calvinball

Here's a compilation of Calvinball "rules" through the years. Of course, they are all open to interpretation and contradiction...


The Official Rules of Calvinball


1.1. All players must wear a Calvinball mask (See Calvinball Equipment - 2.1). No one questions the masks (Figure 2.1).


*IMPORTANT -- The following rules are subject to be changed, amended, or dismissed by any player(s) involved.


1.2. Any player may declare a new rule at any point in the game (Figure 1.2). The player may do this audibly or silently depending on what zone (Refer to Rule 1.5) the player is in.


1.3. A player may use the Calvinball (See Calvinball Equipment - 2.2)in any way the player see fits, from causal injury to self-reward.


1.4. Any penalty legislation may be in the form of pain, embarassment, or any other abasement the rulee deems fit to impose on his opponent.


1.5. The Calvinball Field (See Calvinball Equipment - 2.3) should consist of areas, or zones, which are governed by a set of rules declared spontaneously and inconsistently by players. Zones may be appear and disappear as often and wherever the player decides. Zones are often named for their effect. For example, a corollary zone would enable a player to make a corollary (sub-rule) to any rule that has benn, will be, or might be declared. A pernicious poem place would require the intruder to do what the name implies. Or an opposite zone would enable a player to declare reverse playibility on the others. (Remember, the player would declare this zone oppositely by not declaring it.) (Figure 1.5a and 1.5b)


1.6. Flags (Calvinball Equipment 2.3) shall be named by players whom shall also assign the power and rules which shall govern that flag for particular moment in that particular game(Figure 1.6).


1.7. Songs are an integral part of Calvinball and verses must be sung spontaneously through the game when randomly assigned events occur. These random events will be named and pointed out after the player causes the event.



1.8. Score may be kept or disregarded. In the event that score is kept, it shall have no bearing on the game nor shall it have any logical consistency to it. (Legal scores include 'Q to 12', 'BW-109 to YU-34, and 'Nosebleed to Trousers'.) (Figure 1.9)


1.9. Any rule above that is carried out during the course of the game may never be used again in the event that it causes the same result as a previous game. Calvinball games may never be played the same way twice (Figure 1.9)





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Calvinball Equipment

2.1. Mask - All participants are required to wear a mask - Figure 1.1


2.2. Calvinball - A Calvinball may be a soccerball, volleyball, or any other reasonable or unreasonable, spherical or non-spherical object - Figure 2.1a and Figure 2.1b




2.3. Calvinball Field - The Calvinball Field should be any well-sized field, preferably with trees, rocks, grass, creeks, and other natural hindrances to health.


2.4. Miscellaneous - Other optional equipment include flags, wickets (especially of the time-fracture variety), and anything else the players wish to include (Figure 2.4).







** This rulebook is not required, nor necessary to play Calvinball. Special Thanks to the Calvinball Founders Bill Watterson, Calvin, and Hobbes.

q's and a's

Questions and Answers

Do you have any affiliation with Calvin and Hobbes?
No, I do not. I am simply another fan with another site.

How can I contact Bill Watterson, the author of Calvin and Hobbes?
Sorry, you can't. Mr. Watterson is a deeply personal man and his syndicate does not forward mail to him. I'd like to envision him painting in his studio in the mornings over a bagel, while spending time with friends and family in the evenings.

Can you find the comic strip where ______________?
I wish I could help everyone, but I simply don't have the time to find specific comics. I think there exists some searchable C & H databases out there that may help. Sorry.

Why did you create this site?
I created this website because I really enjoy Calvin and Hobbes, thought the web was a good place to share this with other fans, and found many other sites all using the same content and comics.

complete calvin and hobbes books

I compiled a series of weird facts and characters from the entire Calvin and Hobbes collection. Get one of your C & H books and check for yourself. Page number and weird fact shown below...


The Complete Calvin and Hobbes - 2005 - 1440 pages, Black and White/Color (Sunday Strips). The complete compendium of all Calvin and Hobbes strips all in one beaautiful box set.

Calvin and Hobbes Sunday Pages 1985-1995 - 2002 - 95 pages, Selected color strips from the Calvin and Hobbes comics(Sunday Strips).

It's A Magical World - 1996 - 176 pages, Black and White/Color (Sunday Strips). Last book of original comics.

There's Treasure Everywhere - 1996 - 176 pages, Black and White/Color (Sunday Strips).

The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book - 1995 - 208 pages, Black and White/Color (Sunday Strips). Contains selected (by Bill Watterson) strips from 1985 to 1995 with commentaries on individual strips and several essays on every aspect of Calvin and Hobbes, from syndicates to the characters. A must have.

Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat - 1994 - 176 pages, Black and White/Color (Sunday Strips).

The Calvin and hobbes Lazy Sunday Book: A Collection of Sunday Calvin and Hobbes Comics - 1989 - 128 pages, All Color. Collection of Sunday strips from first five books. Includes 10 page story, "Spaceman Spiff: Interplanetary Explorer Extraordinaire". Afterword by Bill Watterson.

The Days Are Just Packed - 1993 - 176 pages, Black and White/Color (Sunday Strips). New, larger book format with colored Sunday strips.

Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Snow Goons - 1992 - 128 pages, Black and White

The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes - 1992 - 256 pages, Black and White/Color (Sunday Strips). Compiles The Revenge of the Baby-Sat and Scientific Progress Goes "Boink". Includes several illustrated poems.

The Revenge of the Baby-Sat - 1991 - 128 pages, Black and White

Scientific Progress Goes "Boink" - 1991 - 128 pages, Black and White

The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury - 1990 - 256 pages, Black and White/Color (Sunday Strips). Compiles Yukon Ho! and Weirdos From Another Planet! Includes 7 page story in which Calvin transmogrifies into an elephant.

Weirdos From Another Planet! - 1990 - 128 pages, Black and White

Yukon Ho! - 1989 - 128 pages, Black and White. Includes the Yukon Song.

The Essential Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury - 1988 - 256 pages, Black and White/Color (Sunday Stips). Compiles Calvin and Hobbes and Something Under the Bed is Drooling. Includes 12-page "A Nauseous Nocturne" poem. Foreword by Charles Schultz

Something Under the Bed is Drooling - 1988 - 128 pages, Black and White. Foreword by Pat Oliphant

Calvin and Hobbes - 1987 - 128 pages, Black and White. Foreword by Garry Trudeau.

weirdness

The Essential Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin and Hobbes and Something Under the Bed is Drooling)
19 The very first Calvin and Hobbes of course. Explains (kind of) Hobbes origin.
25 Susie is introduced as the new girl at Calvin's school.
38 A one-time occurence - Hobbes gives Calvin a sloppy kiss.
44 The school principal is named -- Mr. Spittle.
53 We all know about Spaceman Spiff and Stupendous Man ... but what about Captain Napalm and his only strip appearance.
81 Did you know Calvin is multilingual? He speaks Spanish here.
88 Another one time occurence - Susie asks Calvin for an answer.
96 In it is Calvin's babysitter, Rosalyn. But wait a second. On the C & H official site (www.calvinandhobbes.com), Rosalyn has brown hair. So is the blond one pictured here Rosalyn's sister, or did Rosalyn dye her hair later in the strips? Hmmm....
101 Calvin actually kisses Susie.
125 Here, a strip implies that Calvin took piano lessons...
144 Like all good American boys, Calvin was once in the boy scouts.
154 One sad commentary on Hobbes. He uses 'Mickey Mouse' and 'cool' in the same sentence. On top of that he's wearing Mickey Mouse pants.
163 A one-time appearance of a Gym Instructor that was replaced later by Mr. Lockjaw.
173 YES, Calvin IS a Star Wars fan. He even mentions Jabba the Hutt in a strip.
180 A small mention of an old Calvin babysitter, Amy. What ever happened to her?
204 The only occurence where someone ages in the strip (Susie).
225 This is peculiar. Calvin and Hobbes hide under the bed, yet there are no monsters. Perhaps Calvin's monsters are nomadic.
238 The only teacher substitute we ever see.
241 In the bottom strip here, Calvin brings a bag of noodles to school. Could this have been the origin of the 'Noodle Incident' allegations?






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The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes (Yukon Ho! and Weirdos From Another Planet)
25/26 Here we see Calvin's Dad in his high rise skyscraper office. This proves Calvin lives near a big city.
65 Captain Nitro - another one of Calvin's comic heroes.
74 Multilingual Calvin again. Sprechen sie Deustch?
84 Calvin plays not only the piano, but the saxophone as well. (He's such a child progeny)
88 Monotonous strip -- the picture is the same in every panel.
105 Only mention of a Calvin's horrible "salmander incident". I wonder....
108 Hobbes gets some credit in this strip and signs his name next to Watterson's at the bottom.
115-8 Uncle Max's cameo appearance with Calvin.
129 Only strip ever without a drawing of Calvin, Hobbes, Susie, Dad, or Mom.
163 I believe this is the longest word of Calvin's extensive vocabulary -- Australopithecus.
199 Hobbes has a left hand mitt the whole strip until he throws it -- then it's a right hand mitt. Strange.
213 One of only two single-panel Sunday Strips ever.
229 The top strip here got C & H kicked out of a newspaper as Watterson tells us in the 10th Anniversary book.

