Peanuts: A Golden Celebration: The Art and the Story of the World's Best-Loved Comic Strip

Amazon.com

Charles M. Schulz has been cartooning for an astonishing 50 years (the "Peanuts" strip itself debuted October 2, 1950, but he drew an earlier incarnation called "Li'l Folks" before that). Peanuts: A Golden Celebration is a remarkable collection of strips spanning that time period. Readers get to see the first appearance of Linus, Marcy, Pigpen, and Woodstock, and even the momentous first time Lucy holds a football for Charlie Brown to kick. Schulz comments on the cartoons and his inspirations via notes in the margin, ranging from boyhood stories about his father (a barber, just like Charlie Brown's) to an account of the time the narcolepsy experts at Stanford University expressed concerns over Peppermint Patty's constant sleeping in class. One of the most interesting inclusions is that of several letters of complaint, ranging from readers whose religious sensibilities have been offended to a 1969 missive from Schulz's own syndicate asking him not to depict Franklin in the same school as the white students anymore. Naturally, the much-loved "Peanuts" holiday specials are covered, as is the musical adaptation You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, but it's the strips that really make the book. Readers can follow the evolution of Schulz's drawing style--deliberately less realistic as the years went on--and even check out a few panels drawn by Schulz's own cartooning heroes. This is a terrific compilation that serves well both as a chronicle of popular culture and as just a really funny collection of comic strips. Don't wait for the Great Pumpkin to bring you one. --Ali Davis

Book Description

Will Charlie Brown ever get to kick the footballs? Will Schroeder finally return Lucy's love? Will Linus give up his security blanket? Will Peppermint Party ever pass a test? And, most importantly will Snoopy--that canine literary ace--ever be published?

"To take a blank piece of paper and draw characters that people love and worry about is extremely satisfying. It really does not matter what you are called or where your work is placed as long as it brings some kind of joy to some person some place." -- Charles Schulz

Peanuts: A Golden Celebration honors the momentous 50th anniversary of Charlie Brown and the gang with over 1,000 carefully selected strips that tell the story of Peanutslike no other book before. In Schulz's own words we learn how he came to create the world's most popular comic strip characters from nostalgic and sometimes painful memories of growing up--such as the agony of classroom Valentine exchange and the longing for a little red-haired girl.

From the debut of Peanuts on October 2, 1950, to the golden jubilee, here are fifty years of the favorite episodes and the..."firsts," such as the first time Lucy pulled the football away from Charlie Brown. Included are scenes from the beloved Charlie Brown television. specials and the latest revival of the Broadway musical, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

These are the strips and events that have made Peanuts an awesome phenomenon, appearing in 2,600 newspapers worldwide everyday. Not bad for a round-headed kid called Charlie Brown.

Let the celebration begin!

Customer Reviews:

This has "cherished treasure" written all over it..........2007-03-27

There are far more comprehensive collections out there. But, if you want a large, beautifully presented coffee-table sized book with many, many strips from different Peanuts eras, then this is it. It is true that the cartoons are a bit gray (one reviewer's criticism), but this simply sets them off from the large, white pages of the book itself. It actually enhances the atmosphere for me.

I love the text in the margins where Mr. Shulz explains a little something about the characters. Very charming. I also love seeing the very first strip in which various characters appeared.

Many of the multi-strip storylines have been truncated. This is inevitable given the book's purpose. As I said, there are more complete collections out there. What you get is an overview that takes you beyond any one time-frame. And yes, the strips are funny, even if I know there is more to a particular story.

The front matter is also great: a photo of THE barbershop-apartment where Mr. Shulz lived, just for example. Lots of other great stuff.

I paid double the Amazon price because I bought it here in Tokyo...and it is worth every penny (or yen!).

Together with "Peanuts, The Art of Charles M. Shulz", this is my favorite Peanuts book.

Buy it now. :-)

classic time.......2006-09-23

charles schulz is truly a classic and is missed everyday..........from 1950---2000....peanuts was the best comic strip ever..........

Great Book.......2006-08-17

This book is a true delight for the Peanut enthusiast! Not only do you get the lovable comic strips but also unknown history about Charles Shultz and the Peanuts thru tellings and actual letters from both fans and non-fans! Great to add to any collection!

One of the best Peanuts collections ever!.......2006-07-21

This is probably one of the best Peanuts collections ever! I love them so much! Most of the comic strips are in black and white, while the others (especially the Sunday strips) are in vivid color. This book is so funny! Whenever I was feeling low and depressed, I would pull this huge book out, flip to any random page, and it would instantly make me feel better!
Buy this book, or else your love for Peanuts will be incomplete!

