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Celebrating Peanuts: 60 Years
Join Charlie Brown and the gang for 60 years of Peanuts classics.
Sixty years of Peanuts , generations of fans, a gang of beloved characters, but only one the legend, Charles M. Schulz.
Andrews McMeel is proud to showcase the exclusive Celebrating 60 Years . It is packed with commentary from throughout Schulz's career, making this book not only a heartwarming tribute but also a true collector's item.
This special 60th anniversary tribute is arranged decade, to spotlight the highlights and development of this world favorite classic.
Sixty years of Peanuts , generations of fans, a gang of beloved characters, but only one the legend, Charles M. Schulz.
Andrews McMeel is proud to showcase the exclusive Celebrating 60 Years . It is packed with commentary from throughout Schulz's career, making this book not only a heartwarming tribute but also a true collector's item.
This special 60th anniversary tribute is arranged decade, to spotlight the highlights and development of this world favorite classic.
544 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Charles M. Schulz
3,016 books1,655 followersCharles Monroe Schulz was an American cartoonist, whose comic strip Peanuts proved one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, and is still widely reprinted on a daily basis.
Schulz's first regular cartoons, Li'l Folks, were published from 1947 to 1950 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press; he first used the name Charlie Brown for a character there, although he applied the name in four gags to three different boys and one buried in sand. The series also had a dog that looked much like Snoopy. In 1948, Schulz sold a cartoon to The Saturday Evening Post; the first of 17 single-panel cartoons by Schulz that would be published there. In 1948, Schulz tried to have Li'l Folks syndicated through the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Schulz would have been an independent contractor for the syndicate, unheard of in the 1940s, but the deal fell through. Li'l Folks was dropped from the Pioneer Press in January, 1950.
Later that year, Schulz approached the United Feature Syndicate with his best strips from Li'l Folks, and Peanuts made its first appearance on October 2, 1950. The strip became one of the most popular comic strips of all time. He also had a short-lived sports-oriented comic strip called It's Only a Game (1957–1959), but he abandoned it due to the demands of the successful Peanuts. From 1956 to 1965 he contributed a single-panel strip ("Young Pillars") featuring teenagers to Youth, a publication associated with the Church of God.
Peanuts ran for nearly 50 years, almost without interruption; during the life of the strip, Schulz took only one vacation, a five-week break in late 1997. At its peak, Peanuts appeared in more than 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries. Schulz stated that his routine every morning consisted of eating a jelly donut and sitting down to write the day's strip. After coming up with an idea (which he said could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours), he began drawing it, which took about an hour for dailies and three hours for Sunday strips. He stubbornly refused to hire an inker or letterer, saying that "it would be equivalent to a golfer hiring a man to make his putts for him." In November 1999 Schulz suffered a stroke, and later it was discovered that he had colon cancer that had metastasized. Because of the chemotherapy and the fact he could not read or see clearly, he announced his retirement on December 14, 1999.
Schulz often touched on religious themes in his work, including the classic television cartoon, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), which features the character Linus van Pelt quoting the King James Version of the Bible Luke 2:8-14 to explain "what Christmas is all about." In personal interviews Schulz mentioned that Linus represented his spiritual side. Schulz, reared in the Lutheran faith, had been active in the Church of God as a young adult and then later taught Sunday school at a United Methodist Church. In the 1960s, Robert L. Short interpreted certain themes and conversations in Peanuts as being consistent with parts of Christian theology, and used them as illustrations during his lectures about the gospel, as he explained in his bestselling paperback book, The Gospel According to Peanuts, the first of several books he wrote on religion and Peanuts, and other popular culture items. From the late 1980s, however, Schulz described himself in interviews as a "secular humanist": “I do not go to church anymore... I guess you might say I've come around to secular humanism, an obligation I believe all humans have to others and the world we live in.”
