Calvin and Hobbes 1: Thereby Hangs a Tale

by Bill Watterson

A collection of Calvin and Hobbes cartoons. The author won the 1986 Reuben Award as Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year and has also illustrated Something Under the Bed is Drooling, Calvin and Hobbes' Yukon Ho! and Weirdos From Another Planet.

Genres: Comics, Humor, Graphic Novels, Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 1992

About the author

Bill Watterson (born William Boyd Watterson II) is an American cartoonist, and the author of the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes". His career as a syndicated cartoonist ran from 1985 to 1995; he stopped drawing "Calvin and Hobbes" at the end of 1995 with a short statement to newspaper editors and his fans that he felt he had achieved all he could in the comic strip medium. During the early years of his career he produced several drawings and additional contributions for "Target: The Political Cartoon Quarterly". Watterson is known for his views on licensing and comic syndication, as well as for his reclusive nature.

Reviews

[A. Dawes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watterson is a genius. He celebrates the human condition here in all its comedic glory.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love them both ;)

[Diana Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I decided I quite liked this comic book, though it is quirky at times and I probably laughed at most of the wrong parts. I will nonetheless read more of Calvin and Hobbes and try to like it better.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOL

[Ross Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have read the first Calvin and Hobbes directory that was published in the 80's, then you have read this one.
It is a paperback version of half the first book. With classic strips.

Was inspired to read it after watching "Dear Mr. Watterson" documentary on Netflix.

I missed Calvin and Hobbes - back in the day, some of the first words Mom exchanged with me were about Calvin and Hobbes. Sometimes they were good ("Oh, good, Ross, you are up. New Mutant Snowgoon strip today!"), and sometimes not so good ("Ross, I wish they would stop with Calvin as Tracer Bullet and get back to the snowmen again...")

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know even better is yet to come from Calvin & Hobbes - but it’s splendid.

Calvin’s mum calling in to him in the bath: “CALVIN! Quiet down and quit that splashing. I don’t want to have to clean the whole bathroom.”

Calvin fighting the bath-bubble monster: “Ha! I pulled the plug! Down the drain with with you! DIE, FIEND! DIE, DIE!!”

Calvin’s mum: “Don’t tell me he’s letting the water out already!”

Calvin strolls by, wet & naked: “Believe it, lady.”

His insistence on holding onto imagination & the crash to earth every time - standing ovation stuff. And not as dated as it could be from the late ‘80s...

[Hallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My brother got it yesterday as a parting gift from his company, but I stole it xP The rest were all boring non-fiction books on his to-read shelf (which is not even 2% similar to mine).

[Ian Holmqvist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calvin and Hobbes is the best comic strip I've ever read. Hands down.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best comic insights into the workings of a child’s imaginative mind!

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Calvin and Hobbes books just bring pure joy to my heart --- want a terrific kid and wonderful tiger!

[Ankit Modi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A happy, feel-good book!

[Shruti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calvin never disappoints!

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calvin and Hobbes caught my attention as a small child, and even though I didn’t always get all of the more adult jokes, I still enjoyed them. After a few years of reading, I appreciated more and more and even now, as an adult, I enjoy the creativity and joy Calvin finds in every situation of life.

After reading every book of Calvin and Hobbes, I would recommend them to anyone who wants to find the joys of a simple life and I look forward to sharing them with my own boys when they are a bit older.

[Niffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? Calvin and Hobbes is just so classic, and so brilliant.

It's been awhile since I read it and I'm struck again how so many of the punchlines use very adult concepts and vocabulary, and yet I feel as though it's still so accessible to kids, too.

This particular collection appears to include both daily and Sunday strips, but no color. Still, the Sunday strips are seamlessly added in over a couple of pages and the lack of color doesn't impact the overall humor.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first collection of Calvin & Hobbes - starting with Hobbes being ‘captured’, this is funkier than the later, more refined work as Watterson finds his focus and the look of the characters, but doesn’t suffer anything for all that. Highlights include the bedtime stories, Calvin’s hate-valentine and the wonderful “I didn’t get you anything for Christmas” hug. Wonderful stuff.

[Ramesh Prabhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-reading for the Calvinth time, actually.

[Iane De Jesus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Calvin! He's a sadistic, sarcastic, fun, adventure-filled, weird, witty kid.

[Chitransh Chatnani · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book can be the Hobbes of your childhood, you'll have a fistful riot of summer drooling and adventurous mystery solving.

[Shivani Kumawat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something to always keep in your bag. It’s witty, warm and hilarious!