Calvinized!

What would you rather be, if you can go back to your childhood, when you were just six years old? Spaceman Spiff - Interplanetary explorer worldwide, or Stupendous Man or a giant T.Rex? or Calvin? I know the answer. You'd want to be Calvin, only then you can also be the things mentioned above as your alter ego!

Back in 1985, when Bill Watterson started writing this comic strip, everyone probably thought it'll be just another stereotype comic strip like the others, where you'll laugh your brains out and forget all about it. Well, the best thing about Calvin and Hobbes is probably the degree of maturity and wit required by its readers to digest it's true meaning. Though Calvin is only six, do you think all the jokes can be understood by an average six year old? I even find a lot of grown-ups stumble in understanding some of the portions. The maturity level of this comic strip declares the unanimous challenge - "Are you brilliant enough to understand the brilliance of Calvin & Hobbes?"

Though a brilliant and thought provoking kid, Calvin finds it really difficult when it comes to Math, like most school kids. He usually hates kids and school and the education system in general ("Why waste time learning, when ignorance is spontaneous?") Through Calvin, Watterson has depicted a wide range of opinions in socio-political, psychological topics, even sensitive topics like education ("I don;t need to study! I don't need to learn!") and environment ("Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."). Calvin's hatred for education & the apparent bluntness of the education system reminds me of Pink Floyd's view on wrong education ("We don't need no education, We don't need no thought control"). But in the end it's Calvin's mischief mongering is all that matters! It’s from the little guy that I've learned so many ways to crack a joke on someone!

What about Calvinosophy - the peculiar philosophy of Calvin on different topics? Yes, i am talking about the kid who can easily say ""Life's disappointments are harder to take when you don't know any swear words."! An hour or two of free time, one cup of coffee with one of Calvin's favorite snacks (cookie!) and a twisted weird mind of his might help me jot down the philosophy in my own word. Let's see.