Schulz's first regular cartoons, Li'l Folks, were published from 1947 to 1950 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press; he first used the name Charlie Brown for a character there, although he applied the name in four gags to three different boys and one buried in sand. The series also had a dog that looked much like Snoopy. In 1948, Schulz sold a cartoon to The Saturday Evening Post; the first of 17 single-panel cartoons by Schulz that would be published there. In 1948, Schulz tried to have Li'l Folks syndicated through the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Schulz would have been an independent contractor for the syndicate, unheard of in the 1940s, but the deal fell through. Li'l Folks was dropped from the Pioneer Press in January, 1950.
Later that year, Schulz approached the United Feature Syndicate with his best strips from Li'l Folks, and Peanuts made its first appearance on October 2, 1950. The strip became one of the most popular comic strips of all time. He also had a short-lived sports-oriented comic strip called It's Only a Game (1957–1959), but he abandoned it due to the demands of the successful Peanuts. From 1956 to 1965 he contributed a single-panel strip ("Young Pillars") featuring teenagers to Youth, a publication associated with the Church of God.
Peanuts ran for nearly 50 years, almost without interruption; during the life of the strip, Schulz took only one vacation, a five-week break in late 1997. At its peak, Peanuts appeared in more than 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries. Schulz stated that his routine every morning consisted of eating a jelly donut and sitting down to write the day's strip. After coming up with an idea (which he said could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours), he began drawing it, which took about an hour for dailies and three hours for Sunday strips. He stubbornly refused to hire an inker or letterer, saying that "it would be equivalent to a golfer hiring a man to make his putts for him." In November 1999 Schulz suffered a stroke, and later it was discovered that he had colon cancer that had metastasized. Because of the chemotherapy and the fact he could not read or see clearly, he announced his retirement on December 14, 1999.
Schulz often touched on religious themes in his work, including the classic television cartoon, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), which features the character Linus van Pelt quoting the King James Version of the Bible Luke 2:8-14 to explain "what Christmas is all about." In personal interviews Schulz mentioned that Linus represented his spiritual side. Schulz, reared in the Lutheran faith, had been active in the Church of God as a young adult and then later taught Sunday school at a United Methodist Church. In the 1960s, Robert L. Short interpreted certain themes and conversations in Peanuts as being consistent with parts of Christian theology, and used them as illustrations during his lectures about the gospel, as he explained in his bestselling paperback book, The Gospel According to Peanuts, the first of several books he wrote on religion and Peanuts, and other popular culture items. From the late 1980s, however, Schulz described himself in interviews as a "secular humanist": “I do not go to church anymore... I guess you might say I've come around to secular humanism, an obligation I believe all humans have to others and the world we live in.”
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
May 16, 2023
No one else bid on this on Shopgoodwill so I got it for pretty cheap even when you factor in the shipping. This is a 500+ page monster with 100 pages each devoted to a decade from the 50s to the 90s. There are a few from 200o until Schulz' retirement and death.
This is a handsome book and it's pretty good look at why Peanuts endured for so long. It's fascinating to watch the strip evolve, refining the art and adding new characters. I didn't appreciate the Peanuts strip when I was younger and that was a mistake. After reading samples from the 1950-1999, the influence on Bill Watterson is undeniable. Sparky did some quality work over the decades.
Should I keep shitting on Schulz for making the Peanuts characters sell Fords, insurance, and whatever the hell else he put their image on? Maybe I've been too harsh until now. He was probably extremely fond of his characters and probably equally fond on not being a starving artist.
I'm underselling this. I gave it a five and it's an easy five if you're interested in Peanuts at all. I'm going to snap up more of the Fantagraphics collections if I can find them on the cheap.
This is a handsome book and it's pretty good look at why Peanuts endured for so long. It's fascinating to watch the strip evolve, refining the art and adding new characters. I didn't appreciate the Peanuts strip when I was younger and that was a mistake. After reading samples from the 1950-1999, the influence on Bill Watterson is undeniable. Sparky did some quality work over the decades.
