Waldo Turns 21

This fall marks the 21st anniversary of Waldo, Martin Handford’s once-ubiquitous, world-traveling, striped-shirted character, who has been featured in six titles that collectively have sold more than 46 million copies in 50 countries and 25 languages. The celebration will include two new books, an online presence and a range of merchandise for the 20-somethings who grew up with the character. 

Although Waldo’s heyday was in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the books have continued to sell in backlist and he has remained a pop-culture icon, especially among young adults, many of whom have gone so far as to create user-generated content featuring the character on the Internet. The catchphrase “Where’s Waldo?” pops up in conversation, in film and on television; Waldo has even made five cameos on The Simpsons.

Candlewick Press released the sixth Waldo title, The Great Picture Hunt, back in 2006, nearly a decade after the fifth book was first published, followed by paperback versions of the first five titles in 2007. Meanwhile, Entertainment Rights/Classic Media acquired the licensing rights to the property in 2007. The two companies worked together to develop consistent product design and marketing plans for this phase of Waldo’s life.