Calvinball

From The Calvin and Hobbes Wiki

Calvinball is a game invented by Calvin where you make the rules up as you go along. No Calvinball game is like another.

Although all games of Calvinball incorporate both Calvin and Hobbes, Susie is typically indirectly involved in one way or another, and Rosalyn participated in the penultimate game of Calvinball depicted.

There is only one rule to Calvinball: You can't do the same thing twice.

Contents 1 Creation 2 Gameplay 3 Calvinball theme song 4 Quotes 5 External link and reference

[edit] Creation

Calvin created the game when they became tired of organized sports. Although the first depicted game of Calvinball followed Calvin's failure to join the baseball team [1], the game appears in such a complete form there that it is likely Calvin and Hobbes had been playing the game for a long time beforehand.

The only hint at the true creation of the game comes from the last Calvinball strip, where a game of football quickly changes into a game of Calvinball. Calvin remarks "sooner or later, all our games turn into Calvinball," suggesting a similar scenario that directly led to the creation of the sport.

[edit] Gameplay

Although all games of Calvinball are different, many of them seem to involve a ball (the Calvinball), masks, and pickets with numbers printed on them.

Key features of various games have included (in approximate order of appearance):

• Wickets
• Soccer balls
• Flags
• Masks
• Small signs with numbers
• Songs
• Zones/Sectors
• The "Opposite Pole"
• The "Bonus Box"
• Croquet mallets
• Badminton shuttlecocks
• Volleyballs
• Trees (as goalposts)
• Buckets
• Poems
• Sacks
• The Calvinball theme song (see below)
• Decrees
• Water balloons
• Toy riding pony

[edit] Calvinball theme song

The Calvinball theme song made its only appearance in the penultimate Calvinball storyline. Calvin sings it, and Hobbes backs with "Rumma Tum Tums."

"Other kids' games are all such a bore!

They've gotta have rules and they gotta keep score!

Calvinball is better by far!

It's never the same! It's always bizarre!

You don't need a team or a referee!

You know that it's great, 'cause it's named after me!

If you wanna..."

After that, Calvin told his babysitter to "feel free to harmonize with Hobbes on the Rumma-tum-tums".

[edit] Quotes

“	No sport is less organized then Calvinball.	”
—Hobbes

“	Sooner or later, all our games turn into Calvinball.	”
—Calvin

“	The only permanent rule in Calvinball is that you can never play it the same way twice!	”
—Calvin

[edit] External link and reference

• Special "Calvinball" section at .:: simply calvin and hobbes ::.