "Really? I haven't noticed at all." There was a long pause. The sound of a clock ticking away the seconds rang throughout the sterile hospital room. "So... you married Susie Derkins." Hobbes said, finally smiling. "I knew you always like her." "Shut up!" Calvin said, his smile bigger than ever. "Tell me everything I missed. I'd love to hear what you've been up to!" Hobbes said, excited. And so Calvin told him everything. He told him about how he and Susie fell in love in high school and had married after graduating from college, about his three kids and four grandkids, how he turned Spaceman Spiff into one of the most popular sci-fi novels of the decade, and so on. After he told Hobbes all this there was another pregnant pause. "You know... I visited you in the attic a bunch of times." Calvin said. "I know." "But I couldn't see you. All I saw was a stuffed animal." Calvin voice was breaking and tears of regret started welling up in his eyes. "You grew up old buddy." said Hobbes. Calvin broke down and sobbed hugging his best friend. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry I broke my promise! I promised I wouldn't grow up and that we'd be together forever!!" Hobbes stroke the Calvin's hair, or what little was left of it. "But you didn't." "What do you mean?" "We were always together... in our dreams." "We were?" "We were." "Hobbes?" "Yeah, old buddy?" "I'm so glad I got to see you like this... one last time..." "Me too, Calvin. Me too." "Sweetheart?" Susie voice came from outside the door. "Yes dear?" Calvin replied. "Can I come in?" Susie asked. "Just a minute." Calvin turned to face Hobbes one last time. "Goodbye Hobbes. Thanks... for everything..." "No, thank you Calvin." Hobbes said. Calvin turned back to the door sand said, "You can come in now." Susie came in and said, "Looks who's come to visit you." Calvin's children and grandchildren followed Susie into Calvin's room. The youngest grandchild ran past the rest of them and hugged Calvin in a hard, excited hug. "Grandpa!!" screamed the child in delight. "Francis!" cried Calvin's daughter, "Be gentle with your grandfather." Calvin's daughter turned to her dad. "I'm sorry, Daddy. Francis never seems to behave these days. He just runs around making a mess and coming up with strange stories." Calvin laughed and said, "Well now! That sound just like me when I was his age." Calvin and his family chatted some more until a nurse said, "Sorry, but visiting hours are almost up." Calvin's beloved family said good bye and promised to visit tommorrow. As they turned to leave Calvin said, "Francis. Come here for a second." Francis came over to his grandfather's side, "What is it Gramps?" Calvin reached over to the stuffed tiger beside and and held him out shakily to his grandson, who looked exactly as he did so many years ago. "This is Hobbes. He was my best friend when I was your age. I want you to have him." "He's just a stuffed tiger." Francis said, eyebrows raised. Calvin laughed, "Well, let me tell you a secret." Francis leaned closer to Clavin. Calvin whispered, "If you trap him in a tiger trap using a tuna sandwhich as bait he will turn into a real tiger." Francis gasped in delighted awe. Calvin continued, "Not only that he will be your best friend forever." "Wow! Thanks grandpa!" Francis said, hugging his granpa tightly again. "Francis! We need to go now!" Calvin's daughter called. "Okay!" Francis shouted back. "Take good care of him." Calvin said. "I will." Francis said before running off after the rest of the family. Calvin laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. The time to go was close. He could feel it in his soul. Calvin tried to remember a quote he read in a book once. It said something about death being the next great adventure or something like that. He eyelids grew heavy and his breathing slowed. As he went deeper into his final sleep he heard Hobbes, as if he was right next to him at his bedside. "I'll take care of him, Calvin..." Calvin took his first step toward one more adventure and breathed his last with a grin on his face.

@georgehugo561

2 жыл бұрын

I'm crying Thank you

@reedycreekjeemer989

9 ай бұрын

…and I am sobbing, feeling so many emotions. Calvin & Hobbes will always live in our hearts. And perhaps…if we are fortunate and full of love…perhaps we might all meet again, together for new adventures. Thank you for this incredibly moving story, a beautiful ending that springs eternal with hope for love and joy & adventures yet to come. ❤

@youmadbro7733

9 ай бұрын

@@reedycreekjeemer989 You’re welcome. This 50 year old Marine / ex-MMA fighter can’t get through the story without tearing up. Every time! Calvin and Hobbes was a big part of my childhood. In fact, I WAS Calvin!

@TeamTriumphHQ

9 ай бұрын

❤🥹

@lindanorris2455

6 ай бұрын

breaking my heart here. I knew this owul d make me cry!

The best cartoon strip ever created. And now I know why. The guy had a integrity as well as childlike wonder and boy can he draw!2

The fixation of this video on Watterson's possible Christian beliefs tells you more about the the creator of the video than about Watterson. The statements that, because Watterson clearly studied some philosophy, and that philosophy, in some way, goes hand in hand with religion, therefore Watterson is likely to know about and be influenced by Christianity, is a nonsense. I am sure Watterson is familiar with Christianity, the name Calvin is a bit of a giveaway (and Hobbes was an atheist). But the philosophy of Calvin and Hobbes comics. like Bhuddism, neither requires or denies the existence of a deity.

