Calvin
Calvin is named for a sixteenth-century theologian who believed in
predestination. Most people assume that Calvin is based on a son of
mine, or based on detailed memories of my own childhood. In fact, I
don’t have children, and I was a fairly quiet, obedient kid—almost
Calvin’s opposite. One of the reasons that Calvin’s character is fun
to write is that I often don’t agree with him.
Calvin is autobiographical in the sense that he thinks about the same
issues that I do, but in this, Calvin reflects my adulthood more than
my childhood. Many of Calvin’s struggles are metaphors for my own. I
suspect that most of us get old without growing up, and that inside
every adult (sometimes not very far inside) is a bratty kid who wants
everything his own way. I use Calvin as an outlet for my immaturity,
as a way to keep myself curious about the natural world, as a way to
ridicule my own obsessions, and as a way to comment on human nature. I
wouldn’t want Calvin in my house, but on paper, he helps me sort
through my life and understand it.
Hobbes
Named after a seventeenth-century
philosopher with a dim view of human nature, Hobbes has the patient
dignity and common sense of most animals I’ve met. Hobbes was very
much inspired by one of our cats, a gray tabby named Sprite. Sprite
not only provided the long body and facial characteristics for
Hobbes, she also was the model for his personality. She was
good-natured, intelligent, friendly, and enthusiastic in a
sneaking-up-and-pouncing sort of way. Sprite suggested the idea of
Hobbes greeting Calvin at the door in midair at high velocity.
With most cartoon animals, the humor comes from their humanlike
behavior. Hobbes stands upright and talks of course, but I try to
preserve his feline side, both in his physical demeanor and his
attitude. His reserve and tact seem very catlike to me, along with
his barely contained pride in not being human. Like Calvin, I often
prefer the company of animals to people, and Hobbes is my idea of an
ideal friend. The so-called “gimmick” of my strip—the two versions
of Hobbes—is sometimes misunderstood. I don’t think of Hobbes as a
doll that miraculously comes to life when Calvin’s around. Neither
do I think of Hobbes as the product of Calvin’s imagination. Calvin
sees Hobbes one way, and everyone else sees Hobbes another way. I
show two versions of reality, and each makes complete sense to the
participant who sees it. I think that’s how life works. None of us
sees the world exactly the same way, and I just draw that literally
in the strip. Hobbes is more about the subjective nature of reality
than about dolls coming to life.
