“If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I bet they’d live a lot differently.”– Calvin
Forty years ago, a wildly imaginative 6-year-old boy and his philosophical tiger burst onto the comic page and captured the hearts of readers; comics, bookstores, libraries, and living rooms have never been the same. On November 18, 1985, Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson, quickly became one of the most cherished and influential comic strips of all time. As the strip celebrates its 40th anniversary, readers and fans around the globe continue to embrace the humor, heart, and artistry that made it a cultural landmark.
“Few cultural works remain as vibrant and beloved after four decades as Calvin and Hobbes,” said Kirsty Melville, chief executive officer of Andrews McMeel, its publisher. “Bill Watterson’s creation is truly extraordinary and exceptional: funny, poignant, beautifully drawn, and endlessly insightful. This anniversary is not just a celebration of a comic strip, but of the joy and imagination it continues to spark.”
Over the course of its ten-year run, Calvin and Hobbes peerlessly depicted the joys, frustrations, and absurdities of childhood (and adulthood) with unmatched wit and emotional depth. Through Calvin’s epic adventures (as spaceman, explorer, detective, dinosaur, and more), with his grounded and more reasonable companion Hobbes, the strip offered a timeless and endlessly entertaining meditation on imagination, creativity, and friendship, and continues to resonate with readers of all ages.
Though Watterson concluded the strip in 1995, Calvin and Hobbes remains an enduring and endearing legacy, consistently delighting and resonating with new generations. Book collections, including the recently introduced Calvin and Hobbes Portable Compendium series, have sold and continue to sell millions of copies worldwide, and devoted readers enjoy the strip daily on GoComics, The strip’s sustained popularity and appeal is a testament to Watterson’s artistic vision, uncompromising craft, and understanding of the human experience.
About Andrews McMeel
Andrews McMeel is the world’s largest independently owned feature syndicate and a publishing industry leader. Distinguished by a creator-first approach and the uncanny ability to tap into popular culture, Andrews McMeel specializes in comics, illustrated humor and inspirational content, with a remarkable roster of talent across syndication, book, calendar and greeting card publishing, digital consumer experiences and entertainment licensing, including dozens of New York Times best-selling authors and Pulitzer Prize-, Reuben Award- and Emmy Award-winning creators.
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