Peanuts: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz

by Shannon Watters (Editor), Charles M. Schulz, Lincoln Peirce (Introduction)

The Peanuts gang seen through the eyes of today's greatest cartoonists in loving tribute to Charles Schulz.

In celebration of Peanuts' 65th anniversary, BOOM! has teamed up with some of the greatest cartoonists of the last 50 years to put a personal spin on Charlie Brown, Snoopy and their beloved gang.

This collectible hardcover features never-before seen art styles from Matt Groening (The Simpsons), Jeffrey Brown (Darth Vader and Son), Raina Telgemeier (Smile, Drama), Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise) and other legendary cartoonists and authors whose love of Charles Schulz's syndicated comic strip influenced a life long love of art and storytelling that shaped their careers.

Contributions include art from Paige Braddock, Patrick McDonnell (Mutts), Mo Willems (Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!), Jen Wang (In Real Life), Roger Langridge (Snarked, Jim Henson's The Musical Monsters of Turkey Hollow), Art Baltazar (Tiny Titans), Lincoln Peirce (Big Nate), Liz Prince (Tomboy), Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), Paul Pope (Battling Boy, Batman: Year 100) Evan Dorkin (Sock Monkey, Maakies), and more.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Art, Humor, Nonfiction, History, Graphic Novels Comics

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 20, 2015

About the author

Senior Editor at BOOM! Studios | Head of BOOM! Box | Co-Creator/Writer of Lumberjanes | your favorite boy band butch [she/her]
(from Twitter profile)

Reviews

[Akemi G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm torn between the desire to create and the desire to destroy." ~ Lucy van Pelt (Charles M. Schulz)
Aaaaugh, I was reading something else, and this book came out, and I cannot resist good comics.

This is a collection of comics by more than 40 cartoonists; some tell their fond memories of reading Peanuts, some have made new stories using the well-known characters, and some combine the two approaches. I got hooked with the Red Baron story by Roger Langridge--told from the Baron's perspective. The punchline, which uses the whole page as one panel, is brilliant! As a child, I loved the series with Snoopy pretending to be WWI pilot, even though I didn't know what a Sopwith Camel was. Ha!

Jeremy Sorese's contribution is interesting; I didn't know there were early Peanut strips with adults in them, even just their legs. And I agree with his insight about the absence of adults. Jimmy Gownley's contribution is sweet. Shannon K. Garrity is funny and smart, too.

The strip by Evan Dorkin & Derek Charm stunned me. At first, I was confused. But really, this is outrageous--Peanuts's secret as dark fantasy! They even mimic the change of pictures in the original, that in the early strips, Charlie Brown, etc. looked much younger, then they grew up a little, and stayed there. Mystery! Talking about mystery, what's in Snoopy's kennel? And who is the Great Pumpkin? From their strip:

"The fear that reality isn't what it seems, that a greater reality lies just outside our perception, a vast gulf of chaos filled with unknowable and incomprehensible horrors." ~ Lucy

And it has a cool punchline. I didn't even know the name Evan Dorkin--I must check out.

There are more in this book. Don't miss out.

[Stewart Tame · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun! A whole slew of top notch cartoonists created comics and illustrations in tribute to Charles Schulz. The list includes (off the top of my head. I promise I won't cheat and check the list on the back cover) Paige Braddock, Tom Tomorrow, Evan Dorkin, Roger Langridge, Keith Knight, Jimmy Gownley, Stan Sakai, Mike Allred, Jeff Lemire, Paul Pope, and more. Needless to say, there's some impressive work in here. Although several stories stood out for me--Roger Langridge's tale of the Red Baron's side of the Snoopy conflicts, Evan Dorkin and Derek Charm's melding of Peanuts and H.P. Lovecraft, Stan Sakai and Julie Fujii's charming story of Charlie Brown becoming seperated from his tour group in Japan, and Melanie Gillman's wonderful look at the Marcie/Peppermint Patty relationship--the overall quality of the work in this book is impressively high. This is probably one of the best comics anthologies I've read that didn't have "Best" or any of its synonyms in the title. Highly, highly recommended!

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I faithfully read Peanuts as a kid. I enjoy cartoons but am not well-versed in cartoonists. I am familiar with only six of the forty contributors but their interpretations are all unique. The book design is quite lovely.

[Maurizio (matemati) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a collection of very different authors. Some works are good, some are bad. Some are enjoyable, some are boring. Some are funnily mean, some are mushily nice. I think an average mark is fair enough.

[Susan Reyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book made me realize that while my love of Peanuts feels so deeply personal, it is also wonderfully universal. My heart swelled repeatedly and I was reminded that reading Peanuts periodically is good for my soul. I highly recommend you check it out!

