Entertainment

'Calvin and Hobbes' just turned 30 — here's the history of the strip and its mysterious creator Bill Watterson

Anjelica Oswald

2015-11-18T21:36:45Z

Thirty years ago, the comical adventures of a six-year-old boy named Calvin and his tiger best friend named Hobbes captivated readers.

Named after theologian John Calvin and philosopher Thomas Hobbes as "an inside joke for poli-sci majors," as its creator said, "Calvin and Hobbes" was first published November 18, 1985.

Creator Bill Watterson had graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in political science in 1980 and promptly started working as a political cartoonist for the Cincinnati Post. The paper fired him after three months, but he continued drawing, even as he struggled to create a comic strip that worked.

He pitched a comic to United Feature Syndicate, publisher of "Peanuts," in which a little boy and his toy tiger were supporting characters. The company recommended that he focus on those characters, and though it ultimately rejected the strip, Universal Press Syndicate accepted it.

Within a year, "Calvin and Hobbes" was being published in roughly 250 newspapers. By the time Watterson ended the strip in 1995, it was appearing in more than 2,400 newspapers. It had become a beloved classic.

But through it all, Watterson remained an enigmatic figure. Find out more below.

November 18, 1985: The first "Calvin and Hobbes" strip was published by Universal Press Syndicate.

Source: Universal Uclick

1986: Watterson became the youngest person to win the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year from the National Cartoonists Society. He won again in 1988 and was nominated once more in 1992.

Happy birthday, #CalvinandHobbes! The iconic strip by Bill Watterson '80 first published 30 years ago today. https://t.co/eQqFy49W7Q
— Kenyon College (@KenyonCollege) November 18, 2015

This is one of the rare photos of Watterson in public circulation.

Source: Universal Uclick

Watterson turned down meetings with both Steven Spielberg and George Lucas after they expressed interest in the comic.

He also received a fan letter from horror author Stephen King.

Source: Mental Floss

December 31, 1995: After a little more than 10 years of the comic, the final "Calvin and Hobbes" strip ran. It was being published by more than 2,400 newspapers at the time.

Watterson announced his retirement with this statement:

"This is not a recent or easy decision, and I leave with some sadness. My interests have shifted, however, and I believe I've done what I can do within the constraints of daily deadlines and small panels. I am eager to work at a more thoughtful pace, with fewer artistic compromises. I have not yet decided on future projects, but my relationship with Universal Press Syndicate will continue."

Source: Universal Uclick

It has been estimated that Watterson and Universal Press Syndicate lost out on $300 million to $400 million by not accepting merchandising deals.

Source: Boston Globe and Salon)

Watterson refused to license the comic because he felt that it cheapened the experience. In a Q&A on his publisher's website, he said it "seemed to violate the spirit of the strip, contradict its message, and take me away from the work I loved."

What's your favorite winter weekend activity? Here's one of ours: pic.twitter.com/VgNKX2PA3i
— Calvin and Hobbes (@calvinandhobbes) February 15, 2014

He was also worried that he might lose the comic, having originally signed away a majority of his rights to get the comic syndicated.

In a 1987 interview with the Los Angeles Times, he said, "But it seems that with a lot of the marketing stuff, the incentive is just to cash in. It's not understanding what makes the strip work."

Source: Andrews McMeel Publishing and Washington Post

Watterson was, and still is, also strongly against an animated version of the comic strip. In a 2013 interview with Mental Floss, he said, "As a comic strip, 'Calvin and Hobbes' works exactly the way I intended it to. There’s no upside for me in adapting it."

Source: Mental Floss

More than 23 million "Calvin and Hobbes" books are in print and 14 book collections have sold a million copies within their first year of publication.

ICYMI: New #ExploringCH book has officially been out for ONE month! Order your copy here: http://t.co/UE0kf5G8MF pic.twitter.com/wMBi0E6Wgg
— Calvin and Hobbes (@calvinandhobbes) April 10, 2015

In 2005, the 20th-anniversary collection was published by Andrews McMeel and each copy sold for $150, making it one of the most expensive books to appear on the New York Times best-seller list.

In 2014, "Exploring Calvin and Hobbes," an extensive interview with Watterson, was published.

Source: Universal Uclick

The car decal of Calvin peeing on the Ford logo is not a sanctioned "Calvin and Hobbes" item. In a 2005 Q&A, Watterson said he “clearly miscalculated how popular it would be to show Calvin urinating on a Ford logo.”

Bill Watterson/Andrews McMeel Publishing

Source: Mental Floss

Though Watterson was adamantly against licensing, he did approve select items such as two calendars (1989 and 1990), a language tutorial book called "Teaching with Calvin and Hobbes," and a postage stamp issued by the US Postal Service in 2010.

#USPostageStampDay #stamp #calvinandhobbes #lol #funny #comics pic.twitter.com/VKecMHVbA0
— E. B. Jane (@ebjanebooks) July 1, 2015

The comic also appeared on a Museum of Modern Art shirt in 2001.

Source: Mental Floss

2010: Reruns of the comic were still being published in 50 countries, though none were being reprinted in North America.

Source: The Plain Dealer

2012: Due to the rarity of "Calvin and Hobbes" items, an original 1986 comic strip by Watterson was sold for the record-breaking price of $203,150.

Source: Washington Post

Watterson has been named one one of the most reclusive celebrities by Time magazine.

Source: Time

2014: Watterson teamed up with "Pearls Before Swine" creator Stephen Pastis on a series of three comic strips.

Source: Washington Post