{"id":32444,"date":"2025-03-16T09:00:50","date_gmt":"2025-03-16T09:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=32444"},"modified":"2025-03-14T19:34:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T19:34:57","slug":"the-complete-peanuts-volume-9-1967-1968","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/03\/16\/the-complete-peanuts-volume-9-1967-1968\/","title":{"rendered":"The Complete Peanuts volume 9: 1967-1968"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" \"\"
\nBy Charles M. Schulz<\/strong> (Fantagraphics Books\/Canongate Books UK)
\nISBN: 978-1-56097-826-8 (US HB) 978-085786-213-6 (UK HB)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> produced in less enlightened times.<\/em><\/p>\n

Peanuts <\/strong>is unequivocally the most important comic strip in the history of graphic narrative. It is also the most deeply personal. Cartoonist Charles M Schulz crafted his moodily hilarious, hysterically introspective, shockingly surreal philosophical epic for half a century: 17,897 strips spanning October 2nd<\/sup> 1950 to February 13th<\/sup> 2000. He died – from complications of cancer – the day before his last strip was printed.<\/p>\n

At its height, Peanuts <\/strong>ran in 2,600 newspapers, in 21 languages and75 countries. Many of those venues still run it in perpetual reprints, as they have ever since his death. During his lifetime, book collections, a merchandising mountain and television spin-offs had made the publicity-shy doodler an actual billionaire at a time when that really meant something\u2026<\/p>\n

None of that matters. Peanuts<\/strong> – a title Schulz loathed, but one the syndicate forced upon him – changed the way comics strips were received and perceived: proving cartoon comedy could have edges and nuance and meaning as well as soon-forgotten pratfalls and punchlines.<\/p>\n

We begin with an effusive foreword from film icon John Waters expressing his utter support of the mighty Lucy Van Pelt<\/em> and all who sail in range of her, drawing references and similarities to actor\/personality Divine I never saw before, but now can\u2019t shift…<\/p>\n

Notionally, our focus and point of contact remains quintessential, inspirational loser Charlie Brown<\/em> who, beside fanciful, high-maintenance mutt Snoopy<\/em>, remains squarely at odds with a mercurial supporting cast, hanging out doing what at first sight seems to be Kids Stuff and an increasingly hostile universe of perverse happenstance.<\/p>\n

Always, gags centre on play, varying degrees of musicality, pranks, interpersonal alignments, the mounting pressures of ever-harder education, mass media lensed through young eyes and a selection of sports in their season, leavened by agonising teasing, aroused and crushed hopes, the making of baffled observations and occasionally acting a bit too much like grown-ups. However, in this tome, themes and tropes that define the entire series (especially in the wake of many animated TV specials) become mantra-like yet endlessly variable, but focus less on Charlie Brown and more on those around him. One deliciously powerful constant that remains and grows more abundant is his inability to fly a kite. Here the war with wind, gravity and landscape reaches absurdist proportions, as a certain tree pursues his adored pastime with vicious violent and malicious venom\u2026<\/p>\n

Human interactions still find the boy a pitiable outlier. Mean girl Violet<\/em>, musical prodigy Schroeder<\/em>, self-taught psychoanalyst and dictator-in-waiting Lucy, her brilliantly off-kilter little brother Linus<\/em> and dirt-magnet \u201cPig-Pen\u201d <\/em>are fixtures honed to generate joke-routines and gag-sequences around their signature foibles, but some early characters have faded away in favour of fresh attention-attracting players joining the mob. Newcomers sidle in and shuffle off without much flurry or fanfare but in our real world the debut of \u201cMinority\u201d characters Jos\u00e9 Peron of New Mexico<\/em> and African American Franklin<\/em> attracted much attention and drew controversy – because, I guess, there will always be gits and arseholes…<\/p>\n

A little girl Lila<\/em> also debuted, but another white kid wasn\u2019t much of shock to the system, even if she shared a fantastic life-changing secret with Snoopy…<\/p>\n

At least the Brown boy\u2019s existential crisis\/responsibility vector\/little sister Sally<\/em> has grown enough to become just another trigger for relentless self-excoriation. As she grows, pesters librarians, forms opinions and propounds steadfastly authoritarian views, Charlie is relegated to being her dumber, but eternally protective, big brother\u2026<\/p>\n

Resigned to – but far from uncomplaining about – life as a loser in the gunsight of cruel and capricious fate, the boy Brown is helpless meat in the clutches of openly sadistic Lucy. When not sabotaging his efforts to kick a football, she monetises her spiteful verve via a 5\u00a2 walk-in psychoanalysis booth (although supply and demand economics also affects this unshakeable standard), ensuring that whether at play, in sports, kite-flying or just brooding, the round-headed kid truly endures the character-building trials of the damned. She\u2019s so good at it that a certain dog opens up a rival concern\u2026<\/p>\n

By this time, the beagle is the true star of the show, with his primary quest for more and better food playing out against an increasingly baroque inner life, wild encounters with birds, skateboarding, dance marathons and skating trysts with a \u201cgirl-beagle\u201d, philosophical ruminations, and ever-more-popular catchphrases. Here, the burgeoning whimsy leads to constant glimpses of the dog\u2019s WWI other life, peppered with classic dogfights against the accursed Red Baron<\/em>, but also focuses on his side hustles: running for civic office, competing as arm wrestler The Masked Marvel<\/em> and brief but intense time as an Olympic ice skater…<\/p>\n

Snoopy also indulges in a protracted period impersonating a vulture, but pickings seem to have been quite slim…<\/p>\n

