20 funny comics to lighten your mood and make you laugh

The Essential Calvin and Hobbes (Cover image via Andrews McMeel Publishing)

9. Calvin and Hobbes

Gentleness is something that is in short supply in the comics world. It’s not that there is anything inherently bad in a little darkness. We humans are pretty compelled by tragedies and dark humor, after all. It just gets tiresome what that makes up all of the choices in front of you.

That’s part of why it’s such a relief to have Calvin and Hobbes. This daily comic strip ran for ten years, from 1985 to 1995, and soon became a beloved establishment in the form. However, Calvin and Hobbes rose far above other daily comic strips, which often became grounds for lame jokes and tired clichés. Readers who followed the young Calvin and his maybe-sentient toy tiger, Hobbes, were treated to smarter and more heartfelt fare.

Cartoonist Bill Watterson started drawing in his spare time when he was stuck in an advertising job. He eventually tried to get his creations syndicated, though he faced an initial round of rejections. When United Feature Syndicate finally responded, it wasn’t to accept Watterson’s work. Instead, they pointed out that a side character and his stuffed tiger were actually pretty good and should get their own focus.

Thus, Calvin and Hobbes was born. It follows the adventures of the precocious Calvin, a highly intelligent six-year-old with a strong imagination and a propensity for getting in trouble. His parents are loving and humorous but are often exasperated by Calvin’s antics. At least he’s got Hobbes, a stuffed toy tiger.

From the perspective of everyone else, Hobbes is an inanimate plaything. But from Calvin’s point of view, Hobbes is a full-size, talking tiger. He’s also a foil to Calvin, often sassing the young boy when Calvin’s plans start to get out of hand. Together, the pair goes on adventures in Calvin’s imagination, from time travel to flying through outer space, to hijinks involving a “transmogrifier.”