Culture on My Mind
Hobbes in Bloom County
June 25, 2021

Growing up, I loved reading the comics pages in my local newspaper, the Standard-Examiner. It’s the third largest newspaper in Utah, coming in behind The Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News, and while the funnies fluctuated over the years, one of my staples was Calvin and Hobbes during its 1985 to 1995 syndicated run.

There was something magical about a boy and his imagination just having fun. 

So, you can only imagine that I was amused to see Berkeley Breathed pay tribute to Bill Watterson’s creation and legacy in Bloom County. Bloom County ran from 1980 to 1989 and examined cultural and political events through the viewpoint of a fanciful small Middle American town. The children think and speak like adults and the talking animals often act as satirical foils. To be honest, it was a bit above my level in the ’80s, but it became particularly poignant when it was revived by Breathed in 2015 on Facebook. 

That’s where this tribute to Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes, and the power of imagination was presented earlier this year. I hope it touches your soul like it did mine.

 

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.