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> ok, i found one more reference, in 'The Days Are Just Packed' a book i got thru a skool book order a few years ago. I'm not sure how widespread this book was, i think it said it was an exclusive Scholastic printing or something. G.R.O.S.S is right at the beginning, not sure of the xact page # but somewhere around 10, and it's 'Great Grandiose Dictator For Life'
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> Dalí

Dang. I stand partially corrected. For the record, it's the second strip on page 12. Though in my defense, he's being very official and grandiose when he refers to himself. The entire quote is (and this just exemplifies Bill Watterson's way with words and poetry):

"Attention! All rise! This meeting of G.R.O.S.S. is now called to order by the Great Grandiose Dictator-For-Life, The Ruler Supreme, The Fearless, The Brave, The Held-High-In-Esteem, Calvin the Bold. Yes, stand up and hail in his humbleness now! May his wisdom prevail!"

(Real C&H fanboys will note the signifigance of the "Calvin the Bold" statement)

And Hobbes' announcment is great as well:

"Three cheers for First Tiger and El Presidente, Hobbes, the delight of all cognoscenti! He's Savvy! He has a prodigious IQ, and lots of panache, as all tigers do! In his fancy chapeau, he's a leader with taste! May his orders be heeded and his views be embraced!"

Why I posted that, I'm not certain. But I might as well go ahead and finish off with Calvin's closing remark:

"You can tell this is a great club by the way we start our meetings!"

As for "Packed" being a special printing, I don't know, I'm reasonably certain I purchased mine at Price/Costco (where I bought most of my collection), otherwise it was at Bookstar. Perhaps they had some sort of special edition type thing going...

Amazon.com lists three different versions of the book (hardcover, softcover and turtleback). Somebody want to tell me what turtleback is?