History TearJerker / CalvinAndHobbes

** For reference; most boys Calvin's age would poke a dead bird with a stick. Calvin ''[[WiseBeyondTheirYears waxes philosophical]]'' about it instead.

** What makes this one especially heartbreaking is that it's probably the only time we see Calvin genuinely concerned about someone other than himself, and genuinely upset about something real and very sad, not just a variation on "he didn't get his way".

-->'''Calvin:''' ''(wiping a tear)'' What did I ever do to deserve this? ''({{beat}}, then sticks his head out the window)'' '''[[MoodWhiplash WHATEVER IT WAS, I'M]] ''[[MoodWhiplash SORRY]]'' ALREADY!'''

** As shown above, Calvin's dad reluctantly has to break the news to him. He's not happy about it, especially when Calvin starts to sob in geuinne grief.
--->'''Dad:''' At least he died safe and warm. We did everything we could. but now he's gone.

-->'''Calvin:''' What if Mom and Dad won't take me back because I seceded? What if they tell me I can't rejoin the family? They ''have'' to take me back! I'm their [[SelfDeprecation stupid]] ''[[SelfDeprecation kid]]'', right? Right!

** Thankfully, his mom and dad go out in the woods to try and find Hobbes.

* The one where Calvin and Hobbes figure out that they can play together all night by dreaming about each other, then go to bed saying they'll see each other soon. Seems more like a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment|s}}, until the 10th Anniversary compilation where Bill Watterson revealed that he wrote that strip after the death of his cat Sprite, who was the major inspiration for Hobbes' look and personality. "We can always meet again in dreams."

** The night before, Calvin has a stomachache and calls for his mom. She mutters that he'd better ''[[PlayingSick really]]'' be sick to be getting her up at 2 AM, [[TemptingFate and then she hears him throwing up in bed]], causing her to shout "[[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor I didn't mean it]]!"

* Susie wants to be friends with Calvin, or at least play with the only kid on their neighborhood block. Calvin refuses, due to Susie being a girl. He has made her cry, tossed apples and pine cones at her, and refused to play house her way. While he is sincere at times, like when he thanks her multiple times for finding Hobbes and keeping him safe, Calvin is too mean the rest of the time.

-->'''Susie:''' "Sticks and stones may breaks my bones, but words will never hurt me." ''[[BeatPanel (She starts walking away proudly, but then her face falls.)]]'' Yeah, right.

* One of the earliest story arcs of the strips deals with Hobbes having been stolen from Calvin by a dog. Calvin's desperation as he searches for his best friend really hits home, especially to those readers who had beloved toys lost and stolen as kids. It's also one of the first times in the strip Watterson received fan mail from readers genuinely concerned about Hobbes' wellbeing.

* The storyline where Calvin and Hobbes find an injured baby raccoon and rally the family together to try to save its life. They don't succeed.
** Calvin's dad has to break the news to him. He's not happy about it, especially when Calvin starts to sob loudly and says he just can't believe the raccoon is gone.
--->'''Dad:''' At least he died safe and warm. We did everything we could but now he's gone.

** Calvin and Hobbes go to the woods where Dad buried the raccoon. Calvin laments how painful and unfair it all is, and ends up being scared by the concept of death.

---> '''Calvin:''' Mom said death is as natural as birth, and it's all part of the life cycle. She says that we don't understand it, but there are many things we don't understand, and we just have to do the best we can with the knowledge we have. I guess that makes sense... but don't '''you''' go anywhere.

* The last strip (and the name of the last book) of the comic's run is definitely bittersweet on a meta level. "[[AndTheAdventureContinues It's a magical world, Hobbes ol' buddy. Let's go exploring]]!!"
* The family returning home from a trip (on which Hobbes had been left behind at home by mistake) and discovering their house had been broken into. Dad muses how he doesn't feel safe in his own home anymore.
-->"A man's home is his castle, but it shouldn't have to be a fortress."

** Meanwhile, Calvin is practically in hysterics trying to find Hobbes because he thinks his best friend has been tigernapped. He even tells his mother that "Hobbes is so trusting," especially since Hobbes is established as a misanthrope. (Thankfully, he was not.)
-->"Mom says Hobbes wouldn't have been stolen because he's not valuable. (sniff) Well, ''I'' think he's valuable."
** Calvin's mom's take on the break in.
-->"This is something that you always figure will happen to someone else. Unfortunately, we're ''all'' 'someone else' to someone else."

* There's also the story arc when Calvin has to tell his father that he broke his binoculars, and Dad flies into a tirade lasting for almost an entire strip. [[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2OJzukcyodA/T_-xb0A0ehI/AAAAAAAAAD4/JJRBaakLKAs/s640/You+Broke+the+Binoculars.gif At the end of it,]] a tearful Calvin looks up at the man and says: "I have an idea. Let's pretend I already feel horrible about all this and that you don't need to rub it in anymore." [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Even Dad looks heartbroken by that one.]]

* ''[[https://pianosapress.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/kazam.jpg Ka-ZAM!]]'' Watterson comments in the tenth anniversary book that "imagination is not always appreciated."

** The night before, Calvin has a stomachache and calls for his mom. She mutters that he'd better ''[[PlayingSick really]]'' be sick to be getting her up at 2 AM, [[TemptingFate and then she hears him throwing up in bed]]. "[[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor I didn't mean it]]!" She cries immediately after.

-->'''Susie:''' "Sticks and stones may breaks my bones, but words will never hurt me." ''[[BeatPanel (She starts walking away proudly, then but her face falls)]]'' Yeah, right.

* Read the comments of the [[https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=376110037209855&set=a.261773351976858 final strip]] of the ''Bloom County'' crossover. More than a few people were reduced to TearsOfJoy or had SandInMyEyes.

* One Sunday strip features Calvin getting ready for a day at school one rainy morning. That's it. No dialogue, no ImagineSpot, no wacky hijinks...and the last two strips feature Calvin staring at the clock, bored and miserable, while Hobbes stares out the window in the rain, waiting for Calvin to come home. Of the three characters (Calvin, Hobbes, and Calvin's Mom) nobody smiles once.

* The family returning home from a trip (on which Hobbes had been left behind at home by mistake) and discovering their house had been broken into. Dad muses how [[AdultFear he doesn't feel safe in his own home anymore]].

* In one strip, Calvin gets sick and as his mom prepares to call the doctor tells him that he won't have to miss school because it's Saturday. Calvin responds [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness with a weak "I know"]]. [[AdultFear Understandably, his mom races to the phone immediately]].

** ''[[https://pianosapress.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/kazam.jpg Ka-ZAM!]]'' Watterson comments in the tenth anniversary book that "imagination is not always appreciated."

* There's also the story arc when Calvin has to tell his father that he broke his binoculars, and Dad flies into a tirade lasting for almost an entire strip. [[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2OJzukcyodA/T_-xb0A0ehI/AAAAAAAAAD4/JJRBaakLKAs/s640/You+Broke+the+Binoculars.gifAt the end of it, a tearful Calvin looks up at the man and says: "I have an idea. Let's pretend I already feel horrible about all this and that you don't need to rub it in anymore."]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Even Dad looks heartbroken by that one.]]

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!! Comic Strip

* Calvin's life in general, probably even moreso than [[ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} Charlie Brown]]. At least Charlie Brown had friends like Linus who were generally nice to him. Calvin is just a complete misfit. In [[https://chutzpah.typepad.com/.a/6a00e55180ed5c883400e55400be968834-800wi one strip in particular]], he outright says that [[IJustWantToHaveFriends he wishes he had more friends]].