[Holly Luytjes · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad was born in the 60's so he grew up with the Peanuts Gang. My (now late), granddad actually made a wooden cut out of Snoopy as the World War One Flying Ace and it hung for 40 years on his House.
Needless to say, I became a Life-long Peanuts Lover. i rented 'the Complete Peanuts' two year volumes, like, five books at a time from the local library.
Now i'm not the Only one anymore who appreciates the impact that the Peanuts Gang Had on pretty much everyone.
Artists from all walks of Life explore their connection with "Sparky"
In the Back, all 50 artists (Yes 50!) say a little (Or Not so little) message about how Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Rest of the Gang influenced them. its a must for any Peanuts fan to have in their collection.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3387416.html

It's a collection of pieces paying tribute to Schulz's work, some of them very personal - one or two of the artists were lucky enough to meet or know Schulz himself, and most of them have some thoughtful things to say about the Peanuts strip, which was pretty progressive for its time. To call attention to a couple of them, Jeremy Sorese has an interesting meditation on where the adults are in the Peanuts universe; Liz Prince explores the Peppermint Patty/Marcia relationship; and Hilary Price recalls a magical afternoon in Santa Rosa. It's a lovely book (apart from the Tony Millionaire contribution, which really misses the mark).

[Rex Libris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Present day cartoonists discuss the role Charles Schultz had in their developing careers, and tribute strips they have created. The best is "The Curse of the White Beagle," where the Red Baron explains to his psychiatrist Dr. Van Pelt how he is being dogged by a mysterious white dog.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to see all of the tributes to my favorite comic strip, but there was only one Charles Schulz and these can't really hold a candle to the original. Some are cute, some are kind of mean spirited, but they're all done in good faith. I think Sparky would have loved these!

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eclectic but always interesting collection of artists and cartoonists paying homage to the great Charles Schulz. It's impressive to see how far-ranging his influence remains, more than 20 years after his passing.

[Scott Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take on the Peanuts cartoons as various other illustrators and animators offered their heart-felt tributes to the Peanuts artwork archives. Some are close to the original, and others take on a different direction. Still, it was fun and great so see such different forms of artwork.

[Leaflet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun tribute.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who has loved the Peanuts comics will appreciate this book.It is other artists showing how much they loved and learned from them themselves.Awesome!Charles M. Schulz I'm sure is smiling.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the artwork of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Sally, Lucy, and Pigpen!

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinarily well-made book. Rather than just a bunch of text about how great Schulz and Peanuts is, each comic artists creates their own comic tribute to them. Highly recommended.

[Josh Newhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

All star list of creators... among my faves the surreal Dorkin strip and the sweet Jimmy Gownsley!

[Yosef Shapiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tribute to Charles Schulz by many artists that he influenced during his career.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In honor of Peanuts 65th year of existence honoring one of the most well-known cartoonists -- other major cartoonists tell how Schultz influenced their work!

[Robert Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly wholesome tribute. The nostalgia while flipping through the pages was like no other. I felt like I was 7 again.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Dworkin’s Lovecraft Charlie Brown was excellent.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been keeping track of the books I read for a lot of years. As I came up to the prospect of reading book "500," I wondered what it would be. Then, I wondered what it should be. Luckily, this book fell into my hands. I ordered it for my daughter, not fully appreciating what it was...just knowing it was a celebration of Peanuts that would simultaneously introduce her to new artists. Since we had it in the house, I decided to read it quickly before returning it to the library.

The introduction was moving and helped me to further appreciate the contributions that Schulz made. Obviously, he was a legend. Who isn't impressed by the sheer longevity of his work? But the introduction starts to illuminate his influence.

To be honest, I didn't enjoy the body of the book as much as I had hoped. The styles were so diverse and I didn't know many of the contributors. They are obviously paying homage to their favorite characters and situations, often blending their own worlds and approaches with renditions of characters from Schulz. Jimmy Gownley's stood out to me. He actually brings us into his own fantasy of living inside the Peanuts strip for awhile. Hilary Price's also stood out. Having been to Santa Rosa, I could envision the trip her characters make and I appreciated how Sparky took the form of Linus, Lucy and Chuck. But, there were a lot that didn't resonate with me. I felt a little lost trying to interpret them.

I had finished and was about ready to close the book, when I came to the "From the Contributors" section. Wow. What a gem! I ended up reading each entry and then going back to look at that contributor's work. Their words provided the context that I needed to fully appreciate their messages. It was clear that so many where honored and humbled by the prospect of having their work included. Plus, they provided stories of their childhood's and how Peanuts influenced their paths as artists. Collectively, the "From the Contributors" section left me in more than a bit of awe. (Okay, there were tears.) Schulz brought moments of happiness to so many through the newspaper and specials. But, this book illustrates his impact on careers and the genre. Very cool.

Turns out, a tribute to a man who's words and characters have endured and influenced so many was a perfect 500th!

[Snail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, when I bought the book, I was doubtful that a tribute collection would be worth reading, when I could be reading Peanuts itself instead. I bought it purely for one comic by one of my favorite webcomic creators (Shaenon K. Garrity) after she posted the first page of her contribution, because I had to know the end of that little story. I put off buying it for a long time (forgetting that, duh, I could have checked it out of the library!, but I am glad I bought my own copy).

