Why I love Calvin and Hobbes...

Art, in any form is a real treat to your soul. It has the ability to speak to you just through your senses. Over the years I have realized that it plays a major part in our lives. The brilliance of art is that it not only challenges your interpretation, but also feeds it.

When I was growing up, as much as I can remember, the first art I really started appreciating was in the form of comics. That one page which I used to fight my brother for, to read first. We literally took turns day after day, on who gets to read the comics first, kinda like "early bird gets the worm" scenario. Might I enlighten you, I still love comics. I still read cartoon strips, comics, watch cartoons on TV and love collecting memorabilia.

Archies, Peanuts, Tarzan, Beetle Bailey were some of the strips which appeared on the paper, in my region. All these comics were witty and humorous . But there was one comic, which to my opinion, was the most enlightening of them all. The one and only, Calvin and Hobbes. You rarely come across a genius like this, in your life. I'm very aware I'm talking about a "comic strip", but it is treasured as the opposite. The mastery and the greatness of the comic unfortunately, cannot be quantified in words and this strip has outwitted and outclassed every comic strip in the print syndicate.

The funny part is I didn't understand the comic fully back then. The real wizardry enchanted the shit out of me, after I started reading this comics again, as a grown up individual. Below, I've interlaced some of my favorite strips with a few snippets of my emotions, explaining why I liked the comics, hopefully getting my point across to you all, that whoever has missed this, PLEASE START READING, and co-fans, let's revel in our joy.



One of the first reasons I loved the strip, was how amazing the art really was. Using that much little space to draw something like this, is no easy task. Finding this quality art in a comic strip. Are you kidding me?

 
The versatility. A guy who draws comical characters, can also draw realistic pieces like this. And let's excuse the art here, see the vernacular change. And Hobbes's words in the last bit, perfect!

 
Hahaha. This strip makes me laugh everytime. Never gets old. Bill Waterson not so subtly gave the readers a take on hunting rationale. The use of the 2D space is also worth noticing. The strip is non-linear but you still follow the comic exactly how you're supposed to.

 
Calvin's alter ego strips are just mindblowing. Spaceman Spiff, Tracer bullet, Stupendous Man, to name a few. As any kid, Calvin day dreams a lot. Let's take a moment and realize that all these are one man's creativity. We are literally in Waterson's head right now.The strip above exemplifies how alone Calvin actually is.

 
Never has a comic strip, ever, induced so much emotion in me, than this one. It is THAT simple. A 4-block non-colored, left to right, classic newspaper strip

I didn't want to make this post too long that is why I've limited to just 5 strips. Hopefully, you'll go and read the rest. Your world will come alive with snowmen, monsters under the bed, childhood denial of parents, pet bonding, school bullies, transmogrifiers, philosophical conundrums and the meaning of life itself.
 
Mr. Waterson, I genuinely thank you!

Calvin: "That is why I want to ask you. As a tiger, a wild animal close to nature, what you think we're put on Earth to do. What's our purpose in life? Why are we here?"
Hobbes: "We're here to devour each other alive"

*Ends*

Happy

This is going to be interesting.. You guys must be thinking, look at this dumb fool who's titled a blog "Happy" and maybe he'll define it.

Well, yes and no. I want to write about just what happiness makes your life and what to me is real happiness. It's not like I found an happiness-inducing elixir lying around and drank it. Sometimes, you live through a moment and end up with a revelation. A larger than life feeling, and it's overwhelming.

The place where I live, one of the main outdoor activities is hiking. Because there are so many hillocks and mountains around, people have found joy in this tiresome activity and do it quite often. Now, don't you end up getting a wee bit curious in finding out why people get pleasure in climbing a rock. I can imagine if it was Mt. Everest or K2, but this, didn't quite understand why. I decided to experience it myself. 

5:30 PM
The sun was milder than the mid-afternoon time, scorching nonetheless. I set off on this crazy "hike", on a mountain where the legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine is centered around. "The Superstitions" they called it. Awesome, right. Yeah, by the time I got to the summit, I thought I was going to die.
Now, this was my first hike, so I didn't really know the pace at which I should be going. So, I started off, with my usual chirpy self, heavy metal blasting in my ears, air-guitaring, headbanging. The hikers who were on their way down were eyeing me like "Dude..you are gonna have it rough". I didn't see it then. 

5.45 PM
The trail was decent for a while, with a steady uphill climb, cacti strewn around the sides.. The landscape was beige with green patches of wild grass and rare blooms scattered here and there. I was moving with a decent pace sipping water once in a while and thought it is easier than I expected. Idiot. I was loving it so far. Having a friendly chat or two with the downhill hikers, patting their dog. Pretty sweaty college girls in tiny workout shorts. C'mon, what's not to love! 

5:56 PM
I was beginning to feel the hike. I had to rest a couple of times to catch my breath. And I realized I was constantly stealing looks with the summit and wondering why the damn trail seemed never ending. Anyway, after summoning my strength, I started off on the trail again, only to stop in another couple of minutes. I figured the trail was getting steeper by the climb.

6:20 PM
Gone was the dirt trail and now it was just straight up rocks. I saw hikers in front of me crawling their way up. I was exhausted, panting and contemplating if I should turn back. But I really wanted to see the sun set over the city I adore so much. I took one last sip from the water bottle and determined not to stop until I reach the top.

6:39 PM
The summit. Finally. My knees and ankles were killing me. I was exhausted beyond belief. The sky had turned bright orange with jet trails streaked across, like a beautiful canvas painting. I saw hikers, resting against rocks, tired but satisfied. A father holding up his daughter, silhouetted against the vermilion curtain. I walked slowly towards the edge, never taking my eye off the crimson burning ball of fire, going down the horizon.
My heart was pounding...pounding with joy. It was a moment of utter happiness. Not like the one you feel when you get an new TV or a new car. It's the happiness when you feel you taste a dish you made and realized, for the first time, tastes exactly like how your mom makes it. The similar feeling when your name is called out in your graduation ceremony. Every achievement in your past comes back to hit you and makes you feel alive. Happiness, the ultimate emotional paradox, was answered. 

Can I explain why I felt like that? No. I myself am still puzzled to why I felt what I felt. Such a trivial moment, yet a rare feeling. But there is one thing I learnt. This inexplicable feeling is overwhelming indeed and you are a different person after you experience it. You are content. You are real. You are..happy.

Time to go downhill.

"Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this chance to be alive and breathing. A chance to be alive and breathing." - Parabola (Tool)

*Ends*