Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for March 06, 2010

Must have been quite a sight…

Spaceman Spiff never had a chance. Super Mom strikes again.

Good morning, Marg

Mom’s had lots of practice, Calvin.

she’s THE MOM after all…

Cleared the hedge!

‘Morning, Grog!

Oh, the mental pictures ARE priceless!!! Thank you, Mr. Watterson.

It’s amazing how much energy our mothers have when it comes to chasing their kids. I remember my mother chasing me for three blocks once before she finally caught me – to this day, I marvel at how fast she was!

Oh, and Calvin? One of the life’s lessons I learned as a result of that incident was NEVER to run from my mother, because I always got it worse when she caught me. In fact, that was one of three things that I learned the hard way never to do: 1. Never lie to my mother; 2. never talk back to my mother; and 3. NEVER run away from my mother so that she had to chase after me – when she said (in that certain tone of voice that all children know well), “Come here,” I went – or else!

Zogwargs have always done well in the Olympics.

You mean Zogwarg Queens have always done well in the Olympics….the kids - not so much!

Mom’s are really fast they can even catch whats’s going on in your mind!

Mom’s are the real super-athletes of the world, human or Zogwarg Queen, but they get no recognition for their abilities and accomplishments.

I’m surprised he can sit. If that had been me and my Mom I wouldn’t be sitting.

How about a Calvin wake-up moment for Mother’s Day -just once this year let him feel love for his Mom. In real life parents are not just comic kid police enemies! You show his parents as constantly angry while Calvin is zestfully defiant.

That said, I am wistful that I did not have the great adventures in my childhood that naughty Calvin and Imaginary Hobbes have.

Could have been worse Calvin, You could have had your pants pulled down and been spanked in front of the neighbors, including Susie.

Lewreader: My kid would have had that experience!!! It’s a learning method and it works!!!

Oh, boy, I can see the angry crowd in a few minutes chastizing lewreader, JDG and me too, for saying that a properly applied spanking works!! (notice the operating words “properly applied”).

As the proud parent of three successful children who are not traumatized in any way, shape or form and who were spanked properly when they deserved it, I am a firmly believer it works.

Now, let the criticizing begin!!!

On the other hand, it is marvelous how in the first three panels Calvin and Susie seem to be having the same conversaation. In the last panel it is obvious they are taking it from totally opposite perspectives: Calvin believes Susie is with him, Susie is aghast at what Calvin did..

Maybe it wasn´t a zogwarg queen following Spiff, maybe it was Arch-mom, the némesis of Stupendous Man, and with her superpowers she was able to fly over the hedge….

And my eldest son is up for parole next year after serving four years of a 15-year sentence for “injury to a child” when he smacked his 10-year-old son once on the butt (there were witnesses). It all depends on how much local influence and money your ex-wife’s father has.

Hold up here. Hobbes is imaginary? Next there will be a rumor there is no Easter Bunny !

Hobbesbud said, about 1 hour ago Hold up here. Hobbes is imaginary? Next there will be a rumor there is no Easter Bunny !

No way, Dude. I just saw him on a Diet Dr. Pepper commercial.

Calvin, just wait until you get home if you think this morning was bad. Start giving your Mother some respect—boy!!!

Come to think of it, Mom does look a little like SIgourney Weaver.

”Calvin, the Ultimate Fitness Regime!”

(Someone should patent and market him!!)

Clearing the hedge to catch Calvin. Just another one of lifes hurdles for mom.

In Calvin’s neighborhood, I’m betting they’d pay to see him get the switch.

She does look like she’s built for the long runs though.

There are times when nothing else works like a swift smack on the butt. Esp if reasoning fails.

When my son was a toddler, I could out run him wearing a pair of 3 inch heels.

…yawn..

Notice that Calvin confides to Suzie his true intentions. He just wanted to skip school. Spaceman Spiff and the Zogwarg Queen are just a way to make it fun.

Grog said, “Spaceman Spiff never had a chance. Super Mom strikes again.”

I think you mean “The Evil Mom-Lady”

that would been something to see her clearing that hedge,be good when you get home calvin,she’s waiting for you.

c-pig - I got that, too. Good to know he did not actually break with reality.

lonewolf and pintcape are right. the image of mom jumping the hedge is great. now we know why mom and dad are so trim, constantly chasing calvin is good exercise. ( bet mom ran track in school )

Never underestimate a mom with a mission.

“Bad boy, bad boy, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you?”

Believe it, Calvin! Moms doing what’s in their child’s best interests can do anthing they put their minds to.

Sean Ewing, no I did not. I think under the circumstances, Mom is doing a super job with Calvin, as my Mom did with the handfull I was at that age.

I can picture Calvin going over the hedge and Mom right behind . Calvin must be real at least in my imagination

My children are also always surprised that I can outrun them. Grown-ups’ legs are twice as long as yours, kids.

mexdr1958, my sister used to have a “count to three” method before she’d apply the swat (one only, not in anger) to get her child’s attention and cooperation. Once she counted, “One…two…” Daughter said, “Three!” Swat!

Yes, at certain ages, and with certain kids, a swat is very helpful–to get their attention, to remind them of the need to be nice, and so on. But never in anger, and should not be repeated too often. Still, such discipline is necessary at times, at least until other forms mean more. Like instantly going home from wherever you are when they act out–tends to work at any age from about 4 up.

If you’re running from the cops (after many years of practice with Mom), they call it felony evasion, and you will find yourself in a considerably more difficult situation than a school classroom, Calvin…..

Mom’s are very athletic when the need arises.

Bunnyface,

I agree totally with you. There are many different ways to do it. Every differet way should have some elements in common:

Only when necessary, never too often, out of love and not out of anger, hard enough for the child to understand the message, never so hard to produce injury (hematomas, etc), and a few others, including an explanation of the why, and even if the child doesn´t believe it or understand it, to tell him/her you love him/her.

I adore this child!!!!!!!!

Calvin is never spanked or hit in any way by his parents. I think it is a philosophy of Mr Waterson.

Well, Zogwarg legs are three times the height of your entire body. There’s always tomorrow, Spiff. The trick is to not play hookey in your own back yard.

Moms have a gravitational pull that is highly over-looked and under-rated…

My comment about NOT hitting kids got removed, but the pro violence comments remain? Unbelievable! There is no sense to the censors!

We’re at the time-out part of childhood since she’s only 3 years old. I only spanked my son a couple times when he was a kid. I found it wasn’t helpful. It just taught him that hitting was ok and that wasn’t a lesson I wanted him to learn. Instead I found taking away his privledges was much more effective. If he couldn’t go to his friend’s house after school to play or watch tv or play video games, depending on the age, he was less likely to do it again.

My Mama and Daddy occasionally used to spank me through the pants for childhood transgressions. Have managed to grow to age 60 (nearing 61 at end of June) without becoming a serial killer or committing other crimes. Is that meaningful in any way?