Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for October 24, 2019

“Pay attention to you? You’re not a wiener dog.”

Have you, Dad, no shame?

Sometimes you have to resort to desperate measures to get a parents attention.

Oh, he’ll pay attention to you now. Be careful what you wish for.

The classic definition of “attention whore.”

He’ll give you attention, Calvin. I have a feeling you won’t like it though.

I’d be on the floor trying to breathe. Loud noises like that always play hell with my nerves. At my last regular job some of the jokers found out I startle easily and used to quietly come up behind me and drop something loudly on the floor. When I think back I congratulate myself that I didn’t jump into a machine and get mangled. I really hated that place.

The paper bag and bomb disposal guy.

A synopsis of the entire history of the strip.

Saw a similar cartoon in Field & Stream many, many years ago. The father was setting in his easy chair looking down the barrel (from the muzzle end) of his just cleaned shotgun and his son was behind the chair in the process of popping a bag. I had tears running down my legs…

Calvin always wanted to have a blast with his Dad.

Looks like it’s going to be a long night, Dad!

Adults get paid in money. And attention. Kids get paid in attention.

Good one Calvin.

There are strips when Calvin might want the adults to pay less attention to him.

C’mon, Dad. Teach the kid a lesson. You know you want to.

Oof dad

You might as well, Dad – your eyes were closed with the book open…

My daughter used to sleepwalk when she was a teenager. I was sleeping in my recliner one night. I had the flu and didn’t want my wife to get it. She walked out, sat in the chair next to me and let out a blood curdling howl. After my heart rate went down and I checked for soiled underwear, I looked for her.She was in bed, sleeping like an angel. Gotta love those kids.

While the computer repair man was working on our server’s power supply, and I had “brown-bagged” my lunch that day, I did the same thing behind his back. Hilarity ensued…

All part of the Calvin Attention Alert System.

Right after I go change my pants, Calvin.

I used to teach at a primary school, mostly grades 7-10, and it was sometimes hard to get the kids to pay attention to me. My keychain had a little (but loud) plastic whistle on it, and I decided to use it. It got their attention.

My younger sister, if anyone is paying any attention to my younger brother. It’s quite entertaining for me, the oldest, to watch

Be thankful, Dad. He could’ve lit something on fire…

I hope that Bacon (his eventual daughter) does this to him one day.Yes, that is canon.

I like the Donald and Hobbes treatment of this: https://imgur.com/gallery/nw9TX

… or I’ll find some mischief to get into that will make you wish you did.

Or else!

Maybe they need a dog.

He’s going to get the least desirable kind of attention.

It’s not the loud noises that get my attention. I generally know what they’re doing when they’re loud and as long as they’re not hurting each other things are usually okay. It’s when they’re really quiet that gets my attention. BTW, what is Calvin’s dad doing? I vaguely remember an activity like that from what seems like eons ago.

Well, idle hands and all that. Hint, hint, Dad!

Oh, he will, Calvin. With a slap upside your butt….

I like his technique. (I’m pretty sure that I used it a few times, myself.)

“Ah, bag it, kid.”

Ones in a while children have to hoard parents attention alright!

Calvin may end up getting more attention than he wants…

I have a parrot like that! LOL

Thing’s haven’t changed. It was books then, now it’s smart devices.

O thought he shot a gun and got shot