Calvin and Hobbes Creator on How Merchandising 'Violates the Spirit of the Strip'

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Calvin and Hobbes Creator on How Merchandising 'Violates the Spirit of the Strip'
Pop CultureCALVIN AND HOBBESBILL WATERSON
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Bill Watterson, creator of the beloved comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, is known for his disdain for official merchandise. This article explores Watterson's aversion to commercialization and its unintended consequences, including the rise of bootleg merchandise like the iconic 'Calvin peeing' sticker.

Calvin and Hobbes creator 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 character as Watterson's actual art.

As Watterson elaborated, he was initially receptive to the idea of merchandising, but could never bring himself to greenlight any of the ideas he was presented with – leading, inadvertently, to the proliferation of bootleg merch. 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.

The Complicated Legacy Bill Watterson's Stand Against The Production Of Too Much "Calvin & Hobbes" Merch Watterson Chose Artistic Integrity Over Profit Close 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.

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Pop Culture CALVIN AND HOBBES BILL WATERSON MERCHANDISING BOOTLEG COMIC STRIP

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