I wouldn’t have minded merchandise like “Calvin and Hobbes” posters or mugs but yes, a GCI adaptation would be terrible. Even a 2D show done in the 90’s wouldn’t have worked. Social critics might over-analyze the story about a bratty kid with delusional fantasies about his pet tiger coming to life.

“Calvin and Hobbes” also has a dark streak in it. Calvin has no regrets to smacking snowballs at people, locking his babysitter out of the house, his fantasies of dinosaurs eating people, and nuking his school. These were a lot of fun to read on the page but I can see why they wouldn’t hold up as “wholesome” as the Peanuts/Garfield daytime cartoon series. Otherwise it would have to go to more adult humor like “The Simpsons”.

I think the strip did a good job of balancing humor for kids and and adults. Watterson said that he wouldn’t want Calvin in his house but on paper he helps to work out life. Reading the books as a kid, I didn’t think about psychological implications in the comic strip; I just liked the idea of a troublemaker like Calvin having a wild sense of imagination and breaking every “don’t try this at home” rule in the book.

You know, when I read about Watterson not wanting to give out his rights, I thought he was being a little stingy, but now that you bring up the CGI thing, holy crap! I totally agree with him!

Could you imagine someone trying to do a 2D cartoon or GCI “Calvin and Hobbes” movie? *Shudders* Glad they avoided that. But this looks cool, even if it is fangushing all the way.