15 Intriguing Details About 'Where's Waldo?'

The goal of every Where’s Waldo? book is straightforward: search through bustling crowds to locate Waldo, easily recognizable in his iconic red-and-white striped sweater and glasses. However, simplicity isn’t what creator Martin Handford aims for. The English artist has built a career on designing intricate visual challenges, filled with massive crowds, twisting structures, and fantastical creatures, turning the search for Waldo into a test of endurance and focus, even for the most observant fans. Discover 15 must-know facts about Where’s Waldo?

1. Before Where’s Waldo?, Martin Handford gained recognition for designing a Vapors album cover.

Long before Waldo came to life, Handford’s artistic talents were showcased in the music industry. His standout work included the artwork for The Vapors’ 1981 album Magnets, the band known for their hit “Turning Japanese.” Though created years before Waldo, the album cover mirrors the style of his later books, featuring one of his signature crowd scenes zoomed out to reveal a massive eye formed by countless tiny figures.

2. The origin of the idea remains a mystery. 

When David Bennett, the art director at Walker Books, sought to create a picture book akin to Philippe Dupasquier’s Busy Places series, he needed an artist skilled in one specific area: crowd scenes. While Bennett believed Handford was ideal for the task, some at Walker doubted a book solely featuring crowds—no matter how beautifully illustrated—would captivate readers. According to Donna Cassanova, Walker’s character publisher, a team member proposed transforming the crowd scenes into an interactive experience for the audience.

“As the company prepared for the Bologna Book Fair, just a week or so before the event, someone—multiple people later claimed credit—suggested, ‘Wouldn’t it be more engaging if readers searched for a specific person within the crowd instead of merely observing it?’” Cassanova shared with The Independent. “Everyone agreed it was a brilliant idea.” Bennett presented the concept to Handford, who, within 24 hours, produced a two-page spread that the publisher showcased at the book fair. 

3. In the UK, the character was known as Wally.

“In England,” Handford told The New York Times, “if someone acts silly or appears slightly foolish, they’re called a Wally. He’s a bit quirky but has a good heart.”

Upon its UK release in 1987, the first book, Where’s Wally?, became a cultural sensation. The initial four books sold over 18 million copies globally within the first four years, far surpassing the typical sales of other children’s books at the time, which averaged around 50,000 copies. To date, the series has sold more than 55 million books and is available in over 35 countries and 30 languages.

4. For the American audience, Wally’s name was altered to Waldo.

When Wally crossed over to the U.S. market, he underwent a name change. John G. Keller, then vice president and publisher of children’s books at Little, Brown, disliked the name Wally. He mentioned to The New York Times that it “evoked thoughts of Wallis Simpson,” the woman for whom King Edward VIII gave up the British throne. Thus, Wally transformed into Waldo—a name that’s just one of many he’s known by globally. For instance, in Germany, he’s called Walter; in France, Charlie; in Vietnam, Van Lang; in Lithuania, Jonas; and in Italy, Ubaldo.

5. Crafting each puzzle requires several weeks of meticulous work.

As you eagerly scan the pages for Waldo, it’s easy to overlook the incredible detail packed into every scene. Handford spends approximately eight weeks perfecting each illustration. “I progress across the page systematically, moving from left to right,” he explained to The New York Times in 1990. “I begin with a list of about 20 humorous elements I want to include, but more ideas emerge as I work.”

Despite the meticulous attention given to every detail, Waldo’s placement isn’t an exact science. “I insert Wally wherever I find a clever spot to conceal him as I work through the illustration,” Handford shared in a Scholastic interview. With each scene featuring between 300 and 500 characters, all drawn to scale by Handford, there’s no shortage of hiding spots for Waldo.

6. Handford’s most cherished Waldo scene is a grand tribute to classic movie musicals. 

While many artists avoid picking favorites, Handford once disclosed his preferred Waldo scene: “A Tremendous Song and Dance,” featured in the 1993 book Where’s Waldo in Hollywood? The elaborate scene is brimming with hundreds of characters, many adorned in dazzling costumes on a Hollywood soundstage reminiscent of 1940s Esther Williams musicals.

This cinematic influence is hardly surprising: Handford revealed that as a child, he was deeply inspired by “classic Hollywood swashbuckling epics filled with large crowds and thrilling battle sequences.”

