William B. "Bill" Watterson II (born July 5, 1958) is the author of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes and a few poems (which are mostly embedded in his works). July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 179 days remaining. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Federal District District of Columbia  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2: Jack Evans... Cartoonist Jack Elrod at work. ... July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 179 days remaining. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the comic strip, the sequential art form as published in newspapers and on the Internet. ... Listen to this article (3 parts) · (info) Part 1 · Part 2 · Part 3 This audio file was created from an article revision dated 2006-01-29, and may not reflect subsequent edits to the article. ...

Watterson was born in Washington, D.C., where his father, James G. Watterson (1932 – ), worked as a patent examiner while going to law school, before becoming a patent attorney in 1960. The family moved to Chagrin Falls, Ohio when Bill was six years old where his mother Kathryn became a city council member. He has a younger brother, Tom, who is a high school teacher in Austin, Texas.^{[citation needed]} Nickname: DC, The District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location of Washington, D.C., in relation to the states Maryland and Virginia Coordinates: Federal District District of Columbia  - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D)  - City Council Chairperson: Vincent C. Gray (D) Ward 1: Jim Graham (D) Ward 2: Jack Evans... A patent clerk or patent examiner is an employee, usually a civil servant, working within a patent office and whose work is to examine patent applications as to whether they deserve a patent. ... A patent attorney is an attorney who has the specialized qualifications necessary for representing clients in obtaining patents and acting in all matters and procedures relating to patent law and practice, such as filing an opposition. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Chagrin Falls is a village located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio that has grown around a natural waterfall on the Chagrin River. ... Nickname: Live Music Capital of the World Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Country United States State Texas County Travis County  - Mayor Will Wynn Area    - City 669. ...

Early career

In 1980, Watterson graduated from Kenyon College in Gambier with a degree in political science. Immediately the Cincinnati Post offered him a job drawing political cartoons for a six-month trial period: 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of the The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. ... Gambier is a village located in Knox County, Ohio. ... Political science is the field of the social sciences concerning the theory and practice of politics and the description and analysis of political systems and political behavior. ... Scripps Center, the corporate headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. ... William Lyon Mackenzie King is freed from his Conscription promise by Johnny Canuck. ...

The agreement was that they could fire me or I could quit with no questions asked if things didn't work out during the first few months. Sure enough, things didn't work out, and they fired me, no questions asked.

My guess is that the editor wanted his own Jeff MacNelly (a Pulitzer winner at 24), and I didn't live up to his expectations. My Cincinnati days were pretty kafkaesque. I had lived there all of two weeks, and the editor insisted that most of my work be about local, as opposed to national, issues. Cincinnati has a weird, three-party, city manager-government, and by the time I figured it out, I was standing in the unemployment lines. I didn't hit the ground running. Cincinnati at that time was also beginning to realize it had major cartooning talent in Jim Borgman, at the city's other paper, and I didn't benefit from the comparison. Jeffrey Kenneth MacNelly (1948 - June 8, 2000) was a famous American editorial cartoonist, widely considered to be one of the best editorial cartoonists of the modern era. ... The gold medal awarded for Public Service in Journalism The Pulitzer Prize is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical compositions. ... Nickname: The Queen City Location in Hamilton County, Ohio, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Hamilton Founded 1788 Incorporated 1802 (village) - 1819 (city) Government type Strong mayor  - Mayor Mark L. Mallory (D) Area    - City 206. ... Kafka at the age of five Franz Kafka (IPA: ) (July 3, 1883 – June 3, 1924) was one of the major German-language novelists and short story writers of the 20th century, whose unique body of writing — much of it incomplete, and published posthumously despite his wish that much of it... // Political scientists have developed concepts of different ideal types of political parties in order to better compare them with each other. ... The council-manager government is one of 2 main variations of representative municipal government (for contrast, also see Mayor-Council government). ... An 1837 political cartoon about unemployment in the United States. ... James Mark Borgman (born February 24, 1952) is an American cartoonist. ... The Cincinnati Enquirer is a daily morning newspaper published at Cincinnati, Ohio. ...

