Looking for Calvin and Hobbes is an affectionate and revealing book about uncovering the story behind this most uncommon trio - a man, a boy and his tiger. From the get-go, it was obvious that this was no ordinary comic strip. Calvin was named after the 16th-century Protestant theologian who believed in predestination, Hobbes after the philosopher a century later who once observed that life is 'nasty, brutish and short'. Watterson injected real philosophical questions into his strip and coupled his commentaries with groundbreaking artwork. His lavish half-page Sunday strips completely re-envisioned the potential of the comics, while never detracting from his poignant humor. Bill Watterson was completely different from most comic strip creators because he never wanted to see Calvin & Hobbes turn into a commercial monolith. A longtime liberal and former political cartoonist, he staunchly refused to have the characters merchandised - a decision which could have netted him millions of additional dollars in income per year - and rarely made public appearances or granted interviews. When Steven Spielberg called him to talk about making an animated Calvin & Hobbes movie, Watterson didn't take the call.
Looking for Calvin and Hobbes : The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip