{"id":33926,"date":"2025-10-02T08:00:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T08:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=33926"},"modified":"2025-09-30T14:44:54","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T14:44:54","slug":"the-complete-peanuts-volume-1-1950-1952-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/10\/02\/the-complete-peanuts-volume-1-1950-1952-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Complete Peanuts volume 1: 1950-1952"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nBy Charles Schulz<\/strong> (Canongate Books\/Fantagraphics Books)
\nISBN: 978-1-56097-589-2 (Fantagraphics HB) 978-1-60699-763-5 (Fantagraphics TPB) 978-1-84767-031-1 (Canongate)<\/p>\n

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

Win\u2019s Christmas Gift Recommendation: All that\u2019s great about cartoon strips… 10\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n

Peanuts<\/strong> is unequivocally the most important comics strip in the history of graphic narrative. It is also the most deeply personal. Today in 1950 it all began, and cartoonist Charles M Schulz went on crafting 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.<\/p>\n

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 and in 75 countries. Many of those venues still run it as perpetual reprints, and have ever since his death. During Schulz\u2019s 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

Following a typically garrulous, charming and informative Introduction<\/em> from fellow Minnesotan Garrison Keillor, this mammoth (218 x 33x 172 mm) landscape compendium offers the first two and a bit years. Here a prototypical, rather outgoing and jolly Charlie Brown<\/em> and high-maintenance mutt Snoopy<\/em> joined with bombastic Shermy<\/em> and mercurial Patty<\/em> in hanging out doing kid things.
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\nThese include playing, playing pranks, playing sports such as tennis, golf and baseball, playing musical instruments, teasing each other, making baffled observations and occasionally acting a bit too much like grown-ups. Fans of Bill Watterson\u2019s Calvin and Hobbes<\/strong> will feel eerie familiarity with much of the hijinks and larks of these episodes.<\/p>\n

As new characters Violet<\/em>, infant prodigy Schroeder<\/em>, and Lucy<\/em> and her strange baby brother Linus<\/em> were added to the mix, the boisterous rush of the series began to imperceptibly settle into a more contemplative pace. Charlie Brown began to adopt and embrace his eternal loser, singled-out-by-fate persona and the sheer diabolical wilfulness of Lucy began to sharpen itself on everyone around her…
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\nThe first Sunday page debuted on January 6th<\/sup> 1952; a standard half-page slot offering more measured fare than the daily. Both thwarted ambition and explosive frustration became part of the strip\u2019s signature denouements…<\/p>\n

By the end of 1952, all those the rapid-fire gags had evolved from raucous slapstick to surreal, edgy, psychologically barbed introspection, garnished by crushing judgements and deep rumination in a world where kids – and certain animals – were the only actors. The relationships, however, were increasingly deep, complex and absorbing even though \u201cSparky\u201d Schulz never deviated from his core message: entertain…
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\nDavid Michaelis then celebrates and deconstructs \u2018The Life and Times of Charles M. Schulz\u2019<\/em> after which Gary Groth & Rick Marschall conduct \u2018An Interview with Charles M. Schulz\u2019<\/em>, rounding out our glimpse of the dolorous graphic genius with intimate revelations and reminiscences whilst a copious \u2018Index\u2019<\/em> offers instant access to favourite scenes you\u2019d like to see again.<\/p>\n

Readily available in hardcover, paperback and digital editions, this initial volume offers a rare example of a masterpiece in motion: comedy gold and social glue gradually metamorphosing in an epic of spellbinding graphic mastery which became part of the fabric of billions of lives, and which continues to do so long after its maker\u2019s passing.<\/p>\n

Happy ever afters, kids.
\nThe Complete Peanuts: 1950-1952 (volume 1)<\/strong> \u00a9 2004 Peanuts Worldwide, LLC. Introduction \u00a9 2004 Garrison Keillor. \u201cThe Life and Times of Charles M. Schulz\u201d \u00a9 2000 David Michaelis. \u201cInterview with Charles M. Schulz\u201d \u00a9 2004 Gary Groth and Richard Marschall. All other material copyright its respective owners. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

Today in 1909 Alex Raymond<\/strong> was born. You\u2019ll know him best for stuff like Flash Gordon on the Planet Mongo volume 1: Sundays 1934-1937 (The Complete Flash Gordon Library<\/a><\/strong>. In 1916 Bob Powell<\/strong>, was born. He went on to do things like Bob Powell\u2019s Complete Jet Powers<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Ramona Fradon<\/strong> was born in 1926, and Spirou<\/strong> stalwart Janry<\/strong> arrived in Belgium in 1957, whilst Maltese docu-comics journalist Joe Sacco<\/strong> was born in 1960. You can find dozens of books by the first two just by using a search box here, and I\u2019ve almost summoned enough nerve to review Sacco\u2019s Palestine <\/strong>despite – or because of – these febrile times…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Charles Schulz (Canongate Books\/Fantagraphics Books) ISBN: 978-1-56097-589-2 (Fantagraphics HB) 978-1-60699-763-5 (Fantagraphics TPB) 978-1-84767-031-1 (Canongate) This book includes Discriminatory Content produced in less enlightened times. Win\u2019s Christmas Gift Recommendation: All that\u2019s great about cartoon strips… 10\/10 Peanuts is unequivocally the most important comics strip in the history of graphic narrative. It is also the most … <\/p>\n

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