@Gamefan86

Жыл бұрын

Christianity began as sun worship, the stories about Jesus are symbolic. He is just a personification of the sun, made into a god figure later on. The sun "dies" for 3 days on December 22nd, the winter solstice, when it stops its movement south, to be born again or resurrected on December 25th, when it resumes its movement north. In some areas, the calendar originally began in the constellation of Virgo, and the sun would therefore be "born of a Virgin" The sun rising in the morning is "the saviour of mankind" The sun is "The light of the World" The sun "walks on water" is just the reflection of the sun on water/the sea. "He cometh on clouds, and every eye shall see him", is just sun rays. Jesus' "crown of thorns" is just the sun's glare, also know as a halo. The sun's "followers", "helpers" or "disciples" are the 12 months and the 12 signs of the zodiac or constellations, through which the sun must pass. The sun at 12 noon is in the house or temple of the "Most High": thus.."he" begins "his Father's work" at "age" 12. The sun enters into each sign of the zodiac at 30 degrees, hense, the "Sun of God" begins his ministry at "age" 30. The sun is hung on a cross or "crucified", which represents its passing through the equinoxes. The vernal equinox being Easter, at which time it is then resurrected. The reason why saviour myths are so similar with a godman who is crucified and resurrected, who does miracles and has 12 disciples, is that these stories were based on the movements of the sun through the heavens, an astrotheological development that can be found throughout the planet, because the sun and the 12 zodiac signs can be observed around the globe. In other words, Jesus Christ and all the others upon whom this character is predicated are personifications of the sun, and the Gospel fable is merely a rehash of a mythological formula revolving around the movements of the sun through the heavens. Christianity is ancient astrology, it's just fables about the sun. Check out Acharya S aka D.M Murdock for more info. . .

Thank you so much for this video! Calvin and Hobbes has always been my favourite cartoon since I was a little kid, staying up til 3 in the morning just reading one big C+H book ❤️

@offshelfbooks

3 жыл бұрын

You are very welcome! So glad you enjoyed it. Had a lot of fun making this video too. C&H is such a joy to read. Not surprised you stayed up until 3am.

Thank you very much for this informative review of one of my favorite cartoon characters. Good to know that the author/creator did not compromise on his principles, making his work ultimately more valuable.

@offshelfbooks

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you found value in this video! Watterson is a rarity and a gem for those reasons alone. Thanks for watching!

@tylerdurden788

2 жыл бұрын

I miss Calvin and Hobbes

Thank you for the video. Well represented and made me smile .

Thank you 🙏 for your excellent succinct informative and video 👍🙏💪...I always loved Calvin and Hobbes and I now know why.

@offshelfbooks

3 жыл бұрын

Thank You so much for the kind words! It makes the hard work worth it when viewers like yourself find value in it. Thanks for watching!

@walterszewczyk9024

2 жыл бұрын

@@offshelfbooks Why DIDN'T he want to sell out like no tomorrow, he,s got gold bars and diamonds in his home, didn,t need extra money?? He thinks he,s better than the rest of us? Please, pretentious prima donna much? So Schultz & Davis are bad people, cause they hocked their merchandise like no tomorrow? What if some big fan/s want stuffed toys, rubber figurines, even action figures of these characters ( why not action figures, Family Guy people do?). I think some high end Royal Doulton ceramic figurine statue scenes would be a welcome addition to lots of their fans. Just regular middle class family versions, were not too expensive could be available at Hallmark stores and similar ones. Go to a Hallmark store there,s cartoon greeting cards , plushies, ceramic figurines, nik-naks etc. .If he,s broke & penniless nowadays he missed his chance but good. Jerry Seinfeld opted for a cancellation of his show in ninety seven citing similar reasons of fear of public interest waning of his show. Some people are struggling to make mortgage & car payments & this guy has to be a pretentious prima donna, please ! Artistic integrity?! What's his problem? Sell out like it,s twenty ninety nine, Sheesh. I know lots of cartoonist wannabes who,d love to be in his shoes, just galls me,is all, a lot!!!! Maybe an angel sent from heaven to do what he did, nothing more, nothing less? When finished in ninety five, he up & left never to be seen again? Like the Micheal Landon character in Highway to Heaven? It was his mission & then gone back? Some divine paranormal activity going on here? That whole private person spiel, & not wanting to be in media spotlight, interviews or anything, unlisted phone numbers & addressess? . Either he,s an angel or a time traveller covering his tracks, but good? That privacy policy smacks of convenience to me, all I,m saying. Lex Luthor doesn't buy Superman,s pure hearted good person routine, knowing that would make him better than everyone else, not to mention him, my point exactly, he,s not a greedy corporate sell out slob like all the rest of us? Yeah, either angel or time traveller, gotta be.

