Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for April 27, 2024

I’m surprised that Calvin’s Mom did not take him up on it.

Hobbes would probably object to your idea too, Calvin.

Just another racy idea…..

Surely Hobbes can pounce at a speed faster than 55 MPH.

Ask her about a motorcycle next time

Hobbes just wants to beep the horn.

So, Calvin, there’s this activity called “water skiing”, which is just what you described, only on water.

Calvin should thank his mom for saving his life.

I believe Mom may be seriously considering Calvin’s suggestion. But she’s afraid of being arrested—and of losing a tax deduction!

There wouldn’t be much left of the little monster at the end of that “experiment”!!!

That would be a great TikTok video now

On Worlds Dumbest they showed a kid gonna do that, truck lid up, I think they got about 4’ before the trunk lid bopped the kid on his noggin. I think he went and got stitches

Going downhill on your wagon not doing it for you any more?

During the winter we’d just grab the bumper of the school bus and let the feet do the sliding. Yeah, we got in trouble for it. but Worth the Effort.

Sorry Calvin, but leave that to the professional idiots; like the ones from that TV show Jack*ss.

Ignoring the concept of how would you come to a reasonable stop and ignoring things like inertia and momentum, that does sound like fun

Just go play in the street instead.

I wonder what happened to my old Smith Corona…

Calvin has such an active imagination, he could do it another way.

Calvin couldn’t even get Sammy Hagar to agree to that stunt! (You kids, Google it!)

“High five”? Shouldn’t that be “thumbs up”?

Surely not his worst idea ever.

Ah, dear Calvin. What goes in here (point to head), comes out there (point to mouth). My favorite saying for when You Just Don’t THINK!!

Good idea! Get mom going down the road at 55, then, snap a hard Left!!

Love Mom’s look in 3rd panel. So typical of one whose tolerance has reached a certain point.

And then i found out jumping off a roof with an umbrella didn’t work either.

Mom doesn’t seem to be impressed.

Well, doctor, it seemed like a good idea at the time

Aren’t you still grounded for giving Rosalyn a hard time… again?

Hey, Calvin reaches pretty high speeds on that wagon of his. I think that’s good enough.

I am 76 years old, “Patch Out” is what we did back in the 60’s.

;

Strange computer…

Do you have any idea what 55 mph will do to those wimpy little roller skate bearings?

Looks like mom had everything under control with a simple, calm “No.”

Moms are spoilsports like that sometimes.

“Patching out”…..a 60’s phrase for laying rubber.

Obviously Calvin never saw the ending to the film, Roll, Freddy, Roll.

When I was a kid we hung 3 sleighs behind my young cousin´s car and had a ride on a snowy road. Did he ever get in trouble with my father!!

Roslyn would let him…

That’s ok, Spaceman Spiff will take him out at light speed!

Once in a great while Calvin has a good idea.

This isn’t one of them.

Sounds like fun

Mom was not impressed.

In the first panel, wouldn’t mom say Why, instead of Do what? Surely she understands what “Go to the highway” means. She needs to understand Why he wants to go to the highway.

It is all fun until Mom slams on the brakes and Calvin crashes into the back of the car at 55 mph. Ouch!

It’s all the same stuff you see on the highway anyway; after the initial adrenaline rush, you just get bored.

What is that thing that Calvin’s Mom is using?

Skitchin’ Buffalo.

Parents aren’t any fun, anymore. They have to keep their kids out of trouble lest they be charged with child indangerment. I don’t think those laws were in effect when I was young. I rarely remember when my mother stopping me from doing something stupid, though. As a nurse working the night shift, she was asleep most of the day. I had tons of fun. Whatever didn’t kill me made me hunger for the next dangerously stupid act. Somehow, as luck would have it, I survived my childhood.

I used to repair typewriters.

Wem used to hang off the tailgate of the truck and burn our tennis shoes on the pavement. Went through a couple of pairs of shoes I did not like that way. I think I was nine or ten at the time. Oh the 1970’s before the age of helicopter parenting. Now if you just let the dogs ride in the back of the truck down to the corner gas station to fill up the cans, some Karen wants to call the Police on you.

I am sure Mom had ideas of kicking Calvin out of the car at more than 55 mph.

Grounded for life?

And then later when Calvin asks his Mom if he can learn to parachute from an airplane, the Mom just comments he should just play “chicken” on the railroad tracks, as a cheaper way to toy with death.

Is Calvin’s mom using a typewriter? This strip must be an old reprint.

Patch out???? I’ve heard of peel out but not patch out.

A healthy tiger can achieve sprints of around 40 mph. That should be fast enough to give Calvin the thrill he’s seeking.

Mom is still using a typewriter?

My dad grew up in NYC in the 1920s. He and his friends sometimes put on their roller skates and grabbed the bumpers of cars for a ride. They didn’t get to go 55, city traffic.

Was this created when cars actually had separate bumpers— as opposed to ones that were sort of built as part of the car?

Ok, there is no way on God’s green earth this kid would ever be afraid of a silly bicycle, he would embrace it, he’d be a terror on on, get out the way here comes Calvin, BANZAI!!! LOL

Sometimes I forget how old this strip is. Then I see Calvin’s mom using a typewriter, and I am reminded.

I “drove” a riding lawnmower towed behind a truck when I was in my early teens. I’m not sure what our top speed was, but it was probably about 25 mph. In retrospect, I have to really question my dad’s judgement on this.

What ever you do Mom, don’t let Calvin see “Back To The Future”……he’ll want a Hover Board.

What could possibly go wrong?

I’d like to do it with him, but no skates. Just go for a drag.

Calvin, Calvin, you know your mom is going to need to do 80 to keep up with traffic, don’t be such a coward

Tigers can run pretty fast

Do it. It’ll save future hassles