Calvin & Hobbes: The Noodle Incident

[Govan]

This showed up in the middle of the Simpson's Quote Quiz thread, after Govan complimented Bourgeois Buffoon on his new avatar; he is asking about the famous (and famously never-described) "noodle incident" in "Calvin and Hobbes." This looks like a topic of some potential, so I thought it best to split it off. --Maxie

What's your take on the noodles?

[BourgeoisBuffoon]

Ah... the noodle incident...here's my theory:

Calvin decides to try to cook some noodles at the school cafeteria VERY early in the morning (Hobbes has been brought along) and starts making LOTS of noodles. So many, in fact, that they start to overflow the pots, then the room, the school. But by that time school has started and the kids and falculty are there, and the public safety departments must evacuate everyone from the school. Calvin tries to claim it was an accident.

Yeah, there may not be enough pots to cook all those noodles,and it's stupid overall, but that's how I think of it. How about you?

[Govan]

Good idea! But why was he making all those noodles?

As for mine, I've never really thought about it that much. I think Calvin and Hobbes planned to do something to really gross out Susie (like usual). So they went to school, cooked noodles like you said too, and poured pots worth of it into her desk, so when she'd open it up, she'd get a big surprise, and Calvin would say something like, "Hmm, nice baby octopus legs," or whatever :/ I think that because of how he says, "...Nobody saw me! I was framed! I wouldn't do anything like that!..." But it's whatever the reader wants it to be, so there's no true answer!

[don Jaime]

Noodles are a principle ingredient in the dismembered body feel shtick done around Halloween (the only other ingredient I know of is two peeled grapes). I'm figuring Calvin offered to let the other kids feel a dead man's brains and got caught when they got sick.

[BourgeoisBuffoon]

I think Calvin was making all those noodles so he could sell them off; think of it as his latest get-rich quick scam. I like the other two views so far, BTW! They're both very plausible, knowing Calvin.

Say...what's your take on Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooie? I suspect Hamster Huey is a hamster who goes around the world on many adventures after making....well....a big kablooie that still haunts him. But it's an interactive advenute, which is why Calvin's Dad does not want to do the "Happy Hamster Hop".

...And remember the first Sunday strip that mentioned HHATGK had DAD suggesting they read it, and Calvin almost not wanting to hear it (even though this was a throw-away gag)? Scary....almost never had it...

[Govan]

I like the one strip where C&H ask Dad to read HH (again), and you can tell Dad's fed up, so fed up and angry that he changes the end of the story so that HH gets decapitated The facial expressions are hilarious!

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by don Jaime
I'm figuring Calvin offered to let the other kids feel a dead man's brains and got caught when they got sick.

How about this: Calvin brings noodles to class, pretending their dead man's brains. One of the kids tells a cop who's talking to the crossing-guard; the cop misunderstands, a SWAT team swoops in, school winds up in chaos, etc.

I'm sure Stupendous Man is in there somewhere.

[The Mad Hatter]

Personally, I think it's funnier not knowing.

[BourgeoisBuffoon]

Admittedly I do too...but I came up with that when asked. But it's nice to know hints; such as:

"Do you think the townspeople will find Hamster Huey's head?"
or
Well...forget the exact context, but I think the Noodle Incident DID involve sirens... and even SANTA CLAUS knows about it! It musta been a nationwide thing...maybe even INTERnational...

[Maxie Zeus]

Originally posted by The Mad Hatter
Personally, I think it's funnier not knowing.

So do I. But like Bourgeois Buffoon says, as long as we're speculating. . .

[Govan]

I agree with that too, but I just wanted to see what people thought about it...when they thought about it :/ Not knowing about it allows you to come up with your own crazy idea in your head (like Calvin would do).

Do you think the townspeople will find Hamster Huey's head?

I'm pretty sure that wasn't in the actual story, but just Calvin's Dad add-libbing as he read along, in hopes that Calvin would think he was really dead and not ask him to read that same book anymore

[DR. BELCH]

--to recall a Garfield short along those lines, but with yogurt. Perhaps Calvin's insatiable appetite plus the desire to save a few bucks got the best of him.
Now I have an insatiable hunger for a bowl of noodles...and a burrito.