Not many cartoonists make brief unannounced returns to newspaper cartooning just for the hell of it– unless you are Bill Watterson. The retired Calvin and Hobbes creator “thought it would be funny” to on a “whim” collaborate with “Pearls Before Swine” cartoonist Stephan Pastis this week.
The three strips poked fun at Pastis’ drawing and Watterson drew one panel in each. This marks the first time Watterson’s art appeared in the paper since Calvin and Hobbes ended in 1995. The two cartoonists collaborated on the strips before revealing Watterson’s involvement.
Watterson is a rather reclusive Ohio-born cartoonist, and weirdly enough has no photos of him… anywhere. Impressive for the creator of such a popular funnies piece. Pastis referred to hearing from Watterson as “like getting a call from Bigfoot.”
Watterson’s brief return helped Pastis raise money for Team Cul de Sac, a charity that raises money to fight Parkinson’s disease. The charity actually was co-funded by fellow cartoonist Richard Thompson who suffers himself from Parkinson’s. Watterson’s original work in “Pearls Before Swine” will be auctioned for Team Cul de Sac.
Gamenomics & Comicology 