Early Proposals.

Samples Watterson sent addressed to Bill Yates, King Features comic editor. He wrote "Enclosed is a sample of a strip called "Critters" that I would be grateful for you to consider". Bill Yates hand-written note back says "Well done in a Kelly manor, we considered carefully but finally decided to pass. We are already leaving our animal characters. B.Y." History would have been much different if "Critters" had been accepted.