Peanuts: The Art of Carles M. Schulz

Comic Strips
Peanuts: The Art of Carles M. Schulz
By Leroy Douresseau
January 2, 2004 - 16:22

Pantheon Books
Writer(s): Charles Schulz
Penciller(s): Charles Schulz
ISBN: 0-375-71463-4
$16.95

PANTHEON BOOKS
EDITOR/DESIGN: Chip Kidd
PHOTOGRAPHS: Geoff Spear

Pantheon has released a soft cover edition of PEANUTS: THE ART OF CHARLES M. SCHULZ, with 32 extra pages of art not in the 2001 hard cover edition. The hardcover won a 2002 Eisner Award for "Best Comics-Related Book." The Eisner's are at best a dubious distinction, especially when one considers the books that don't win and, even more so, the ones that aren't nominated. Peanuts beat out better books, likely on the strength of the late Mr. Schulz and Chip Kidd's names, and the fact that Kidd gives us vintage Peanuts comic art in all its Benday dot glory.

This isn't an "art of" book so much as it is a tribute book. Filled with photos of vintage PEANUTS newspaper strips, early licensed memorabilia and merchandizing, and many examples of Mr. Schulz's pre-Peanuts art, this is fantastic love offering to fans of the strip.

Most of the archival strips are from the early days of Peanuts, and that's enough to make you clutch this gem of a book to your bosom. Like a lot of Kidd designed tomes, this book is packed with stuff, some of it reproduced at a size almost too small to read. Who cares? This is a treat, especially since much of the art and illustrations in the book have never been or rarely been seen.
[DRECK, DULL, READABLE, PRETTY GOOD, EXCELLENT]