Tag: Snoopy

Snoopy Treasury

Snoopy Treasury by Charles M. Schulz (Book Club Associates, 1981) A large-format book combining much of “Peanuts Treasury” (1960s dailies and Sundays, black and white) with the colour Sundays from “Sandlot Peanuts” (1960s-1970s baseball themed). The result is nearly 200 pages of wit and wisdom, somewhat lopsided in favour of Charlie Brown.    

Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Me

Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Me by Charles M. Schulz (W.H. Allen 1981) A short, simply written autobiography that extends to Schulz’s inspirations, working process and general thoughts on cartooning, illustrated piecemeal (in black-and-white) with Peanuts strips and unremarkable family photographs. Schulz is justifiably proud of his achievements but comes across rather blandly alongside them.    

The Complete Peanuts: 1985-1986

The Complete Peanuts: 1985-1986 by Charles M. Schulz (Fantagraphics, 2012) Snoopy’s brother Spike remains a weak link and Tapioca Pudding is beyond doubt a character experiment gone badly wrong. Desert strips and pointless riffs notwithstanding, Schulz crosses the mid-80s with vigour, sharing his attention amongst old favourites and tapping rich new veins.    

The Complete Peanuts: 1991 to 1992

The Complete Peanuts: 1991 to 1992 by Charles M. Schulz (Fantagraphics Books, 2014) Despite Schulz’s at times self-indulgent format experimentations, Peanuts in the 90s starts to feel a little tired. (Snoopy’s cookie fixation, for instance, disappoints as a recurring punchline.) Nevertheless, there is much here to like. Only by his own benchmark is Schulz diminished.