Learned something new today that I didn’t know about the writer and creator of Calvin and Hobbes. Thanks 🙏

@offshelfbooks

9 ай бұрын

Welcome! So glad you gained some value from this video! Thanks for watching!

The man had principles and he stuck by them. You got to respect that. I discovered Calvin and Hobbes in junior high School. The biggest intrigue in the beginning for me was how different Hobbs looked when he and Calvin we're alone in a panel versus panels with other characters present.

@offshelfbooks

3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! Huge respect to him. Yeah, the appearance of Hobbes that you noticed has been long debated among fans whether he was real or not. It gave a nice charm to the comic. Thanks for sharing your experience. Love hearing how people have come to discover this comic.

@brucybabyy7355

3 жыл бұрын

he and gary larson.

Mr. Watterson wrote a comic I loved, but he came across as a grownup. I grew up among Boomers whom were "Post Christian", in our case Catholic. I never was fully jumped in, but feel faith in God, though untrammeled by organisation.

@offshelfbooks

3 жыл бұрын

Thank You so much for sharing! Love reading so many people's experiences from Watterson's work. His comics definitely had a grown up feel to them which a lot of people have come to love. Also, thank you for sharing a bit of your upbringing and beliefs.

@Gamefan86

Жыл бұрын

Christianity began as sun worship, the stories about Jesus are symbolic. He is just a personification of the sun, made into a god figure later on. The sun "dies" for 3 days on December 22nd, the winter solstice, when it stops its movement south, to be born again or resurrected on December 25th, when it resumes its movement north. In some areas, the calendar originally began in the constellation of Virgo, and the sun would therefore be "born of a Virgin" The sun rising in the morning is "the saviour of mankind" The sun is "The light of the World" The sun "walks on water" is just the reflection of the sun on water/the sea. "He cometh on clouds, and every eye shall see him", is just sun rays. Jesus' "crown of thorns" is just the sun's glare, also know as a halo. The sun's "followers", "helpers" or "disciples" are the 12 months and the 12 signs of the zodiac or constellations, through which the sun must pass. The sun at 12 noon is in the house or temple of the "Most High": thus.."he" begins "his Father's work" at "age" 12. The sun enters into each sign of the zodiac at 30 degrees, hense, the "Sun of God" begins his ministry at "age" 30. The sun is hung on a cross or "crucified", which represents its passing through the equinoxes. The vernal equinox being Easter, at which time it is then resurrected. The reason why saviour myths are so similar with a godman who is crucified and resurrected, who does miracles and has 12 disciples, is that these stories were based on the movements of the sun through the heavens, an astrotheological development that can be found throughout the planet, because the sun and the 12 zodiac signs can be observed around the globe. In other words, Jesus Christ and all the others upon whom this character is predicated are personifications of the sun, and the Gospel fable is merely a rehash of a mythological formula revolving around the movements of the sun through the heavens. Christianity is ancient astrology, it's just fables about the sun. Check out Acharya S aka D.M Murdock for more info. . .

way to go Mr. Watterson!!

There is one strip I've kept from a magazine. It's my favourite, but it's getting a bit dog eared now. Anyone know how I can get a decent copy of it to frame? I did write to Express newspaper some years ago, but got no response.

@offshelfbooks

3 жыл бұрын

I have no idea. That is a tough question. If you know the date of that strip, could you narrow it down to which C&H book it was published in? Or is this a completely unique strip from a unique magazine?

I'll never understand why is it so important for Americans to know what religion (or lack of it) does someone practise to have an opinion of them...

Wry good video

Hi there. Thank you for this video! Please let me ask you something; the book can be read easily by a non-native speaker? Are there a lot of slangs or puns? I would like to hear your opinion! Thanks!

@offshelfbooks

9 ай бұрын

Watterson was not one to really use slang or puns in his work. Especially considering his work was done in the 1980s and 90s. So you should be just fine.

Who cares if he had an imaginary friend named Jebus.

2:17 Jim Davis, anyone?

2:39 khhm...The Simpsons.. khm

Any Book Reviewers here?

Watterson was a genius!

I love it how so many people were triggered by the Jesus stuff.

You lost me at Jesus...

Did he believe in Christianity? Who cares? This is my first video of yours, but personally I could a f**k less.

Whats with the fixation on religion? Theres a good bit of philosophy in the comics, naturally some religion comes with it, but thats really not what its about

I liked the video but out of nowhere you mentioned Jesus which made me laugh. like wtf

@offshelfbooks

2 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked the video! Thank You so much for watching!

@mattbones-nz3pw

3 ай бұрын

​@@offshelfbooks doesn't the comic strip kind of remind you of the movie ted

I enjoyed this video but what is with all the Jesus stuff about?? Who cares!

WHY??????????????????????? DOES ANYONE CARE ABOUT mR. WATTERSSON FAITH? WHO CARES?