Who owns the rights to Calvin and Hobbes?

At the height of its popularity, Calvin and Hobbes was featured in over 2,400 newspapers worldwide….

Why did Bill Watterson stop making Calvin and Hobbes?

For years, Watterson battled against pressure from publishers to merchandise his work, something that he felt would cheapen his comic. He refused to merchandise his creations on the grounds that displaying Calvin and Hobbes images on commercially sold mugs, stickers, and T-shirts would devalue the characters and their personalities.

What if Calvin and Hobbes had been created by someone else?

And if Calvin and Hobbes had been created by anyone other than Bill Watterson, we probably wouldn’t have heard the last of it. But Watterson famously refused to license his creation to anyone for any reason other than publishing. No movies, no cartoons (although he almost relented when approached by Pixar), no toys, no hats or t-shirts.

Why doesn’t Bill Watterson license his characters?

But Watterson famously refused to license his creation to anyone for any reason other than publishing. No movies, no cartoons (although he almost relented when approached by Pixar), no toys, no hats or t-shirts. Nothing. When asked in an interview why licensing his characters was out of the question, Watterson said:

What makes Bill Watterson’s art stand apart from the rest?

But Watterson stands apart from his fellow creators because he rejected that wisdom. Which ironically has led to the exact thing Watterson didn’t want… the creation of a brand identity. People remember Watterson for his refusal to play the game as much as his artwork.