this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2024
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[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 month ago (2 children)

When you think about it, Calvin & Hobbs is really the story of a lonely boy seeping deeper and deeper into mental illness, while he struggles with low self esteme

What? No, not even. First of all, Calvin and Hobbes is written specifically to allow for a Toy Story situation; they're only pretending to be not alive when adults are watching.

Second of all, Calvin never had any major mental illnesses (except maybe undiagnosed ADHD), much less "seeping deeper and deeper" into it. The author never intended that, and I damn sure never got that from any of my re-reads either.

Meanwhile his parents mostly ignore him. Only being used in panels where Calvin needs discipline.

Again, not even close. It wasn't even hard to find counter-evidence for this.

the most famous image of Calvin is him peeing

Only in the same way that Shirley Temple is most famous for her childhood acting, despite being a US diplomat later in life. What Calvin and Hobbes is most widely recognizable as has no bearing on what the majority of the comic was about.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 month ago

Plus Cavin peeing has nothing to do with the author and isn't legal since he's never let Calvin and Hobbs be merchandised.

https://youtu.be/fPahl9phavA

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 month ago

Calvin never had any major mental illnesses (except maybe undiagnosed ADHD), much less “seeping deeper and deeper” into it.

Events are always reinterpreted when values change. We need new versions of history to allow for our current prejudices.