Today’s strip reminds me of the marvellous story arc in which Calvin and Hobbes travelled two hours into the future by using the cardboard box as their time machine rather than their duplicator. We had two versions of Calvin and two of Hobbes.
Calvin and Calvin then travelled back an hour to meet another future Calvin after the earlier Calvin came Back From The Future. A fight nearly broke out between the first two Calvins but the mid-Calvin said to the earliest Calvin, “Go ahead and hit me! My future self is the one who’ll feel my pain.”
Meanwhile the two versions of Hobbes were interacting with each other an hour in the future as the time-travelling Hobbes had stayed with the future Hobbes. This was the only time we saw the living Hobbes interacting with someone other than Calvin since Calvin seems to be the only character Hobbes can interact with. As Bill Watterson has explained, it isn’t that Hobbes isn’t alive when other people are watching him but that they see him as a stuffed doll.
Eventually, the two Calvins went Back To The Future and were re-united with the earlier Hobbes and the later Hobbes. The earlier Calvin and Hobbes returned to the past and the story arc continued with the later Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin showed that he was unaware of what Hobbes had been up to while he had been an hour in the past.
If we could enter the strip and interview Susie, Calvin’s Mom, the school teacher, etc. would any of them report having these experiences with “good Calvin”? In other words, did Calvin actually take a bath, comb his hair, eat healthy cereal, do his homework early in the evening, visit Susie, etc. etc. Just to act out this fantasy? Or, did Calvin sit in his room and imagine all of this fantasy without interacting with any of the other folks?
I just noticed the near reflection of the two in the third panel. Faces, hands, body position…. The “alter ego” thing has been done before but not with this attention to detail. Genius, I tell ya!
Okay, this really went over the edge. I used to work with a guy who was a veitnam vet. He had mental issues. One day, at his locker, he got in an argument with himself. He lost the argument. He got different medication, and did a lot better.
BE THIS GUY over 3 years ago
More surreal than existential.
Minecraft Pro (simp detective. over 3 years ago
Prediction that is 100% correct cause am mod: Reversed Calvin is gonna do something bad which makes him disappear.
codycab over 3 years ago
Good or not, Calvin makes a terrible “Jiminy Cricket”.
ImDaRealAni over 3 years ago
Is this called a 3rd wheel, Hobbes?
Foxtrot snowday ('Sup Roblox peeps) over 3 years ago
Good Calvin is breaking his code!
dadthedawg Premium Member over 3 years ago
Is Hobbes going to break up the fight?…..
eolan59 over 3 years ago
Stop hitting yourself
wykstrad over 3 years ago
There are three fundamental story types that recur across all cultures:- Calvin vs. Hobbes- Calvin vs. Society- Calvin vs. Calvin
Robin Harwood over 3 years ago
Even Calvin’s good side has its limits.
Vivi <333 over 3 years ago
LOL
TwilightFaze over 3 years ago
The battle of good vs. evil.
bluram over 3 years ago
Paul Hetherington over 3 years ago
Said the imaginary tiger!
GreggW Premium Member over 3 years ago
Wow, like that scene in Superman III where contaminated, made nasty Superman takes on his conscience or whatever.
wrloftis over 3 years ago
Today’s Barney & Clyde: https://www.gocomics.com/barneyandclyde/2021/03/29
BigDaveGlass over 3 years ago
Reminds me of a “Star Trek” episode…..
Carolyn Saunders over 3 years ago
Time for Hobbes to go get a smoochie from Suzie
Troglodyte over 3 years ago
No winners here.
jagedlo over 3 years ago
Calvin’s not-so-civil war…
jrankin1959 over 3 years ago
LOVE Hobbes’ comment!
tremaine53 over 3 years ago
It’s classic “good vs. evil”, Hobbes. It doesn’t get any more existential than this!
Doug Taylor Premium Member over 3 years ago
This is turning into a Star Trek episode.
tripwire45 over 3 years ago
Didn’t this happen to Captain Kirk in a transporter accident a long time ago?
A Hip loving Canadian... over 3 years ago
Them’s fighting words!
vaughnrl2003 Premium Member over 3 years ago
I thought opposites attracted? Maybe Calvin isn’t all that opposite. …just contrary.
Nyckname over 3 years ago
Judging by the words that he puts in Hobbes’ mouth, he’s always wrestling with his conscience.
Earnestly Frank over 3 years ago
Things will be OK. Don’t beat yourself up over it.
Calvinist1966 over 3 years ago
Today’s strip reminds me of the marvellous story arc in which Calvin and Hobbes travelled two hours into the future by using the cardboard box as their time machine rather than their duplicator. We had two versions of Calvin and two of Hobbes.
Calvin and Calvin then travelled back an hour to meet another future Calvin after the earlier Calvin came Back From The Future. A fight nearly broke out between the first two Calvins but the mid-Calvin said to the earliest Calvin, “Go ahead and hit me! My future self is the one who’ll feel my pain.”
