Why You Still Love 'Calvin And Hobbes' All These Years Later

"The most meaningful art is able to be enjoyed and understood at every stage of life."

There hasn't been a new "Calvin and Hobbes" in more than 20 years, yet in many ways the comic strip remains as popular as ever.

Why?

"The most meaningful art is able to be enjoyed and understood at every stage of life," explains YouTuber Kristian Williams in a clip posted online last week:

"With 'Calvin and Hobbes,' you're always discovering something new. Read them when you're 6, and fall in love with the colorful adventures of a boy and his tiger. But revisit them when you're 16 and 26, and they take on an entirely different and equally impactful meaning."

That meaning has led to an enduring appeal despite no new comics and zero marketing beyond the books ("Calvin and Hobbes" creator Bill Watterson was famously against licensed products based on his characters).

Unlike other comics, which have almost interchangeable characters and strips that lead up to a single joke, "Calvin and Hobbes" was more substantial. It was art.

Learn more in the clip above.

(h/t Slate)

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