The New York Times best-selling series continues!

The Complete Peanuts will run 25 volumes, collecting two years chronologically at a rate of two a year for twelve years. Each volume is designed by the award-winning cartoonist Seth (It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken) and features impeccable production values; every single strip from Charles M. Schulz's 50-year American classic is reproduced better than ever before....

The most eagerly-awaited publishing project in comic strip history. 50 years of art. 25 books. Over 7500 pages of comics. Two books per year for 12 ¼ years. Fantagraphics Books is proud to announce the most exciting and ambitious publishing project in the history of the American comic strip: the complete reprinting of Charles M. Schulz's classic, Peanuts. The most popular comic strip in the history of the world will be, for the first time, collected in its entirety, beginning in 2004. Fantagraphics will launch The Complete Peanuts in a series produced in full cooperation with United Media, Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, and Mr. Schulz's widow, Jean Schulz. Peanuts is a towering achievement in the history of the American comic strip and represents the apex of Fantagraphics' 27-year publishing history; the strip will be presented in a beautifully designed format that reflects the integrity of the work itself.

Each volume in the series will run approximately 320 pages in a 8 ¾" x 7" hardcover format, presenting two years of strips along with supplementary material. The series will present the entire run in chronological order, including dailies and Sundays, in a three-tier page format that will accommodate three dailies or one Sunday strip per page. The Sundays will be printed in black-and-white.

Acclaimed cartoonist Seth, author of the award-winning graphic novel It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken, and a lifelong Peanuts fan, will be designing the entire 25-volume series, which will emphasize the sophistication of Schulz's work by creating a package that is both austere and direct, reflecting the quiet and melancholy of the strip.

Seth's cover design will feature areas of muted color, with a different main character on each front cover (reflecting the ensemble cast), and a smaller Charlie Brown (reflecting who is, after all, the star of the strip) in the corner. The result will be a tasteful and completely distinctive series, where each individual book will be sharply recognizable and yet clearly part of a consistent series.

Unlike older strips, where publishers have often been forced to shoot the work from decades-old newsprint of variable quality, Peanuts is fortunate enough to boast archival-quality syndicate proofs for virtually every strip in its history. The result will be the best-looking, crispest reproduction for a classic comic strip ever achieved.

This first volume, covering the first two and a quarter years of the strip (October 1950 through December 1952), will be of particular fascination to Peanuts aficionados worldwide: Although there have been literally hundreds of Peanuts books published, many of the strips from the series' first two or three years have never been collected before—in large part because they showed a young Schulz working out the kinks in his new strip and include some characterizations and designs that are quite different from the cast we're all familiar with. (Among other things, three major cast members—Schroeder, Lucy, and Linus—initially show up as infants and only "grow" into their final "mature" selves as the months go by. Even Snoopy debuts as a puppy!) Thus The Complete Peanuts offers a unique chance to see a master of the artform refine his skills and solidify his universe, day by day, week by week, month by month.

Peanuts is the most successful comic strip in the history of the medium as well as one of the most acclaimed strips ever published. (In 1999, a jury of comics scholars and critics voted it the 2nd greatest comic strip of the 20th century—second only to George Herriman's Krazy Kat, a verdict Schulz himself cheerfully endorsed.) Charles Schulz's characters—Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, and so many more—have become American icons. A United Media poll in 2002 found Peanuts to be one of the most recognizable cartoon properties in the world, recognized by 94 percent of the total U.S. consumer market and a close second only to Mickey Mouse (96 percent), and higher than other familiar cartoon properties like Spider-Man (75 percent) or the Simpsons (87 percent). In TV Guide's "Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All-Time" list, Charlie Brown and Snoopy ranked #8....

The New York Times best-selling series continues!

