How Well Do You Know "Calvin and Hobbes"?

By: Monica Lee
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
How Well Do You Know "Calvin and Hobbes"?
Image: Bill Waterson

About This Quiz

Bill Watterson tapped into the joy, as well as the trials and tribulations of a precocious, mischievous and adventurous 6-year-old boy and his real-only-to-him tiger in the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. Over 2,400 newspapers around the world carried it, making it one of the most popular comic strips of all time.  Which may be why you know it so well. 

Calvin's excessively vivid imagination kicks into high gear when he finds himself in unpleasant situations, like being in school, or having to eat vegetables. That's when he uses the Transmogrifier to change himself and Hobbes into different animals. Or they jump into the Flying Time Machine and go back to prehistoric times. Or even better, Calvin will use the Duplicator to let him go about having fun while the duplicate Calvins complete the unpleasant tasks. Why the need to escape daily responsibilities? Calvin (actually Bill Watterson) said it best, "There is not enough time to do all the nothing we want to do." 

Watterson not only created engaging characters with Calvin and Hobbes, the minor characters from Moe, to Susie to Mom and Dad, are strong, humorous and recognizable personalities in the life of a 6-year-old boy. Walk down memory strip with this all-time classic, that comments on the bigger issues in life with wonderful child-like enthusiasm.



Who do we have to thank for writing Calvin and Hobbes?
Bill Watterson
Ralph Watterson
Charles M. Schulz
Bill Schulz
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bill Watterson wrote the strip every day for 10 years! Calvin and Hobbes was syndicated from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995.

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The comic strip was based on what?
Bill Watterson's son
Bill Watterson childhood
Bill Watterson's nephew
None of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Most people assume that the comic strip is based on Watterson's son or his own youth, but it isn't true. It's just his imagination. Watterson said he named Calvin after a sixteenth-century theologian who believed in predestination.

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Where did the name "Hobbes" come from?
It was the name of Bill Watterson's own cat.
If one day Bill had a cat, he was going to name it Hobbes.
Bill Watterson had a stuffed bear named Hobbes.
Hobes is named after a seventeenth-century philosopher
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hobbes is named after a seventeenth-century philosopher with a dim view of human nature. Bill Watterson said that many of Calvin’s struggles are metaphors for his own struggles. Now it makes sense why Calvin and Hobbes were named after theologians and philosophers.

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What is the name of the character who had polls that showed the fallout from his behavior toward Calvin?
His mother
His father
His teacher
Hobbes
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Calvin was constantly consulting poll results on his father's popularity. Many strips had Calvin asking his father when the next election for the role of "Dad" would be.

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The best game is the one where you can't use the same rules twice. What was the name of Calvin and Hobbes' favorite game?
Calvinball
Hobbesball
Franticball
Sillyball
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In many of the comic strips that were about Calvinball, it showed Calvin and Hobbes wearing black eye masks hitting a croquet ball while singing and dancing.

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It's a secret club named G.R.O.S.S. What does that stand for?
Girls R Oh So Stupid
Get Rid of Slimy GirlS
GROwnups Sometimes Stink
Get Rid of Slimy Susie
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

G.R.O.S.S. is an acronym that makes you laugh as well as keeping girls (like Susie) out of Calvin's and Hobbes' secret club.

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His mother made it for him, it's his favorite costume, what is it?
Calvin Rocket Man
Spaceman Spiff
Hobbes Helper
Stupendous Man
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Calvin would dress up as Stupendous Man and read his favorite comic strip, Spaceman Spiff. But we all knew Calvin was stupendous, didn't we?

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It's amazing, but the Transmongrifer, Flying Time Machine and Duplicator all are the same object(s). What is it?
A prickly bush
10 plastic cups
A hollow log
Big cardboard box
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The big cardboard box was amazing. It could do so many things by simply entering it and exiting it. The adventures ranged from time travel to changing shape.

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What does the Transmogrifier do?
Changes Calvin and Hobbes into different people.
Changes Calvin and Hobbes into Calvin's mom and dad.
Changes Calvin and Hobbes into different animals.
It molds Play-Doh into cool shapes.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Transmongrifier changes Calvin and Hobbes into different animals with a slew of new adventures including hunting prey and being prey.

