Peanuts: The Art of Charles M. Schulz 
asked by megafan on November 19, 2006 3:24 AM
This beautiful album will dazzle fans of Charles M. Schulz and his art, providing an unprecedented look at the work of the most brilliant and beloved cartoonist of the twentieth century. Here is the whole gang–Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder, Pig-Pen, and all the others from the original Peanuts strips.
More than five hundred comic strips are reproduced, as well as such rare or never-before-seen items as a sketchbook from Schulz's army days in the early 1940s; his very first printed strip, Just Keep Laughing; his private scrapbook of pre-Peanuts Li'l Folks strips; developmental sketches for the first versions of Charlie Brown and the other Peanuts characters; a sketchbook from 1963; and many more materials gathered from the Schulz archives in Santa Rosa, California.
The art has been stunningly photographed by Geoff Spear in full color, capturing the subtle textures of paper, ink, and line. The strips–which were shot only from the original art or vintage newsprint–reveal how, from the 1950s through 2000, Schulz's style and the Peanuts world evolved. The book features an introduction by Jean Schulz and has been designed and edited by renowned graphic artist Chip Kidd, who also provides an informed and appreciative commentary.
This celebration of the genius of the most revered cartoonist of our time is a must for anyone who has ever come under the spell of Peanuts.
More than five hundred comic strips are reproduced, as well as such rare or never-before-seen items as a sketchbook from Schulz's army days in the early 1940s; his very first printed strip, Just Keep Laughing; his private scrapbook of pre-Peanuts Li'l Folks strips; developmental sketches for the first versions of Charlie Brown and the other Peanuts characters; a sketchbook from 1963; and many more materials gathered from the Schulz archives in Santa Rosa, California.
The art has been stunningly photographed by Geoff Spear in full color, capturing the subtle textures of paper, ink, and line. The strips–which were shot only from the original art or vintage newsprint–reveal how, from the 1950s through 2000, Schulz's style and the Peanuts world evolved. The book features an introduction by Jean Schulz and has been designed and edited by renowned graphic artist Chip Kidd, who also provides an informed and appreciative commentary.
This celebration of the genius of the most revered cartoonist of our time is a must for anyone who has ever come under the spell of Peanuts.
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The Peanuts are pretty much everywhere you go. It is kind of sad in a way that their creator, Charles Schultz, is not. Makes you kind of appreciate the fact that our creations go on long after we have departed. Like the Chinese Philospher Lao Tzu said, "We will never know the results of our actions..." Contemplate this for awhile and it will really begin to blow your mind. We don't really know who we will affect in life with our thoughts, with our words, and with our deeds. We all have an inward duty to be the best that we can be, because the world is just a bunch of individuals and if each one of us decides to think better and do better with the gifts we've been given, then the world will be an even better place to live.
Charles Schultz and his comic strip, The Peanuts, bettered my world and it continues to do so. He has been gone almost six years now and I still miss him. Isn't that strange? I never met the man. I never heard him speak. The only thing I really know about him and his life is through his comic strip.
I was introduced to the Peanuts when I was four or five years old. My dad used to read me his comic strips and do the voices of Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroder, and Lucy...his impression of Lucy still makes me crack up when I dip into my fondue pot of memories.
I got this book because I wanted to really know more about Charles Schultz. What kind of man was he really? What drove him? What inspired him? Turns out that he, himself, was baffled by the Creation Process just like all "true" artists are. True artists are very humble beings. They know deep inside that they are not responsible for their creations, they are merely the channels through which the power of creation takes place. Being an artist and a writer myself, I know that sometimes I'm in this zone where the process of creation is moving through me so powerfully that all I need do is surrender to It and everything is all taken care of. Not to be preachy, but that's Spirit, that's Love, that's the Light we were all created in and out of. And because all of us are made in the Image and Likeness of Light, of Spirit, of Love, we are all creative and we are all creators. The question then becomes, "What am I willing to create?"
This book makes me cry. Not in a sad way, but in a way that just makes me miss my friend. And although I see evidence of his being here all around me, I know that this world is never going to be the same without him.
Peace & Blessings, Mr. Schultz.
Charles Schultz and his comic strip, The Peanuts, bettered my world and it continues to do so. He has been gone almost six years now and I still miss him. Isn't that strange? I never met the man. I never heard him speak. The only thing I really know about him and his life is through his comic strip.
I was introduced to the Peanuts when I was four or five years old. My dad used to read me his comic strips and do the voices of Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroder, and Lucy...his impression of Lucy still makes me crack up when I dip into my fondue pot of memories.
I got this book because I wanted to really know more about Charles Schultz. What kind of man was he really? What drove him? What inspired him? Turns out that he, himself, was baffled by the Creation Process just like all "true" artists are. True artists are very humble beings. They know deep inside that they are not responsible for their creations, they are merely the channels through which the power of creation takes place. Being an artist and a writer myself, I know that sometimes I'm in this zone where the process of creation is moving through me so powerfully that all I need do is surrender to It and everything is all taken care of. Not to be preachy, but that's Spirit, that's Love, that's the Light we were all created in and out of. And because all of us are made in the Image and Likeness of Light, of Spirit, of Love, we are all creative and we are all creators. The question then becomes, "What am I willing to create?"
