Guide Note

American cartoonist Bill Watterson created the popular comic strip Calvin and Hobbes.

Fast Facts

1. Birth name: William B. Watterson II
2. Born: July 5, 1958
3. Birthplace: Washington DC
4. Raised: Chagrin Falls, Ohio
5. Alma Mater: Kenyon College
6. Notable Work: Calvin and Hobbes
7. Awards: Reuben Award, Harvey Award, Eisner Award

After earning a degree in Political Science from Kenyon College Watterson was hired for a six-month trial as a political cartoonist at The Cincinnati Post. After six months however, he lost his job at the newspaper. Watterson spent the next five working a series of odd jobs while developing and pitching a series of rejected comic strips.¹ His big break came in 1985, when the United Features Syndicate signed Watterson to a development contract off of concept for a strip titled "In the Doghouse."¹ When Universal Press Syndicate dropped Doghouse for fear that it couldn't be sold, Universal Press Syndicate encouraged Watterson to develop a strip around two characters from the strip: an obnoxious little boy and his stuffed tiger.¹ Later that year, the first Calvin and Hobbes comic was published. Only a year later, Watterson was awarded the prestigious Reuben Award from the National Cartoonists Society, becoming the youngest person ever to win the award.² In 1995 Watterson stopped writing Calvin and Hobbes and retired from comics entirely.

"I've loved comic strips as long as I can remember. As a kid, I knew I wanted to be either a cartoonist or an astronaut. The latter was never much of a possibility, as I don't even like riding in elevators. I kept my options open until seventh grade, but when I stopped understanding math and science, my choice was made."²

"God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I am so far behind that I will never die."³

"I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can play together all night."³