You might have enjoyed the Where’s Waldo? books as a child. They are classic activity books that show a large crowd, and you have to find Waldo in the crowd in his classic red and white outfit. Here are a few things you might not know about him:
1. Each Puzzle Takes Weeks To Complete
Has everyone noticed that pathology is a lot like Where's Waldo, except you're trying to spot the malignant cells. pic.twitter.com/M0dy58knhy
— Benjamin Mazer (@BenMazer) January 7, 2017
When you are inspecting these puzzles trying to find Waldo, look at the incredible detail. These take weeks to plan out and complete. In 1990, creator Martin Handford told The New York Times:
“I work in stages across the page, from left to right. I start out with a list of about 20 gags I want to put in a picture, but more come to me as I am working.”
2. Creator’s Influences
Where's @drose ? We found him. Can you? #DerrickRose #WheresWaldo? @nyknicks @TheGarden @MSGNetworks @PhilJackson11 @NYKnicksfans pic.twitter.com/O6J1g458hP
— Imus in the Morning (@TheImusShow) January 10, 2017
Handford was born in 1956, and he loved drawing in his childhood. In an interview with Scholastic, he said:
“My earliest influences were cinema epics and playing with toy soldiers. I attempted to recapture the excitement in my drawings, which started out as crowds of crude stick figures.”
3. What is Waldo’s Personality Like?
Where's Waldo. The End! pic.twitter.com/34bhDRQ0o5
— Blu-b-blu (@PollytheAnna) January 5, 2017
Handford said this about Waldo’s personality:
“I gave him that look, because … I just imagined that the reason why he was lost was because he was slightly idiotic and didn’t know where he was going.”
“From the personality point of view, I see him as completely different now. As far as I’m concerned, he’s not idiotic. He is a cool guy. He knows where he’s going. He’s very open-minded. He’s kind. From a visual point of view, his face has actually changed to make him look less nerdy.”
4. Creator Did Album Covers
Mark Handford, creator of Where’s Waldo?, is also known for creating an album cover for a band called “The Vapors.” Here is a video about that:
Featured image via Twitter.