40 years ago — on November 18, 1985 — a new comic strip appeared in the newspaper: Calvin and Hobbes.

Hobbes was a stuffed tiger, but in the mind of 6-year-old Calvin he was a wryly observant companion for his day-to-day challenges and wildly imaginative adventures.

Adventures of the beloved duo lasted just a decade. Their creator — cartoonist Bill Watterson — walked away from Calvin and Hobbes at the height of its popularity.

Watterson — who has given few interviews — seamlessly combined the silly, the fantastic and the profound in his strip. That slightly demented quality captured editor Lee Salem, who spoke with NPR's Renee Montagne in 2005.

The following exchange has been edited for length and clarity.

Interview highlights

Lee Salem: I remember it when I first read it, and it

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