Calvin and Hobbes T-Shirts!

I have turned one of my dreams into reality.  I am the proud owner of some Calvin and Hobbes t-shirts.  Unofficial, mind you, but still Calvin and Hobbes t-shirts nonetheless.  Oh, iron-on transfer paper, where have you been all my life?!  I figured if I could make a Calvin and Hobbes t-shirt for Ari, why not make one for myself?  Plus, after seeing how the iron-on transfers holds up through the wear and tear of a four-year-old, they should hold up for me.

Once I decided to make myself some shirts, the hard part was deciding which images to use.  My Calvin and Hobbes Complete Collection books have a nice array of images besides those seen in the comics.  So, I flipped through the books, and as I found an image I thought I might want to use, I scanned it into the computer.  I decided to start off with two shirts, so I narrowed down my choices and got to printing and ironing.

I couldn't be more happy with the way they tuned out.  I especially like the Stupendous Man t-shirt since the comics with Stupendous Man have always been some of my favorites.  Already, and not surprising, Ari has already placed an order for a Stupendous Man shirt of his own.  I'm glad I bought the larger package of transfer paper.  What fun!

Merchandise materialized

I've previously mentioned my affinity for Calvin and Hobbes. Truly one of the greatest comic strips to ever grace the newspaper funny pages. Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes, held tight in his stance not to merchandise his creation. That meant, no Calvin and Hobbes action figures, stuffed animals, TV shows, or clothing. No Calvin and Hobbes puzzles, cutlery, mugs, board games, stickers, nothing but the comic strip itself, and the book collections. By the way, those urinating Calvin stickers on vehicles are a complete rip off.

As a ten-year-old kid loving Calvin and Hobbes, it was especially hard to understand why I couldn't buy a Calvin and Hobbes toy. I remember scouring the toy aisles looking for anything to do with Calvin and Hobbes, only to leave empty handed. I could just imagine how much fun I would have with my own stuffed Hobbes. The thought of having a little Calvin figurine was so exciting to me.

Alas, the Calvin and Hobbes toys never materialized, and I later learned such toys never existed and probably would never exist. I moved on, still loving Calvin and Hobbes and rediscovering the brilliance of the comics by reading them to Ari before bed. He received a stuffed tiger for Christmas one year that we call Hobbes, due to the fleeting resemblance to character. But, that's the closest we have come to bringing the world of Calvin and Hobbes off of the pages and into our home. Until...

I recently came across some iron-on sheets at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I wanted to get Emilie a Fresh Beat Band shirt for Christmas, but could only find a "craft" to make my own with the iron-on sheets. Skeptical, I bought a package and went home to make the shirt for her. It turned out really well, even after making a minor misstep. I began thinking of what other shirts I could make for the kids, and immediately Calvin and Hobbes came to mind.

So, I made Ari his own Calvin and Hobbes shirt; in fact, I made a couple. He has received a lot of compliments on it and the iron on is holding up quite well to the abuse that little four-year-old can dish out. I think he may be the only kid with a Calvin and Hobbes shirt, and I don't know if that makes me happy or sad. I do know one thing for certain, he sure is happy about it.