The Complete Peanuts Family Album: The Ultimate Guide to Charles M. Schulz's Classic Characters

by Andrew Farago, Berkeley Breathed (Foreword), Bob Peterson (Preface)

“A one-volume encyclopedia of more than 70 ‘Peanuts’ characters, ranging from the iconic to the obscure . . . [a] wonderful collection.” —The Washington Post People around the world recognize Charlie Brown, Lucy, and Snoopy. And Peanuts enthusiasts know Peggy Jean, Roy, and Spike. But what about Shermy? Truffles? And who exactly is Floyd?The Complete Peanuts Family Album is the first detailed exploration of the entire Peanuts universe, from its most iconic personalities to its most obscure characters, as well as classic paraphernalia and events. With more than seven hundred charming and historic images, The Complete Peanuts Family Album will remind readers of all ages why happiness is a warm puppy. This character encyclopedia All 70+ of Charles M. Schulz’s beloved characters in strips across the decadesFirst-appearance strips for each characterFeatures on beloved Peanuts holidays, including Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and ChristmasRare and never-before-seen artOfficial character sketches and model sheetsVintage memorabilia and collectibles“A deep dive, covering all of the characters in Peanuts, anyone who had a name and a few who didn’t.” —The Aaugh Blog

Genres: Comics, Reference, Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, Humor, Comic Strips, Cartoon

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 31, 2017

Reviews

[Beige Alert · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the late 70's I had a Peanuts phase and would bother my mom everytime we went to the grocery store to spend $1-2 on a Peanuts book from a big metal wire book wheel at the front of the Dillons in Dodge City.

She usually caved for books since we didn't have a TV.



I even had the lunchbox, which was quite the deal.



Well, Peanuts led to Bloom County and Calvin and I grew out of it, but this was a fun walk though rapidly fading memories. The blurbs for each character were a little ham handed and I would have prefered more comics instead of the narrative.

Thanks B for the freebie.

[Ann E · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Penuts fan and collector this was pure delight.

[Tara Strosnider · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first comprehensive collection of the beloved and bestselling Peanuts 70+ characters. Published with the Charles Shulz Museum, The Complete Peanuts Character Encyclopedia covers the Peanuts universe of characters and icons.

This comprehensive volume portrays the characters in over 400 pieces of Schulz’s art. From Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy, and Linus, to more obscure characters as José, Cormac, and Naomi, the entire gang’s all here!


For a new generation of Peanuts fans, those of us who grew up with it, comic collectors and fans, this beautiful giftable celebration of an American classic is a true treasure. 

There are entries for every character to appear in the strip including lots that I've never heard of. Many of the entries include quotes from Schultz, providing insight into why he created certain characters, or why they have the personality quirks that they do.

[Thomas Salerno · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of Peanuts this charming encyclopedia of all of Charles Schulz's characters is a must-read. There are entries for every character to appear in the strip, including many that I'd never heard of. Many of the entries include quotes from Schulz, providing insights into why he created certain characters or why they have the personality quirks they do. Highly recommended to all fans of the comic strip art form!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect description of Peanut characters you didn't even know existed. And it was funny!

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book for a Peanuts fan, as it contains information on all of the characters that ever appeared, with some entries obviously being more extensive than others. The book was divided rather oddly though in a random format that didn't really make any sense to me (at least from my reading of it). I didn't understand why some of the characters appeared chronologically as entries and others did not.

[Orsolya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Peanuts gang have been a solid cornerstone in pop culture for over 60 years, easily identifiable whether you are a fan of comic strips or not. In fact, the overly anxious Charlie Brown , the human-like Snoopy, and their friends can be found in more places than one even realizes. Charles M. Schulz created quite a cast of characters, many based on himself or personal development experiences. Andrew Farago praises these eccentric Peanuts kiddos and compiles their statistics in, “The Complete Peanuts Family Album: The Ultimate Guide to Charles M. Schulz’s Classic Characters”.

“The Complete Peanuts Family Album” is a full-color coffee table book serving to list and identify each member of the Peanuts comic strip even if those figures were only featured in a single appearance. After a (very) brief introduction into Schulz’s Peanuts world; Farago dives into the list of characters starting with Charlie Brown. Farago’s identifications include statistical information including the date the character is first mentioned, named, and/or appeared alongside a background bio that often includes quotes from Schulz concerning his feelings about a character or the way he or she fits into the complexities of the strip. This is supplemented with graphic visuals: a strip featuring the character, model sheets, drawings and other illustrative artifacts.

Farago excels at making the character biographies come alive giving a sense and purpose to each Peanuts character. Whether a die-hard fan or just an average Peanuts-lover; the text provides introspection and a wide-eye view that alters perceptions of the Peanuts strips (in a good way). One realizes more so than ever, the depth behind Schulz’s creations.

