Calvin and Hobbes Snowmen

The Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, created by Bill Watterson, lasted for only ten years, between 1985 and 1995, yet it is one of the best loved cartoons of all time. Watterson explained he was retiring in order to paint and pursue creative ideas more freely away from the limitations of the comic strip format – and also because, having said all he wanted to say through his strip, he was leaving the field open to new talent. Since then, he has become increasingly elusive, thwarting all attempts by newspaper reporters to find him.  He made a point of resisting the commercialisation of his characters, refusing to sign rights to toys and other merchandise because he felt it would devalue the characters.