The beauty of Calvin and Hobbes begins with the names.
Calvin and Hobbes were named for a pair of philosophers, Thomas Hobbes and John Calvin.
Now, most would agree that the comic Calvin was generally quite cynical, realistic, and pessimistic (all in a nice way, I love his vision - particularly the snowmen and the strips where he worked to convince his dad that fatherhood was an elected position).
You can also agree then that the comic Hobbes had a fairly light-hearted worldview, sharing, thoughtful, and generally positive.
In the philosophy world, the roles are reversed. Hobbes is generally considered to be much closer to the comic Calvin's worldview, and the philosopher Calvin is much more positive, pious, and patient.
The ironic humor begins, you see, right from the moment you pick it up...