Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for August 09, 2020

I wish Calvin’s Mom had a better sense of humor.

being splashed by pond water doesn’t seem very imaginative (on the parents’ part that is)

Now that was imaginative.

Guess Mom’s imagination “pales” in comparison

Should have let him stay bored, Mom!

Mom’s an eternal optimist. Otherwise she’d have sent Calvin away to boarding school long ago. Or at least away.

She asked for it.

Calvin was being nice—he didn’t include the frog.

What’s wrong with a sidewalk with red splotches?

good morning ❤

Tooo bad she doesn’t have a different kid!!!!

Calvin thought long and hard and he still couldn’t stay out of trouble.

He couldn’t even make it for 15 minutes plus drying. Mom told me that I used to sit next to the washing machine when my stuffed rabbit, Whitey, was in there getting some semblance of whiteness returned to him.

Wait ’til she finds his stuffed tiger in the washer!!!

Mom has to tell him to use his imagination? The whole concept of this strip is built around Calvin’s imagination.

That’s what happens when one has a “free range” kid. Perhaps that’s why they so sadly went out of style…

Not so bad on a hot summer day!!

You can see the struggle on Calvin’s face as he narrowed down the options. Let’s see, throw a bucket of water on Mom or go for a spin in the dryer with Hobbes. Decisions, Decisions!

hahaha- Calvin’s sheer glee with the empty bucket just speaks volumes, and Calvin’s mom’s reaction to this has been hilarious to me ever since I first saw it. You can see a universe of fury in her shocked expression.

Ah the joy in that second-to-last panel.

Probably ruined the paint job…

Now, Mom – you should have known better…

Yeah, as I recall, “playing” with Mom meant learning all the rules, usually by doing something she didn’t like.

Masterful artwork. Especially the next to last panel

Hobbes taking a nap today?

I remember a similar strip which was reprinted last year. We saw Mom getting dressed up before Calvin happily soaked her with a bucket of water as he does in this one. That time, Calvin was holding his sore butt in the last panel but not in his room. This time, he is in his room but not with a sore butt.

That was the second of only two strips I remember in which Calvin appeared to have been spanked between panels. Other strips have ended before Calvin was punished so he may have been spanked then but the strips generally give the impression that Mom and Dad were very reluctant to use physical punishment.

Not that much imagination, Calvin!

Calvin’s last panel remarks are far too loaded for me to make a clever comment. Life is like that even for adults.

I must say the strips I’ve seen today have been either lame or downers. At least ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ is a reprint, so it can be forgiven.

Mom’s upbringing had messages like that, too. Like, “Have children. They’re a joy.”

Specificity is key with Calvin…

the golfball size lump from the horsefly bite I got last weekend while working in the field has just about disappeared! why is there never any outdoor reality in comics?

You forgot to add “good sense” Mom

Hey, he can imagine a tiger, he could have imagined a flood.

You only got in trouble because it was pond water. Now if you used nice warm water with a little bubble bath….

Not quite as bad, but my 5 year old granddaughter did squirt me with the hose when she was supposed to be watering the plants yesterday.

Oh man…I wish I lived in a house with a creek nearby. I would’ve spent (and would spend) all of my summer time there. And I’m 55!

My Mom was pretty uptight, too.

My oldest boy frequently tries to ‘jump scare’ me. Too bad for him that I hear very well.

Telling Calvin to use his imagination is like telling Anakin Skywalker to try the Dark Side, nothing good will come of it.

So, Calvin: the Duplicator, Transmogrifier, and wagon are all broken?

The little brat is lucky Mom lets him continue his upbringing.

At least Mom and the paint were outside!

When he was fourteen,I would ask our son,“what’s the Scout’s motto?” He would say, “Be Prepared.” I would then say, “Be prepared to get grounded if you do that again.” He’s thirty and we still laugh about that. :-)

He’s right about that.