 These sabbaticals were included in the new contract Watterson managed to negotiate with Universal Features in 1990.The sabbaticals were proposed by the syndicate themselves, who, fearing Watterson's complete burnout, endeavored to get another five years of work from their star artist.Watterson remains only the third cartoonist with sufficient popularity and stature to receive a sabbatical from their syndicate, the first being Garry Trudeau ("Doonesbury") in 1983 and Gary Larson ("The Far Side") in 1989.