Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for November 29, 2021

Calvin, if you make a run for it, you might credit in gym class.

They’ll let ANYONE be a gym teacher. Zorkon or not.

That’s a fat Zorkon gym instructor.

Nothing that a little truancy won’t remedy

Tell me that’s how Calvin sees Coach Lockjaw! ;D

You first, pal.

Sport is death threat!

I’ve always wondered about how much of that dialogue is spoken aloud (in the character’s world.) In some strips, Calvin daydreams out loud at his teacher, and she just carries on regardless. :)

Judging by his figure, the gym teacher is definitely not setting a good example.

The gym instructor could use a bit of exercise. Mooooo

“Gym Instructor”…instructing in what, perchance?

It always amazed me that every single one of my gym teachers throughout elementary, junior, and senior high were on the, shall we say, pudgy side. I, on the other hand, looked like I would blow away with a strong wind. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for THAT problem now.

in the 1950’s we had a gym teacher with the last name of Comfort. Would get red faced, shout at us, and push us into lines or whatever the activity. Not a lot of comfort there. Ironically, he quit teaching after only 3 years and became an FBI agent. We often said he was probably a good fit for the ‘flying squads’ who swooped suddenly down on and arrested bad guys.

Shouldn’t that be “Mr. Twisted Space Frog”? After all, he does look like one of them wrestlers on tv.

Those who can do, Do. Those who can’t Do, Teach. Those who can’t teach, teach Gym. Giddown and gimme 50!

holy mackrel

It’s delightful to think that Calvin may have actually uttered the words “twisted space frog” aloud.

A dead ringer for Coach Ferguson from high school. I think they have a mold they use to make gym teachers.

This makes me think back to those “Presidential Physical Fitness Tests” of the ’70s which I had to endure in elementary and middle schools where the pull up was one of several exercises in which everyone was evaluated and most people simply wanted to avoid getting a big fat zero. A lot of kids would pull a “sickie” on the day of a test they did not want to attempt….

Bill has captured my kids’ gym teacher’s likeness to a T.

Oh, Calvin, I’m right there with you.

Now instead of chin up bars kids do iPhone curls

where is the janitor when you need that ladder?

Even I could not do chin ups. Coach way over weight, Calvin image is right.

I do not recall doing chin ups in grade 1. I do not recall gym in any elementary grade. Just going outside and running around a track or yard to burn off energy. that was 100% for the teachers.

Ask him to demonstrate how to do a pullup, Calvin. Something tells me that you will be able to do it just as well as he can.

I have in the past said when it comes to reforming education, everything should be on the table. This includes physical education programs which are in especial need of improvement. You would think are these years of jokes about gym classes being torture for most kids should be a hint.

never trust an obese gym teacher – or a skinny chef

I think a good many gym teachers are failed athletes who are absolutely determined to show the world that they’re not failures after all. “I’ll whip these brats into shape and prove that I had what it takes!”

where IS the ROPE?

most fiendish of all!

I planned to be an astronaut, so I would never have to go to gym again. Unclear on the concept, right?

My god! The 4th panel shows my old Jr. High PE teacher, Coach Bowen!This guy stood and watched us shower and held in his hand a wooden paddle made in our wood shop with holes in the middle. Varnished! With a leather wrist strap.He would take the miscreants fresh out of the shower and have them bend over to receive their “licks”. Wet butt! Whoa Nellie! It was a choice.Take a lick or go to the Principal’s Office. Which meant, detentions and a call to your parents. Oddly, most folks took their licks. Or “swats” as some would say.The girls told us they got the same in their PE class too.Things were different back then.

I can’t even reach the dang bar! I hated that stuff too Calvin-I’m with you on this!

Our big test in High School Gym was a few timed laps around the track. Our times at the beginning and and of the year were compared. The beginning of the year I started out really fast (for me), tired quickly, and ended up worn out and walking. At the end of the year I resolved to do it right and started out with a slow jog which I maintained the whole way and ended up feeling quite good about myself. And with the exact same time.

Looks like that gym teacher could use a little exercise.

that bar is a bit to high for the short calvin to even jump to reach

my gym teacher were humane and their classes were a welcome respite from some mind dead classes.

Calvin needs an elevator or a jack just to get up to the bar.

He’s a GYM INSTRUCTOR and he’s proud, it seems.

I was old enough for Gym class shortly after WWII. My instructors were all ex-military, many of them Marines, all with combat experience. They prepared me for basic training in the Army.

In high school gym class the first 4.5 weeks was a physical fitness unit-mainly exercising/running then we were given a series of test- pull ups/rope climb/push ups… and given points on each-you would get 5 points for every pull up. The coaches would add up the points and your total determined what color shorts you would wear the rest of the year.Less than 200 wore grey, next were gold, purple (school colors) and the highest wore white.There were > 100 boys in the class and 5/6 coaches and we were then divided into groups by our point total -so all the klutzes would be in one group. Jr High was worst since we had to do such activities as a gymnastic unit and would have/attempt to do exercises on the parallel bars/horse/ balance beam. The coaches also would not hesitate to bring out the paddle and it was grab your ankles time (1964-670.

Hmmm. Rare that Bill writes a name across a character’s shirt like that. I suppose a whistle on a lanyard didn’t convince him the joke would be gotten!

When Calvin makes a break for it he’ll have a BIG head start, cause that overweight tub of lard won’t be able to keep with him with his stubby legs and all that fat that makes him look like a blimp with feet on it, he also might have a heart attack if he ran for so much as a half a foot. Which is why Calvin knows he has him beat. He could beat him even by running slow and stopping to rest.

I always wanted to call my gym teacher a twisted space frog, but I didn’t have the guts. Hilarious!

Those fitness exercises were torture in school and especially for short overweight kids, like I was and still am except I’m to old to be called young kid anymore. The rope and pull up bar were so unfair and I ended up getting sick to my stomach and had to go to the nurse due to getting overheated and mad that I couldn’t do them. At least the running portion we were allowed to walk half of it when needed. So I would run, walk, and then run to do it.

OH CRAP, THE ZORKONS!!!!!!

Always thought our gym teacher was from another planet.

LEME EAT A BUTT.

another gross, overweight bully as gym teacher. hardly a surprise.

Clearly the “instructor” isn’t doing his job.