The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes (Revenge of the Baby-Sat and Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink')
60 Did you know Susie is left-handed?
78 G.R.O.S.S. is officially formed. It was almost called the "The Sinister Icy Black Hand of Death Club." T.S.I.B.H.O.D.C. just doesn't sound right anyways.
101 Though Hobbes is an advocate of Mickey Mouse pants, Calvin is a obviously anti-Disney as shown in a derogatory remark about Jiminy Cricket.
117 Calvin is a Batman fan...yes!
119 Those nomadic monsters under the bed are gone again.
132 The only time C & H are shown playing chess.
155 Calvin may not like Jiminy Cricket, but he heartily enjoys Bugs Bunny.
166 Well, this strip confirms that Moe is not the only glandular freak in first grade.
176 The only other 1-panel Sunday strip.
188 Here, the middle strip contains something really strange. Seven Calvins are shown, yet only six should've been there (Calvin + 5 duplicates). And stranger still, the extra has no stripes on his shirt. A ghost perhaps?....
207 One of the only ever shown 'friends' of Calvin's Mom and Dad.
211 Another one-time mention of a comic book character -- Nuke-Man.
229 Appearance of Mr. Lockjaw -- gym teacher.

Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons
All The Sunday strips in this book are black and white and most can be found nowhere in color.
7 Calvin speaks French also! "Naïf" is the French masculine for naive.
26 The largest daily strip -- 7 panels.
50 How did Calvin learn Spanish, German, and French? Well, he studied Latin first ("Doofus Ignoramus")
74 Calvin in glasses. Strange.
93 This strip was drawn when Watterson's cat, Sprite, died. Sprite was the model for Hobbes. (Read about it in the Tenth Anniversary Book)

113 Here in the bottom right panel, Calvin and the Hobbes actually look out to us, the reader, and speak to us. A good proof that Hobbes is not just a stuffed animal.







The Days Are Just Packed
13 Do you know the G.R.O.S.S. national anthem? It's right here.
16 Calvin and Hobbes talk to us again.
68 Bill drawing Calvin drawing Calvin.
87 Here's an insight into character. When two Calvins get together, they argue. Two Hobbes... they get along perfectly.
95 Calvin says his mom doesn't let him play with guns, but we've seen him before. Is his Dad more lenient, or did his parents get stricter with time.
115 Two more comic characters - Captain Steroid and Amazon Girl.
132 You can see two pairs of monster eyes in this strip here. Maurice and Winslow, no doubt.
162 Calvin has blue socks. Just thought you'd like to know.

Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat
11 Exactly what is Hobbes whispering here?
19 Ms. Wormwood smokes.
19 Hobbes makes a reference reminiscent to old Batman shows. Just another reason to believe that Calvin and Hobbes are Batman fans.
72 Here's where the letters of "Stupendous" man are explained.
101 We all know that Calvin is a poor student, yet this is the only time he is shown to get an "F", compared to two times he was given an "A".
109 Most words ever in a strip.
172 Have you ever seen those "No Fear" shirts with the saying "It's not the pace of life I mind. It's the sudden stop at the end."? Well it was taken from Hobbes.

There's Treasure Everywhere
40 Rare enough -- Calvin gets an "A".
59 Here we see that Calvin is the first pickup on the school bus route.
66 Calvin imagines up a brother and calls him .... Melville?
102 Susie's mom makes an appearance....
104 Not only is this strip drawn like a comicbook, but under Bill's signature is a list of artistic credits.
168 Ultra cleaning detergent Wiz Fiz©, the brand that Calvin's mom uses.







It's a Magical World
9 The only G.R.O.S.S. meeting not in the treehouse.
41 There are 23 pictures of Calvin (or what I assume to be Calvin) in this strip!
42 Calvin's class has a substitute -- Mr. Kneecapper.
52 Our first look at the computer in Calvin's household. It appears to be an IBM compatible. Looks like Calvin's dad was smart enough not to buy a Mac.
53 A whopping 43 panels.
93 We see from the text in this strip that Watterson is pretty computer literate, using phrases like "Hit F1 for help" and 'Dialog Box.'
98 The only episode of Rosalyn and Calvin where they get along.
119 The introduction of two new specific characters, aliens Galaxoid and Nebular.
129 Only six colors were used in this entire strip.
165 And so ends the "Calvin and Hobbes Decade." Let's go exploring .....



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