<P> Wally is identified by his red - and - white - striped shirt, bobble hat, and glasses, but many illustrations contain red herrings involving deceptive use of red - and - white striped objects . Later entries in the long - running book series added other targets for readers to find in each illustration . The books have also inspired a television show (Where's Wally?: The Animated Series), comic strip and a series of video games . </P> <P> In 1986, Handford was asked by his art director at Walker Books to draw a character with peculiar features so that his pictures of crowds had a focal point . After much thinking, he came up with the idea of "Wally", a world traveller and time travel aficionado who always dresses in red and white . Sometimes it would take him up to eight weeks to draw a two - page sketch of the elusive "Wally" and the characters surrounding him . </P> <P> The first Where's Wally? book was published on 21 September 1987 . The Where's Wally? books were published in the United Kingdom by Walker Books and in the United States under the title Where's Waldo? first by Little, Brown and Company before being taken on by Candlewick Press (Walker Books' American subsidiary publishing company). The first four titles were originally printed in Italy, but later reprinted in China . </P> <P> The books became extremely popular and were localised for many different territories, with name changes for Wally in certain regions . The franchise also spawned other media in a more storyline - based form, including a television series, a comic strip and a series of video games . </P>

What came first where wally or where waldo