10 Essential Calvin and Hobbes Books for Its 40th Anniversary

Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes is one of those rare examples in which it is universally beloved, but also somehow one of the most intelligent, observant, experimental, and ambitious texts in its medium. Debuting on Nov. 18, 1985, the comic strip followed a deceptively simple premise: a young boy (Calvin) carries around a stuffed tiger (Hobbes), who he imagines as a real, living sidekick (and who are we to say Hobbes isn’t real?) Calvin, who is about as precocious as they come, goes on adventures with Hobbes, but also engages in discussions that touch on politics, human nature, environmentalism, the education system, and countless other topics that one might not expect out of a kids’ comic—all while maintaining a tone that is light, humorous, and unpretentious.

Throughout Calvin and Hobbes’ 10-year run, Ohio native Bill Watterson maintained a huge amount of creative control over the strip and prevented his characters from being merchandised—all in hopes of maintaining the integrity of the comic itself. While Calvin and Hobbes sadly ended 30 years ago, it has nonetheless earned its place as one of the greatest newspaper strips of all time—and rightly so. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just now getting into the zany adventures of Calvin and his selectively ferocious BFF, we’ve selected some books below that you won’t be able to put down (also, check out this documentary).

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Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat

The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes

The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes

Scientific Progress Goes “Boink“

There's Treasure Everywhere