Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for May 14, 2020

Kind of sad that Calvin’s Mom works that hard to prepare food that sucks.

How do you know what compost even tastes like, Calvin? Hmmmmmm?!

When I was growing up we always had two options at meal times: take it or leave it.

You already eat dirt, Calvin. What difference does it make?

There are starving people all over the world that would love to have that ‘compost’, Calvin!

It’s beyond his walnut-size brain to appreciate the time & trouble his mother goes through to prepare his meals every day!!!

Eat it or starve, Calvin (and even if you don’t like it, it will all together now BUILD CHARACTER!" ’D) .

I like your food critique, Calvin. You should judge Chopped.

If it wasn’t for the Sunday format, this should have been posted on Mother’s Day.

Need a slightly more subtle comment, Calvin. You’re too full from snacking to eat that wonderful stuff?

I could be mistaken, but there seemed to be small round veggies (peas?) and a fluffy mound of something (mashed potatoes?); many kids react the way Calvin did at seeing veggies. And at least some Moms react as Calvin’s Mom did.

And we all believe that he actually knows what compost tastes like.

You didn’t even taste it, Calvin!

The price is affordable, the atmosphere comfortable, the service reliable, but the presentation leaves something to be desired.

My grandmother used to heap all the food in one pile on the plate, mixing things up in the process. When we complained she said, “Whats the matter? It’s all going to the same stomach.” To which I replied, “But it all has to go over the same tongue.”

There is an old family story of me staring down a piece of liver on my plate for three hours, until it was a piece of shoe leather, under the “if it’s on your plate you can’t leave the table until your plate is clean” rule. Never did eat the liver, to this day I cannot eat liver fifty years later, and, after that, the rule changed to “if you take it you have to eat it”.

Calvin should be grateful he isn’t one of the Foxtrot kids.

I really like the solitary confinement look of the last panel. I would have never thought of that.

LOOK OUT CALVIN!

somebody threw a giant keyboard at you!

Remember this is the 1950s, the Era of Regrettable Food. (Look it up, you won’t be sorry)

Yes and I got this recipe from your great-uncle Uriah.

The dachshund would have been happy.

When my mom served something new I would ask “What is it?” She always answered “Poison”.

If it IS compost; check for earth worms.

Perhaps mom should include Calvin to help out..

In retrospect, I can’t figure out what I found funny about this strip

I get in trouble if I eat too fast. Mrs. Baker insists I ‘savor’ every bite.

Last panel: My grandparents used to do that to my dad.

My dad to his kids about a meal. “If you don’t like it, you done ate.” Also, five kids, three being boys, means you eat and don’t act picky because there may be no food left for seconds.

For a comment similar to that my ex-husband got kicked down the basement stairs by his father.

My mom was a great cook, but occasionally made things I didn’t like. Liver and Brussels sprouts come to mind. It was understood that I didn’t have to eat anything I didn’t want to, but she would not cook something special for me. The meal was served, if I didn’t like it I would go without.

I think I would’ve been sent to bed early for saying something like that.

I’d call the graphic in the last panel an homage to Eisner.

looks like Calvin had to sit until he ate his meal. When I was 8 my parents made me sit until I ate egg foo yung EGG FOO YUNG. I went to bed hungry and to this day have never had egg foo yuck.

Calvin would’ve starved around our table. Mom had six kids to feed. You ate what you were served, and you cleaned up your plate.

Ouch, apply cold water to burn

Calvin, in about 20 years you will do your own cooking.

TV dinners tonight?

Is it too late for an abortion?

Yes – to me a more swift version of punishment would be – you don’t have to eat it – pick it up – toss it, and send him to bed without dinner. It would only take a few times of that and I bet he’d be a little more willing to eat at least some of it.

More than a few times I probably thought the same thing about my mother’s cooking, even if I didn’t say it out loud.

Calvin’s mother must feel the same way.

Mom should serve him compost sometime as an eduational experience.