Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for November 15, 2024

Next, Calvin blames the teacher for even giving Calvin a homework assignment.

Gee Mom, don’t you realize that this is your fault?

Don’t Calvin’s parents and teachers know that homework assignments, deadlines, and the very concept of grading are stressful and hazardous to his self-esteem? Thank goodness we live in more enlightened times. (BWAHAHAHAHAHA!)

This is totally different from a recent arc on “For Better or For Worse”, where Elly did April’s pre-K project. I’m on Mom’s side here!

Order some from Acme.

Calvin’s penchant for blaming others means that, when he is older, he is qualified to be President. Or, more accurately, qualified to be elected President. Ain’t that sumthin’.

All parents pitch in for the best projects, don’t they?

He gots a point ya knows. Other parents woulda help theirs kids with that.

Try a plum, an olive, some shaved carrot peels, toothpicks, and a couple of googly eyes.

Ask Mom to make some homemade play dough. Water, flour, salt, vegetable oil, cream of tartar, and food coloring. Easy-peasy.

Don’t you have clay, Calvin?

Sounds like a pretty advanced project for a first grader. Don’t remember having homework in first grade (1956) until third grade.

Here’s the thing. Calvin’s parents don’t put up with Calvin’s unreasonableness, and they don’t give in. But nowhere do we see them recognizing that their child is a budding, pathological narcissist and actually teach him that this kind of behavior is socially unacceptable. It made for great humor and drama, and I utterly adore Watterson’s work, but this is one thing that always rubbed me the wrong way. And over the last 10 years or so of real life’s events, it has socked me in the eye even harder.

I see a future as a politician because it is always someone else’s fault.

Cut it out of paper. It doesn’t have to be 3-D.

You can make the paste for paper mache out of flour and water.

Say hello to diligency.

Umm, you don’t have flour and a news paper?

Yep….trying the old “guilt trip”!!!!

Just use Hobbes as road runner… I’m sure he would like to go to school. Maybe there are cute girls there!

Rather than a roadrunner, coyote (canine, not Mexican) and Acme™ anvil, Calvin could opt for a couple of his old model tanks and make it El Alemein 1943.

Sadly, there are adults I’ve known who have never grown out of the victim mentality. I walk away and keep a lot of distance from people like that.