Meanwhile the two versions of Hobbes were interacting with each other an hour in the future as the time-travelling Hobbes had stayed with the future Hobbes. This was the only time we saw the living Hobbes interacting with someone other than Calvin since Calvin seems to be the only character Hobbes can interact with. As Bill Watterson has explained, it isn’t that Hobbes isn’t alive when other people are watching him but that they see him as a stuffed doll.
Eventually, the two Calvins went Back To The Future and were re-united with the earlier Hobbes and the later Hobbes. The earlier Calvin and Hobbes returned to the past and the story arc continued with the later Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin showed that he was unaware of what Hobbes had been up to while he had been an hour in the past.
petermerck over 3 years ago
Norman lost out to his mother. Will Calvin lose to mr. Goody goody? I doubt it.
Otis Rufus Driftwood over 3 years ago
Watterson went deep with this one didn’t he?
JudyHendrickson over 3 years ago
And now will the real Calvin please stand up?
Bookworm over 3 years ago
I think, therefor I am. Dammit.
gantech over 3 years ago
So, could one conclude from this that given sufficient stress and provocation, “good Calvin” could revert back to the original?
ChessPirate over 3 years ago
Have you ever noticed that in TV shows and movies where someone meets “himself” (Time Traveler, Clone, whatever…), they almost never get along… ☺
flagmichael over 3 years ago
“Who are you calling a jerk…?” I’m calling me a jerk, and by that I mean you.
Ken in Ohio over 3 years ago
If we could enter the strip and interview Susie, Calvin’s Mom, the school teacher, etc. would any of them report having these experiences with “good Calvin”? In other words, did Calvin actually take a bath, comb his hair, eat healthy cereal, do his homework early in the evening, visit Susie, etc. etc. Just to act out this fantasy? Or, did Calvin sit in his room and imagine all of this fantasy without interacting with any of the other folks?
DanWolfie over 3 years ago
So much for the clone being Calvin’s good side now! I love those cartoonish-looking fights the strip often features…
CeceliaWD Premium Member over 3 years ago
This could be the ultimate Calvin and Hobbes. Mic drop.
johndifool over 3 years ago
Love = Hate
And Death = Fate
An Enemy always = An Adorer
But Priest = Aura
But Life = Time
And Time = Space
And Space = Sublime
And Human = Race
Oh and Woman = Man
And Part = Pan
The Fauna ought to = The Flora
But Priest = Aura
And Beginning = The End
And the End always = The Start
But Straight = Bent
The Mind sometimes = The Heart
And You = Me
The Land = The Sea
Richer = Poorer
And Priest = Aura
Calvins Brother over 3 years ago
Kinda like The Outer Limits or Twilight Zone.
hornacek over 3 years ago
Getting some big “The Enemy Within” vibes here, except Calvin wasn’t split into good and evil versions – his original self is the evil version.
dadlivonia over 3 years ago
isn’t this the Singularity?
kathleenhicks62 over 3 years ago
Good vs evil-what is this “Star Wars”?
flagmichael over 3 years ago
I just noticed the near reflection of the two in the third panel. Faces, hands, body position…. The “alter ego” thing has been done before but not with this attention to detail. Genius, I tell ya!
Joseph Orr over 3 years ago
This is how the movie “Fight Club” was born.
DCBakerEsq over 3 years ago
I ran into my goody-goody doppelgänger once, but he was pretty cool. He even loaned me fifty bucks.
Spence12 Premium Member over 3 years ago
Only Calvin could bring out the badness of his completely-good side.
cracker65 over 3 years ago
Okay, this really went over the edge. I used to work with a guy who was a veitnam vet. He had mental issues. One day, at his locker, he got in an argument with himself. He lost the argument. He got different medication, and did a lot better.
uniquename over 3 years ago
I always loved Hobbes’ comment at the end.
NoSleepTil_BKLYN over 3 years ago
This fight’s been a long time coming for this kid!
Santaanacanyon1 over 3 years ago
Ha! Fitting punchline at panel four.
MikeM_inMD over 3 years ago
I’m glad to see that good-side Calvin can put up a fight in righteous anger, unlike in the Star Trek episode where Kirk got split.
hmvanyel over 3 years ago
Isn’t this when Spock comes out and gives the Vulcan Nerve Pinch to the “Good” Calvin?
WCraft Premium Member over 3 years ago
So…it’s kind of like the original Series Star Trek: “Let this be your last battlefield?”
edonline over 3 years ago
Wondering Mom and Dad would be seeing if they were looking out the window – Calvin punching himself while rolling on the ground?
Scoutmaster77 over 3 years ago
Every time-travel story ever written…
cleokaya over 3 years ago
Now I know where the expression “don’t go beating yourself up “ originated
kmccjoe1 over 3 years ago
Popeye still has Calvin beat when ol’ Squint-Eye declaims, “I yam what I yam!” Dioscoreas everywhere rejoice!
evanmarhews over 3 years ago
i fight my good side and bad side all the time !!
hagarthehorrible over 3 years ago
Thus goes thr fight between the good and the bad.
redback over 3 years ago
it may change the world, right up there with the Bernoulli Convergenator