Bill Watterson Net Worth - Pulptastic

What is Bill Watterson’s Net Worth?

Bill Watterson, the American artist and author, has a net worth of $100 million. He is most famous for creating the comic strip “Calvin and Hobbes,” which was syndicated from 1985 to 1995.

The comic, which features a boy and his stuffed tiger, is widely regarded as the last great newspaper comic. Since retiring from “Calvin and Hobbes,” Watterson has largely withdrawn from public life, but has occasionally published writing.

Early Life and Education

Bill Watterson II was born on July 5, 1958 in Washington, DC and grew up in the Cleveland, Ohio suburb of Chagrin Falls. He enjoyed drawing and reading comic strips such as “Pogo” and “Peanuts.” In high school, Watterson created superhero comics with his friends and contributed art to the school newspaper and yearbook. He went on to attend Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where he majored in political science and continued to develop his drawing skills by contributing art to the college newspaper. Watterson graduated in 1980.

Early Career of Bill Watterson

After graduating from Kenyon, Watterson was hired by the Cincinnati Post on a trial basis. He was fired before the end of his contract due to struggling in the role. Following this, he worked as a designer for a small advertising agency for four years. During this time, he pursued his own projects and also did freelancing.

Bill Watterson’s “Calvin and Hobbes” Comic Strip

Bill Watterson rose to fame with his comic strip “Calvin and Hobbes,” featuring the adventures of a six-year-old boy and his stuffed tiger. The strip explored themes such as environmentalism and identity, and quickly gained popularity after its debut in 1985. By 1995, it was being published in more than 2,400 newspapers worldwide.

Despite pressure from his publisher to merchandise the characters, Watterson believed that comics were an art form and stood his ground. This led to conflicts and even a nine-month sabbatical in 1991. Watterson ultimately stopped drawing “Calvin and Hobbes” in 1995, after a dispute over the Sunday strip format.

Bill Watterson’s Media Contributions

After ending “Calvin and Hobbes,” Bill Watterson withdrew from the public eye and devoted his time to painting. He continued to fight against the merchandising machine and refused to sign autographs or license his characters. In 2005, he answered 15 questions submitted by readers, and two years later, he wrote a review of the biography “Schulz and Peanuts” for the Wall Street Journal.

Bill Watterson has made other notable media contributions, including writing a foreword for the first book collection of the “Cul de Sac” comic strip in 2008. He later gave interviews for the Plain Dealer and Mental Floss. In 2014, he released a poster for the documentary film “Stripped,” his first cartoon work since the end of “Calvin and Hobbes.” Later that year, he served as a guest illustrator on the comic strip “Pearls Before Swine.” Watterson has also released books, including “The Art of Richard Thompson,” co-written by Nick Galifianakis and David Apatoff, and “The Mysteries,” co-authored by John Kascht.

Accolades for Bill Watterson

Bill Watterson, the creator of “Calvin and Hobbes,” has won numerous awards for his work. He won the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award in both 1986 and 1988. Throughout the 90s, he received multiple Harvey Awards. In 2014, he was awarded with the Grand Prix at the Angoulême International Comics Festival, becoming only the fourth non-European cartoonist to receive the prize since 1974. In 2020, Watterson was inducted into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame.