The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book [Paperback]

Bill Watterson (Author)

Book Description

Series: Calvin & Hobbes | Publication Date: January 1, 1989

The magical friendship shared by Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes has endeared them to millions of fans in their comic strip appearing in more than 800 newspapers and in millions of books. Now their friendship endures in a full-color collection of Sunday cartoons and original art done for the book, all fit for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Whether visiting other planets as Spaceman Spiff, transmogrifying into a dangerous dinosaur, or just hanging around with Hobbes, Calvin's adventures display a showcase for the masterful art of Bill Watterson. The enlarged format of full-color Sunday illustrations provides more room for all the action and imagination inherent in each Calvin and Hobbes enterprise. Readers will delight in pages enlivened with the bright color images of this precocious pair embroiled in all kinds of predicaments. Watterson engages readers of all ages with the seemingly endless imagination of Calvin, tempered by the more thoughtful Hobbes. The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book will provide many lazy Sunday afternoons of smiles and laughter.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'It makes me wish I'd read it when I was six so I'd have had all the right answers for Mum and Dad's often illogical wrath.' ABERDEEN EVENING EXPRESS 'You can't go wrong with THE CALVIN & HOBBES LAZY SUNDAY BOOK.' DERBY EVENING TELEGRAPH --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Bill Watterson won the 1986 Reuben Award as Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year, nominated by the National Cartoonist's Society. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; Original edition (January 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0836218523
• ISBN-13: 978-0836218527
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,091 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bill Watterson is the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, one of the most popular and well-regarded cartoon strips of the twentieth century. Calvin and Hobbes appeared in newspapers from November 1985 until Watterson's retirement in 1996.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Collection of Sunday Calvin and Hobbes Cartoons, March 28, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book (Paperback)

I grew up on Calvin and Hobbes, so I'm a little biased when I say they're one of the best--if not *the* best--cartoon ever to be printed. It's such a pity that they're gone, though books like this one will give fans like me an opportunity to make believe that they're not.

"The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book" opens with Calvin's 10-page adventure as Spaceman Spiff, interplanetary explorer extraordinaire, with one mission in mind: to destroy all aliens, which in real life, are disguised as his mother and Susie. Very funny stuff. Yet Calvin's wild imagination doesn't stop there. For the rest of the colorful 100+ pages, he agitates his parents mercilessly, particularly his father; while with his mother, he aversely chokes down every disgusting meal she cooks, making some of the funniest faces while doing so. A lot of times, his expressions say more than any number of words. Take the family meal scene on page 30, where he makes a long-drawn-out attempt at tasting the green pile of gunk on his plate. Then there's a good facial example on page 104, where he's sitting, reading a book; then looks up with this absolutely wicked smile on his face. You can only imagine what he's up to--and it's definitely not safe.

Then come the metamorphosis strips where Calvin pretends to be every imaginable type of creature, from a loudmouthed sparrow to a hungry dinosaur to a human slinky and beyond. And, of course, there's always a worthy battle or two with monsters and bedbugs in, around, and under his bed--all in the faithful company of his favorite toy tiger, Hobbes.

Two of my favorites in this book involve snowmen. Yep, you guessed it: the one where Calvin creates a morbid snowman display on his parent's car--one of them appears to have been hit by the car, while the other three snowmen gawk at the maimed body (p 53). The other is where he makes a dozen or so little snowmen and then devours them all in a dinosaur frenzy (p 101).

No matter how times I've read this book, I can re-read it again and again, and still find something new and amusing about it. Even if you're vaguely familiar with Calvin and Hobbes, I highly recommend purchasing this book. It's a riot.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Is all Colorful Art, September 8, 2006

By 

Lonnie E. Holder "The Review's the Thing" (Columbus, Indiana, United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Calvin and Hobbes' Lazy Sunday Book (Calvin and Hobbes Series) (Paperback)

If all the other Calvin and Hobbes books I have are excellent, then surely this one must be great. All the comics in this wonderful collection are in color, and are rendered incredibly well. If you thought the original Sunday comics were good, then you'll love the rich color of these.

This book opens with a 10 page mini-story about Spaceman Spiff, Interplanetary Explorer Extraordinaire. The art in this story is very good. I think that Bill Watterson was born in the wrong era. He would have been much happier in the era when Sunday comics were permitted a full page to tell a refined story, where the art was rich with detail.

Once into the book you get a collection of comics that originally appeared in Sunday newspapers. While the humor level varies, most will make you smile, and some will give you laughs. It would be impossible to describe the variety of stories, but a couple of examples will help.

In one story Calvin has glued paper feathers to his arm in order to fly. Consistent with Bill Watterson's father's profession (he's a patent attorney), Calvin tells Hobbes that he will get the patent when his device works. Hobbes gives Calvin a heave over a cliff with predictable results. Hobbes advises Calvin, "Don't sell the bike shop, Orville."

For a Mother's Day related strip, Calvin has created a Mother's Day card, including a poem he wrote himself. Included in the poem are comments regarding the size of his allowance, and the poem ends with a request to get out of bed and cook breakfast. His mothers comment? "I'm deeply moved."

This collection is filled with a variety of Calvin and Hobbes staples. Calvin the dinosaur makes several appearances, there are a variety of snowman comics, there are a number of with Susie Derkins, and frequently these strips feature Calvin's usually bizarre viewpoint of life. Given the quality of the book, the longer length of the strips, and the full color, I consider this book to be a very good value, particularly when you consider other graphic books of similar size. Bill Watterson has been a consistently good writer and artist, and each of these full page, full color strips will be a treat for fans of the series and anyone else in need of a smile.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's All Colorful Art!, January 8, 2004

By 

Lonnie E. Holder "The Review's the Thing" (Columbus, Indiana, United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book (Paperback)

If all the other Calvin and Hobbes books I have are excellent, then surely this one must be great. All the comics in this wonderful collection are in color, and are rendered incredibly well. If you thought the original Sunday comics were good, then you'll love the rich color of these.

This book opens with a 10 page mini-story about Spaceman Spiff, Interplanetary Explorer Extraordinaire. The art in this story is very good. I think that Bill Watterson was born in the wrong era. He would have been much happier in the era when Sunday comics were permitted a full page to tell a refined story, where the art was rich with detail.

Once into the book you get a collection of comics that originally appeared in Sunday newspapers. While the humor level varies, most will make you smile, and some will give you laughs. It would be impossible to describe the variety stories, but a couple of examples will help.

In one story Calvin has glued paper feathers to his arm in order to fly. Consistent with Bill Watterson's father's profession (he's a patent attorney), Calvin tells Hobbes that he will get the patent when his device works. Hobbes gives Calvin a heave over a cliff with predictable results. Hobbes advises Calvin, "Don't sell the bike shop, Orville."

For a Mother's Day related strip, Calvin has created a Mother's Day card, including a poem he wrote himself. Included in the poem are comments regarding the size of his allowance, and the poem ends with a request to get out of bed and cook breakfast. His mothers comment? "I'm deeply moved."

This collection is filled with a variety of Calvin and Hobbes staples. Calvin the dinosaur makes several appearances, there are a variety of snowman comics, there are a number of with Susie Derkins, and Calvin's usually bizarre viewpoint of life. Given the quality of the book, the longer length of the strips, and the full color, I consider this book to be a very good value, particularly when you consider other graphic books of similar size. Bill Watterson has been a consistently good writer and artist, and each of these full page, full color strips will be a treat for fans of the series and anyone else in need of a smile.