A Note on Recently Auctioned Calvin & Hobbes Artwork

Thanks to some dear friends and fans of The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, it has come to our attention that there were recently three “original” Calvin & Hobbes comic strips listed for sale on eBay.

As many of you know, the Bill Watterson Deposit Collection lives here at The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, and it contains the majority of original Calvin & Hobbes artwork.  We do have the originals of all three items recently posted as original art for sale on eBay, and they are safe in our high-security stacks.

If you see a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip for sale and would like to know if we have the original, please do not hesitate to contact us.  We will be glad to let you know which originals are in the collection here.  Although we are not appraisers and cannot authenticate work, we are here to help and advise as best we can.

Seen below is a comparison of one of Watterson’s works that was listed for sale on eBay (bottom) next to the actual original from our archive (top). A close look like this reveals many discrepancies, including different punctuation, date placement, inferior lettering, and more.

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We strongly encourage folks to continue collecting and sharing the incredible history of the cartoon art form, and there are lots of opportunities to do so through reputable dealers and auction houses. Shop smart, and let us know how we can help!

1 Comment

  1. RogerOThornhill

    June 18, 2015 at 6:49 pm

    I saw all three listings, and the seller was very careful to not claim that they were Watterson “originals”. The seller described purchasing them from a street seller in NYC. Aside from Banksy’s brief appearance in Central Park, rare and valuable art is rarely purchased on the streets of Manhattan. Anyone who bid on these strips is a fool.

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