Calvin and Hobbes

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Just curious. Having taught RCIA for years, I often was sometimes more successful in illustrating a point by using the “spiritual philosophy” of Calvin and his buddy Hobbes, than in trying to use traditional teaching.

Anyone else find better lessons in this and any other comic strip, than you do in any number of sermons we hear? Any really good examples?
 
Well maybe dennis the menace. The problems that can occur with neighbors and kids. Mr. Wilson always seemed to soften in the end and dennis tried to learn a lesson. But so did Mr. Wilson.
 
joeybaggz said:
Just curious. Having taught RCIA for years, I often was sometimes more successful in illustrating a point by using the “spiritual philosophy” of Calvin and his buddy Hobbes, than in trying to use traditional teaching.

Anyone else find better lessons in this and any other comic strip, than you do in any number of sermons we hear? Any really good examples?
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Peanuts and Back to BC if you’ve followed either of these enough, many good examples…
 
I love Calvin & Hobbes. Yes, there were some good sermons in there. I was sad when the daily strip was discontinued.
 
Generally, the longest lasting stories have the good messages. TV, Comics, whatever the medium. Calvin and Hobbes are no different.
 
I love the “Calvin and Hobbes” raccoon story. It’s wonderful.

IMO, the best Christian comic strip ever was, in fact, “Peanuts.” Charles Schulz managed to weave Christian teachings into his strips, even the occasional bit of Scripture, without beating his audience over the head with it, like Jonny Hart did with “B.C.”
 
joeybaggz said:
Just curious. Having taught RCIA for years, I often was sometimes more successful in illustrating a point by using the “spiritual philosophy” of Calvin and his buddy Hobbes, than in trying to use traditional teaching.

Anyone else find better lessons in this and any other comic strip, than you do in any number of sermons we hear? Any really good examples?
Click to expand...
We did get the old black and white strips in the newspaper but we couldn’t read it till dad was done with the paper.
Sounds like a comic strip ministry.👍
What kind of lessons did you use?
Did you refer the gospel to it.
 
Peanuts. Charles Schultz was a devout Christian (like Johnny Hart, too, BTW) and his strip reflected it.

It’s sad that the generation of cartoonists who came into their prime right after World War II (Schultz, Hank Ketcham (Dennis the Menace), Dik Browne (Hagar the Horrible), Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey, Hi and Lois), Bil Keane (The Family Circus) are all either dead or very elderly now and won’t be around much longer.

When I look at their work alongside the current stuff being put in newspapers today (like The Boondocks, for example, or Get Fuzzy, Bloom County, La Cucuracha)—there’s just no comparison. So much of the new stuff is either hard and agenda-driven, full of disgusting-looking characters, or just plain not funny.
 
dessert said:
We did get the old black and white strips in the newspaper but we couldn’t read it till dad was done with the paper.
Sounds like a comic strip ministry.👍
What kind of lessons did you use?
Did you refer the gospel to it.
Click to expand...
Well, Calvin and his thinking is loosely associated with Calvin the Reformer, and Hobbes was associated with the philosopher Thomas Hobbes. The interplay between the kid and the tiger had all the elements of their philosophies.

There was a recurring theme of Calvin at Christmastime, trying to be good so Santa will bring him lots of loot, and at the same time, not being able to resist throwing snowballs as Susie (being bad). The problem of Good and evil. Some of the dialogue was a great analogy of the problem of sin, reward, and punishment. Obedience to parents went over well with younger kids, The problem of death (the raccoon story mentioned in above posts), the question of God and why He created some of the things he did, also fround their way through the strips and into lessons.

The allure of Calvin and Hobbes for my generation, (55+) is that we did so much of what Calvin did. Played in the woods, imagined being a spaceman, or a superhero, riding in a wagon pulled by Dad, making snowmen and playing in the snow. Unstructured stuff. Pre-computer games stuff. I don’t know if kids these days play outside for the fun of it, really use their imagination, and do the things Calvin did. I’m sure there still are similarities, but Calvin reminded me of myself at 6, and it’s rare to see kid just playing outside after school, at least in my neighborhood.

I posted this thread partly to see how many people seem to have a sense of humor on this forum (not all that many), and I was curious about the responses regarding children and how much they teach us. Christ said one must become like unto a child to see the kingdom of God. I have always found much that is profound in the simplicity of children, and that kids can really be our teachers if we let them. They can remind us of things we have often lost, or at least lost sight of. Things like faith, wonder, dilemma, trust, honesty, and just plain downright silliness. I often find more theology in the works of artists such as songwriters, comic strip artists, comedians and the like, than I find in the pious pablum that is often served up in the Sunday Sermon at Mass.

So, I was curious …
 
joeybaggz said:
Well, Calvin and his thinking is loosely associated with Calvin the Reformer, and Hobbes was associated with the philosopher Thomas Hobbes.
Click to expand...
And don’t forget that his teacher is named “Miss Wormwood”.
 
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