Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for May 21, 2015

You can’t be too safe.

First time I’ve noticed Calvin is a southpaw.

Calvin’s dad knows that if Calvin wants to wear gloves on both hands, there must be a catch to it. More than one, actually.

To view the following strips in the archive and help GoComics generate revenue, please click on the blue archive links below. To view the strips directly, click on the images below or stretch them.Peanuts (June 26, 1957)Peanuts (April 1, 1954)

I’m guessing it’s a toss-up as to where the screaming is coming from.

@Mac Wiley: Calvin is sometimes a southpaw, but not always. It depends on which way Bill Watterson wants him to face in a particular panel. The order of the dialogue can determine which way he faces – for example, which character makes the final comment in the strip. Also, if Calvin is walking somewhere in the strip, it will generally be from left to right, since that is the direction of flow of the panels. Once Bill has determined which way Calvin needs to be facing, often the hand in front will be the one that is doing something such as throwing a ball or writing on a piece of paper. That is because it is easier for us the see the hand in front. Sometimes if Calvin were to use the hand that is behind, it would be blocked by the hand in front.So, drawing one of these strips generally requires figuring out the dialogue first and which characters will be saying what lines, then figuring out which direction each character will face in each panel, and finally figuring out whether Calvin looks best doing something right- or left-handed in each panel.Today Calvin is throwing left-handed because he is facing toward our left, but yesterday he was batting right-handed because he was facing toward our right. And whenever Calvin throws a snowball at Susie, he is almost always right-handed. That’s because he is throwing from left to right in the strip, in the direction of flow of the panels.Calvin and Hobbes (January 18, 1994)

@chithing: It may be a toss-up, but after this experience, Calvin will be afraid of throwing up again.

Yesterday, GNeilPh wrote:@HobbesMy fav Peanuts strip goes back to the 60’s or maybe 70’s.Linus is working his heart out building a snowman while Snoopy watches. Finally he lies back exhausted & says something like “Snoopy, you’re lucky you are a dog & don’t have to do this.” Snoopy’s thought response is “It never occurred to me that it was compulsory”. Any chance that your encyclopedic knowledge of all great comics would include that one?Apologies to GoComics & other readers for the irrelevant comment.

@GNeilPh: Here is that strip. You remembered the dialogue very well. I guess in most Peanuts strips Snoopy is a lucky dog.Peanuts (January 13, 1963)

I feel the same as Calvin when it comes to balls in sports. Growing up, I really, really wanted to play but more often than not the ball either hit me in the face or I missed it all together so the other kids did not want me on their team. I was clumsy too. I was grown and with children of my own before I realized that I had a depth perception problem due to my lazy eye. Now, I still can’t catch worth a durn but I’ve learned to compensate and am not as clumsy. :-P

Maybe Calvin can use that ball to play catch with Moe.

I agree, thanks, Hobbes, as always.

A “fanged ball” is one step up from a spitball……..

@ Happy, Happy, Happy!!! – if that’s what Calvin sees – then not only a mitt for each hand but the catcher’s mask as well. Those things are scary!

I bet he can’t understand your imagination.

‘I LOVE CALVIN AND HOBBES’

Pac-ball?

@Hobbes – Amazed at how you pull up old strips on demand – how do you do it?

@rajasetlur: I remember some of the old strips, but I keep track of many of my favorite strips by date in my own database, where I can search for them on my computer.