In a move which simultaneously riled newspaper editors and delighted fans, famously strong-minded cartoonist Bill Watterson returned from a nine month sabbatical in 1992 and demanded that the Sunday edition of his comic strip – Calvin and Hobbes – be allotted a full half-page each week by newspapers, or nothing at all. The fear of losing such a popular cartoon forced editors to grant his wish, and Watterson flourished as a result of the relative freedom he now experienced. Below is a letter sent to a fan by Watterson in which he discusses the change.

Other Calvin and Hobbes goodness can be found here.

Transcript follows.

Transcript

Calvin and Hobbes December 9 Dear Tim, Thanks for the kind words about the new Sunday format. I’ve been told to expect some resentment from editors who don’t like being forced to take a better product for the same price. It’s unfortunate that these kinds of changes have to be accomplished by fiat, but so long as editors worry more about the quantity of comics than their quality, it’s hard to convince them to do this voluntarily. More to the point, I suspect readers and editors need to SEE the difference to be persuaded. Time will tell. Again, thanks for the vote of support. Sincerely, (Signed, ‘Bill Watterson’)