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Nevin Martell

Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and his Revolutionary Comic Strip Hardcover – October 5, 2009

by Nevin Martell (Author)

193 ratings

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For ten years, Calvin and Hobbes was one the world's most beloved comic strips. And then, on the last day of 1995, the strip ended. Its mercurial and reclusive creator, Bill Watterson, not only finished the strip but withdrew entirely from public life.

In Looking for Calvin and Hobbes, Nevin Martell sets out on a very personal odyssey to understand the life and career of the intensely private man behind Calvin and Hobbes. Martell talks to a wide range of artists and writers (including Dave Barry, Harvey Pekar, and Brad Bird) as well as some of Watterson's closest friends and professional colleagues, and along the way reflects upon the nature of his own fandom and on the extraordinary legacy that Watterson left behind. This is as close as we're ever likely to get to one of America's most ingenious and intriguing figures - and it's the fascinating story of an intrepid author's search for him, too.

Print length

256 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Continuum
Publication date

October 5, 2009
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.63 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

082642984X
ISBN-13

978-0826429841
See all details

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Nevin Martell's book provides a rare glimpse of the riddle wrapped inthe mystery inside an enigma that is Bill Watterson and his brilliant work, which I now know wasalmost called 'Marvin and Hobbes.'"- Stephan Pastis, creator of Pearls Before Swine

"Wattersoncanhide,buthecan'tdie.Hisworklivesonandwe'reluckytohave Nevin Martell reminding us so colorfully in this joyful book."- Berkeley Breathed

"Martell gets as close as anybody can to Watterson in a book that takes the reader behind the strip, a well-researched portrait of the cartoonist that is both fascinating and revealing." -Currents (Barry Goodrich)

"Martell gives us a tantalizing...glimpse of Bill Watterson in this journalistic exploration of the press-shy cartoonist's life. ...Readers who still hold Watterson's strip in their heart should enjoy the ride." -AM New York

"[A] Don Quixote story that is humorous, well-written and (if I mayborrow that tired summer-reading platitude) a real page-turner." - The Strippers Guide (A website for comics)

"[T]his really is a wonderful, warm, and informative book that managesto capture just the right amount of magic about the creator and hiscreation."—Comics Worth Reading

"Martell, who wears his fan heart on his sleeve, travels far and wide to gather pieces of Watterson lore. He interviews former syndicate employees, comic strip artists from the past and present, and some of Watterson's closest confidants. By doing so, Martell walks a fine line between diligent journalist and obsessive fan. But his journey is a reminder that some things can't be recaptured, no matter how much we may wish otherwise."
-The New York Times, "The Moment" blog

"This story of Nevin Martell's search for the elusive Bill Watterson, the J.D. Salinger of the cartoon world, is so richly infused with the spirit of "Calvin and Hobbes," the genuine innocence and affection and humor, it doesn't even matter that the author never meets his subject. Watterson has never allowed the licensing of his work — no merchandise, no TV, no movies. After doing a few interviews in the 1980s, he wrote a "manifesto against celebrity": "People love to have you, and then they use you up and there's nothing left." Early on, Martell wrote Watterson, who disappeared from public life after he stopped writing the strip in 1995, but never heard back. Discouraged but determined, he researched Watterson's life, interviewed friends, editors, even Watterson's mother, visited Watterson's childhood home in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, talked with other cartoonists, studied the influence of Peanuts, Krazy Kat, Pogo and Winnie the Pooh and pondered the effect of "Calvin and Hobbes" on his own life. Is this a definitive biography? No. But it's in many ways better and truer to the spirit of Watterson's creation."
-The Los Angeles Times Book Review

"This is essential reading for die-hard Calvin and Hobbes fans who want to stalk Watterson. Martell will give you all the reasons why you will never find the man. So instead of attempting something both discourteous and criminal, read this book instead."
-The San Francisco Book Review

"Nevin Martell has written a curious book, although one would probably best consider it a biography. Bill Watterson so consistently shunned the media that one is put in mind of the Shakespeare biography industry in which a few facts are churned in an attempt to generate a larger picture of a life... In spite of Watterson's refusal to speak for himself, Martell has written an engaging and informative book while avoiding most of the traps that catch fan writers."
-The International Journal of Comic Art

