…and I’ll tell you what kept me away in a couple of days…no big deal. More important is that I tell you about my new book…
The Essential Peanuts
The Greatest Comic Strip of All Time
By Mark Evanier
Introduction by Patrick McDonnell
Foreword by Jean Schulz
Publication Date: October 7, 2025From award-winning author Mark Evanier, a deluxe edition celebrating the 75th anniversary of Peanuts and the life, art, and legacy of Charles M. Schulz, featuring unique bonus materials
“Not many cartoons live into the next generation, and that probably is the best definition of art, isn’t it? Does it speak to succeeding generations? Real art, real music, real literature, speaks to succeeding generations.” — Charles M. Schulz
Seventy-five years after the first Peanuts strip made its debut on October 2, 1950, the beloved comic strip and its iconic characters remain a touchstone for generations around the world. From cultural milestones such as the introduction of Franklin (the first Black character in a major syndicated newspaper strip) to NASA’s Apollo 10 lunar and command modules being named after Charlie Brown and Snoopy, to the classic holiday specials that have aired on national television annually, and the modern-day animated movies and iPhone shorts as well as the Gen Z phenomenon of Snoopy Girls, Peanuts has a lasting influence that few works of art or literature can claim.
Written by Mark Evanier, this will be the only book commemorating the 75th anniversary of Peanuts, examining Schulz’s most iconic comic strips, placing each one in its broader historical and cultural context. Peanuts Worldwide and the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, California, has worked closely with Abrams ComicArts to produce and include our book in all of their plans to promote the 75th anniversary. This deluxe edition includes:
8 ready-to-frame prints
5 vinyl stickers
8 postcards
Iron-on patch
Full-color comic book and more!In addition to text by Mark Evanier, an introduction by Patrick McDonnell, and a foreword by Jean Schulz, the book includes original contributions by Robb Armstrong (Franklin), Derrick Bang (Vince Guaraldi and A Charlie Brown Christmas), Rob Boutilier (The Snoopy Show), Paige Braddock (Schulz’s pen line), Alberto Brambilla (Peanuts in Italy), Benjamin L. Clark (Peanuts paperbacks), Alexis E. Fajardo (selecting the Essential Peanuts), Ben Folds (the sound of Peanuts), Sarah Gillespie (editing Schulz), Chip Kidd (design of Peanuts), Amy Lago (editing Schulz), Mike Massimino (Snoopy and Apollo 10), Akio Matsunaga (Peanuts in Japan), Jeff Morrow (scoring. Peanuts), Hilary B. Price (Peppermint Patty and Marcie), and Shuntarō Tanikawa (Poet laureate and translator of Peanuts in Japan).
That’s the press release and I don’t have a whole lot to add to it except that it was a lot of fun to immerse myself in the world of Charlie Brown the last few months and to spend so much time thinking about what Charles Schulz created and why it has meant so much to so many people. I was thrilled to be asked to do this and to work with Mr. Schulz’s superior support team. I don’t plug everything I do on this blog but I’m really proud of this one. I’ll tell you more about it in the coming months.
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