Calvin and Hobbesallows readers to see the world through the eyes of a six-year-old boy named Calvin,as he goes on all sorts of fun adventures with his imaginary friend and stuffed animal tiger, Hobbes (thoughthe nature of Hobbes’ existence is debatable). While a great number of these strips portray relatable moments of childhood wonder, the series as a whole is still focused on one child in particular, and perhaps more than anything else,Calvin is a troublemaker.
Calvin is smart, imaginative, and fiercely loyal to his friends, but he’s also one of the most notoriously mischievous scamps in all of fiction, right there next to Dennis the Menace and Bart Simpson. There is no shortage of comic strips that show Calvin running amuck with Hobbes, or giving his parents a headache, or just generally breaking the rules. And the one thing they all have in common is: they prove that Calvin is a little anarchist. Above them all, these are the10 Calvin and Hobbes comics that perfectly capture Calvin’s anarchist spirit!
OriginalCalvin and HobbesBooks with all Strips
The Essential Calvin and Hobbes
September 1988
July 08, 2025 (first strip) to June 18, 2025 & August 25, 2025 to June 05, 2025
The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury
October 1990
August 03, 2025 to June 18, 2025 & June 23, 2025 to June 07, 2025
The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury
October 1992
July 07, 2025 to June 16, 2025 & August 04, 2025 to June 20, 2025
July 10, 2025 to August 13, 2025
The Days Are Just Packed
October 1993
July 15, 2025 to August 10, 2025 excluding July 01, 2025 to Jul 21, 2025 due to repeats
July 11, 2025 to August 06, 2025
There’s Treasure Everywhere
March 1996
June 04, 2025 to July 01, 2025 excluding April 3 to June 05, 2025 due to repeats (some strips from March and April 1995 are also found inIt’s a Magical World)
It’s a Magical World
October 1996
July 07, 2025 to July 26, 2025 (final strip) (some strips from March and April are also found inThere’s Treasure Everywhere)
10 Most Philosophical Moments in Calvin and Hobbes Comics
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11Calvin Tries to Justify His Anarchistic World View to Hobbes (& It Backfires Hilariously)
Calvin and Hobbes, 2-28
While Calvin and Hobbes are walking through the woods one day, Calvin randomly starts telling Hobbes that he’s completely done with ethics. Calvin explains that he’s going to live his life with the view that the ends justify the means. Nothing matters, so there’s no reason to behave by society’s standards. In other words,Calvin is letting Hobbes know that he is a full-on anarchist.
But then, after Calvin’s tirade comes to an end, Hobbes pushes Calvin into the mud.Hobbes tells Calvin that he was in his way, and by pushing Calvin out of his way, Hobbes' actions justified the means. Calvin’s own worldview backfired on him hilariously, but that doesn’t detract from Calvin’s own outlook, which is decidedly anarchistic.
10Calvin Understands the Flaws of the Established Order (& Tries to Play the System)
Calvin and Hobbes, 7-7
Being an anarchist generally means that one sees the flaws of the established order that others do not, and fights against them with disorder whenever and wherever they can. In Calvin’s case, he sees the flaws of the establishment and knows they’re wrong, butinstead of giving into his anarchistic worldview and going against the system, Calvin tries to play the systemby creating a false narrative of an ethical war in order to raise money.
this comic proves that Calvin certainly thinks like one, further confirming his anarchistic spirit
Calvin knows that fearmongering is a tactic used by those in power to stay in power, or - in Calvin’s case - to raise money for any specific cause.Most anarchists would see this practice and be utterly disgusted by it, but Calvin decides to use it to his advantage. While he’s not acting like an anarchist, this comic proves that Calvin certainly thinks like one, further confirming his anarchistic spirit.
9Calvin Has Mastered the Art of Senseless Disorder
Calvin and Hobbes, 2-19
Calvin loves pulling pranks on random people just for the sheer pleasure it brings him, and every time he does so, he is spreading disorder in his community - an art he has totally mastered. In this comic, Calvin makes a giant snowball, calling it the biggest snowball in the world, and his first (and only) thought once he finished crafting it is, “I can’t wait to plaster somebody with it!”. It didn’t matter who it was,Calvin just wanted to spread senseless disorder for its own sake like the true anarchist he is.
Of course, anarchist or not, Calvin quickly finds that there are some rules that cannot be broken: the laws of physics.The snowball was simply too big for him to throw, so Calvin’s anarchistic dream of spreading disorder was foiled- at least, this time.
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8Calvin is Always ‘Sticking It To the Man’, Even When ‘the Man’ is Himself
Calvin and Hobbes, 1-11
Calvin isn’t just a chaos-spreading anarchist with corrupt morals that go against even his own anarchistic worldview, he’s also incredibly imaginative, especially when it comes to his ‘inventions’. One such imaginary invention is the Duplicator, which Calvin tested on himself - and it worked! Calvin made an exact clone of himself, and right when Dupe Calvin was ‘born’, Calvin told him to clean his room and do his homework. But, it seemsthis clone was a bit too perfect, as he got all of Calvin’s traits, including his anarchistic spirit.
