It’s pretty smart of Calvin setting limits right away. After all, who is this stranger? He only knows what his parents have said about him. And their history of trustworthiness, is less than perfect. Potentially two dads in the same house, how horrifying.
In many cultures it is a great insult to pat a child on the head. Even in this culture it is condescending. I don’t think Max is going to score many brownie points. (I don’t like him already.)
When you do become a teacher be the very best. Both you and the kids deserve it. I say this after 35 years in the profession, most of it as a school administrator. And yes, I’d do it again in a heartbeat - greatest vocation on earth.
So Max ruffles the kid’s hair and tries to greet him and Calvin cops an attitude. Somehow this is Max’s fault??? All I see is an uncle trying to be friendly and a spoiled brat behaving the same way he always does. Amazing how that always seems to surprise Calvin’s parents.
Musicnut1986: In panel 1 Dad’s carrying a suitcase.
margueritem says:
pouncingtiger says:
wndrwrthg, nice were-tiger touch.
~That’s not a tiger, that’s Wonder Warthog. (Eat pie, pig!)……
Marg, WW’s comment is a riff on Warren Zevon’s Werewolves of London
kudos JanCinVV, i’m guessing you’re a teacher?, cop?, social worker?, health care professional?
again, thanks for the voice of reason amongst all these bleeep comments
“kudos JanCinVV, i’m guessing you’re a teacher?, cop?, social worker?, health care professional?
again, thanks for the voice of reason amongst all these bleeep comments.”
Touching the head is indeed an insult in some cultures, much of SE Asia comes to mind, but is respectful in others. For example, among the Masai it is expected for an adult to touch a child’s head upon greeting. Children quietly wait until a hand has been placed on their head before they then respectfully speak to an adult, just like Calvin, right? (anthropologist)
salimbag says: Touching the head is indeed an insult in some cultures, much of SE Asia comes to mind, but is respectful in others. For example, among the Masai it is expected for an adult to touch a child’s head upon greeting. Children quietly wait until a hand has been placed on their head before they then respectfully speak to an adult, just like Calvin, right? (anthropologist)
Well you are wrong about SE Asia, or even most part of it. Of course people don’t go touching uninvited in most cultures.
Touching head implies one is bigger/grater than the other in general. Of course, I can touch your head salimbag ;)
I read once that Watterson purposely never named Calvin’s mom and dad, and that this series really made that hard to keep up. But I have to say these strips w/ Calvin’s uncle have always been my favorites.
margueritem over 15 years ago
Max says, very tongue in cheek.
wndrwrthg over 15 years ago
“Better stay away from him He’ll rip your lungs out, Max I’d like to meet his tailor”. R.I.P. Mr Zevon
margueritem over 15 years ago
pouncingtiger says:
wndrwrthg, nice were-tiger touch.
~That’s not a tiger, that’s Wonder Warthog. (Eat pie, pig!)
pouncingtiger over 15 years ago
wndrwrthg, nice were-tiger touch.
Calvin should put up a sign on his door saying, “Beware of Tiger”.
corpuskevin over 15 years ago
It’s pretty smart of Calvin setting limits right away. After all, who is this stranger? He only knows what his parents have said about him. And their history of trustworthiness, is less than perfect. Potentially two dads in the same house, how horrifying.
rshive over 15 years ago
Just laying out the ground rules.
Yukoner over 15 years ago
In many cultures it is a great insult to pat a child on the head. Even in this culture it is condescending. I don’t think Max is going to score many brownie points. (I don’t like him already.)
c00k13m0n5t3r over 15 years ago
And you’d better be careful with your spleen, too, Max.
Yukoner over 15 years ago
Tabbylynn, belated best wishes.
When you do become a teacher be the very best. Both you and the kids deserve it. I say this after 35 years in the profession, most of it as a school administrator. And yes, I’d do it again in a heartbeat - greatest vocation on earth.
Wildmustang1262 over 15 years ago
Uh-Oh! Be careful what you say. OOPS! :-$
carmy over 15 years ago
Watch your back Max.
jiko over 15 years ago
he must be very unstable.
bald over 15 years ago
calvin might have a snowball or two hidden in his room too uncle max
Ashrey over 15 years ago
Yukoner, as soon as I saw him touch Calvin that way I thought, “Uh-oh. Who gave you permission and don’t treat children like pets.”