Good Grief: A Golden Celebration for a Gem of An Artist!!.......2004-08-04

When Peanuts made it's debut as a new comic strip in 1950, the world of the funny pages was changed forever. Charles Schultz was argueably the greatest and most certainly the most influential strip artist of all time, and Peanuts totally changed the perception of the medium, appealing to the entire family rather than mostly to adults, and broadening and deepening the intellectual plane on which the art takes form. Schultz, who writes most of the copy in this book himself and includes a short bio and some wonderful running commentary throughout, inadvertantly proves how revolutionary Peanuts was by including some of the strips which influenced him while growing up. These comics, from Krazy Kat to Wash Tubbs, are mildly amusing at best, woefully inferior at worst, and in virtually all cases have failed to stand the test of time. Peanuts, however, has never dated, and most of the strips still are very readable half a century after original publication. An excellent collection, to be sure, and one which belongs on any comic fan's shelf. So why only four stars? Because this collection celebrates Schultz's entire career (at the time), from 1950 to 1999, when in fact, his very best and most innovative work was produced during a comparatively narrow time frame, from about 1954 or so to 1966. Luckily, some of the most famous series of strips are represented here, from Snoopy's famous impressions of other characters (including a particularly hilarious Beethoven) to Charlie Brown's longing for the Little Red Haired Girl (any person who has ever been in love can relate to that one.) In 1966, however, Charles Schultz produced his most famous series of cartoons dealing with Snoopy and The Red Baron, a Walter Mitty-esque idea so brilliant, that neither he nor any other cartoonist has been able to top it since. From that point, Peanuts began declining in quality from sheer brilliance down to mere excellence; Snoopy in particular was never the same wonderful dog we had all grown to know and love. (Remember the endless series of strips from about fifteen years ago that centered on Snoopy's love of cookies? It seemed as if he could think of nothing else for two years or more!) The only character who seemed to grow and mature in these later years was Charlie Brown himself; it was nice to see him have successful encounters with girls, become a summer-camp hero (albeit with a paper bag over his head!) and actually WIN A BALL GAME!!! Luckily for us, Schultz still continued to draw the strip so well that it is still one of the most popular comics in the country several years after his death. In short, a very good collection, one that will hopefully lead the reader to search out and find individual collections of the glory years of Peanuts when Schultz was truly at his best. Good Grief, indeed!!!

Peanuts: A Golden Celebration: The Art and the Story of the World's Best-Loved Comic Strip

Average customer rating:

Peanuts: A Golden Celebration: The Art and the Story of the World's Best-Loved Comic Strip
Charles Schulz
Manufacturer: HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHERS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Peanuts | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OLP776

PEANUTS: A GOLDEN CELEBRATION: THE ART AND THE STORY OF THE WORLD'S BEST-LOVED COMIC STRIP BY SCHULZ.

Average customer rating:

PEANUTS: A GOLDEN CELEBRATION: THE ART AND THE STORY OF THE WORLD'S BEST-LOVED COMIC STRIP BY SCHULZ.
David (edit). Larkin
Manufacturer: HarperCollins/TSP
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0007611145

Average customer rating:

Peanuts A Golden Celebration, the Art and the story of the World's Best loved Comic Strip
Charles Schulz
Manufacturer: Harper Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Peanuts | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000NDD13M

Book Description

For ninety years, young society women in San Antonio, Texas have donned custom-designed dresses and trains to take part in the Coronation of a queen and her court. These royal robes, which weigh fifty pounds and more and cost an average of $18,000, are highly embellished with rhinestones and beads. The Coronation is part of the ten-day, century-old festival celebrating the final battle of the 1836 Texas revolt against Mexico.This book provides a significant contribution to the study of social elites in Western society through a material culture analysis of the Coronation costumes worn by the Euro-American debutantes. Set against the backdrop of a city undergoing many demographic, socioeconomic, and political changes, the themes of Coronation pageants represent the mythologized ethnic and class history which reinforces the hierarchical positioning of its participants. The royal robes serve as the canvas upon which this theme is carried out. The Coronation, held in a city with a Hispanic majority, has come under attack for its elitism, but participation in it is still important for the old Euro-American aristocracy and for a very few extremely wealthy Hispanic families. Integral to the continuation of this increasingly contested tradition is the emotional appeal that wearing these intricately decorated gowns holds for participants.