Should I keep shitting on Schulz for making the Peanuts characters sell Fords, insurance, and whatever the hell else he put their image on? Maybe I've been too harsh until now. He was probably extremely fond of his characters and probably equally fond on not being a starving artist.
I'm underselling this. I gave it a five and it's an easy five if you're interested in Peanuts at all. I'm going to snap up more of the Fantagraphics collections if I can find them on the cheap.
April 29, 2018
Who does not like “Peanuts”? Suggestion get a copy from your local library.
September 23, 2013
I grew up loving peanuts! I always was routing for Charlie Brown and his blockhead! I could relate to Charlie. I had a lot of insecurities and felt down and out of place on many levels! Reading peanuts always gave me great comfort and happiness as a child. Today reading the old books and anything with Charlie, Snoopy, Woodstock ,Lucy (who I totally loved!) , Schroeder , Linus (loved his security blanket) I could relate I had a security item of my own! All the characters warmed my heart and I will always love and continue to read these books and read them to my children!
February 1, 2016
42 WORD REVIEW:
Beautifully presented, with the Sundays reproduced in full colour, this hefty hardcover exemplifies the droll brilliance of Schulz, devoting 100+ large, glossy pages each to the five decades in which Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang ruled the world of comic strips.
Beautifully presented, with the Sundays reproduced in full colour, this hefty hardcover exemplifies the droll brilliance of Schulz, devoting 100+ large, glossy pages each to the five decades in which Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang ruled the world of comic strips.
February 9, 2017
This is a fantastic book for Peanuts fans! Celebrating Peanuts: 60 Years is filled with colorful comics that will make a great addition to any Peanuts fan's collection. If you want a book that will show you comics throughout the life of Peanuts, this is the perfect book for you!
May 3, 2016
‘Celebrating Peanuts: 60 Years’ features a wonderful collection of the Peanuts’ comics which are arranged by decade. In addition, there’s plenty of information about Schulz’s career as well as numerous quotes by the late creator of this well-loved comic strip.
Needless to say, I enjoyed all the comic strips which truly showed Schulz’s talent not just in terms of his distinctive artwork but his creative thought process too. Seeing how the characters’ appearances gradually changed from one decade to another was fascinating. The most obvious one would be Snoopy. In the beginning, he was drawn like an ordinary dog but later on, he had a variety of poses such as the one where he sleeps on top of his doghouse instead of inside it. Personality-wise, Charlie Brown was a little less negative in the later decades. This was a refreshing change indeed.
Besides that, the paper quality was excellent. Its glossiness did great justice to the brilliant artwork as it showed the latter off in all its glory. Every now and then, Schulz’s quote would be interspersed with the comic strips. I liked many of his quotes as they were relatable and made sense and ultimately reflected his personality. It was also nice to learn more about every character. I especially looked forward to any strips which focused on Snoopy, regardless of whether they involved Woodstock or Charlie Brown or his siblings.
Overall, ‘Celebrating Peanuts: 60 Years’ is a must-have for Peanuts fans. It’s a light-hearted, enjoyable read which can be revisited anytime without losing its timeless spark.
Needless to say, I enjoyed all the comic strips which truly showed Schulz’s talent not just in terms of his distinctive artwork but his creative thought process too. Seeing how the characters’ appearances gradually changed from one decade to another was fascinating. The most obvious one would be Snoopy. In the beginning, he was drawn like an ordinary dog but later on, he had a variety of poses such as the one where he sleeps on top of his doghouse instead of inside it. Personality-wise, Charlie Brown was a little less negative in the later decades. This was a refreshing change indeed.
Besides that, the paper quality was excellent. Its glossiness did great justice to the brilliant artwork as it showed the latter off in all its glory. Every now and then, Schulz’s quote would be interspersed with the comic strips. I liked many of his quotes as they were relatable and made sense and ultimately reflected his personality. It was also nice to learn more about every character. I especially looked forward to any strips which focused on Snoopy, regardless of whether they involved Woodstock or Charlie Brown or his siblings.
