Spaceman Spiff is Calvin's alter ego. Spiff, "interplanetary explorer extraordinaire," explores the outermost reaches of the universe ("by popular request") in a red flying saucer with a bubble canopy.
He talks in third person in all but one strip, and the saucer is tiny,
with just enough room for Spiff and apparently little else. Yet, the
craft is equipped with an astounding array of weapons, detectors and
propulsion devices. The design o...
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Spaceman Spiff is Calvin's alter ego. Spiff, "interplanetary explorer extraordinaire," explores the outermost reaches of the universe ("by popular request") in a red
flying saucer with a
bubble canopy.
He talks in third person in all but one strip, and the saucer is tiny,
with just enough room for Spiff and apparently little else. Yet, the
craft is equipped with an astounding array of weapons, detectors and
propulsion devices. The design of the ship appears to be based on a toy
spaceship Calvin owns which appeared in one strip. Spiff wears square
glasses, or
goggles,
whose front openings change their shape according to his emotions. The
galaxy is a cruel place where Spiff is often zapped, shot down,
captured by ferocious and disgusting aliens (who, in reality, are
people such as
Calvin's parents, Miss
Wormwood,
etc.), or stranded on a planet. Most planets seem devoid of
civilization, and often have hostile environments or alien predators.
Spaceman Spiff appeared long before Calvin's other alter-egos. His
first appearance was in the twelfth strip of
Calvin and Hobbes.
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