Mini review in the '7 books you should own' section of Belfast Telegraph Evening, 28^th August (UK)

'An education for some of us and a treat for the fans'

"Nevin Martell's book provides a rare glimpse of the riddle wrapped in the mystery inside an enigma that is Bill Watterson and his brilliant work, which I now know was almost called 'Marvin and Hobbes.'"- Stephan Pastis, creator of Pearls Before Swine

"Watterson can hide, but he can't die. His work lives on and we're lucky to have Nevin Martell reminding us so colorfully in this joyful book."- Berkeley Breathed

"Martell gets as close as anybody can to Watterson in a book that takes the reader behind the strip, a well-researched portrait of the cartoonist that is both fascinating and revealing." -Currents (Sanford Lakoff)

“Martell gives us a tantalizing...glimpse of Bill Watterson in this journalistic exploration of the press-shy cartoonist's life. …Readers who still hold Watterson's strip in their heart should enjoy the ride.” -AM New York

“[A] Don Quixote story that is humorous, well-written and (if I mayborrow that tired summer-reading platitude) a real page-turner.” - The Strippers Guide (A website for comics)

“[T]his really is a wonderful, warm, and informative book that managesto capture just the right amount of magic about the creator and hiscreation.” —Comics Worth Reading

“Martell, who wears his fan heart on his sleeve, travels far and wide to gather pieces of Watterson lore. He interviews former syndicate employees, comic strip artists from the past and present, and some of Watterson’s closest confidants. By doing so, Martell walks a fine line between diligent journalist and obsessive fan. But his journey is a reminder that some things can’t be recaptured, no matter how much we may wish otherwise.”
-The New York Times, “The Moment” blog

“This is essential reading for die-hard Calvin and Hobbes fans who want to stalk Watterson. Martell will give you all the reasons why you will never find the man. So instead of attempting something both discourteous and criminal, read this book instead.”
-The San Francisco Book Review

Mini review in the '7 books you should own’ section of Belfast Telegraph Evening, 28^th August (UK)

'An education for some of us and a treat for the fans’

About the Author

Nevin Martell is the author of Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip (Continuum, 2009), Standing Small: A Celebration of 30 Years of the LEGO Minifigure (DK, 2009), Dave Matthews Band: Music for the People (Pocket, 2004) and Beck: The Art of Mutation (Pocket, 2001). He is a Contributing Editor at Filter magazine and his music journalism has appeared in Paste, Giant, Men's Health, High Times, and Flaunt, as well as online at RollingStone.com. Currently, he lives with his wife outside Washington, DC, where he writes full time. You can find him online at nevinmartell.com

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Continuum; First Edition (October 5, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 082642984X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0826429841
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.63 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,157,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #388 in Comic & Graphic Novel Literary Criticism
- #496 in Comics & Graphic Novel History & Prices
- #2,578 in Artist & Architect Biographies

Customer Reviews:
193 ratings

About the author

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Nevin Martell

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Nevin Martell is a D.C.-area based food and travel writer, parenting essayist, recipe developer, and photographer who has been published by The Washington Post, New York Times, Saveur, Men’s Journal, National Geographic, Fortune, Travel + Leisure, Runner’s World, Michelin Guide, Plate, and many other publications.

He is the author of eight books, including "Red Truck Bakery: Gold-Standard Recipes from America's Favorite Rural Bakery," "The Founding Farmers Cookbook: 100 Recipes for True Food & Drink," the small press smash "Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip," the international bestseller "Standing Small: A Celebration of 30 Years of the LEGO Minifigure" and the memoir-misadventure "Freak Show Without a Tent: Swimming with Piranhas, Getting Stoned in Fiji and Other Family Vacations."

He lives with his wife and son in Silver Spring, Maryland. Find him online at www.nevinmartell.com, on Twitter @nevinmartell, and on Instagram @nevinmartell.