As always, timeless episodes of play, peril, peewee psychoanalysis and personal recrimination are beards for some heavy topics. Rendered in marvellous monochrome, there are crucial character introductions, more plot developments and creation of even more traditions we all revere to this day. Of particular note is confirmation of the soft revolution leaving the wonder beagle and Lucy Van Pelt in the driving\/pilot\u2019s seat and head of the table\/analyst\u2019s couch\u2026<\/p>\n

Health and status became increasingly important at this time and the collection opens with a painfully relevant sequence of gags as Linus and Lucy get their measles vaccinations. It was played for laughs then and all ended well, but the way today\u2019s parental moron sector are playing Russian roulette with kids\u2019 lives is still no bloody joke…<\/p>\n

Another trenchant continued gag-series follows Lucy attempts to \u201ccure\u201d Linus of his blanket dependency by playing him off against grandma who will give up smoking if he gives up clutching fabric and sucking thumb…<\/p>\n

Snoopy is the only force capable of challenging if not actually countering Lucy. Over these two years, her campaign to curb that weird beagle, cure her brother of his comfort blanket addiction and generally reorder reality to her preferences reaches astounding heights and appalling depths, but the dog keeps trying and scores many minor victories. As always volumes open and close with many strips riffing on snow, food, movie-going and television – or the gang\u2019s responses to it – become ever more pervasive. As aways, Lucy constantly and consistently sucks all the joy out of the white wonder stuff and the astounding variety offered by the goggle-box. Perpetually sabotaged, and facing abuse from every female in their life, Brown and Snoopy endure casual grief from smug, attention-seeking Frieda<\/em>, championing shallow good looks over substance. Linus is still beguiled by the eerie attractions of his teacher Miss Othmar<\/em> and Lucy\u2019s amatory ambitions for Schroeder<\/em> grow ever more chilling and substantive\u2026<\/p>\n

Schulz established way points in his year: formally celebrating certain calendar occasions – real or invented – as perennial shared events: Mothers and Fathers\u2019 Days, Fourth of July, National Dog Week strips accompanied in their turn yearly milestones like Christmas, St. Valentine\u2019s Day, Easter, Halloween\/Great Pumpkin Day and Beethoven\u2019s Birthday were joined this year by a return to another American ritual as many of the cast return to summer camp. This heralds a greater role for old pal Patricia Reichardt<\/em> AKA tomboy Peppermint Patty<\/em> (who debuted in the previous collection on August 22nd<\/sup> 1966); this time around, she becomes a counsellor to younger girls, ousts Charlie Brown from his own baseball team and even replaces him as manager with the beagle…<\/p>\n

More endless heartbreak ensues as Charlie Brown fruitlessly pursue his ideal inamorata the \u201clittle red-haired girl\u201d: a fascination outrageously exploited by others whenever he doesn\u2019t simply sabotage himself. The poor oaf still has no idea how to respond to closer ties with his dream girl or why even Patty cares\u2026<\/p>\n

Sports loom large and terrifying as ever, but star athlete Snoopy is more interested in his new passions than boring old baseball or hockey. Even Lucy finds far more absorbing pastimes but still enjoys crushing the spirits of her teammates in whatever endeavour they are failing at. Anxiety-wracked Brown even steps down from the baseball team to ease his life, but being replaced by Linus only intensifies his woes. It also does nothing to help his kite wielding or paper plane folding…<\/p>\n

Linus endures more disappointment in two Great Pumpkin seasons and before you know it, there\u2019s the traditional countdown to Christmas and another year filled with weird, wild and wonderful moments\u2026<\/p>\n

Neatly interspersed with the daily doses of gloom, the Sunday page first debuted on January 6th<\/sup> 1952: a standard half-page slot offering more measured fare than the 4-panel dailies. Thwarted ambition, sporting failures, crushing frustration – much of it kite\/psychoanalysis related – abound, alternating with Snoopy\u2019s inner life of aviation and war stories, star gazing, shooting the breeze with bird buddies, weather woes and food fiascos. These and other signature sorties across the sabbath indulgences afforded Schulz room to be his most imaginative, whimsical and provocative\u2026<\/p>\n

Particular tentpole moments to relish include as always, the sharply-cornered romantic triangle involving Lucy, Schroeder & Beethoven; Snoopy v Lucy deathmatches; Charlie Brown\u2019s food feud with the beagle, and assorted night terrors, Lucy\u2019s unique solutions to complex questions; Valentines\u2019 card coup counting, doggy dreams; the power of television; sporting endeavours; and more\u2026<\/p>\n

To wrap it all up, Gary Groth celebrates and deconstructs the man and his work in \u2018Charles M. Schulz: 1922 to 2000\u2019, <\/em>preceded by a copious \u2018Index\u2019 <\/em>offering instant access to favourite scenes you\u2019d like to see again\u2026<\/p>\n

Readily available in many formats, this volume guarantees total enjoyment: comedy gold and social glue metamorphosing into an epic of spellbinding graphic mastery that still adds joy to billions of lives, and continues to make new fans and devotees long after its maker\u2019s passing.
\nThe Complete Peanuts: 1967-1968 (Volume Nine)<\/em> \u00a9 2008 Peanuts Worldwide, LLC. The Foreword is \u00a9 2008, John Waters. \u201cCharles M. Schulz: 1922 to 2000\u201d \u00a9 2008 Gary Groth. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Charles M. Schulz (Fantagraphics Books\/Canongate Books UK) ISBN: 978-1-56097-826-8 (US HB) 978-085786-213-6 (UK HB) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times. Peanuts is unequivocally the most important comic strip in the history of graphic narrative. It is also the most deeply personal. Cartoonist Charles M Schulz crafted his moodily hilarious, hysterically … <\/p>\n

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