Whatever happened to Bill Watterson?

Taking pride of place amongst the pile of books I saved when I moved back to Edinburgh is a complete collection of Calvin and Hobbes strips (one of those rare and precious gifts which far exceeded anything I would ever have thought to ask for). Calvin and Hobbes, that marvellous hymn to everything wonderful about childhood that should be remembered by grown-ups and not-so-grown-ups everywhere (and which I suspect is too frequently forgotten).

I recall feeling immensely sad when the series stopped (in my mind it didn't end, it stopped. Even if we no longer hear about it, somewhere out there Calvin is still spending endless hazy autumn days causing mischief with Hobbes in faithful tow). What I'd forgotten was just how long ago it stopped. December 31st 1995 saw Calvin and Hobbes take their last bow from newspapers around the word as they disappeared on their sledge through a snow covered landscape.

Afterwards it all went... quiet. In a world which seems largely oblivious to the laws of diminishing returns which should have put Garfield to sleep more than a decade ago, it didn't have to be that way. Had Bill Watterson decided otherwise, the visage of Calvin and Hobbes could have lived on through an endless array of merchandise tie-ins, saturday morning cartoons and movie versions. Thankfully integrity won out over commercial considerations (and how often do we hear about that happening these days?) and Calvin and Hobbes have been allowed to remain unsullied in our memories.

But of Bill Watterson himself? Even when re-reading my Calvin and Hobbes collection I'll confess that I gave little thought to the man himself. Mostly that's just my way - with a few notable exceptions I tend to find an author's output more interesting than the author themself. Still, I came across an article in which a journalist attempts to track Mr Watterson down and it captured my attention for a few minutes.

Thanks for the memories Mr Watterson, wherever you are.