The third volume in our acclaimed series takes us into the mid-1950s as Linus learns to talk, Snoopy begins to explore his eccentricities (including his hilarious first series of impressions), Lucy's unrequited crush on Schroeder takes final shape, and Charlie Brown becomes...well, even more Charlie Brown-ish! Over half of the strips in this volume have never been printed since their original appearance in newspapers a half-century ago! Even the most dedicated Peanuts collector/fan is sure to find many new treasures. The Complete Peanuts will run 25 volumes, collecting two years chronologically at a rate of two a year for twelve years. Each volume is designed by the award-winning cartoonist Seth (It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken) and features impeccable production values; every single strip from Charles M. Schulz's 50-year American classic is reproduced better than ever before. This volume includes an introduction by Matt Groening (The Simpsons) as well as the popular Complete Peanuts index, a hit with librarians and collectors alike, and an epilogue by series editor Gary Groth....

The New York Times best-selling series continues!

The Complete Peanuts will run 25 volumes, collecting two years chronologically at a rate of two a year for twelve years. Each volume is designed by the award-winning cartoonist Seth (It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken) and features impeccable production values; every single strip from Charles M. Schulz's 50-year American classic is reproduced better than ever before....

The newest collection of the classic strip.

As we rush toward the end of Peanuts' second full decade, Snoopy finds himself almost completely engrossed in his persona as the World War I Flying Ace—to the point where he goes to camp with Charlie Brown and maintains his persona throughout the entire two-week period (much to Peppermint Patty's bafflement).

Still, Snoopy looms large, so this volume (a particularly Snoopy-heavy one) sees him arm-wrestling Lucy as the "Masked Marvel" and then taking off for Petaluma for the national arm-wrestling championship; impersonating a vulture and a "Cheshire Beagle"; enjoying golf and hockey; attempting a jaunt to France for an ice-skating championship; running for office on the "Paw" ticket; being traded to Peppermint Patty's baseball team, then un-traded and installed as team manager by a guilt-ridden Charlie Brown; as well as dealing with the return of his original owner, Lila. If you're surprised by that last one, imagine how Charlie Brown feels...

Lila makes only a brief appearance (as does Josè Peterson, a short-lived—and short—star member of Charlie Brown's baseball team), but this volume sees the appearance of what would be Schulz's most controversial major character: Franklin. (Yes, in 1968 the introduction of a Black character caused a stir.)

Peppermint Patty, working toward her ascendancy as one of the major Peanuts players in the 1970s and 1980s, also has several major turns, including a storyline in which she's the tent monitor for three little girls (who call her "Sir"—a joke Schulz would pick up later with Peppermint Patty's friend Marcie).

Stories involving other characters include a sequence in which Linus's flippant comment to his Gramma that he'll kick his blanket habit when she kicks her smoking habit backfires; Lucy bullies Linus, pesters Schroeder, and organizes a "crab-in"; plus Charlie Brown copes with Valentine's Day depression, the Little Red-Haired Girl, the increasingly malevolent kite-eating tree, and baseball losses. In other words: Vintage Peanuts!

NOTE: Good grief! Through a printer's error one strip (May 3, 1967) from this period is missing and one (May 1, 1967) is duplicated in this edition. All copies of this book contain this mistake; there are no "good" ones available, sorry. The missing strip will be printed in the next volume (1969-1970) and is available here: http://tinyurl.com/6bwf7r...

Tennis, anyone? Billie Jean King serves up an introduction... and we celebrate Woodstock! The twelfth volume of Peanuts features a number of tennis strips and several extended sequences involving Peppermint Patty’s friend Marcie (including a riotous, rarely seen sequence in which Marcie’s costume-making and hairstyling skills utterly spoil a skating competition for PP), so it seems only right that this volume’s introduction should be served up by Schulz’s longtime friend, tennis champion Billie Jean King.

This volume also picks up on a few loose threads from the previous year, as the mysterious “Poochie” shows up in the flesh; Linus and Lucy’s new kid brother “Rerun” makes his first appearance, is almost immediately drafted onto the baseball team (where, thanks to his tiny strike zone, he wins a game), and embarks on his first terrifying journey on the back of his mom’s bike; and, in one of Peanuts’ oddest recurring storylines, the schoolhouse Sally used to talk to starts talking, or at least thinking, back at her!

The Complete Peanuts 1973-1974 also includes one of the all-time classic Peanuts sequences, in which Charlie Brown’s baseball-oriented hallucinations finally manifest themselves in a baseball-shaped rash on his head. Forced to conceal the embarrassing discoloration with a bag worn over his head, Charlie Brown goes to camp as “Mister Sack” and discovers that, shorn of his identity, he’s suddenly well liked and successful. 730 b/w cartoons....

In Charles Schulz's The Complete Peanuts 1969-1970, Woodstock makes his first appearance, Peppermint Patty runs afoul of her school's dress code, Lucy declares herself a "New Feminist," and Snoopy returns to the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm on a speaking engagement. Speaking of Snoopy, this volume falls under the sign of the Great Beagle, as three separate storylines focus on the mysterious sovereign of Beagledom. Lucy throws Schroeder's piano into the maw of the kite-eating tree, with gruesome results... Miss Othmar goes on strike and Linus gets involved... Charlie Brown's baseball team has an actual (brief) winning streak... Snoopy's quest to compete in the Oakland ice skating competition is thwarted by his inability to find a partner... Charlie Brown goes to a banquet to meet his hapless baseball hero Joe Shlabotnik... Snoopy is left in the Van Pelt family's care as the Browns vacation... and the Little Red-Haired Girl moves away....

A gift set of the eleventh and twelfth Complete Peanuts volumes, in a handsome and durable slipcase. A boxed set of the eleventh and twelfth volumes, just in time for the holidays, designed by the Award-winning graphic novelist, Seth! This collection of books—identical to the individual volumes—ships shrinkwrapped, with two hardcovers containing complete strips from the years 1971-1972 and 1973-1974, packed in a sturdy custom box designed especially for this set. The perfect gift item.

The Complete Peanuts 1971-1972: Sally Brown elbows her way to center stage, at least among the humans, and is thus the logical choice for cover girl... and in her honor, the introduction is provided by none other than Broadway, television and film star Kristin (Wicked) Chenoweth, who first rose to Tony-winning fame with her scene-stealing performance as Sally in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Two long Summer-camp sequences involve Charlie Brown and Peppermint Patty, who has decided that Charlie Brown is madly in love with her, much to his clueless confusion. Snoopy shows up at camp as well, as does Peppermint Patty’s new permanent sidekick, the one and only Marcie. The eternally mutable Snoopy mostly shakes off his World War I Flying Ace identity and turns into Joe Cool, college hipster extraordinaire. And in three long sequences he writes a fan letter to his favorite author, Miss Helen Sweetstory, then goes on a journey to meet her, and finally enlists Charlie Brown’s help when her latest opus, “The Six Bunny-Wunnies Freak Out,” falls afoul of censors. Also, Woodstock attends worm school, falls in love with a worm (perhaps the most doomed unrequited Peanuts love story ever!), and is nearly eaten by the neighbors’ cat... Peppermint Patty is put on trial for another dress code violation and makes a very ill-advised choice in terms of lawyers... Snoopy turns Linus’s blanket into not one but two sportcoats... Lucy hits a home run... and the birth of one Rerun Van Pelt!

The Complete Peanuts 1973-1974: This volume features a number of tennis strips and several extended sequences involving Peppermint Patty’s friend Marcie (including a riotous, rarely seen sequence in which Marcie’s costume-making and hairstyling skills utterly spoil a skating competition for PP), so it seems only right that this volume’s introduction should be served up by Schulz’s longtime friend, tennis champion Billie Jean King. This volume also picks up on a few loose threads from the previous year, as the mysterious “Poochie” shows up in the flesh; Linus and Lucy’s new kid brother “Rerun” makes his first appearance, is almost immediately drafted onto the baseball team (where, thanks to his tiny strike zone, he wins a game), and embarks on his first terrifying journey on the back of his mom’s bike; and, in one of Peanuts’ oddest recurring storylines, the schoolhouse Sally used to talk to starts talking, or at least thinking, back at her! The Complete Peanuts 1973-1974 also includes one of the all-time classic Peanuts sequences, in which Charlie Brown’s baseball-oriented hallucinations finally manifest themselves in a baseball-shaped rash on his head. Forced to conceal the embarrassing discoloration with a bag worn over his head, Charlie Brown goes to camp as “Mister Sack” and discovers that, shorn of his identity, he’s suddenly well liked and successful. 1460 b/w cartoons....