Dupe Calvin was immediately being told what to do by someone who wanted to impose their will on him, and his knee-jerk reaction was to tell him to “forget it”- which is exactly what Calvin would have done.
7Calvinball is the Epitome of Anarchy, as it Literally Has No Rules
Calvin and Hobbes, 8-26
Calvinball is a game that Calvin and Hobbes made up that is unlike any other sport in existence, as it literally has no rules.In fact, having no rules is actually an integral part of playing the game. To play Calvinball, one has to make up random, temporary rules that serve only to stump the other player, and if those rules are agreed upon by both players, they stand. The only way to get the advantage is to come up with better temporary rules than the other player at a quicker pace (just as Hobbes is doing to Calvin in this comic).
Calvin invented Calvinball, but even he isn’t immune to losing the game if he’s being bested by a better player - who, in this case, is Hobbes. As opposed to traditional organized sports,Calvinball is essentially a practice in lawlessness, cooperation, and - by definition - anarchy.
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6Calvin Trying to Skip School (as a 6-Year-Old) is a Hilarious Depiction of His Anti-Establishment Views
Calvin and Hobbes, 9-6
Most six-year-olds wouldn’t dream of skipping school, as that’s not something that’s usually done until middle or even high school. But, Calvin isn’t like most children, as his anti-establishment eyes are wide open, even at such a young age.So, one morning when it was time to wait for the bus, Calvin decided to run away from the bus stop instead of toward it, fully intending on cutting school entirely. Of course, he’s immediately thwarted by his mother (in truly hilarious fashion), but that doesn’t detract from his anarchistic intent.
Calvin cannot stand for school, as it goes against his firmly set anti-establishment views
Aside from parents, school stands as the ultimate structure of power in their lives,one that no one can truly stand against in any meaningful way (aside from dropping out, which is out of the question for six-year-olds). Because of this, Calvin cannot stand for school, as it goes against his firmly set anti-establishment views.
5Parental Authority is No Match for Calvin’s Anarchistic Spirit
Calvin and Hobbes, 7-10
As previously mentioned, the only aspect of a child’s life that has more authority over them than school is their parents.At least, usually, but parental authority is clearly no match for Calvin’s anarchistic spirit, as proven in this comic strip alone. When Hobbes is in the wash, Calvin is bored with no one to play with. His mom tells him to go use his imagination, and so he comes up with something to do: throw a bucket of water on his mom’s back.
Most kids would never do this to a parent for fear of getting punished, but Calvin didn’t care what happened to him afterward, as the act of throwing a bucket of water on his mom was rewarding enough.Calvin loves his parents, but he doesn’t seem to respect their authority- his anarchistic spirit wouldn’t allow it.
4It’s Impossible to Tell Where Calvin’s Innocent Curiosity Ends, & His Anarchistic Spirit Begins
Calvin and Hobbes, 7-29
Calvin is a champion of spreading disorder, and he laughs in the face of authority figures, but he’s also just a curious little kid.Of course, with some of the things Calvin does, that’s a pretty thin line. Calvin, on this random summer day, decides that he’s going to live out his dream of becoming a surgeon by taking a pair of scissors to the vacuum cleaner’s dust bag, and his mom absolutely loses it.
seems like the actions of a little anarchist, but also just a curious kid
Calvin didn’t care about how his parents would react, and he didn’t care about the damage he’d cause to both the vacuum and the surrounding space (as he spilled dirt all over the floor inside his house). That seems like the actions of a little anarchist, but also just a curious kid,which only proves how both aspects of Calvin’s personality equally control his actions.
3Calvin’s Ideal Society is a World of Dinosaurs - True Anarchy
Calvin and Hobbes, 6-26
At its core, anarchy is simply a state of disorder due to a lack of a controlling system,which is exactly how the world was when dinosaurs roamed the Earth - and Calvin views that as his ideal society. Calvin is always daydreaming about dinosaurs, more specifically, about being a dinosaur. He fantasizes about how much better life would be if he was a T-Rex, fighting other dinosaurs for food and living by no rules but his own.
Of course, most children love dinosaurs, and playing pretend is one of the cornerstones of a healthy, developing brain.However, in Calvin’s case, it’s definitely fair to read into his fantasies a bit more. As readers can clearly see, Calvin has displayed a number of anarchist qualities. Therefore, the fact that his ideal society is one that is run by lawless dinosaurs is more than just a childhood interest in dinos, but a desire for true anarchy.
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2Calvin’s Solution to Oppression is Anarchistic at Its Most Violent
Calvin and Hobbes, 9-27
It’s fair to say that Calvin is equal parts creative, curious, and anarchistic, but some of those traits definitely outweigh the others on a day-to-day basis, especially when it comes to Calvin’s absurd fantasies. In this one, Calvin imagines that he is a fighter pilot flying a jet, and his mission is to destroy his elementary school - which he completes successfully.Calvin obliterates this monument to childhood oppression with righteous fury and heavy artillery, representing anarchy at its most violent.
While Calvin doesn’t have a violent bone in his body (aside from the occasional scrap he’ll get in with Hobbes),he certainly has a pretty hardcore solution for eradicating a system he views as oppressive, which is why this is one of the 10Calvin and Hobbescomics that perfectly captures Calvin’s anarchist spirit.
