Waldo (1987)

Waldo
Character Information
Debut:	Where's Wally? (1987)
Species:	Human
Gender:	Male
Items:	Key, walking stick, kettle, mallet, cup, backpack, sleeping bag, binoculars, camera, snorkel, belt, bag, shovel, books
Family:	Woof (pet) Mamma Waldini (mother) Caveman (ancestor)
Home:	Waldo's house The Land of Waldos
Aliases:	Wally, Walter, Charlie, Holger, Willy
Birthday:	{{{birthday}}}

Waldo, also known outside North America as Wally, is the main character and star of the Where's Waldo? (also known as Where’s Wally?) series. The character is known for his distinct wardrobe of a red and white striped shirt, blue jeans, brown 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 filled with 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.

His height is described as "tallish" and his weight as "lightish". Waldo has a happy-go-lucky attitude and is often seen with a smile on his face.

Waldo first appeared in 1997 in the book Where's Wally?. Over the years Waldo's appearance changed only slightly (see below).

Creating Waldo

The Evolution of 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 Wally is -- an afterthought," Handford said, "[but] as it turns out, the fans were more interested in the character than in the crowd scenes."

Gallery

• Gallery

Trivia

• While not confirmed outside of the magazine; in its first issue of WoofTales; a section of the magazine Waldo has a nephew dubbed Willy. While not said which side of the family Willy is from; the nephew's name could be a tongue'n'cheek reference to Waldo's name in Norway; Willy.