With intros by John Waters and Mo Willems! The Complete Peanuts 1967-1968 is a particularly Snoopy-heavy collection. In addition to seeing the beagle adopt multiple personas, this volume also sees the appearance of what would be Schulz's most controversial major character: Franklin. In Charles Schulz's The Complete Peanuts 1969-1970, Woodstock makes his first appearance, Snoopy is left in the Van Pelt family's care as the Browns vacation... and the Little Red-Haired Girl moves away....

A gift set of the third and fourth Complete Peanuts volumes.

A boxed set of the third and fourth volumes, just in time for the holidays, designed by the Award-winning graphic novelist, Seth! The collection of books identical to the individual volumes ships shrinkwrapped, with Vols. 1955-1956 and 1957-1958 packed in a sturdy custom box designed especially for this set. The perfect gift item.

The Complete Peanuts 1955-1956 takes us into the mid-1950s as Linus learns to talk, Snoopy begins to explore his eccentricities (including his hilarious first series of impressions), Lucy's unrequited crush on Schroeder takes final shape, and Charlie Brown becomes…well, even more Charlie Brown-ish! Over half of the strips in this volume have never been printed since their original appearance in newspapers a half-century ago! Even the most dedicated Peanuts collector/fan is sure to find many new treasures.

In The Complete Peanuts 1957-1958, Peanuts definitively enters its golden age. Linus, who had just learned to speak in the previous volume, becomes downright eloquent and even begins to fend off Lucy's bullying; even so, his security neurosis becomes more pronounced, including a harrowing two-week "Lost Weekend" sequence of blanketlessness. Charlie Brown cascades further down the hill to loserdom, with spectacularly lost kites, humiliating baseball losses (including one where he becomes "the Goat" and is driven from the field in a chorus of BAAAAHs); at least his newly acquired "pencil pal" affords him some comfort. Pig-Pen, Shermy, Violet, and Patty are also around, as is an increasingly Beethoven-fixated Schroeder. But the rising star is undoubtedly Snoopy. He's at the center of the most graphically dynamic and action-packed episodes (the ones in which he attempts to grab Linus's blanket at a dead run). He even tentatively tries to sleep on the crest of his doghouse roof once or twice, with mixed results. And his imitations continue apace, including penguins, anteaters, sea monsters, vultures and (much to her chagrin) Lucy. No wonder the beagle is the cover star not only of this volume but also of the beautiful collector's slipcase to this set!...

Valentine's Day is here, but will Charlie Brown get a Valentine? While the rest of the Peanuts gang is busy making cards and buying presents, Charlie Brown is still waiting to see if his first ever Valentine's Day card will come, maybe from that little red-headed girl! This adaptation of everyone's favorite Valentine's Day cartoon is a great collector's edition and a perfect gift for your own Valentine!...

It’s Christmas time, Charlie Brown!

Christmas is a joyous time of year—and what could be more fun than sharing it with dear friends? Celebrate the season with the Peanuts characters you’ve loved so long. Sing carols with Charlie Brown and company around Schroeder’s piano. See Snoopy’s festively decorated doghouse. Find out if Lucy’s been naughty or nice. Discover if snow has any effect on Pig Pen’s “aura.” And learn about the true meaning of Christmas with Linus.

Just in time for the holiday season, A Peanuts Christmas is the complete collection of Christmas strips from 1950 to 1999. For the first time ever this delightful book brings together nearly fifty years of comfort and joy with Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang....

Romance is in the Air!