7. A massive crowd in Nagasaki, Japan, set the record for the “Largest Gathering of People Dressed as Wally/Waldo.” 

In 2017, 4,626 people assembled in Nagasaki, Japan, wearing blue jeans, striped shirts, hats, and glasses to break the record for the most people dressed as Wally/Waldo. The event was held at Huis Ten Bosch theme park, which had made two prior attempts—both unsuccessful—to achieve the record. 

Earlier records were established in 2011 in Dublin, Ireland (3,872 participants), and in 2009 on the campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey (1,052 participants).

8. Handford believes Waldo has evolved to appear less nerdy over time. 

When Handford first created Waldo, he explained to the Los Angeles Times, “I gave him that look because ... I imagined he was lost due to being a bit clueless and not knowing where he was going.” Over the years, however, Handford’s perspective shifted, and he now views Waldo as a more sophisticated and well-traveled character than his initial design suggested.

“From a personality standpoint, I now see him in a completely different light,” Handford remarked in the same interview. “To me, he’s no longer clueless. He’s a confident, open-minded, and kind individual who knows exactly where he’s headed. Visually, his appearance has also been adjusted to make him look less nerdy.”

While the changes are subtle, Waldo’s facial structure, posture, and hairstyle have all transformed over time, giving him a more polished and less disheveled appearance.

9. A topless sunbather led to Waldo being banned from libraries. 

The unexpected controversy stemmed from the inclusion of “adult imagery” in the book, particularly a topless sunbather in the “On the Beach” scene, as reported by the American Library Association. This image, featured in the original Where’s Waldo? book, prompted bans in numerous libraries and stores across the U.S., including the retail chain BJ’s. In later editions, the sunbather was redrawn with added clothing to address the issue.

10. Waldo’s cast of supporting characters has expanded over the years.

Just as Superman has Bizarro, Mario has Wario, and Bart Simpson has his mischievous counterpart Lester, Waldo also has his own cunning double. Over time, the Waldo series has expanded its cast, introducing characters like Odlaw, the villainous lookalike in a yellow-and-black striped shirt with a sinister mustache. Other key figures include Wenda and Wilma, twins who share a romantic connection with Waldo; Wizard Whitebeard, who resembles Gandalf but carries a candy cane; and Woof, a dog dressed identically to Waldo.

11. Waldo once made an appearance on Google Earth.

In 2008, Canadian artist Melanie Coles launched a viral game titled Where on Earth is Waldo? after painting a massive 55-foot image of Waldo on a Vancouver rooftop. She invited people to locate it using Google Earth and even provided PDF guides for others to create their own Waldo murals worldwide.

12. Bethesda created a Where’s Waldo? video game in 1991. 

Yes, the same Bethesda behind hits like Fallout 3, the Elder Scrolls series, and the Doom reboot also developed a Where’s Waldo? game for the NES in the early 1990s. The game, which tasked players with helping Waldo reach the moon, was considered one of the system’s weaker titles. A sequel followed a year later on the Super Nintendo, and Waldo games continued to be released through 2009, including versions for the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo Wii.

13. A computer science graduate developed an algorithm to find Waldo efficiently. 

Even after three decades, locating Waldo remains a challenge for many (especially in the infamous “Land of Waldos” puzzle). To address this, Randy Olson, a Michigan State University computer science graduate, devised an algorithm in 2015 to determine the most effective search path for finding Waldo. By analyzing Waldo’s locations across all books, he identified the areas where Waldo is most frequently found and those he avoids, such as the top left and bottom right corners. Detailed graphs, GIFs, and insights are available on his blog.

14. Handford earned millions by selling the rights to Where’s Waldo? 

In 2007, Handford sold the rights to the Where’s Waldo? franchise to Entertainment Rights for £2.5 million. While Handford retains the rights to illustrate and publish new Waldo books, Entertainment Rights gained control over other revenue streams, including video games, TV shows, movies, and merchandise.

15. Plans for a Where’s Waldo? movie were once in the works. 

In 2016, it appeared that significant progress was being made to adapt Waldo for the big screen, with reports indicating that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were in discussions with MGM to finally bring the long-discussed project to life. Although no official updates have been shared since, Waldo’s timeless appeal ensures that studios remain intrigued by the idea of transforming him into a cinematic icon.