Calvin and Hobbescreator Bill Watterson is known for his contentious relationship with official merchandise featuring the iconic duo – an unfortunate side effect of which was the production of unofficial merchandise, including the popular “Calvin peeing” sticker, which has, for many people, become as synonymous with the characteras Watterson’s actual art.
Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine hosts a transcriptof a fan Q&A that creator Bill Watterson did in 2005, to promote the release ofThe Complete Calvin and Hobbes, in which the strip’s creator reiterated his distaste for merchandising based on his characters, while also playfully musing that he “clearly miscalculated how popular it would be to show Calvin urinating on a Ford logo.”
As Watterson elaborated, he was initially receptive to the idea of merchandising, butcould never bring himself to greenlight any of the ideas he was presented with – leading, inadvertently, to the proliferation of bootleg merch.
Calvin & Hobbes Creator Bill Watterson On How Merchandising “Violates The Spirit Of The Strip”
Watterson Explains His Anti-Commercialization Stance
“Calvin peeing” is perhaps the most successful piece of bootleg merchandise of all time, at least in terms of becoming a widely recognizable piece of iconography. The image had achieved this cultural infamy by 2005, ten yearsafterCalvin and Hobbesceased publication, when creator Bill Watterson answered fans' questions in advance of the release of theCompletecollection of his work. On reader asked what made the author “resist merchandising Calvin and Hobbes,” to which Watterson replied:
For starters, I clearly miscalculated how popular it would be to show Calvin urinating on a Ford logo. . . . Actually, I wasn’t against all merchandising when I started the strip, but each product I considered seemed to violate the spirit of the strip, contradict its message, and take me away from the work I loved. If my syndicate had let it go at that, the decision would have taken maybe 30 seconds of my life.
In addition to acknowledging the spread of unofficialCalvin and Hobbesmerchandise, this response also perfectly summarizes Watterson’s anti-merch ethos.
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
According to Bill Watterson,carelessly licensing the likeness of his characters would have clashed with the themes, and the overall vibe ofCalvin and Hobbes– what he calls the “spirit of the strip.” Further, he was resistant to the demand, based on the commercial success of his work, to become a businessperson, rather than just an artist. While for some creators,such asGarfield’sJim Davis, merchandising was an obvious extension of a strip’s success, Watterson was determinately opposed to it, a hardline stance that ultimately led to tension with the strip’s publisher, and the appearance of black market merch.
The Complicated Legacy Bill Watterson’s Stand Against The Production Of Too Much “Calvin & Hobbes” Merch
Watterson Chose Artistic Integrity Over Profit
Over the past several decades, the “Calvin peeing” decal has become a ubiquitous part of American culture in its own right – to the point where there are almost certainly people who recognize the character from the decal, without knowing about the syndicated comic strip he hails from. The origins of the decal itself are somewhat mysterious;the image is a malformation of a legitimate drawing of Calvinthat actually appeared in Watterson’sCalvin and Hobbes, but the creator of the version that became infamous for being stuck to the bumpers and back windows of cars remains unknown.
As enduringly beloved by many readers asCalvin an Hobbesis, it is worth wondering how much more famous it would be if its creator had allowed for a merchandising bonanza at the height of the strip’s acclaim.
The decal complicates the legacy of Bill Watterson’sCalvin and Hobbes, in terms of its place in the popular consciousness, but especially when considering the artist’s anti-merchandising stance. If nothing else, the end result was Watterson foregoing a great deal of profit for himself, but it is worth considering the wider implications, even in non-monetary terms. That is, as enduringlybeloved by many readers asCalvin and Hobbesis, it is worth wondering how much more famous it would be if its creator had allowed for a merchandising bonanza at the height of the strip’s acclaim.
Source:Web Archive version of Andrews McNeel Publishing fan Q&A with Bill Watterson
