How to find a very specific Calvin & Hobbes cartoon?

July 7, 2015 2:27 PM

I'm looking for a very specific but imprecisely remembered Calvin & Hobbes cartoon. it is Calvin grousing about life lessons or learning experiences, and saying that how whenever his Dad says something like that, it's going to be awful, or why is it whenever you have an experience that's a "good life lesson" that it is a pain in the butt?

I've tried googling without success, which makes me think I'm probably misremembering key terms or something. It'd be great if someone could help me find that one particular cartoon, because it's one of my favorite.

posted by canine epigram to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

They go camping and it's raining and it's about "building character", right? And the mom's comeback is "don't push it dear". I think there was a week-long storyline and the strip you're thinking of is the first day.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 2:28 PM on July 7, 2015 [3 favorites]

The key term is "builds character". There are so many C+H comics on this topic it may be hard to find the precise one you mean.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 2:32 PM on July 7, 2015

Best answer: The "building character" was an ongoing theme. Was it one of these:

- Eating a slimy disgusting blob on dinner builds character
- Consuming less fuel builds character
- Shoveling snow builds character
- Bug bites (and diarrhea) build character
- Personal favorite - Being miserable builds character
posted by Ufez Jones at 2:33 PM on July 7, 2015 [9 favorites]

Best answer: I think it's this week and you may have a few strips sort of mushed together.
posted by jessamyn at 2:36 PM on July 7, 2015

Best answer: Oh and I used this search engine to find that (and my own rough memory of what it was)
posted by jessamyn at 2:37 PM on July 7, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: One more: Why can't I ever build character at a Miami condo or a casino somewhere?
posted by Metroid Baby at 2:55 PM on July 7, 2015

Best answer: This sounds suspiciously like one of Dad's plots to build my character
posted by namewithoutwords at 4:10 PM on July 7, 2015 [1 favorite]

If it's not one of the ones already named, try asking at /r/calvinandhobbes.
posted by Snazzy67 at 8:25 PM on July 7, 2015 [1 favorite]