Customer reviews

5 star		66%
4 star		16%
3 star		11%
2 star		5%
1 star		2%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

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Franklin the Mouse

The Uber-Introvert

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2022

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‘Looking for Calvin and Hobbes’ is a gentle palliative after reading a more demanding or intense book. People mildly curious about Bill Watterson will find Mr. Martell’s work an adequate endeavor. Granted, the subject matter was uncooperative, making it a more difficult challenge in writing a biography. The author faced about the same conditions as Charles J. Shields when his biography about reclusive Harper Lee entitled ‘Mockingbird’ was written. I found Mr. Shields’s book more detailed than ‘Looking for Calvin and Hobbes’ and included photographs.

I do not consider ‘Looking for Calvin and Hobbes’ to be as thorough a biography as others I’ve read such as ‘Schultz and Peanuts’ by David Michaelis. Mr. Michaelis 2007 work was about Charles Schultz and was 676-pages long. ‘Looking for Calvin and Hobbes’ was published in 2009 and resulted in a 257-page hagiography/ author’s memoir. Mr. Martell did a good job explaining the intensity and many hoops a budding cartoonist must jump through simply to be picked up for syndication. The cartoon strip market is very competitive. The cartoon output is intense and the money is not comparable to the effort unless you rise into the stratosphere of success such as Peanuts, Dilbert, Garfield, Bloom County, and of course, Calvin and Hobbes. Licensing of their respective cartoon creations is where the money is and Mr. Watterson eschewed what would be unquestionably boatloads of moolah by preventing anyone from using Calvin and Hobbes in this manner. If you see Calvin and Hobbes on merchandise, without question it is an illegal product. It’s a shame because I’d eagerly sport a legal Calvin and Hobbes t-shirt. Buying pirated merchandise is unethical and I avoid the stuff like it was previously worn by a zombie with STDs. My biggest disappointment from reading ‘Looking for Calvin and Hobbes’ is the complete lack of examples of Mr. Watterson’s work, especially his early material from when he was a kid and cartoon pieces prior to his creation of Calvin and Hobbes. It would have helped readers get a better understanding of Mr. Watterson’s evolution as a cartoonist. I’m a professional cartoonist with over forty years in the business but have never attempted the cartoon strip field because my temperament is not conducive to it. Creating political cartoons brings me the most joy. The author does a good job explaining Mr. Watterson’s creative process from concept to completion as well as syndications and the world of licensing and merchandising.

Calvin and Hobbes is an enduring pop-culture worldwide phenomenon. Clearly Mr. Watterson is a self-avowed introvert on the extreme end of the spectrum. His few public statements about the nature of celebrity and his aversion to Calvin and Hobbes being “exploited” for commercial purposes in the realms of licensing and merchandising are interesting. His philosophy may fit his introvert and artistic mindset, but his tolerance of other cartoonists taking a different path appears to be limited. I found it sad that the uber-introvert quit creating Calvin and Hobbes cartoons but understandable. Producing a daily comic strip is a demanding profession and parasitic fans are rarely satiated with a finite body of work. They always want more and many zealous fans are oblivious or insensitive about respecting a celebrity’s personal boundaries. Enjoy what Mr. Watterson created in Calvin and Hobbes ten-year run and leave it at that. ‘Looking for Calvin and Hobbes’ may be the best biography that is ever produced about the guy and I’m fine with it. It’s damned regrettable but, hey, life goes on.

2 people found this helpful

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Mark Larson

Heartwarming and endearing

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2019

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The beginning of this book just about turned me off to reading it. I have never understood the desire to hunt down people who refuse to be part of the public eye because they care more about themselves and the "get" than actually caring about the person they are pursuing. I feel Mr. Martell crosses the line a few times as he pursues Watterson. However, when he diverges from his selfish pursuit, he put together an amazing composite of what drove Watterson to excel and the origins of Calvin and Hobbes. Not only that, but he expertly captures the impact that his strip had on not only the general readers, but other cartoonists, who hold the strip as one of the best ever created, if not THE best. Martell paints a wonderful picture if what this strip has meant to so many, including me.

7 people found this helpful

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JJ

Spoiler Alert: The Author Never Finds Bill Watterson

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2015

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This is what happens when you tell your publisher you're going to write a biography of notorious recluse Bill Watterson, including an interview with the famous artist and author, but you never actually get an interview with Watterson. There is nothing new here; some awkward and unnecessary interviews with people who knew Waterson in the distant past or maybe know someone who went to college with him or something like that. This narrative would have been far better suited as a long-form piece for a magazine or website; as a book, it's mostly filler.

