Well, not really. And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, this post probably won't interest you very much.

But for those who are a little bit fanatical about "Calvin and Hobbes," you may be happy to know that, much like "The Far Side" a few years ago, a complete multi-volume hardcover collection is being published in October.

With a list price of $150 (Amazon has it for $95) it's probably not for the casual fan, but I will certainly be buying it. It's not that outrageous a price for more than 1400 pages worth of cartoons, and will be the first time that every Sunday strip will be reprinted in color.

I am completely serious when I say "Calvin and Hobbes" is one of the great works of the late 20th Century. If you've not read it in a while or read it only sporadically while it was running in newspapers I suggest picking up one of the later volumes (the longer ones that have color Sunday strips and large daily strips) and reading it. The series benefits significantly from being read in order, and the art in the Sunday strips in the last few years is amazing.

Stephen