Few comic strips have imprinted themselves on our culture as deeply as Calvin & Hobbes. For a decade, from 1985 to 1995, Bill Watterson’s six-year-old philosopher and his tiger companion managed to say something about the joys, frustrations, and mysteries of being human. This fall, the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown invites us back into that imaginative world with Exploring Calvin & Hobbes, on view through December 31, 2025.
The exhibition brings together original daily and Sunday strips, along with rare specialty pieces on loan from the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at The Ohio State University. At the peak of its popularity, Calvin & Hobbes appeared in 2,400 newspapers worldwide, with Watterson earning two Reuben Awards for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year.
What makes the strip timeless is not just the humor or Calvin’s elaborate snowmen, but the way Watterson layered philosophy, satire, and wonder into everyday life. Calvin—named for the 16th-century theologian—avoids chores and grapples with life’s big questions. Hobbes, his tiger named after the 17th-century philosopher, is at once a stuffed toy to outsiders and a loyal, mischievous companion to Calvin. Together, they embody childhood imagination at its purest.
At Fenimore, visitors can step inside that universe. In addition to the main gallery exhibition, a children’s makerspace in the East Gallery features drawing tables, activity guides, and life-size installations of Calvin and Hobbes.
Special programming this fall and winter will bring the strip to life with workshops and events:
- Exploring Calvin & Hobbes with Special Guest, Jenny E. Robb – October 18
- Comic Strip Workshop for Kids (ages 9–12) – October 19
- Calvin & Hobbes Inspired Costume Contest & Trick-or-Treat at Fenimore Farm – October 25
- Food for Thought: Exploring Calvin & Hobbes – November 5
The show is curated by Jenny E. Robb, Head Curator at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, which houses more than 3,000 original Calvin & Hobbes pieces.
Whether you grew up clipping the strip from the Sunday paper or you’re introducing it to a new generation, Exploring Calvin & Hobbes is a chance to rediscover why these panels remain endlessly relatable. It’s nostalgia, imagination, and artistry rolled into one—and it’s happening right here in Cooperstown.
Fenimore Art Museum
5798 State Highway 80, Cooperstown, NY
(607) 547-1400 | fenimoreart.org
