& Coffee Table Corner: Grown Up Where’s Waldo

Like, seriously, what twisted individual came up with this scene in Where’s Waldo??

Remember the Where’s Waldo books in those big, hardcover editions? The ones where you wore out the spine because you had to lay them flat to peer at the complex scenes? The ones in the doctor’s office, the ones your babysitter brought over? Anybody go nuts once or twice because you swear, they’re playing a joke on you and Waldo can’t actually be there?!

Yeah, we’ve all been there, I think. There have even been analyses on how to find our striped friend! A fellow named Randal S. Olson actually came up with an optimal search strategy here, in his post about being snowed in one weekend, analyzing kernel densities of where Waldo appears in all his books. And Slate ran a similar article, giving you graphed patterns for where Waldo emerges across the series.

So, you know, if you want to ruin your childhood a little or trounce your friends at a Where’s Waldo? party (can that be a thing? Where everyone comes dressed as Waldo?!), use those patterns.

Find Momo by Andrew Knapp. Publisher: Quirk Books.

Find Momo Coast to Coast by Andrew Knapp. Publisher: Quirk Books

But how about some easier, coffee table versions to display in your living room?

In Find Momo and Find Momo Coast to Coast, photographer Andrew Knapp has either taught his dog a rather strange but awesome trick, or his dog is just plain sneaky.

In both books, Momo the border collie hides behind national monuments, in grassy plains where you have to hunt to find his furry black head popping out from a corner, and my personal favorite, one in which he’s peering over the shoulder of a girl reading on some building steps. Some scenes are more difficult than others, and none of them are Where’s Waldo? hard, but I mean, come on…how stinking cute is that?

Where in the World is Koneko Cat? by Asuka Satow. Publisher: Andrews McNeel Publishing

Speaking of cute, how about a coloring book and find-the-cute-cat-emoji-character, all in one??

Where in the World is Koneko Cat? is just that: complex coloring pages (get your fine-tipped markers ready for this one, folks), and tiny, adorable cats packed into each page.

You can play it Where’s Waldo? style and leave it at that, of course, but the color your own adventure style just seems fun 🙂

So what’s the perfect Waldo themed coffee table? One with a hidden compartment, of course!

This Magnussen Darien Coffee Table looks like a regular old brown coffee table. Some cool magazine slots in the sides, nice little drawers…but oh wait, the top is a secret compartment!

Plain old coffee table…

Secret coffee table! Found here at Wayfair.

Whaaaaaat?

Just imagine the possibilities: snacks…favorite books…gifts you need to hide from family or friends coming over. Heck, keep your knitting in there!

Have you come across any cool Waldo style books? Do you still have your original copies of those tall hardcovers? What was your favorite/least favorite scene?