A 6-year-old and his tiger began exploring the mysteries, profundities, and humors of childhood (and tuna sandwiches) exactly 30 years ago today. Calvin and Hobbes, which once ran in 2,400 newspapers, was first published on November 18, 1985, before it was abruptly pulled by creator Bill Watterson in December 1995. Watterson's decade of work immortalized the rambunctious Calvin and his maybe-not-so-imaginary tiger friend Hobbes as a staples of childhoods (and adulthoods!) everywhere.
"Calvin and Hobbes created a level of attention and expectation that I don't know how to process," Watterson explained in a rare interview with Mental Floss. The cartoonist has famously resisted licensing merchandise and refused to allow his comics to be adapted or animated, turning down both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.
Which leaves us with the comics, where everything began in the first place. Here's the first Calvin and Hobbes, from this day in 1985:
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This much remains true after all these years — it's a magical world, Hobbes, ol' buddy... Let's go exploring!
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