Waldo (Where's Waldo)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Waldo is the star of the "Where's Waldo" series. The character is known for his distinct wardrobe of a red and white striped shirt, blue pants, boots, red and white striped socks, glasses, and his red and white bobbled hat. He has traveled all over the world, through time, and to distant magical lands.

Waldo isn't the only one like him; he comes from The Land Of Waldos, which is a land full of Waldos just like him. Waldo is always ready for an adventure with his walking stick in hand, and trusty dog Woof by his side. His favorite hobbies are reading and collecting things from his many travels.

The character's age is unknown and his height is described as "tallish" and weight as "lightish". Waldo has a happy-go-lucky attitude and is often seen with a smile on his face.

Waldo first appeared in 1987 in the book Where's Waldo?.

[edit] Waldo's Walking Stick

Waldo's walking stick is the key to his travels. The magical stick was given to Waldo by Wizard Whitebeard, and it can open portals to far away lands, as well as portals through time.

The stick is the reason for Odlaw's pursuit of Waldo, as he wants the walking stick for himself. Odlaw hopes that with the stick he'll be able to get inside Fort Knox and take all the gold. Besides opening portals, the stick is like a Swiss Army Knife, full of gadgets - including turning into an umbrella, pogo-stick, pool cue and many other items.

Waldo lost his walking stick in the final scene, "The Fairground", in the book Where's Waldo, however this is before he met the Wizard (and gained the pursuit of Odlaw), so the stick was not magical at this point.

[edit] Family

Waldo comes from the Waldini family. Besides his dog, Woof, Waldo has an unseen mother known as Mamma Waldini. His nephews Willy and Walter have also been seen in some comics and other minor publications.

Waldo has been romantically linked to both Wilma and her twin sister Wenda.

Waldo met his "great-great-great-great-great...(you get the idea) grandfather" in the TV episode "A Stone Age Story". The prehistoric Waldini ancestor dressed in a red and white striped cloth, wore a horned bobble cap, glasses, and carried a club. Like his decedent, he collects everything and loves to travel. He also had a dog, Bark, who looks a lot like Waldo's dog Woof.

[edit] Creating Waldo

When Martin Handford was asked to create a book showcasing his artistic talent, the character Waldo was born to provide a link between each scene. The feeling was that a book full of crowd scenes would have no central theme, but adding a wacky character for the reader to look for adds a purpose to each page. "That's who Waldo is -- an afterthought," Handford said, "[but] as it turns out, the fans were more interested in the character than in the crowd scenes."