Customer Reviews:

Only in America, and Only in Texas!.......2001-06-16

A few years ago, a friend of mine moved to San Antonio, Texas. Every year at the end of April, San Antonio holds "Fiesta Week" and the one of the main events is the Coronation of the Queen of the Order of the Alamo. The Queen, the Princess and 24 Duchesses display the most unbelievable gowns made anywhere -- the trains alone are many feet long, and are covered with beads and rhinestones, all to illustrate an aspect of the theme of that year's coronation. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

This book is a serious sociological study of this event and its history, but it also sheds light on the context of Coronation within the history of San Antonio, with some surprising aspects -- read about "El Rey Feo", and the Hispanic community's response to Coronation. It is fascinating start to finish, and could only be improved by the addition of more illustrations.

Book Description

For eight-year-old Lulu Moppet, nothing is impossible - even if the results of her efforts are impossibly imperfect. Need to quell the fury of a rambunctious two-year-old? Lulu's got a hilarious fairy tale brewing in her brain that'll do just the trick. Father needs his best suit taken to the tailor? Lulu can handle it - so long as Pop doesn't mind if she makes a few unplanned - and wholly unpredictable! - stops along the way. Have a wayward ghost in your house who needs a new home? Lulu's your girl!

Book Description

They're called Sweet Potato Queens, Steel Magnolias, Ya-Ya Sisters, and Southern Belles, but at heart they're just plain Grits-Girls Raised in the South!

Now, Deborah Ford, founder of Grits(r) Inc., reveals the code behind the distinctive -and irresistible-style of the Southern woman. Equal parts sweet sincerity and sharp, sly humor, The Grits Guide to Life is chock-full of Southern charm: advice, true-life stories from honest-to-god "Grits," recipes, humor, quotable wisdom, and more. Readers will learn vital lessons, including: how to eat a watermelon in a sundress; how to drink like a Southern lady (sip...a lot); and the real meaning of PMS (Precious Mood Southerner).

This charming book is destined to become a bible for the Southern girl-whether born and bred, expatriated, or adoptive-and her many admirers.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent for Southern Women!.......2007-07-06

Just recently moved far away from my home in Tennessee, so this book had me feelin right a home! I read it twice because, even though I have lived in Memphis all my life, some of southern-oriented material was new to me! I loved the different inserts about history, tradition, and old southern recipes! I would recommend it to anyone!

Hilarious!!!.......2006-06-04

DON'T read this book if you're looking for a guide to life. DO read it if you're a female who was raised in the South! Often a parody of what life really was like for a southern girl, but then at times I would read a phrase and hear my mother (raised in Mississippi) telling me something similar...I've read several snippets aloud (in my best southern voice) to some of my non-GRITS friends and now they're dying to read the book!
Just DON'T take it too seriously!

Grits.......2005-01-15

I was expecting the food grits. This was not. I threw this book in the garbage, after splatting real grits on it. For some reason my very heterosexual guy neighbor loved this book! so if you are like him, buy it!

Not Quite A Gamecock Classic ..........2004-11-13

Deborah Ford's GRITS primer is a sweet little read that can't quite make its mind up as to whether it wants to be a primer or a memoir when it grows up, but is certainly on a literary path that could have been finessed with much better style given an hour or two with a Southern editor. This particular romp isn't nearly as breathtakingly funny as the 'Sweet Potato Queens' series nor anywhere as acerbic as anything from Florence King, Fannie Flagg's hilarious foreword to the contrary.

Southern Girls ROCK!.......2004-10-21

Wonderful book full of Southern wisdom and practicality. If you're not from God's country (the South) and would love to learn more about being a Southern girl, then this is the book for you. Girls raised in the south have impeccable manners and never say bad things about Yankee reviewers...bless your heart. ;-)

Average customer rating:

Hilarious! A fun read!!
Grits- Girls Raised In The South

Grits: Girls Raised in the South
Deborah Ford
Manufacturer: Southern Appeal
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Grits (Girls Raised In The South) Guide to Life
Puttin' on the Grits: A Guide to Southern Entertaining
Grits Friends Are Forevah: A Southern-Style Celebration of Women

ASIN: 1891005006

Customer Reviews:

Hilarious! A fun read!!.......2000-08-07

My dear friend from Louisiana sent me this book and I just died laughing. It's such a wonderfully written, adorable book. I highly recommend it!!

