Self-Reflexivity in Calvin and Hobbes

Many “Calvin and Hobbes” strips comment on the nature of art, evoking both “high art” and the supposedly opposite “low art” of comics. These moments of self-reflexivity showcase public perceptions of comics and/as art during a time of upheaval & change in American comics. 1/12

Sometimes, Watterson directly addresses perceptions of comics. Here, Calvin lectures Hobbes about the difference between high art and low art, placing comics in the “low” category. Note how Watterson references pop art appropriations of comics, which many comics fans & creators have criticized. 2/12

But Watterson is also dismissive of some attempts to transform comics into art. This strip evokes fannish defensiveness about the maturity of superhero comics. In commentary on this strip, Watterson says, “you can call it a ‘graphic novel,’ but comic books are still incredibly stupid.” 3/12

Watterson also enjoys using Calvin’s creative ambitions to comment on discourses of art criticism and analysis, exposing and poking fun at both the substance of high art and how it’s sometimes discussed. Calvin’s snow sculptures are frequently employed for this purpose. 4/12

Here, it’s not difficult to infer that Watterson isn’t just commenting on the high art world; he’s also commenting on the demands of being a critically acclaimed syndicated newspaper cartoonist, who’s expected to both inoffensively capture public sentiments and maintain artistic integrity. 5/12

There is often a self-deprecating tone to these comics about art and comics, with Calvin being forced to admit the hollowness of his own pretention. It could be argued that this self-deprecation undercuts the commentary, since the critique is concluded with a dismissive “nevermind.” 6/12

But this undercutting is undercut by Calvin’s genuine (albeit frequently macabre & cynical) creativity. Calvin is legitimately transforming his generic suburban neighborhood into something more magically surreal, just as the comic is transforming the stereotypically bland newspaper comics page. 7/12

But perhaps Watterston’s favourite target is the intersection of art & capitalism. In a world where art–including comic book art–is often bought as an investment to be locked away from public view (or, in the case of comics, slabbed so it can never be read), value is inseparable from marketing. 8/12

Here, Calvin’s saurian rampage, which is “captured on anti-theft cameras,” repeatedly references commodification. Dino-Calvin destroys “priceless paintings” and “wealthy benefactors.” Also, Calvin’s parents contemplate a “Krazy Kat” landscape, evoking the elevation of comics–and its drawbacks. 9/12

Other gestures of artistic self-reflexivity are primarily invested in stylistic playfulness. In this strip, Watterson transforms the strip into a “neo-cubist” style to creatively showcase Calvin’s rejection of mature, empathetic subjectivity in favor of childish simplicity and certainty. 10/12

Calvin and Hobbes also offers commentary on the emotional & material demands of creation. Watterson’s personal history is at play here. He fought a hard battle with his syndicate to take 2 sabbaticals from the strip; at the time, this (objectively reasonable) demand was considered unheard of. 11/12

Calvin and Hobbes wasn’t the first comic to debate its own status as a work of art, and it won’t be the last. But it offers an impressively rich catalog of artistic commentary and debate that is deftly accessible, insightful, and empathetic, embracing cynicism without abandoning optimism. 12/12