Schulz and Peanuts

I grew up with Charles M. Schulz. His Peanuts strip had already been in newspapers for over a dozen years by the time I was born, and some of the earliest books I can ever remember reading on my own were the paperback comic strip compilations and Happiness is a Warm Puppy, which were so popular in the late 1960s. Schulz, who died in 2000 less than a day from the publication of the very last original Peanuts strip, provided an environment that was a mixture of "cute and safe" and "bitingly satirical" at the same time. Thus, it was with some trepidation that I read this new Schulz biography, having seen reviews that indicated the Schulz family was shocked at the portrait of Schulz that this book painted. Overall, I'd have to say this is show more an excellent biography, that goes a long way towards explaining Schulz' psychology and how he created such a lasting cultural contribution. At the same time however, it is somewhat disheartening to learn of Schulz' personal failings (affairs, distance from his children), and emotional problems (to his dying day he believed people didn't love him). Still, despite the shattering of his "kindly grandfather" image, I found this to be an engrossing read. If you can handle the unvarnished truth about an American icon, this book will help you understand Schulz, the brilliant but flawed man, and Peanuts, the timeless comic strip. show less

Full-length biography of the greatest cartoonist of the last century, Charles M. Schulz. Includes details of the family life, career and far-reaching public influence of the creator of one of the best known comic strips and cartoons of all time, Peanuts. The books is detailed and truly fascinating but, like its subject, a bit melancholy. It is thoroughly researched and includes well-chosen panels from the strip that correlate to major events/themes in Sparky's life. A definite recommend for anybody contemplating a career in the arts as well as anybody who loves Snoopy and the gang.

For being a cartoonist (humorist), Charles Schulz was certainly a lonely, tragically withdrawn figure.

I agree with many that Peanuts lacked humor, but at least for me Charlie Brown and to a certain extent the others resonated with me as awkward types that didn't fit in. Also, the kid's eye-level view with the adults relegated to a verbally noisy existence out of the frame was, and is, cool and vaguely anti-establishhment. Charlie Brown's sad Xmas tree, the double stiff-armed stage dance in the same Xmas special and sulking in the pumpking patch I still remember fondly like Snoopy's WWI dreams, Lucy's crabby psychiatry and her vicious ball pranks and, well, I guess it worked for me then, I don't need to laugh now... I recommend reading show more the Schulz bio. He was an imperfect, unfair and philosophically regressive man that still was very innovative, impactful and even important, IMHO. show less

I'm always hesitant to read biographies of people I admire, afraid of risking becoming disenchanted with a hero. I knew before reading Michaelis' work that Schulz was a conflicted man, but aren't we all? The Schulz family's disputes with Michaelis over the portayal of their father are probaly partially founded, but I can only imagine it's difficult to see someone so close to your heart in an objective light. I walked away from this read still loving Sparky Schulz and seeing new layers of richness to the Peanuts strip that I hadn't before. Schulz said that he never intended Peanuts as a strip for children and revisiting them as an adult opens them in a whole new way to me. Cheers to Sparky and long live the WW1 Flying Ace!

Charles "Sparky" Shultz always wanted to be a cartoonist, and he drew the Peanuts comic strip for nearly 50 years, turning it into a marketing bonanza and its characters into cultural icons. But for all the happiness he brought to so many, he was himself a rather unhappy person. Raised in Minnesota, the only child of German and Norwegian parents who weren't particularly affectionate, he grew up very shy and insecure. His mother's death as he left to serve in WWII compounded his sense of aloneness, and he drew upon these feelings in his comic strip, creating characters with real anxieties and fears that millions related to. David Michaelis tells the ups and downs of Sparky's life as seen through his comics - and the book is loaded with show more them, illustrating the feelings and experiences he harnessed to make others laugh.

I've always been a big fan of the comics and especially Peanuts. I've still got a bunch of little paperbacks of the strips which my kids love to read, and I remember trying to draw Snoopy pretending to be a vulture in a tree - not so easy it turned out (I think I ended up tracing it). Personally, I always sympathized most with Charlie Brown - unfortunately, I even looked like him as a kid. But I never would have guessed at the creator's general unhappiness.

Initially, I though that Michaelis was reaching too much, trying to draw conclusions and observations about Shultz's upbringing from comics that didn't necessarily prove his point. But the further I got into the book the clearer the pattern emerged and seemed to fit. I've heard the family wasn't entirely pleased with the finished book - which is certainly understandable - but it seemed to me to be thoroughly researched. It's disappointing to learn that someone who so frequently brought a smile to my face didn't always have one for himself, but it's also inspiring to know he succeeded in spite of his challenges. I found this a very compelling and enjoyable book. I highly recommend it. show less

Now I understand why the Schulz family isn't happy with this book: Charles Schulz comes off as a sadder sack than Charlie Brown! Still, it's an intriguing look at the development of and inspiration for Peanuts, and interesting to see how some of his strips paralleled stuff going on in his life. It's taking me a long time to read, though.

I grew up reading "Peanuts" on Sundays and always looked forward to watching "Charlie Brown Christmas" each year. Still do, in fact. I really enjoyed learning more about the man behind Charlie Brown and Snoopy. So much of his personality and inner thoughts went into the comic. Despite his success, he was a lonely and often sad man who never believed he was worthy of being loved. The book shows all sides of this complex man, good and bad, but it never sensationalizes.