Jinx Notation

Jinx Notation is a system to identify a specific strip in one of the FoxTrot or C&H books. It was invented by Felix Xavier Jinx, who was Peter Wainscott's alter ego. In this system, a comic strip is identified by an abbreviation, followed by three (or sometimes two) numbers in parentheses, e.g. C&H (2, 99, 2).

The abbreviation stands for the comic strip being referred to:

C&H  Calvin and Hobbes
FT   FoxTrot

The first number is the book number. See below for the book numbers for FoxTrot and Calvin and Hobbes books.

The second number is the page number in the book. Simple, eh?

The third number denotes the location of the strip on that page.

1  top strip
2  middle strip
3  bottom strip

If the strip is a Sunday strip, only the first two numbers are needed.

FoxTrot book numbers

Here are the book numbers for the FoxTrot treasuries. Each treasury is made up of two regular books combined. Note that all treasuries after "Assorted FoxTrot" will be made up of three regular books combined.

1  = FoxTrot: The Works
2  = FoxTrot en masse
3  = Enormously FoxTrot
4  = Wildly FoxTrot
5  = FoxTrot Beyond a Doubt
6  = Camp Foxtrot
7  = Assorted FoxTrot
8  = FoxTrot: Assembled With Care
9  = FoxTrotius Maximus
10 = Jam-Packed FoxTrot

Now, you may ask, "What if I only have a regular book, and not a treasury?" Here's the answer to the problem! Use these book numbers for the FoxTrot regular books:

1a  = FoxTrot
1b  = Pass the Loot
2a  = Black Bart Says Draw
2b  = Eight Yards, Down and Out
3a  = Bury My Heart at Fun-Fun Mountain
3b  = Say Hello to Cactus Flats
4a  = May the Force Be With Us, Please
4b  = Take Us to Your Mall
5a  = The Return of the Lone Iguana
5b  = At Least This Place Sells T-Shirts
6a  = Come Closer, Roger, There's a Mosquito on Your Nose
6b  = Welcome to Jasorassic Park
7a  = I'm Flying, Jack ...I Mean, Roger
7b  = Think iFruity
8a  = Death by Field Trip
8b  = Encyclopedias Brown and White
8c  = His Code Name Was The Fox
9a  = Your Momma Thinks Square Roots are Vegetables
9b  = Who's Up for Some Bonding?
9c  = Am I a Mutant, or What!
10a = Orlando Bloom Has Ruined Everything
10b = My Hot Dog Went Out, Can I Have Another?
10c = How Come I'm Always Luigi?
11a = Houston, You Have a Problem
11b = And When She Opened the Closet, All the Clothes Were Polyester!

Calvin and Hobbes book numbers

Book numbers for the C&H books are more complicated. This is because Bill Watterson wasn't nearly as consistent with book formats. There are three C&H treasuries corresponding to the first six regular C&H books. However, after that, the regular books were in treasury format. And where does one add "The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book"? Not only that, but "The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book" only compiles the Sunday strips of the first three regular books. As you can see, the numbering system used for FoxTrot books doesn't quite work for C&H books! But here's the system I've figured out...

Book numbers for special C&H books (treasuries included):

1  = The Essential Calvin and Hobbes
2  = The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes
3  = The Indispensable Calvin and Hobbes
9  = The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book
10 = The Calvin and Hobbes 10th Anniversary Book
11 = Calvin and Hobbes Sunday Pages 1985-1995

Book numbers for the C&H regular books:

1a = Calvin and Hobbes
1b = Something Under the Bed is Drooling
2a = Yukon Ho!
2b = Weirdos From Another Planet!
3a = The Revenge of the Baby-Sat
3b = Scientific Progress Goes "Boink"
4  = Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons
5  = The Days are Just Packed
6  = Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat
7  = There's Treasure Everywhere
8  = It's a Magical World

And what of "The Complete Calvin and Hobbes"? Well, let's say:

12a = Book One
12b = Book Two
12c = Book Three

Examples of Jinx Notation

Below are a few examples that show you how to use Jinx Notation:

Suppose you want to make a reference to the FoxTrot root beer strip. This particular strip is the top strip on page 50 of "Think iFruity". So the proper reference in Jinx Notation would be FT (7b, 50, 1).

Now suppose you want to refer to the strip where Calvin makes snow sharks. This strip is in "There's Treasure Everywhere" on page 139. It is the bottom strip of that page, but in this book, there are only 2 daily strips per page. So the Jinx Notation form for this strip would be C&H (7, 139, 2).

Finally, suppose you want to tell someone about the letter that Calvin got from Santa. This is on page 67 of "There's Treasure Everywhere", so the proper form would be C&H (7, 67). Since this is a Sunday strip which takes up all of one page, the strip number is not needed in this case.