29 people found this helpful

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Bron Taylor

The author is a stalker who never meets Watterson.

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2022

Verified Purchase

This is advertised as a book about Bill Watterson. Bill Watterson never gives interviews and did not give one to this author, so he wrote a book about stalking him. It is of interest to fans of abnormal psychiatry.

2 people found this helpful

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Dragon

Calvin & Hobbes is one of the great strips of all time

Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2021

Verified Purchase

Book takes you on one mans' journey to fine the creator of C & H. The only drawback I had with it was no photos of some of the articles found at various library's. newspapers, families and friends.

2 people found this helpful

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Thomas Hornyak

Got this on a whim- and I loved it

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2021

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If you read this then you’re already familiar with what a great strip this was. Martell’s book is a fun search for any background that could give insight as to why that was. And if you expect an in-depth interview with Watterson..well, you get the next best thing!

One person found this helpful

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Steven M. Schmidt

Likeable but could have been trimmed

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2014

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You are warned that this book is not a traditional biography. Certainly there are a lot of biographical details about Bill Watterson, but a goodly portion of the book is the author's journey to obtain them. Generally, I enjoyed this book, but if I were his editor, I would have asked him to make some cuts. My advice is to take it with a grain of salt and skip around if you feel you need to.

5 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Robert Y. Houston

Mr Elusive, the story of Calvin and Hobbes creator

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2020

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Excellent take on the elusive Mr Watterson. I really enjoyed the book. Sad that he gave up doing Calvin and Hobbes, but great we have the lasting legacy in the Complete Calvin and Hobbes. I look forward to reading them with my Grandson as he gets older. And perhaps good things become classics because they are rare.

One person found this helpful

Carlo Muttoni

OKAY, BUT WHERE'S BILL?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2012

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The legendary author of Calvin and Hobbes is so elusive that Nevin Martell deserves some merit because he had really hard time in getting in touch with the cartoonist to know more about his life. Readers of biographies, usually, are fascinated even by the most irrelevant detail coming from their hero. I appreciate Martell's effort but I ended up with many unanswered questions. Also Cormac McCarthy is famous for defending his privacy, but I respect his silence because coherent to his prose and lifestyle. This is not the case for Watterson who, naively, I imagined as a childish, funny and very open folk, bursting with life. Can I say I was a bit disappointed?

2 people found this helpful

5itus

Show it - don't tell it

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 18, 2010

Verified Purchase

As most people who buy this book, and many, many others, would be, I'm a huge Calvin and Hobbes fan. And hugely fascinated by the complex and enigmatic character that is Bill Watterson. I respect his wishes for privacy, yet am curious to know more about the man, thoughts, background, etc. Looking for Calvin and Hobbes seemed the perfect project, and could've been so fantastic, however it succeeds in falling short. Quite apart from a few things which I won't mention for the sake of those who haven't read the book, there's not a single - not one - drawing in the book.

Yes, I realise this is most likely due to copyright reasons, but to have an entire book dedicated to a brilliant cartoonist as well as interviews with countless other cartoonists who were inspired by him, and not least references to how they were inspired and where one can see this inspiration without a single ACTUAL illustration is just odd. The history of the strip itself was interesting, but without the chance to see what the author is describing, it's like watching Up (1 Disc) [DVD] [2009 ] with your eyes closed. Sure, the dialogue is great, but it's really only half the experience.

6 people found this helpful

Stukez

Totally in the spirit

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2020

Verified Purchase

The author has produced exactly the respectful tome that I was looking for. My regard for Bill Watterson has only increased by reading this labour of love. The work stands by itself, why have I been conditioned to expect that knowing everything about the artist’s life, diet, politics etc etc is necessary?

Junglist999

Great book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2014

Verified Purchase

Stays true to the author, i have recently bought the complete calvin and hobbes and wanted to learn more about the amazing author. Although he never meets him it does provide an interesting background and story. I have been a fan of calvin and hobbes since i first read them when i was little and continue to do so now.

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