The Robot Who Almost Ruined Calvin And Hobbes

Everyone loves Calvin And Hobbes. But did you know it almost sucked from the jump? Don McHoull does a great job of tracking the genesis of Calvin And Hobbes comic strips alongside the beginnings of Robotman comic strip and the fascinating intersection between commerce and art. Or, as the video summary states:

Robotman was supposed to be the next Garfield or Snoopy. In the 1980s there was a multi-million-dollar campaign to promote him, complete with an animated special, toys and a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.

At the same time, a young cartoonist named Bill Watterson was pitching a comic strip to United Feature Syndicate. The syndicate turned down Watterson's strip, Calvin and Hobbes, but made him an offer: If he would agree to add Robotman to the strip, they would reconsider.

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