The Essential Calvin and Hobbes

Jump into the earliest adventures of an extraordinary duo— mischievous Calvin and his sardonic tiger Hobbes.  It’s tuna fish traps, time travel, snowman armies, and schoolyard woes—blending sharp wit, wild imagination, and heartfelt moments in every strip.

The Essential Calvin and Hobbes is the perfect introduction to one of the most beloved comic strips of all time. This treasury brings together the first two Calvin and Hobbes collections—Calvin and Hobbes and Something Under the Bed Is Drooling— covering November 18, 1985 to May 23, 1987. The treasury begins with a foreword by Charles M. Schulz, along with a bonus 16-page full-color story exclusive and the illustrated poem, "A Nauseous Nocturne." 

A mix of classic black-and-white daily strips and vividly colored Sunday comics showcases Bill Watterson’s incredible artistic range and sharp, timeless humor. With over 250 pages, this collection captures the essence of childhood imagination, rebellion, and curiosity through the unforgettable duo of Calvin, a wildly inventive six-year-old, and Hobbes, his loyal (and sometimes ferocious) stuffed tiger.

Features include:

• Includes first two collections: Calvin and Hobbes and Something Under the Bed Is Drooling
• Bonus 16-page full-color story and illustrated poem
• Foreword by Charles M. Schulz
• Mix of black-and-white dailies and full-color Sunday strips
• Covers strips from Nov 1985 to May 1987

The brilliance of Calvin and Hobbes lies not only in its comedy but also in its depth. Watterson uses everyday moments—battles over bathtime, awkward school photos, epic snowball fights—to explore bigger ideas about friendship, family, creativity, and the wonderful weirdness of growing up. Whether Calvin is zipping through time in a cardboard box-turned-time machine, creating mutant snowmen in the yard, or musing about life’s meaning under the stars, the strip strikes a rare balance between laugh-out-loud funny and unexpectedly profound. Hobbes, with his dry wit and tiger-like instincts, is the perfect foil to Calvin’s chaos, grounding their friendship in warmth and wonder.

A must-have for longtime fans and new readers of all ages, The Essential Calvin and Hobbes is not just a comic collection—it’s a celebration of imagination, wit, and the endurance of a boy and his tiger navigating the world, trying to make sense of it, one outrageous adventure at a time.