The first set of books collecting Bill Watterson's timeless Calvin and Hobbes comics in a compact, portable format designed to introduce the timeless adventures of a boy and his stuffed tiger to a new generation of readers. Featuring nearly 500 comics from the strip's debut in November 1985 through March 1987, this is the first set in a series of seven."At some level, all American childhoods are the same, which probably explains our lasting love affair with Calvin and Hobbes." —The Washington PostCalvin and Hobbes is unquestionably one of the most popular comic strips of all time. The imaginative world of a boy and his real-only-to-him tiger first appeared in 1985 and could be read in more than 2,400 newspapers when Bill Watterson retired on January 1, 1996. This compact, portable new format is designed to introduce the timeless adventures of Calvin and Hobbes to a new generation of readers, and will fit easily into backpacks as well as on the collector's shelf. Featuring archival slipcase and cover art selected by the author, The Calvin and Hobbes Portable Compendium pays tribute to the strip's origin in newspapers while appealing to both new and existing fans of Calvin and Hobbes. This set is composed of two 144-page paperback books, including nearly 500 comics from the strip's debut in Nov. 1985 through March 1987. It is the first of seven sets total to be released between 2023 and 2026.

Bill Watterson is the creator of Calvin and Hobbes, one of the most popular and well-regarded cartoon strips of the twentieth century. Calvin and Hobbes appeared in newspapers from November 1985 until Watterson's retirement in 1995.