Madness and mayhem reign, but the happy-go-lucky Waldo wanders through, unaffected, in picture after picture.

“Where’s Waldo? In Hollywood” takes Waldo watchers on a tour of Tinseltown, through the sets of wild westerns and musicals. In subsequent books, Waldo journeys through action-packed fantasy lands of gobbling gluttons, battling monks and unfriendly giants, and he travels back and forth through time to observe the cavemen, the ancient Egyptians and aliens. “Where’s Waldo?,” the first book, placed Waldo on a “worldwide hike” exploring traditional spots like the beach, the railway station and a sports stadium.

“What I’m trying to say is I gave him that look, because, when I originally thought of the character who was lost in all these scenes, I just imagined that the reason why he was lost was because he was slightly idiotic and didn’t know where he was going.” Handford said he saw Waldo as a “train spotter,” a word used in England in the early 1980s to describe someone who is “slightly nerdish” and “slightly idiotic.” The round glasses and stocking hat topped by a pom-pom defined Waldo’s personality. Handford said the red-and-white-striped sweater was meant as a kind of uniform, something eye-catching. Waldo, actually the well-meaning but goofy Wally in his original incarnation, was born. It was decided that there should be a character that gets lost in each scene, giving people a reason to look more closely. He talked to a book publisher about creating a book filled with crowd scenes. Handford left art college after three years and worked as a freelance illustrator drawing crowd scenes for magazines, newspapers and advertising agencies. So much success from a guy who is really just doing what he’s been doing since he was a boy-drawing, particularly large battle scenes like those in his favorite book, “The Golden History of the World,” illustrated by Cornelius DeWitt, or in the action-packed movies with casts of thousands, such as “The Alamo.” Back then, Handford was no less meticulous and passionate as he tried to recapture the excitement. His four earlier 12-scene “search and find” books have been re-released, with Waldo in a new location in each picture. He is the star of a syndicated comic strip and talks to fans on a new Web site. Waldo’s likeness has appeared on everything from lunch boxes to Halloween costumes.

You can find Waldo on cans of Waldo-O’s pasta and tomato sauce and on boxes of Life cereal. Waldo fans live in more than 20 countries and speak 19 different languages. Searching for the happy-go-lucky world traveler has become a global passion.

“I can’t tell you how pleased I am that he’s taken on a life of his own,” said Handford, showing humility at the suggestion that Waldo might become as classic a character as, let’s say, Winnie the Pooh. As much as Handford doesn’t want to be a star, he’s thrilled that Waldo is.

Where's Waldo? by Martin Handford