I'd always enjoyed the comics more, and felt that as long as I was unemployed it would be a good chance to pursue that and see what response I could get from asyndicate, as I didn't have anything to lose at that point. So I drew up a comic strip - this was in 1980 - and sent it off and got rejected. I continued that for five years with different comic strip examples 'til finally Calvin and Hobbes came together. But it's been a long road.

CALVIN: Our hero regains consciousness at the feet of a sarcastic alien.

When I get to the drawing, I really enjoy taking a big chunk of time and working on the drawing and nothing else. That allows me to make sure that I'm really challenging the art, making each picture as interesting as I can.

You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocket ship underpants don't help.

You can drag my body to school but my spirit refuses to go.

I wonder where we go when we die?” “…Pittsburgh?” “You mean if we’re good or if we’re bad?

I'm willing to take the blame if the strip goes down the drain, and I want the credit if it succeeds. So long as it has my name on it, I want it to be mine.