– Watterson explaining his short career with Cincinnati Post ^[1]

Bill Watterson designed grocery advertisements for four years prior to working on Calvin and Hobbes, the strip which made him famous. ^[2]

Rise to success

Calvin and Hobbes was first published on November 18, 1985. Bill Watterson wrote in his Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book that his influences include Charles Schulz, for his work in Peanuts; Walt Kelly for his comic, Pogo; and George Herriman for Krazy Kat. Watterson's style also reflects the influence of Little Nemo in Slumberland, a popular early 20th century comic strip by Winsor McCay.^[3][4] November 18 is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Charles Monroe Schulz (November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2000) was a 20th-century American cartoonist best known worldwide for his Peanuts comic strip. ... Walter Crawford Kelly, Jr (August 25, 1913 - October 18, 1973), known simply as Walt Kelly, was a cartoonist notable for his comic strip Pogo featuring characters that inhabited a portion of the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia. ... Pogo as drawn by Walt Kelly. ... George Herriman and some of his fans. ... Detail of a Sunday page in which Ignatz, disguised as a painting, hurls a brick at Krazy Kat, who interprets it as an expression of love. ... Little Nemo is the main fictional character in a series of weekly comic strips by Winsor McCay (1887-1934) that appeared in the New York Herald and William Randolph Hearsts New York American newspapers from October 15, 1905- April 23, 1911 and April 30, 1911-1913 respectively. ... Winsor McCay Winsor McCay (September 26, 1867(?) – July 26, 1934) was a prolific artist and pioneer in the art of comic strips and animation. ...

Watterson spent much of his career trying to change the climate of newspaper comics. He believed that the artistic value of comics was being undermined, and that the space they occupied in newspapers continually decreased, subject to arbitrary whims of short-sighted publishers. Furthermore, he opined that art should not be judged by the medium for which it is created (i.e., that there is no "high" art or "low" art, just art).^[5] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Low culture is a derogatory term for some forms of popular culture. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

Watterson opposed the structure publishers imposed on Sunday newspaper cartoons: the standard cartoon starts with a large, wide rectangle featuring the cartoon's logo, and the rest of the strip is presented in a series of rectangles of different widths. In his opinion this format limited the cartoonist's options of allowable presentation. Watterson managed to gain an exception to these constraints for Calvin and Hobbes, allowing him to draw his Sunday cartoons the way he wanted. In many of his strips, the panels overlap or contain their own panels; in some the action takes place diagonally across the strip.

Watterson also battled against pressure from publishers to merchandise his work, something that he felt would cheapen his comic.^[6] He refused to merchandise his creations on the grounds that pasting Calvin and Hobbes images on commercially-sold coffee mugs, stickers and t-shirts would devalue the characters and their personalities. He also refused to allow the strip to appear as an animated series. An ornamental mug A contemporary mug A mug or coffee mug is a sturdily built type of ceramic cup often used for hot beverages, such as coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. ... A label is any kind of tag attached with adhesive to something so as to identify the object or its contents. ... T-Shirt A T-shirt (or tee shirt) is a shirt with short or long sleeves, a round neck, put on over the head, without pockets. ... An animated series or cartoon series is a television series produced by means of animation. ...

Watterson was awarded the National Cartoonists Society Humor Comic Strip Award in 1988, and awarded the society's Reuben Award in 1986^[7] (he was the youngest person ever to receive the award). In 1988, Watterson received the Reuben award again, and he was nominated again in 1992. Following his 1992 nomination, the National Cartoonists Society declared that no artist could win the award more than once. The National Cartoonists Society is an organization of professional cartoonists created in 1946. ... The Reuben Awards, named for Rube Goldberg, are presented each year by the National Cartoonists Society. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

Watterson wrote a brief, tongue-in-cheek autobiography in the late 1980s.^[8]

Retirement

Dear Reader:

I will be stopping Calvin and Hobbes at the end of the year. This was not a recent or an 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.

