The true story of the book Hamster Huey and
the Gooey Kablooie
Does the book title
Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooie sound
familiar? Likely is does, because that title is used in
Bill Watterson’s
inimitable comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin would
beg his dad to read
Hamster Huey. In an interview, Watterson once said that
he deliberately let the
plot of Hamster Huey remain a mystery, leaving it up to
his readers’
imaginations. ![]() |
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I’m a lifelong fan of
Calvin and Hobbes, and one day, I
decided to imagine the story. Actually, it started with
a dream I had about
Hamster Huey the night before, so I wrote down the basic
plot the next morning.
The parts I couldn’t remember—or that didn’t make sense,
as so often happens in
dreams—I made up while awake. |
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I realize that to
entertain Calvin, a story would have to be
pretty darn good, and it would perhaps have to be a
bit chaotic or maybe even revolting
to please Calvin, but that’s not necessarily true.
Calvin’s dad initially
introduced Calvin to the book, so it couldn’t have
been that outlandish. As a
child, I begged my parents to read Pantaloon over and
over again. While it’s a
fun story, it is nothing truly special. Maybe I
enjoyed it because I loved dogs and
had a sweet tooth myself. I tried to think of
some things that Calvin would have liked.
Thus, my version features an imaginative, clever
character—loved, respected and
revered by all—who spends most of his days playing
with toys. It also features
ugly bullies who bear a slight resemblance to Moe, but
they are outsmarted by a
bubblegum-loving hero with an animal for a friend. The pen name for my
story’s author is Mabel Barr, not the
same as Mabel Syrup, the author in Watterson’s strip.
I wanted to show that
there was a connection without seeming to make a claim
that my book was THE
book named in Calvin and Hobbes. A few fans of Calvin and Hobbes were offended that anyone would attempt to portray his own idea of how the story could have been. I thought it would be fun to try, but I apologize if I’ve somehow spoiled the concept for you. I didn’t realize how seriously some take their comics! My hope is that you enjoy this book as a lighthearted attempt to provoke discussion about the fascinating character that is Calvin.
The books originally
sold for $6.95, and though I didn’t keep close
accounts, I have come close to recovering the costs of
printing it. I stopped selling the book about 10 years
ago. Since there are now only a few copies in
circulation, some resellers are asking for as much as
$900 for a copy. Recently I decided to sell most of my
remaining copies for $20 each on Amazon. You can also
buy them from me directly for the same price, and I
will throw in the shipping for free. You can pay with
Zelle, Venmo or Paypal (paying as to a friend and not
a business). My email address is pspadoni@gmail.com. |
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Click here buy Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooie: The Renowned Hero's Most Famous Adventure on Amazon. |
For more info about me, you can check out my blog: Living with a broad in Italy