'Calvin and Hobbes' Greatest Story Is Still a Masterpiece Almost 40 Years Later

1 week ago 31

Calvin and Hobbes walking in 'Calvin and Hobbes'

Published Oct 31, 2026, 8:53 AM EDT

Collier Jennings is an entertainment journalist with extensive experience. Collier, or "CJ" to his friends and family, is a dedicated fan of genre films - particularly science fiction, fantasy, and comic book adaptations, not to mention all forms of animation. This stems from a close bond with his father, who introduced him to these genres via copies of X-Men comics and reruns of the original Ultraman series. With his near-encyclopedic knowledge and bottomless love of genre, he's tackled a wide variety of articles.

Calvin and Hobbes is a comic that's full of surprises. At first glance, it just seems like a story about a six-year-old and his talking stuffed tiger. Over time, Bill Watterson introduced all manner of elements, from mind-bending science fiction to stories that blurred the line between fantasy and reality. This approach helped Calvin and Hobbes stand out from other comic strip staples like Peanuts and Family Circus, but it also let Watterson deliver an emotional gut punch when fans least expected it. One such case came in a series of Calvin and Hobbes strips that were released in 1987.

These nine strips find Calvin and his parents encountering a wounded baby raccoon and doing their best to nurse it back to health. Despite their efforts, the raccoon passes away, forcing Calvin to come to terms with his grief. This story stands out because, instead of the hyperactive antics Calvin and Hobbes usually get up to or the genre-bending madness of later strips, it digs deep into human emotions. Though Calvin and Hobbes was only two years into its run, the raccoon story proved it was a comic to watch.

'Calvin and Hobbes' Raccoon Story Doesn't Shy Away From Deeper Themes

From the start of Calvin and Hobbes' "raccoon story," Bill Watterson approaches death and grief with the gravity they deserve. Calvin throws everything he has into helping the raccoon; he runs to get his mom, he talks to Hobbes about his fate, and when his father tells him the raccoon dies, he bursts into tears. Two moments stand out: when Calvin's father says that it was the raccoon's time to go, Calvin responds, "I know. I’m crying because out there he’s gone. But he’s not gone inside me." This quote speaks volumes, showing that Calvin is wise beyond his years while also presenting death in a way younger readers can understand.

The second moment comes toward the end of the story, where Calvin and Hobbes discuss the nature of death. Calvin says that his mother told him death is a part of the life cycle, and while we can't understand it, "we just have to do the best we can with the knowledge we have." Again, this is a surprisingly mature observation from a six-year-old about a heavy topic, but that's why it stands out. Watterson later revealed in the Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book that the "raccoon story" is based on something that happened to him in real life, and it helped him bring more depth to the strip.

“My wife found a dead kitten outside one morning and this story almost wrote itself. Most of my earlier strips had simple gags, so this was a big departure in tone. Death, of course, is not a common subject for a "kid" strip. This story not only revealed new facets of Calvin's personality but it also suggested to me that the strip was broad enough to handle a wide range of subjects, ideas, and emotions. The strip's world suddenly opened up.”

By Keeping 'Calvin and Hobbes' Unpredictable, Bill Watterson Made It Everlasting

Calvin and Hobbes reading the Sunday newspaper. Art by Bill Watterson.

The surprising depth of the "raccoon story" showed that, unlike other comic strips, Calvin and Hobbes wasn't about one singular thing. One week, Calvin and Hobbes could muse on the intricacies of life, and the next they could run from mutant snowmen or travel through time. These shifts add plenty of depth to the series and make it worth re-reading, especially longer story arcs like the "raccoon story." In his own way, Bill Watterson used this unpredictability to showcase how life itself is constantly shifting. Sometimes there's triumph and sometimes there's tragedy, but things are always in flux.

40 years have passed since Calvin and Hobbes made its debut, but it still remains one of the best comic strips ever made because it was willing to tackle the "tough" topics like death and grief. The "raccoon story" is perfect proof of that, as it remains just as stirring as when it was first published.