Unclebup over 15 years ago
I wonder who Max got to run the used car lot while he is away?
alondra over 15 years ago
I know I hated it when I was a kid to be patted on the head. It is condescending. Max is off to a bad start.
musicnut1986 over 15 years ago
Max didn’t pack for a long stay. He is carrying only a duffel bag. This should give Calvin some comfort.
green_engineer over 15 years ago
Poor Max is completely oblivious to the world of gocomics and what the readers think of him right now!
Digital Frog over 15 years ago
More appropriate would be a handshake, preferably with a joybuzzer
JanLC over 15 years ago
So Max ruffles the kid’s hair and tries to greet him and Calvin cops an attitude. Somehow this is Max’s fault??? All I see is an uncle trying to be friendly and a spoiled brat behaving the same way he always does. Amazing how that always seems to surprise Calvin’s parents. Musicnut1986: In panel 1 Dad’s carrying a suitcase.
cleokaya over 15 years ago
What an airhead. We all know that Calvin hasn’t grown in inch in years.
lazygrazer over 15 years ago
That godawful walrus mustache doesn’t really help matters much.
Radical-Knight over 15 years ago
Mandibles of death and a killer’s eye. Better keep a low profile, Max.
JonD17 over 15 years ago
margueritem says: pouncingtiger says: wndrwrthg, nice were-tiger touch. ~That’s not a tiger, that’s Wonder Warthog. (Eat pie, pig!)…… Marg, WW’s comment is a riff on Warren Zevon’s Werewolves of London
grammahotsho over 15 years ago
Is Max from the Squatley’s of Buzz Sawyer?
dicktheassrancher over 15 years ago
kudos JanCinVV, i’m guessing you’re a teacher?, cop?, social worker?, health care professional? again, thanks for the voice of reason amongst all these bleeep comments
Leonardeuler over 15 years ago
I wonder what kind of boy Calvin will be when he is a teenager.
Northwoodser over 15 years ago
If my kid greeted anyone that way he wouldn’t be able to sit for a week.
RobinHd over 15 years ago
“kudos JanCinVV, i’m guessing you’re a teacher?, cop?, social worker?, health care professional? again, thanks for the voice of reason amongst all these bleeep comments.”
Word.
salimbag over 15 years ago
Touching the head is indeed an insult in some cultures, much of SE Asia comes to mind, but is respectful in others. For example, among the Masai it is expected for an adult to touch a child’s head upon greeting. Children quietly wait until a hand has been placed on their head before they then respectfully speak to an adult, just like Calvin, right? (anthropologist)
Cameloo over 15 years ago
Calvin is still only up to there waists. How much shorter could he be?
SlyGuy54 over 15 years ago
Calvin is too funny.. not exactly the most polite but humorous.
txmystic over 15 years ago
Max’s mustache suggests he could have a future in porn…
krob47 over 15 years ago
Is it Uncle Max or Uncle Mario The Plumber?
mariolink42 over 15 years ago
hobbes is gonna kill me =o
mariolink42 over 15 years ago
eek! he scares me!
si_rat over 15 years ago
salimbag says: Touching the head is indeed an insult in some cultures, much of SE Asia comes to mind, but is respectful in others. For example, among the Masai it is expected for an adult to touch a child’s head upon greeting. Children quietly wait until a hand has been placed on their head before they then respectfully speak to an adult, just like Calvin, right? (anthropologist)
Well you are wrong about SE Asia, or even most part of it. Of course people don’t go touching uninvited in most cultures.
Touching head implies one is bigger/grater than the other in general. Of course, I can touch your head salimbag ;)
tabbylynn over 15 years ago
id be afraid of hobbes.
foxglove16 over 15 years ago
I read once that Watterson purposely never named Calvin’s mom and dad, and that this series really made that hard to keep up. But I have to say these strips w/ Calvin’s uncle have always been my favorites.
cleopv154 over 15 years ago
better watch when you wink Max!!!!!!
rikkixbelle over 15 years ago
i love it when i get to pick up relatives i havent seen for years!
rikkixbelle over 15 years ago
i love it when i get to pick up relatives i havent seen for years!
dsbairdks over 15 years ago
How to talk to relatives