Dear Mr. Watterson

Year: 2013
Country: USA
Run Time: 89 minutes

Bill Watterson, the Chagrin Falls resident and creator behind the beloved comic strip Calvin & Hobbes, isn't an easy man to reach. Therefore, the filmmakers brilliantly explore his superb legacy through the people who were most affected by his work: his adoring fans. Calvin & Hobbes was syndicated from 1985 to 1995 in over 24,000 newspapers. Every week, die-hards flipped straight to the funnies to see what hijinks the whimsical Calvin and his stuffed tiger friend would get into next. Watterson gave his characters great depth, stretching the limits of the panels and offering more complex stories than the average strip. After seeing great success, a demand grew to use his characters for merchandising – a concept that Watterson strongly stood against. In order to preserve the integrity of his stories, the cartoonist passed up the opportunity to make millions. DEAR MR. WATTERSON is the perfect tribute to a man who hid from the spotlight, but allowed his incredible imagination to shine through his work. – E.F.

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