This book makes me cry. Not in a sad way, but in a way that just makes me miss my friend. And although I see evidence of his being here all around me, I know that this world is never going to be the same without him.
Peace & Blessings, Mr. Schultz.
reviewed by markymark on November 20, 2006 4:41 AM
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One of my favorite books that I own is Peanuts: the art of Charles Schultz. Its rich, close-up photography of the yellowing newsprint pages are so warm and inviting. It also includes a biography, rare memorabilia, sketches by Shultz as well as images of the original inked artwork from the strip. Even though I've had the book for a few years now, I never get tired of immersing myself in the evolution of Shultz's talent and the Peanuts characters.
There was a time in my life when I very much wanted to be a syndicated comic strip artist. Occasionally my fancies take me down that path even now and usually it's encounters with this book that trigger such wanderings.
There was a time in my life when I very much wanted to be a syndicated comic strip artist. Occasionally my fancies take me down that path even now and usually it's encounters with this book that trigger such wanderings.
reviewed by costa on November 27, 2006 3:34 PM
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I have collected Peanuts books ever since I was given a 40 cent Fawcett Crest paperback as a gift in second grade. After all these years I miraculously still have those books- and this excellent little hardback is the perfect final addition to the collection. Why did I hold on to them? Well, as another fan is quoted in the book, they made me feel peaceful and happy in a chaotic world.
First of all, I love the format of this book. Whole pages are photographed out of Schulz's own scrapbooks (complete with 50 plus year old scotch tape) so it actually has the feel of a painstakingly crafted scrapbook of Peanuts material put together over the years. You have strips here from his original "Li'l Folks" to the final one in 2000. However most of the strips tend to be from the 50's and 60's (my favorite years.) There isn't a great deal of text, but the forward by Jean Schulz is very moving and appropriate. Besides the strips (which are 90% of the book) you have a wide variety of other material mixed in (also like a scrapbook): yearbook photos, Army photos and sketches, toys, comic books, viewmaster reels, ads, etc. You even have a picture of the artist's tray of drawing equipment exactly as he left it upon finishing the last strip.
You also get an interspersed collection of quotes from Schulz over the years. He wonders repeatedly where his ideas come from. You see, Snoopy and the rest actually came alive and had their own personalities for him. He would sit down and their worlds and actions would just seem to flow down into his drawings. That's one of the reasons he kept drawing the strip for as long as he did- he felt that he would be betraying his old friends if he stopped. They needed him to come into the world...
One small word of caution, there is a printed "autograph" from Schulz inside the front cover. When I first saw this I almost had a heart attack. Then I realised that since it was published after he passed away it couldn't possibly be a genuine signature....
First of all, I love the format of this book. Whole pages are photographed out of Schulz's own scrapbooks (complete with 50 plus year old scotch tape) so it actually has the feel of a painstakingly crafted scrapbook of Peanuts material put together over the years. You have strips here from his original "Li'l Folks" to the final one in 2000. However most of the strips tend to be from the 50's and 60's (my favorite years.) There isn't a great deal of text, but the forward by Jean Schulz is very moving and appropriate. Besides the strips (which are 90% of the book) you have a wide variety of other material mixed in (also like a scrapbook): yearbook photos, Army photos and sketches, toys, comic books, viewmaster reels, ads, etc. You even have a picture of the artist's tray of drawing equipment exactly as he left it upon finishing the last strip.
You also get an interspersed collection of quotes from Schulz over the years. He wonders repeatedly where his ideas come from. You see, Snoopy and the rest actually came alive and had their own personalities for him. He would sit down and their worlds and actions would just seem to flow down into his drawings. That's one of the reasons he kept drawing the strip for as long as he did- he felt that he would be betraying his old friends if he stopped. They needed him to come into the world...
One small word of caution, there is a printed "autograph" from Schulz inside the front cover. When I first saw this I almost had a heart attack. Then I realised that since it was published after he passed away it couldn't possibly be a genuine signature....
reviewed by miceandmen on November 29, 2006 3:32 AM
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If you are or were a fan of good old Charlie Brown, I highly recommend this beautiful and moving compilation of Schulz's work. More than 500 strips are reproduced, from his last penstrokes to his pre-Peanuts work. There are also modest quotes from Schulz throughout, as well as some interesting photos of his working space. As I re-read some of the earlier strips, I could vividly recall reading them as a kid. Something indelible in the seemingly simple lines of Schulz's drawing.
Its interesting and somehow affecting to trace the development of the characters, to see Lucy as an innocent baby, and then follow her into domineering fussbudgetness. And Charlie Brown grew as well, losing some of his original pumkinheadedness over the years, but also losing some of his spunk and mischievious sense of humor. You can get the sense of the strip maturing, as in the earlier strips the characters were innocent, even in their anxieties, where later they became more knowing and resigned to their lot in life. Even though the strip changed over time, it had a timeless quality. There is evidence of a world outside of Schulz's palette, as in his few strips dealing with Viet Nam. But as with his drafting p.o.v., social issues are drawn from a child's perspective, a son's anxiety over his dad's absence, the fear of being sent off to somewhere strange in the future. There is no grand moralizing or strident argument, only a small, worried child.
50 years at the board, a worthy and dignified labor of love.
reviewed by heavymetal on November 29, 2006 11:43 AM