Surprise, I fell in love with most of the tribute comics, and reading them all was a joy. And not just the comics by creators I already knew.

There is a good mix of comics about being a fan of Peanuts, comics about Schulz, and comics that are original stories with the Peanuts characters, all in a range of styles.

I was impressed with the anthology order as well; reading front-to-back is recommended.

Peanuts is a weirdly unique comic in that so much fanfic actually feels like the real Schulz characters, even when they're in a parody or a definitely non-canon episode. It's more than just adhering to the strip's tropes. Especially in fiction that's only had creator, characters are very much part of their creator, and copying is hard. As all creators put themselves into their characters, fanfiction & parody characters embody both the original and fan creators to a point where they are distinguishable from the canon work. For fanfiction & parody, and endless works with many creators, that variety and fresh outlook is the goal and the attraction. I think that Peanuts is different because we all know the characters so well, and we see ourselves in them so easily, that they embody us, and so when we write and put ourselves into the story, they go in as well.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is like a tribute album to one of your favorite musical artists where a bunch of really good bands (and a few not-so-good ones) turn out mostly inferior covers of the artist's greatest hits. Usually the covers come in two varieties-- 1.) faithful reconstructions; or 2.) total deconstructions. The most successful ones almost always fall into the latter category, though the unsuccessful ones of each variety are usually interesting enough in concept to listen through once. (Of course, there are always at least a few you have to skip almost immediately.) Likewise, you probably pick the thing up in the first place because 1.) you love original artist; and/or 2.) you recognize the names of some of the cover artists and are interested in hearing their take on an oldy but goody. Almost without fail the end result is mildly interesting in a theoretical manner but mostly just a huge disappointment in contrast to the original. (Although to confuse the matter, if you are unfamiliar with the original artist you may actually be more likely to enjoy the remakes...) This is what I've learned the hard way after having been suckered into buying many of these kinds of CDs-- check 'em out from the library for free because you don't want to waste your money on something you're not going want to pick up more than once.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit too reverential, a bit too repetitive, but often inspired. The Lovecraftian Peanuts mashup written by Evan Dorkin is just one of the highlights, matched by a couple of lovely introspective memoirs.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lifelong Snoopy and Peanuts fan, I am indebted to Charles M. Schulz for years of laughs because of his cartoon characters. Schulz is truly an American legend for his portrayal of this lives of this group of children from every guy Charlie Brown to Snoopy being whoever he fantasizes that day – Joe Cool, WW I Flying Ace, noted author, etc. This book is a compilation of 40 artists lending their artistic talents to Schulz’s characters in their interpretations while they pay homage to the master. I loved it almost as much as the originals! It is obvious that they were touched as well by Schulz. This was a fun trip down memory lane.

[Andria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't even tell you how much joy this book brought me. Like all the artists featured herein, I ADORED Peanuts comics as a kid. I read the books over and over again, filled pages in my notebook trying to draw Snoopy perfectly, and wrote a letter to Charles Schultz begging him to let Charlie Brown kick the football just once. This collection is an homage to "Sparky" Schultz and his creations: that "round-headed kid," his crazy dog, and the rest of the gang. Each artist pays tribute in their own unique way, in their signature style, and the resulting collection is simultaneously nostalgic and brand new. Delightful.

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually rate anthologies as two or three stars because they just tend to be so uneven. That's not a problem here. The love for Charles M. Schulz and his Peanuts strips pervades the whole book and lifts it up. Special kudos go to Evan Dorkin's Lovecraftian take (best use of Joe Cool I've ever seen), Shaenon K. Garrity's hilarious battle of the wills between Peppermint Patty and Lucy (Pigpen has the funniest line of the book), and Terry Moore's satisfying resolution of Charlie Brown and Lucy's recurring football gag.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

A really good and appealing tribute to Charles Schulz's legacy.
The reason it got barely less than a 5 for me is merely because there were a few comics I personally didn't enjoy as much. Plus, the real thing is always better.
However, there were many great, innovative takes on Schulz's work, especially "It's the Great Old Ones, Charlie Brown" and "Curse You, White Beagle".
A solid read!

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of tribute stories and comic strips, discussing not only how Peanuts impacted them, but simply how wide-reaching these characters are. I had never really thought of the amount of detail the Red Baron sketches brought to life, never took the time to think about why Peanuts is so popular (I actually always read it for Snoopy's imagination rather than for Charlie Brown, which is maybe why I enjoyed Calvin and Hobbes so much.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Public library copy.

Some of the vignettes I liked more than others. I saw many creators within the credits whose work I am a fan of: Stan Sakai, Mike Allred, Chynna Clugston-Flores, Terry Moore, and Tony Millionaire. Of course Raina T. is the super star in my household because I have teenage daughters and they ripped the book from my hands upon leaning her art and story appeared inside this tribute