Polygon reflects on two “Calvin and Hobbes” strips that it considers the finest examples of Calvin’s father, arguing that they reveal Bill Watterson’s ability to make the parents feel like rounded people rather than simple sources of advice. The article says the 1993 strip about rejecting modern systems feels especially relevant in 2026, while a 1989 strip captures the uncertainty and vulnerability of adult life.

Watterson intentionally left Calvin’s parents unnamed, focusing their role on their relationship with him, and often used Dad’s playful falsehoods to show where Calvin’s imagination comes from. The 10 May 1989 strip follows a burglary at the family home and centres on Calvin’s parents confronting its aftermath; the 7 December 1993 strip is presented as a prescient critique of modern data collection and constant connectivity.