Overall, ‘Celebrating Peanuts: 60 Years’ is a must-have for Peanuts fans. It’s a light-hearted, enjoyable read which can be revisited anytime without losing its timeless spark.
October 17, 2011
This is an excellent book, with every strip rendered on glossy paper that shows off its artistry. The only reason I don't give this book 5 stars is because it's a "Greatest Hits" book. If you, like me, are collecting the "Complete Collection" of Peanuts from Fantagraphic Publishers, then you don't really need this book as the only thing in it that isn't in the complete collection are some colored Sunday strips (as opposed to the B&W versions of the Fantagraphics books). There are some quotes from Schulz sprinkled throughout the book, but if you're like me, you already have those, too.
If, on the other hand, you like Peanuts but don't need or want the whole 50 year run in its entirety, this book is for you. Strips from every year rendered in perfect detail, some quotes from Schulz, and notes about the Peanuts highlights through the decades.
If, on the other hand, you like Peanuts but don't need or want the whole 50 year run in its entirety, this book is for you. Strips from every year rendered in perfect detail, some quotes from Schulz, and notes about the Peanuts highlights through the decades.
July 1, 2013
This massive 60th Anniversary collection celebrates Charles Schulz's beloved comic strip, "Peanuts," through the years from its inception in 1950 until the final strip in February 2000, including both black-and-white and color strips. The book is divided into sections by decade, and at the beginning of each new section is an overview of the decade.Quotations from Schulz pepper the pages throughout. Peanuts fans will take special delight in this unique book, the only downsides of which are the substantial weight and oversized dimensions of this hefty tome!
January 8, 2010
I so love having this book! I took it from the library one rainy Sunday afternoon and had such a wonderful walk down memory lane that I added it to my Amazon WishList. My hubbie got it for me for Christmas and I just keep going through it. I am such an absolute fanatic for Lucy and her psychiatric help booth that on other sites, she is my avatar. This is an absolute must have for die-hard Peanuts fans.
December 2, 2013
What fun it was to revisit the fabulous Peanuts Gang-from the 50's through the 00's-a joyous ride through the brilliance of Charles Schulz's mind. Great insight into the author, and revelations about the characters and the story lines (yes-story lines!), really enhanced the reading of the comic strips. He truly was brilliant!
January 23, 2017
I absolutely adore Peanuts! This collection comic strips is especially fun because of all the extra history and quotes from Charles Schulz included with the cartoons. It is really interesting to see how the strip developed over the decades. This is a great collection for the hard-core fans of Charlie Brown and Co.
January 23, 2013
Love this book, great selection of strips. And a lot of facts.
And it looks lovely.
Woodstocks first appearence made me laugh.
And it looks lovely.
Woodstocks first appearence made me laugh.
July 26, 2013
Unbelievable work. A treasure for everyone to have. No one like Schulz could ever have created such a strip.
October 13, 2024
A triumphant compendium of Schulz' classic comic creations over 50 years. Each daily and Sunday strip speaks to the dignity of growth through failure, of delight in imagination, and contemplation in sorrow.
July 6, 2017
There were lots of cartoons. All very good. Either the read but it took me a couple of months.
August 28, 2017
Soy un fanatico de Peanuts y más de Snoopy, este libro definitivamente es la corona de mis compras. Tiene de todo lo que uno ocupa saber sobre Peanuts.
February 21, 2018
a.k.a. 60 years challange
January 10, 2019
Best book ever!
August 3, 2019
It’s a magical world, Charlie Brown.
December 19, 2020
Many fond childhood memories.
December 26, 2023
I got this for Christmas when I was a kid. Another wonderful, classic, comforting comic strip.
May 28, 2021
I tried to read it again and to learn to love them by seeing them from their creator's eye. .. ..eh!
March 23, 2010
I love the Peanuts!
February 17, 2012
Wonderful
March 18, 2013
very. good. schulz
March 9, 2015
Have to return it to the library before I read each strip, but did read each of Schulz's quotes. Superb coffee table book.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews