This “Why do you keep calling my Calvin?” design from our collection of Rick & Morty parody shirts represents the ever elusive Triple Entendre. We see Double Entendres every day. But a Triple Entendre? Oooh, those are special.
There are thee references:
-Rick and Morty
-Back to the Future
-Calvin and Hobbes
How do they all tie together? Let’s take a inter-dimensional trip through the worlds of three classic pieces of pop culture to figure it out.
……………………………………………………………………
Rick and Morty is our new favorite show on Adult Swim, and is partly inspired by Doc and Marty from Back to the Future. One of our Rick and Morty designs is illustrated in the style of Calvin and Hobbes. In fact, it is a rather accurate reflection of the cover art from Scientific Progress Goes Boink, but with Morty and Rick (aka Marty and Doc) in the place of Hobbes and Calvin.
It’s pretty clear that Rick, Doc, and Calvin all have something in common: they’re all crazy inventors. Dreamers. Doers. Mad scientists. Well, not “mad”, but definitely scientists. In this particular scene from Scientific Progress Goes Boink, Calvin has just invented the duplicator. He’s obviously a genius, because his only materials seem to be a marker and a cardboard box. A box, which by the way, would go on to become a transmogrifier as well.
What else do they have in common? The name Calvin. And the curiosity about this name.
In this art, Calvin #2 (aka Morty #2) has just emerged from the duplicator. He is brand new to this world. He knows nothing. Not even his name. Why do you keep calling me Calvin?
This is the same question that Marty asks in Back to the Future.
……………………………………………………………………
When watching Back to the Future, have you ever noticed that half the dialog is comprised of jokes contrasting 1985 and 1955? The joke format is roughly this: Here in 1985, we’re doing all these crazy things that would seem totally alien to someone in 1955, including…
-electing an actor to the presidency
-drinking caffeine free soda
-wearing underwear with brand names printed all over them.
This last joke is delivered by Marty’s Mom, Lorraine. When Marty hits his head in front of his mom’s house, she takes care of him. Marty is knocked out cold, and apparently Lorraine removes his pants while he sleeps. (Kind of creepy, right?). It leads to this conversation:
……………………………………………………………………
Lorraine Baines: I’ve never seen purple underwear before, Calvin.
Marty McFly: Calvin? Wh… Why do you keep calling me Calvin?
Lorraine Baines: Well, that is your name, isn’t it? Calvin Klein? It’s written all over your underwear.
……………………………………………………………………
So in this mash-up art, we are combining Back to the Future and Rick & Morty and Calvin & Hobbes to make one cohesive statement, or rather, to ask one cohesive question: Why do you keep calling me Calvin?
Edit: we received a cease & desist letter from Turner’s attorneys. We’re very sad. We genuinely believed our designs were parody and constituted “fair use”. More is explained here.
Our manly men shirts are so manly that they make other shirts look like dresses.
Our manly man shirts are so manly that other shirts try to date our shirts.
Our manly men shirts are so manly that other shirts wrinkle at the sight of our shirts.
Our manly men shirts are so manly that they wear other shirts… as sweat towels.