In addition to Peanuts characters; Farago also includes characterizations of recurring events, places, and subjects from the Peanuts world. This thematic approach is almost philosophical and also creates a more breakdown analysis of the entire Peanuts imaginary world.

“The Complete Peanuts Family Album” concludes with a brief mini “bio” of Charles Schulz. This serves as a reminder, though, of what this text is missing in regards to conceptual strength. “The Complete Peanuts Family Album” would have aided monumentally from a more in-depth look at the Peanuts gang with the initial conception to such topics as memorabilia. Also severely absent is a thorough background discussion of Schulz and his cartooning. However, “The Complete Peanuts Family Album” is precisely that: a field guide to the characters and not a Peanuts social history and in that regard; Farago hits his thesis completely on target.

Farago’s “The Complete Peanuts Family Album” is a charming and cute approach to introducing /refreshing the Peanuts gang that will delights fans of the strip. Although the text isn’t mind-blowing or overly captivating to the average reader; “The Complete Peanuts Family Album” is recommended for all Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Peanuts fans.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for fans of Peanuts. It has listings for every character who ever appeared in the strip -- not just Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lusy, Linus, etc. but also the more obscure characters like Thibault, Charlotte Braun, Lila, etc. A fun read!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for all Peanuts fans. I love that the author mentions every character no matter how fleeting their appearance.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

So thorough, with a lot of incredible art I hadn’t seen before. I wish I wrote this.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well done with lots of illustrations and text summarizing all of the characters and their introductions.

[Nisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great review of all of the Peanuts characters (even if the author forgot Harriet, the female Beagle Scout, in the list of female characters).

[SKP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having this on Kindle is not an ideal format…I’m sure this would work much better as a coffee table book. It is sort of a pain to have to constantly try to zoom in to read the comics and the other information. Since the Peanuts actually pre-date MY birth (and that is saying something since I am of retirement age), there was much I wasn’t aware of about the history of the Peanuts. A lot of the comics included in the book weren’t very funny, and since I originally thought this was just a big collection of the comics, I was a little disappointed. Certainly from an art history point of view though, this is a very good book. It appears to be quite comprehensive in that respect.

[Jeff Mayo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is probably a great book for die hard fans. I have seen the Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines, and the four feature length films released between 1969 and 1980. I rarely read the daily or the Sunday comics, and I have not seen most of the animated shows. This is what I thought it would be going in, and that is okay. I just wish there was more of a linear timeline. After it introduces the main characters it skips from the 1950's to the 1990's and back in introducing the secondary characters. Some of the characters it chronicles made just once appearance in a daily four panel comic, and were never heard from again. I'm not a big enough fan to care that deeply.

[Scott Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read, as it chronicles practically all of the characters that graced the Peanuts comic strip. It covers the big names (Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Sally, Woodstock) as well as the bit players. A sort of return to childhood, but also just a chance to learn more about the GOAT of newspaper comic strips.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book ten stars, I would! I never imagined that such a comprehensive collection of Peanuts characters existed. It took me longer than usual to read this book because I wanted to savor every word! Every character that's ever appeared in a Peanuts strip or special is included here (including Snoopy's many personas) and there were a lot that I'd never "met" before. There are lots of pictures, not only of the characters but of classic Peanuts merchandise, which fans of nostalgia should enjoy. If you're a huge Peanuts fan, or even a casual one, you will love "The Complete Peanuts Family Album".

[Jon B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

For my money, Charles Schulz's "Peanuts" is the greatest American contribution to world literature, and certainly ranks in the top 10 artistic statements in the world. This book is a lovely paean to the literary universe created and populated by Mr. Schulz.

[Jeanmarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must have for Peanuts Fan

I love the references to when each character first appeared and the accompanying account of the circumstances.

It brings back many happy memories of comics and TV specials.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for any Peanuts fan!

[Suzann · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a resplendent trip down memory lane! I rediscovered characters I had forgotten, enjoyed reminiscing about my favorites, and skeptically learned about those I didn't know existed.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Summation

This book is an excellent overall view of Peanuts, the cast of characters, and Charles Schultz. Good starter book, before delving further in!

[Justine Oh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid guide that covers the fundamentals of Peanuts and offers great insights into character development.

[Jeff Siperly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peanuts fan since I was born.
I loved this.
Good to have every Peanuts character in one book.
And the pictures were amazing. Seriously. The different styles.

So much fun to read and look at.

[Stasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars for the artwork itself. However, as someone who is pretty much a Peanuts expert, I feel they really slacked on biography for some of the early characters.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

honestly if I could give this six stars just on the scrapbook layout alone I would. SO...MUCH...STUFF...

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The information is pretty surface-level, but the artwork is irresistible.