Calvin and Hobbes featured a number of hilarious cartoons that lampooned writers and the act of writing, as Calvin in particular repeatedly succumbed to literary pretensions. As with the strip's equally memorable jokes about art and artists, creator Bill Watterson used his comic duo to offer cogent criticism of writers, as well as the position of writers in American culture.

Despite being only six-years-old, Calvin routinely displayed a surprisingly detailed perception of art and culture though by a strip's conclusion, this tended to curl back into childish confusion for the sake of a solid punchline.

Fans of Calvin and Hobbes know that it was often far from a simple cartoon about a boy and his "imaginary" tiger, and artist Bill Watterson never hesitated to throw a lot of highbrow concepts at his readers when it suited him, albeit usually in Calvin's twisted formulation.

Calvin Takes The First Step On Every...