Calvin and Hobbes

Most of my friends know that I am a nutcase when it comes to Calvin and Hobbes ...
I find it tough to identify why I like it so much.
Some of those strips take up entirely new meaning when you know the exact reason behind their creation - the best example being the very last strip.
When I first read it , I did not know that it was the last one , it brought tears into my eyes when I realised that it was the last strip ever ..... the meaning conveyed was suddenly entirely different , made my heart heavy and suddenly I felt all sad and senti with tears in my eyes :(
Similar would be strip 93. Read it , and then read the description of this strip (page 149 in Tenth Anniversary book).
The feeling are completely different ! You actually feel sad and feel the authors pain ....

Very powerful emotions , and messages are conveyed through such a simple strip (hmm, is it really that simple ?) - the range is quiet unimaginable.
I enjoy reading Calvin and Hobbes anyday .
The emotions that get evoked in me are startling - from downright 'stitches in the stomach' laughter spells to extreme sorrow to comtemplative silence .... Bill Watterson has done it all using c&h.
Some of the 'truths of life' suddenly take a very stark and glaring meaning when it comes out of Calvin.
Not just the fact that a 6 years is mouthing them , but also the fact that the way he nonchalantly puts them ... in a manner that gets you thinking and suddenly puts things in perspective.
Some of Calvin's one-liners which stump his dad and mom , usually gets me thinking too along same lines.
Makes me think about making a change for the better in my life too ... someday I might actually get out of my comfort zone , overcome my huge reserves of laziness and actually do something about it :)

In the meantime - let me finish the rest of the books that I got - 6 more to go ! Well , I have read all the strips , but it is amazing fun reading the books , esp the ones which has Bill Watterson's comments on them - AWESOME stuff !!! Worth their weight in gold :)

Other than obvious reasons , I also respect Bill Watterson for having passionate ideals regarding catoons in general and Calvin and Hobbes in particular and sticking to his values and ideals to the end - being passionate about them in the first place and not backing off from them even in face of intense pressure.
Any person who believes in a set of honourable ideals passionately is someone to be respected and Bill Watterson is clearly a man to be respected and if possible emulated !!

Been 10+ years since last Calvin strip - sure do miss the cast :( *sigh* hope someday we see its revival !!!!

Some links that I sometimes visit - hope none of them are in violation of the authors rights !
http://www.ucomics.com/calvinandhobbes/characters.phtml
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Nook/2990/comics.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Theater/9876/daylife.html
http://www.solitaryway.com/calvin/weird.htm
A link collection - http://www.theheartofgold.org/jumpstation/links.html