OK. I concede the debate.
He was not completely opposed to merchandising C&H. He was however opposed to use them to sponsor someone else's products (candy, soft drinks, breakfast cereal, vitamins).
Because of their popularity, he was one of the VERY FEW who could buck the syndicates contracts and maintain control of the method of his creation's merchandising. Is that more correct?
I would love to have a C&H coffee mug, or t-shirt; someone else might want a stuffed animal. Watterson did not want this; he was very careful how they were marketed because he feared the overkill prevalent with Peanuts, Garfield, the Simpsons, etc.
I still cringe just a bit to see a profane C&H decal, bumper sticker or shirt.