Regrettably, Watterson, the "Calvin and Hobbes" artist, turned down many offers to film the strip, some quite lucrative. Presumably he can be contacted through his publisher, but in no other way, and is very unlikely to answer. He has refused even to reveal in what state he lives.

Certain incidents among the "Calvin and Hobbes" series imply he may have been a house robbery victim while away from home and does not want anyone knowing where he lives or when he might be gone from that location.

The state and town he lives in are available. He went back to Chagrin Falls. The Fireside Books bookstore there is the only place in the world selling autographed Calvin and Hobbes books.
Watterson's mother picks up the occasional big box of books from the store and returns them signed.
He does not do interviews. His address is not available, but he can probably be found.

I have to say one thing about the guy. He's a cartoonist, not a superstar. He refused a hometown award because he would have to show up to receive it. He tried to buy back the rights to the last full-face photo of himself, from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Come on Watterson, you're famous, but you are not Mel Gibson or (insert name of EXTREMELY famous person of your choice) Get real...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Robert M Blevins,

Moore either decided to ride on Ray's coattails to the bank, or he lacked the imagination to come up with an original title. Probably both.

I believe it was intended as an homage.

Given what you say, I wonder if Watterson was ever a robbery victim at all, or perhaps a sufferer of some social anxiety or other disorder which should be treated with medication. I mean, is he really so famous he doesn't dare show his face at the bookstore for fear of being mobbed, so that his MOTHER has to pick up the books? Get real, indeed.

Actually, if you read Watterson's answer to why there aren't Calvin & Hobbes dolls, coffee mugs, movies, etc, it makes perfect sense. (Can't recall which collection it's in, though.)
Essestially, he feels, as do most of his readers, that everyone has his own idea of how "real" Hobbes is, what his voice would sound like, and so on.
This is a pretty good site for C&H fans:
http://home3.inet.tele.dk/stadil/calvin.htm

In kidding with our two young boys, I will often make an allusion to the exchanges that occurred between Calvin and Moe. If you recall, Moe threatened to inflict a total "mashing to a pulp" upon Calvin if he was not completely satisfied with an answer or peace offering from the outsized protagonist. He would call Calvin "Twinkie" and then proceed to unleash his wrath.

The term is not lost on my boys (C&H fans at 7 & 9) when, affectionately, I address them in the same way and then proceed to inflict relent attacks on their most ticklish spots.

Another bit I love is whenever Calvin's dad insists on Calvin's doing something he'll hate, he says it'll "build character"!

Even some of the best artists can be a bit excentric. He sounds like he might be a bit agoraphobic.
We can still enjoy his creation even though we might think of him as a bit odd.
I love it when calvin seguays into his fantasy world. And some how Hobbes is always a bit smarter than Calvin.

I wonder if Waterson is a bradbury fan, I know Calvin has a great love of dinosaurs just like our favorite wordsmith.

My pastor is always using Calvin and Hobbes cartoons to illustrate his sermons. So, since October was pastor appreciation month everyone chipped in and we got him that big $150 3-in-1 collection. (Although we got it for $85 at Costco.) He loved it.

Watterson...2035 A.D.

"Yeah, I probably should have taken up some of those companies' offers about merchandising C and H..."

(Overheard by another customer at the bank where Watterson was cashing his Social Security Check. The customer noticed Watterson was dressed in old, threadbare clothes and looked a bit hungry...)

Ah well, at least Opus is still 'round, even if it is only Sundays.

Not to jump away from the C and H string of comments, but I know that RB enjoys Larson's Far Side. Also, no new stuff in circulation!

I believe Gary Larson retired in '94, which explains the dearth of "new stuff", but he most certainly did not shun merchandising! Still lots of Far Side collections, products, a footrace, and now a video, I understand.

Now that the conversation has come around to "The Far Side," request here. There's a relatively recent/later "Far Side" cartoon with a woman showing her friends a picture of violence and mayhem hung near a couch. She's saying, "Our son painted that and he calls it 'It's my couch! My couch! Don't they understand?'" From the corner of the cartoon a menacing figure is approaching the watchers.

Did this cartoon appear in any calendar or collection, and if so, where? I want it bad and regret not cutting it out of the paper. Thanks for any help.