Sunday, August 23, 1953: Be specific with Snoopy

There's something of Calvin reacting to his dad in Snoopy's responses to Charlie Brown here. There's a later strip, involving a camera, that's makes this even more noticeable.

In the next-to-last strip, Snoopy's snout is thicker than usual, moving him closer to his modern appearance. But he's still got a long way to go there.

February 27, 1953: Presaging Calvin

This one is sort of a companion strip to the one two days ago, where Lucy gives Charlie Brown a (pseudo-)scientific reason not to cut bread. Anyway, I wish folks online would be as ready to admit the ultimate source of their data.

This is a very Calvin-esque attitude for Charlie Brown.

New Year's Day, 1952 : I think I see why Patty hates Charlie Brown now

I think Patty is fully due that Scribble Of Ire in the last panel.

Christmas Eve, 1951: Please Deposit Presents On Doormat

This is another Calvin-like scheme, but more importantly to us, this joke prefigures some of Linus' obsession over the Great Pumpkin.

October 23, 1951: Finding only half a worm

Another Calvinesque strip, right down to Charlie Brown's angular smile in the last frame. I can picture Calvin doing this to Susie very clearly.

The outline of the tree in the third frame seems rather artsy for Peanuts. It's a nice effect though.

October 18, 1951: I'm sure Hobbes could think of something

I've mentioned before that, as I go through these, at times Calvin and Hobbes seems like it must have been directly inspired by early Peanuts. The characters are of similar proportions to the kids in C&H, and this bath-avoiding trick could have come directly from Calvin's playbook.

It's not a sure thing, but it does seem like it might be possible.

May 18, 1951: Prototype of Calvin

Charlie Brown breaks the fourth wall.  To answer his question, yes, we would.

Bill Watterson has listed Peanuts as an influence on Calvin & Hobbes, and the similarity is remarkably close here.  This is exactly the kind of thing Calvin would do, right down to gloating about it to the reader.  It seems to me that early Peanuts is probably a greater influence on Calvin & Hobbes than later strips.