Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for August 04, 2023

Mr. Bunny will help her decode it.

What if she’s dyslexic?

Susie will figure it all out and get you Calvin.

I’ve never heard Calvin say “Dear Hobbes” before. Susie might view that as suspicious.

Da Vinci would have been proud!

She’ll probably have a good belly laugh “decoding” that message!!

Okay, here’s a good cryptographic puzzle I learned in my teens that came from the late Robert Morris Sr., former chief scientist with the NSA:

1, 11, 21, 1211, 111221, …

What number is next in the sequence?

Calvin showed much more imagination with the code in the earlier Binky Betsy kidnapping arc. “I’ve given each letter a totally random number so it will be hard to crack.” He told Hobbes the numbers for A and B. Both numbers ran to several digits and B included a fraction. Hobbes started to write “BANANA” using the code.

Methinks that Susie will figure things out. Though maybe too late.

But will he be able to complete the message without mistakes? It’s a difficult change for anyone the first time out.

That fits in so well with Cal’s backward thoughts!

He’s NEVER on earth in school. I’m surprised he CAN write backwords. I guess Spaceman Spiff has a super power.

Actually, I’m surprised he can write FORWARDS.

Back in grade school my friend and I were learning pig latin. We were shocked to find out a teacher understood this “new” made up language.

As a kid, I heard that Leonardo da Vinci wrote backwards. So I tried it. I mastered it but only in cursive.

Unlike Leo, I could not do it left handed while writing forwards with my right hand.

Hobbes says, “Cracking codes is second nature to cool spies like us.” He has a similar delusion to the one Calvin has. In last year’s reprint of the story arc in which Calvin received a coded message, he kept thinking about the coded message in school so didn’t pay attention – as usual – and ended up in the Principal’s Office thinking, “I bet I grow up to be a spy! I’m so aware of what’s going on!”

Of course, the coded message turned out to be the first of several insulting messages which – unsurprisingly – turned out to be from Hobbes. Several readers blamed Susie before it turned out to be Hobbes.

I absolutely loved codes when I was a kid. One time the Scholastic Club had a book of codes & I bought it. I still have it; I have passed it to my daughter who likewise loves codes.

Id I know Suzie like I know Suzie she’ll figure it out and then some.

You and James Bond, Hobbes?

What they wrote is a mirror image instead of simply backwards.

20-8-9-19 23-15-14-20 5-14-4 23-5-12-12…THIS WON’T END WELL (I’d bet).

Pfft! If Susie’s smart enough to crack the code, she’ll obviously be smart enough to see that it’s a trap!

Use-ay Ig-pay Atin-lay. So-ay Easy-ay!

LOL

some people have the ability to read the first and last letter and come up with the words, hope that person doesnt read your statement. LOL

Yes, yes, cool spies!

You gotta love Hobbes….

¡ǝısnS ןןǝʇ ʇ,uo◖

˙ʞɹoʍ ןןᴉʍ sᴉɥʇ sdɐɥɹǝԀ

Careful, a lot of women made spies. Belle Boyd, Mata Hari, Ethel Rosenburg. Maybe not so successful, Hari (r/n, Margaret Zelle) and Rosenburg were caught and executed

Well, Susie is somewhat of an “enigma”. She might just work out the whole plan.

Use invisible ink and leave a pack of matches for Susie to discover

Here’s a message to crack: 7179 8479 7269 7676.

Calvin is a cruel, mean psychopath why are there comics about him?

Congrats to Calvin for being able to write backward letters.

Go on fellas. That lass will take a mirror, decode the message and do exactly opposite to that. Both of you are toast. Never underestimate Susie.