Calvin makes a snowman and commands it come to life. It does, but immediately turns on its creator, attacking Calvin.
Tropes
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Calvin commands his snowman to come to life. It does, and immediately starts trying to attack Calvin.
- Fantastic Aesop: After reflecting on the incident, Calvin says that there's a moral to it. "Snow Goons are bad news." Hobbes points out that a moral like that doesn't really apply to any other scenario in life, and Calvin says that's why he likes it so much.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Were the Snow Goons actually alive, or was it all just Calvin's imagination? Calvin being able to bring a snowman to life is obviously hard to swallow for a series that is clearly meant to be grounded in reality outside of Calvin's bubble of perception. However, if the Snow Goons weren't real, then Calvin would have had to build a full-sized snowman right outside the front door, and then get inside through that door, even though previous strips show the door opens outward, which should be impossible.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The Snow Goon realizes it can pick snow up from the ground and pack it onto its body after Calvin and Hobbes try hitting him with snowballs.
- No-Sell: Calvin and Hobbes try to take out the initial Snow Goon by pelting it with snowballs. It's completely unaffected, and the snowballs just stick to him, which gives him an idea on how to make himself bigger.
- Tranquil Fury: Calvin goes outside in the middle of the night to freeze the Snow Goons with water, but wakes his parents up in the process. After his dad manages to drag him back inside, Calvin frantically tries to explain himself, but his dad cuts him off, sternly telling him that they will discuss this thoroughly tomorrow, and to go to bed. Calvin's dad is typically a comedic character, and even his bouts of anger or frustration tend to be played for laughs, so for him to genuinely intimidate Calvin is certainly notable.
- Turned Against Their Masters: Calvin creates the first Snow Goon and brings it to life. Its first action on standing up is to start trying to attack Calvin.
- Wham Line: Calvin and Hobbes have built a snow fort to protect themselves from the Snow Goon, and Susie shows up. After appraising her of the situation with the Snow Goon, she asks what a Snow Goon is, and he describes it as a grotesque snowman. Susie says if he means 'all those' ugly things in the yard, which is the first time Calvin is made aware of the fact that there's more than one.Calvin: What do you mean 'all those'?
