World Famous Comics: The Complete Peanuts 1959-1962 Box Set
The Complete Peanuts 1959-1962 Box Set
By: Charles M. Schulz Publisher: Fantagraphics Books Average Rating: Binding: Hardcover Format: Box set Label: Fantagraphics Books Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 688 Publication Date: October 18, 2006
Product Description: The popular, annual gift set continues with the fifth and sixth volumes.
Continuing the tradition of the previous two holiday seasons, Fantagraphics presents a deluxe boxed set of the fifth and sixth volumes of The Complete Peanuts, designed by the award-winning graphic novelist Seth. Shipping shrinkwrapped, with Volumes 1959-1960 and 1961-1962 packed in a sturdy custom box designed especially for this set, it's the perfect gift book item of the season.
This set collects almost 1500 daily and Sunday comic strips, the vast majority of which are not currently available in any in-print Peanuts collection, and many of which have never been reprinted since heir initial appearance in papers over 50 years ago. Using archival-quality syndicate proofs for virtually every strip in its history, the series boasts the best-looking, crispest reproduction for a classic comic strip ever achieved.
Peanuts is the most successful comic strip in the history of the medium. A United Media poll in 2002 found Peanuts to be the second most recognizable cartoon property in the world, known by 94 percent of the total U.S. consumer market and a close second only to Mickey Mouse (96 percent).
Amazon.com Review: The fifth volume in Fantagraphics Books' Complete Peanuts series welcomes a new character: Sally, Charlie Brown's baby sister. It's interesting to see how the perpetually beleaguered CB--criticized for having a "face" face or a "failure face--now takes on the responsibility of worrying about the world his sister will grow up in. His role as manager of the baseball team continues to bring him woe, losing 600-0, losing all 20 games of the season, making a daring attempt to steal home, and having to miss a game to push his sister's stroller. Linus, at first wondering if Sally will someday go out with him, gets his answer in spades: "Isn't he the cutest thing?" But he'd much rather lavish his attention on the new teacher, Miss Othmar ("I'm very fond of the ground on which she walks"), even if his eggshell project doesn't work out as planned. Snoopy, though threatened by a hanging icicle and a possible freeway through his home, still finds joy in being a gopher, the Big Man on Campus, or the Mad Punter. "Peanuts" was well into its classic years in the 1959-60 period, with such signature moments as "Happiness is a warm puppy" and a lot of material that would become familiar staples of the Christmas and Halloween television specials. --David Horiuchi
By 1961-62, "Peanuts" was truly the comic strip that we all still know and love, with situations and sayings that would cement its place as one of the most memorable literary creations of all time. Linus is firmly center stage, and if not for baseball would probably eclipse Charlie Brown in status. His efforts to defend his blanket are legendary (Lucy buries it and turns it into a kite), he gets glasses, and his favorite teacher, Miss Othmar (now known as Mrs. Hagemeyer) returns, which leads to some consternation when he (1) learns that she's accepting money to teach and (2) tells her he'll give up his blanket if she gives up biting her fingernails. There's a new character, Frieda with the naturally curly hair, and her floppy cat strikes terror throughout the neighborhood. Oh, about that baseball team. Everyone quits when Schroeder gives up baseball for Beethoven (leading CB to take out a personal ad to manage another team), they decide their pep talk is making them hypocrites, and Linus is assigned to scout the opposing team. As much as "Peanuts" is a reflection of its era ("Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher?"), it also had a self-awareness as a comic strip (Linus: "The most recent criticism is that there is too little action and far too much talking in the modern-day comic strip. What do you think about this?" CB: "Ridiculous!") that proved just how far Charles M. Schulz was ahead of his time. With fellow pianist Schroeder on the cover, Diana Krall wrote this volume's introduction. --David Horiuchi
Schulz at the Beginning of His 'Golden Age' For nearly 50 years, Charles Schulz provided a thoughtful, amusing, and endearing look at human foibles through the unlikely venue of the comic pages. And, as author David Michaelis (who wrote the Schulz biography "Schulz and Peanuts") has suggested, he also provided -- perhaps unintentionally (at least at first) a look into his own life and experience, with each of the characters providing different perspectives on some aspect of his own personality or -- as in the case of Lucy -- those whom he knew as well.
Of course, there is no better way to experience and understand Schulz' contributions than through the comics themselves, and this set, covering the beginning of his second decade at the drawing easel, was the start of his best and most memorable period (although to be fair, even the earlier two volumes, covering 1955-1958, could be included, too). By now the major characters -- Linus, Lucy, Snoopy, and of course Charlie Brown -- had taken the physical and temperamental form that they would carry for the rest of the strip. Most of the other characters (Schroeder, Shermy, Patty, and Violet) were also in place, and Charlie Brown's little sister, Lucy, was "born" in the strip in 1959, one of the years covered here (although she didn't appear physically at first, and then only in a stroller). Happily, this set also predates some of the less interesting or desirable characters, such as Peppermint Patty and Marcie, who unfortunately came to dominate the strip beginning in the 1970s.
Here, you'll find Schulz at the height of his powers, writing insightful yet always entertaining sketches (literally and figuratively) on the human condition. These strips were also the source for many of the story lines used in later animated productions -- anyone who has seen "A Charlie Brown Christmas," for example (and who among us hasn't?) will find among the Christmas and other wintertime stories in this set the genesis for that story. If you love "Peanuts" -- or know someone who does -- this set provides the totality of the artist himself at the beginning of his personal "Golden Age."
High quality, gift for my son These heirloom quality, hardbound books are well received by my middle school aged son. Peanuts has a timeless feel, and the complete run in these books are a great tribute to this comic. I am buying all of the books in sequence for my son, and I think they will be enjoyed forever.
Fantastic, fantastic These are beautiful reproductions, bringing the joys of my youth back with full vigor and force. To be able to share them with my 6-year old daughter, listening to her playing out the parts as we read them together is all the more rewarding. Spectacular acheivement. I hope someday to amass the entire collection. The prices on Amazon are without parallel.
Wonderful memories. My wife is getting each one of these, couldn't wish for a better result from a gift.
Nice collection All Peanuts Box Sets are worth to collect. Each book is well edited with a beautiful cover and package. Due to the long history of the story, it should be quite expensive to collect them all. However, they're still worth to try.
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