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What does the Duplicator do?
It's helps them see in the dark (a flashlight).
It duplicates Calvin so he can do different things at once.
It duplicates Hobbes so Hobbes can spy on everyone for Calvin.
It duplicates Susie so Calvin and Hobbes can play more tricks on her.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Calvin duplicates himself so one of his duplicates can do his homework, do his chores and other things while the real Calvin plays.

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Jump in the Flying Time Machine with Calvin and Hobbes and where might you go?
To see dinosaurs
To talk to Einstein
To fly with the Wright Brothers
To travel back in time, to fix a situation like a broken window from a baseball
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Like many kids, Calvin was fascinated with large, scary dinosaurs and would travel to prehistoric times to interact with Tyrannosaurus Rex and others.

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What else did Calvin use the cardboard box for?
As a desk when he is attempting to sell things.
Puppet shows
Secret meeting place for G.R.O.S.S
A & C
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Besides a desk to sell things, the box is used as the "box of secrecy" to hold his secret club meetings (when it's not in the tree house) as well as a "Cerebral Enhance-o-tron"with the help of a few wires and a colander.

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When Calvin is using his box to sell things, what is one of the things he has tried to sell?
Puppies for free
A "swift kick in the butt" for one dollar
Lemonade for a quarter a sip
Susie's jewelry for 10 cents each
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Although all of them, except for the puppies, sound like Calvin, the only one of these that appeared in the comic strip was a swift kick in the butt for one dollar. Calvin usually sells something that no one wants.

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Besides making trouble, Calvin has had his troubles as well. What was the name of the bully who sometimes beat up Calvin and took his lunch money?
Moe
Billie
Harold
Ron
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Whether it's a fight or taking Calvin's lunch money or a toy truck, Moe is Enemy #1. However, Calvin is smarter than Moe and often leaves the conversation with Moe silent and looking totally confused.

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What do Calvin and Hobbes wear when they are in the Flying Time Machine?
Long scarves
Aviator goggles
Helmets
Ball caps
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The visual clue was the goggles, and the box in flight, to know that Calvin and Hobbes were using the Flying Time Machine.

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Which of these character traits describes Calvin?
Not much of a filter between his brain and his mouth
A little too intelligent for his age
Despite his poor grades, Calvin has a sophisticated vocabulary and philosophical mind.
All of the above.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Watterson used all these descriptions to paint a picture of Calvin's personality. Physically, he had blond, spiky hair and a distinctive red-and-black striped shirt, black pants, and sneakers. But mentally, he was much older than his years.

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What did Rosalyn do for Calvin's family?
Tutored Calvin
Housekeeping
Shoveled the snow
Babysat
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Word gets around when there is a kid like Calvin in the neighborhood. Hence Rosalyn raised her babysitting prices accordingly and also, she was the only babysitter who would take the job.

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Besides Moe, there is another enemy (kid) that Calvin needs to look out for. Who is she?
Shelia
Susie
Cheryl
Janet
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Susie Derkins is sweet, polite, well, everything Calvin isn't, which is why Susie is Calvin's enemy. But also they have a secret crush on each other. Love is complicated.

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What does Susie Derkins like to do?
Susie likes to play house.
Susie likes to host tea parties with her stuffed animals.
She likes playing imaginary games with Calvin in which she is a high-powered lawyer.
All of the above.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Susie liked to play pretend with Calvin, but Calvin had to be the house-husband while she was a high-powered lawyer or politician.

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Although Hobbes is a stuffed animal, he was modeled off a real cat. What is the name of that cat?
Tabby
Tiger
Sprite
Succotash
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A gray tabby cat named Sprite, owned by Bill Watterson, was the inspiration for the looks and personality of Hobbes, but not the name.

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How closely were you reading these comic strips? Do you recall the name of Calvin's mom and dad?
Jane and Marty
Cheryl and Mark
They were never mentioned.
Squeaky and the Wheel (named by Calvin)
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

All that mattered to Calvin was that their names were mom and dad, so it never came up in the comic strips what their actual names were.

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Even Calvin, such a little guy, was on the school baseball team. What position did he play?
Catcher
Pitcher
Shortstop
Left field
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Although there was plenty of time to daydream in left field, there was hardly any action. So Calvin played one game and quit.

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Calvin liked to pretend he was Spaceman Spiff. When was this character created by Bill Watterson?
In college.
In high school.
In elementary school
D) A & B
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The fearless Spaceman Spiff, interplanetary explorer, gave Calvin plenty of adventures. This alter-ego of Calvin's was created by Watterson in high school and then reworked in college to become Spaceman Moe. Then he was introduced in the comic strip as Spaceman Spiff.

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Did Watterson just write the strip or did he do more?
The strip alone everyday for 10 years was more than enough.
He wrote the strip and was involved in all steps of the technical production.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bill Watterson not only wrote the strip, but he was involved in all aspects of the technical production from the script writing to the drawings to the coloring. He used a red, sable brush and Indian ink on a Strathmore Bristol Board for drawing.

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What's an example of a snowman scene that Calvin might build?
A snowman "House of Horrors"
Snowman Calvin being yelled at by Snowman Dad to shovel the snow
Melting snowmen who look like people who Calvin hates
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Snowmen were a running gag in the comic strip. It was used for social commentary, revenge or pure enjoyment. Here's another example: one snowman eating snow cones scooped out of a second snowman, who is lying on the ground with an ice-cream scoop in his back.

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Calvin loved to Transmogrify, but he never changed into this character. Which one is it?
Tiger
Dinosaur
Large Lizard
Bat
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Inventive and hilarious, when Calvin Transmongrified he always looked the part, whether he was a large lizard or tiger. Watterson's cartoon strips could be a work of art.

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Bill Watterson commented on big issues in life. Which of these quotes came from the comic strip?
Things are never quite as scary when you have a best friend.
If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I'll bet they'd live a lot differently.
Reality continues to ruin my life.
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bill Watterson admitted that he uses Calvin "as an outlet for my immaturity, as a way to keep myself curious about the natural world, as a way to ridicule my own obsessions, and as a way to comment on human nature. " Which he does in all these quotes.

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Bill Waterson was inspired by who to create Calvin's dad?
Bill Watterson's dad, in a satirical way
Bill Watterson as a father, himself
Bill Watterson's uncle
Bill Watterson's imagination
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

According to Bill Watterson, "Any strip about how suffering 'builds character' is usually a verbatim transcript of my dad’s explanations for why we were all freezing, exhausted, hungry and lost on camping trips."

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Calvin's mother is what kind of mom in the comic strip?
She travels a lot for business.
She talks to him in baby talk.
She is mean and scary.
She loves Calvin but he taxes her patience.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Calvin’s mom loves Calvin, but his exploits tax her sanity. According to Watterson, "I’ve tried to keep Calvin’s parents realistic, with a reasonable sense of humor about having a kid like Calvin."

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Calvin's teacher has the best name ever, what was it?
Mrs. Wormwood
Mrs. Stink Bomb
Mrs. Poosey
Mrs. Mook
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Watterson made Mrs. Wormwood real with hints that she’s waiting to retire, that she smokes too much and that she takes a lot of medication.

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How would someone describe Hobbes?
A real tiger to Calvin and a stuffed animal to the rest of the world
Hobbes understands the consequences of actions better than Calvin.
Hobbes rarely intervenes except to give Calvin a few oblique warnings.
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The friendship between the Calvin and Hobbes is the core dynamic of the strip. All of these comments have been used to describe Hobbes.

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Watterson used his comic strip to rename the "Big Bang Theory". What did he call it?
"Oh no, now we really did it"
"Horrendous Space Kablooie"
"Inverse Black Hole"
None of the above.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Watterson coined the term "Horrendous Space Kablooie" which caught on informally among scientists and was often shortened to "the HSK." The term has also been referred to in newspapers, books and university courses

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Calvin and Hobbes frequently ride downhill in what, depending on the season?
Wagon
Sled
Toboggan
All of the above
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Calvin and Hobbes frequently ride downhill in a wagon, sled or toboggan. In most cases the comic strip ends in a spectacular crash. Sometimes Hobbes hops off before the ride even begins.

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In the G.R.O.S.S. secret club, what is Calvin's title?
Dictator-for-Life
President and Vice President and anyone else important
King Calvin
Your Royal Majesty Calvin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Calvin has awarded himself the position of "Dictator-for-Life" and has given Hobbes the title of being "President-and-First-Tiger".

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Who is "Tracer Bullet"?
A private eye
A heroic space traveler
A superhero
A librarian
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tracer Bullet is Calvin's alter-ego when he wants to be a hard-boiled private eye. Calvin describes himself as having eight slugs in him ("One's lead, and the rest are bourbon.").

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Bill Waterson