That so many newspapers would carry Calvin and Hobbes is an honor I'll long be proud of, and I've greatly appreciated your support and indulgence over the last decade. Drawing this comic strip has been a privilege and a pleasure, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity.

Sincerely,
Bill Watterson Universal Press Syndicate, an Andrews McMeel Universal company, provides syndication for a number of lifestyle and opinion columns, comics, and various other content. ...

– Watterson's letter to newspaper editors announcing his retirement, November 9, 1995 November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The last strip of Calvin and Hobbes was published on December 31, 1995. Since retiring, Bill Watterson has taken up painting, often drawing landscapes of the woods with his father. He has also published several anthologies of Calvin and Hobbes strips. December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Since ending the strip, Watterson has kept away from the public eye and has given no indication of resuming the strip, creating new works based on the characters, or embarking on other projects. He refuses to sign autographs or license his characters, staying true to his stated principles. In previous years, he was known to sneak autographed copies of his books onto the shelves of the Fireside Bookshop, a family-owned bookstore in his home of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. However, after discovering that some people were selling the autographed books online for high prices, he ended this practice as well.

Living in relative seclusion in Chagrin Falls, Ohio,^[9] with his wife Melissa. ^[6][10] On December 21, 1999, a short piece called "Drawn Into a Dark But Gentle World," written by Watterson to mark the forthcoming end of the comic strip Peanuts, was published in the Los Angeles Times^[11], and most recently in October of 2005, Watterson answered fifteen questions submitted by readers.^[12] Chagrin Falls is a village located in Cuyahoga County, Ohio that has grown around a natural waterfall on the Chagrin River. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000 — the day after Schulzs death. ... The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California and distributed throughout the Western United States. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Trivia

• Is an avid cyclist and has incorporated much of this theme into Calvin and Hobbes.
• Was vocally critical of Jim Davis and his decision to license his strip Garfield to so many different things, saying that it "cheapened" the originality of the strip. He particularly hated U.S. Acres, citing it as "an abomination" and "an insult to the intelligence."^[1]
• The theme of Calvin's father making Calvin suffer in order to "build character" came from his own father.
• Had thirty-six of his Sunday cartoon strips exhibited at Ohio State University Cartoon Research Library from September 10, 2001 to January 16, 2002.
• First cartoonist to use the word "booger" in a comic strip. (Watterson claimed this title in one of his collections regarding this comic).^[13]
• His interests currently include 15th century Dutch art.^[12]
• Watterson's cat Sprite very much inspired the personality and physical features of Hobbes.

Jim Davis with Odie the Dog on the left and Garfield the Cat on the right James Robert Davis (born July 28, 1945), is an American cartoonist who created the popular comic strip Garfield. ... Garfield is a comic strip created by Jim Davis, featuring the cat Garfield, the pet dog Odie, and their owner Jon Arbuckle. ... U.S. Acres (known as Orsons Farm outside the United States) is a comic strip that ran from 1986 to 1989 created by Jim Davis, author of the popular comic strip Garfield. ... The Ohio State University (OSU) is a coeducational public research university in the U.S. state of Ohio. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 16 is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and Wife by Jan van Eyck. ... Hobbes is a character in the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. ...

References

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in leap years). ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Bill Watterson

• Bill Watterson page at Calvin and Hobbes Online Museum (information including speeches and interviews)
• Rare Bill Watterson Art at Calvin and Hobbes: Magic On Paper
• "After an Early Bedtime, Calvin and Hobbes Are Up and Running in a New Collection" - Washington Post book review including broad look at Watterson's career
• Interview with Bill Watterson's mother (interview begins around 7:10)

Image File history File links Wikiquote-logo-en. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. ...