William B. Watterson II was born on July 5, 1958, in Washington, D.C. He moved at age 6 to Chagrin Falls, Ohio. He was educated at Kenyon College in Gambier (1976-1980), where he received a B.A. in Political Science. Watterson is married, with Melissa, but he doesn't have any children.

When Watterson read his first comic, he knew that he wanted to be a cartoonist. 'Calvin and Hobbes' was not his first strip; he has been drawing comics almost his whole life. At high-school he drew comics for the school newspaper and when he attended college, he drew for the 'Kenyon Collegian'. After college he got a job as political cartoonist by the Cincinnati Post, but was fired within a couple of months. After that he made several comics, but they were all rejected by the newspaper syndicates. Finally he got to the top with Calvin and Hobbes, which appears in over 2,300 newspapers worldwide.

In a letter to newspaper editors announcing his retirement, Watterson stated: "This is not a recent or easy decision, and I leave with some sadness. My interests have shifted, however, and I believe I've done what I can do within the constraints of daily deadlines and small panels. I am eager to work at a more thoughtful pace, with fewer artistic compromises. I have not yet decided on future projects, but my relationship with Universal Press Syndicate will continue."

Watterson was nominated for the 1992 Reuben Award for "Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year" by the National Cartoonists Society, and won the 1986 and 1988 Reuben Awards. In 1986, he was the youngest recipient to ever win the award.