Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes was the last great American newspaper comic strip, and opportunities to acquire original art are as rare as bug's teeth. Heritage Auctions is rightfully giddy to be offering a hand-colored Sunday strip. (I wouldn't be surprised if Watterson himself buys it.)
Oh boy — be prepared to have your world rocked by this one, Comic Art lovers!
We don't have to tell you how incredibly rare this amazing masterwork is! It is, in fact, the first time this century that a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip original is being offered at public auction! It's a well known fact that artist Bill Watterson has carefully held onto his original artwork, despite many generous offers to part with a strip. We're not kidding when we say we would have been ecstatic to have uncovered a daily example of this medium-defining comic strip to offer, but to have a beautifully hand-colored (by the artist himself) Sunday is pretty much beyond belief! It was presented by Watterson as a gift to fellow cartoonist Brian Basset, creator of the popular strips Adam@Home and Red and Rover, who cherished it for many years in his personal collection.
Why is Basset selling the gift given to him by Watterson? The Daily Cartoonist reports that Basset is in a "financial pinch related to an earlier divorce and upcoming wedding has prompted him to put the piece on the auction block."