Charlie Brown may have captured the hearts of millions, but his heart will forever belong to the ever-elusive Little Red-Haired Girl. Reading these never-before-compiled strips of (undeclared) romance, you'll get butterflies in your stomach as Charlie Brown ponders the perfect Valentine for the apple of his eye. It was love at first sight for Charles Schulz's most endearing Peanuts character - and now you can share in Charlie Brown's quest to declare his undying devotion to the Little Red-Haired Girl….Just don't tell Peppermint Patty!...

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.


From the Hardcover edition....

Essentially, this is the best of the best 50 years of Peanuts, the comic strip by the late Charles Schulz featuring Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy, and the rest of the beguiling little gang. Peanuts debuted in 1950 and became a global phenomenon, with book collections selling more than 300 million copies in 26 languages and television specials rerun year after year. To create this all-new Peanuts Guide to Life we've combed through decades of comic strips to find those single panels which contain such pithy observations as "Babysitters are like used cars. You never know what you're going to get," and bits of wisdom like "Never lick ice cream off a hot sidewalk." Each droll, stand-alone "speech bubble" or punchline appears with cartoon art. The panels are organized into short chapters, such as "Love" and "Life's Little Quirks." For the millions of faithful Peanuts fans, this is a collection of "greatest hits" to cherish and enjoy again and again....

CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN WITH GOOD FRIENDS,
SPOOKY FUN, AND PLENTY OF LAUGHS!

Give yourself a treat (no tricks attached!) with this hilarious collection of more than one hundred Halloween strips. Tag along as the Peanuts Gang rings doorbells for candy, bobs for apples, and scares their friends. Will Charlie Brown receive some chocolate this year or another sack of rocks? Which of Snoopy's many daydreams will inspire a costume? Which witch is Lucy? And will Linus finally meet the Great Pumpkin? Interspersed throughout these delightful comic strips are cool Halloween tips, including costume ideas, party hints, and delicious snack recipes....

FRIENDS FOREVER!

Charlie Brown and his friends . . . Snoopy, Peppermint Patty, Marcy, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, and Franklin! Life is about good friends, those you’ve come to know and love through the years. Now, for the first time in book form, It's A Dog's Life, Snoopy presents a brand-new collection of your old favorites, bringing all your familiar friends from Peanuts together again for more great times and hilarious fun!

...

The bases are loaded with potential runs, but Charlie Brown’s head is loaded with irksome questions: Will he throw the ball right? Is the little red-haired girl watching? Will Lucy call him Blockhead? It doesn’t help that the seasoned pro at the plate, Peppermint Patty, is staring him down. So Charlie Brown shuffles, winds up, and lets the pitch fly. . . .

Though we all know how the score will add up for Charlie Brown and his team (not quite as high as they expected), with the Peanuts gang, the fun is not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game!...

...

A new collection from the popular Peanuts comic strip begins with the coronation of Woodstock and continues with a new set of adventures that highlight Snoopy's many identities and the foibles of Charlie Brown's gang. Original....

Trick-or-treating has never been more fun—with scary costumes, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Sally, Schroeder, Linus, and, of course, the Great Pumpkin. Since its first airing forty years ago, "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" has become synonymous with Halloween. This collection of remembrances and behind-the-scenes treasures celebrates the timeless television classic with:

• A full script illustrated with screen art from the show
• Never-before-seen photographs, storyboard excerpts, and production materials
• Interviews with the original child actors who were the voices of the Peanuts gang
• Reminiscences and insider tidbits from executive producer Lee Mendelson and animator Bill Melendez
• And much more!

...

...

Romance is in the Air!

Charlie Brown may have captured the hearts of millions, but his heart will forever belong to the ever-elusive Little Red-Haired Girl. Reading these never-before-compiled strips of (undeclared) romance, you'll get butterflies in your stomach as Charlie Brown ponders the perfect Valentine for the apple of his eye. It was love at first sight for Charles Schulz's most endearing Peanuts character - and now you can share in Charlie Brown's quest to declare his undying devotion to the Little Red-Haired Girl….Just don't tell Peppermint Patty!...