Grits- Girls Raised In The South.......2000-02-16

This book is definately a reader! Especially for those of us that were raised in the south and are proud of our roots!

Colored Grits: Colored Girls Raised in the South

Average customer rating:

Good Home Training

Colored Grits: Colored Girls Raised in the South
Bettye Mason Odom
Manufacturer: Macro Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0975413023

Book Description

Vicksburg, Mississippi's own Beatrice Bush is on the cusp of becoming the first woman to create a multi-million dollar day spa empire, with the moral support of two other Colored grits-Anna from Hunter, Alabama and Susie from Doolittle, Georgia. Unfortunately, the moment the deal is set to close, her ex-husband resurfaces and does everything in his power to cash in. As if his greed and insanity isn¿t enough, her daughter Lauren, calls with what might be good news for some, but is drastic news for Beatrice. Why can't a woman rake in a cool twenty million, fall in love, and make her mark in history in peace? As the clock winds down, everything happens at once: her best friends suddenly have their own personal challenges to overcome; a vicious court battle wages in the background forcing Beatrice to remain in Chicago instead making the much needed trip to New York to deal with Lauren. All three women have handled the worst life has served up before. Their stories span from the time when Coloreds could not be served in public venues, to when Negroes began the civil rights movement, then when Blacks made a militant impact on politics, economics, hair, and fashion; and ending with the changes the three must make as modern African-American women. Can Anna and Susie shake off the deep-rooted Southern-belle, honor, obey and stand by your man tradition to find the happiness and success they deserve? Will Beatrice succeed in closing the deal of a lifetime only to lose her daughter in the process?

Customer Reviews:

Good Home Training.......2004-10-10

This is a story about three women and long time friends, Colored G.R.I.T.S. (African-American Girls Raised in the South), Beatrice, Anna, and Susie. Years after divorcing her emotionally unstable ex-husband, Beatrice is still fighting him for her independence. She is in the process of closing a major business deal that will allow her to franchise her very successful day spa, but entrenched in a legal battle with her ex who wants a piece of the pie even though he has done nothing to deserve it. Anna and Susie are anxiously awaiting the news of the impending deal and preparing to celebrate their dear friend's success. As the story progresses each of the three women reflect over their lives, revisiting moments from their childhood, college life, and young adult life. Through these reflections it soon becomes clear that they have encountered and overcome a great deal of pain, sometimes in spite of and other times because of their good southern upbringing and through the support of their good friends.

The pains, joys, successes, and failures the three women experience and share are what really carry this book. Though Beatrice is the main character, I found myself much more intrigued by some of the secondary cast, particularly Anna. COLORED GRITS lacks positive male characters, and the men that are highlighted are unfaithful and particularly unappealing. I found this to be a weakness and would have preferred at least one positive African American male character to balance the strong women that were profiled. The focus on the impending business deal lacked the tension to give the ending a powerful punch and at times this element of the plot made the story drag. The biggest strength of the book is the superb development of Beatrice and Anna's characters; I understood how their pasts shaped the women they became and felt as if I knew them personally. I was inspired by their strength and felt they taught the lesson that no matter how old you are or how many bumps you've had in your path; it is never too late to reinvent yourself and realize your potential.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Puttin' on the Grits: A Guide to Southern Entertaining (Unabridged Selections)

Average customer rating:

THE PERFECT "GRITS" GALA
A Delightful book!!
Miss Grits writes another winner!
Country Clubs & Libraries, Oh My!
SOUTHERN COMFORTS

Puttin' on the Grits: A Guide to Southern Entertaining (Unabridged Selections)
Deborah Ford
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
Similar Items:

The Grits (Girls Raised In The South) Guide to Life
Grits Friends Are Forevah: A Southern-Style Celebration of Women
What Southern Women Know (That Every Woman Should): Timeless Secrets to Get Everything you Want in Love, Life, and Work
A Southern Belle Primer: Why Princess Margaret Will Never Be a Kappa Kappa Gamma
The Southern Belle's Handbook : Sissy LeBlanc's Rules to Live By

ASIN: B0009I6M9Q

Book Description

Family and friends are the center of life in the South, and kitchens the center of Southern homes, so there is no better way to celebrate Southern traditions than a book on entertaining. From the heartfelt love in Grandma's dumplings to the stomping good fun at a hoedown, Southern entertaining is special. This book will help everyone to be as gracious, warm, and entertaining as Deborah Ford herself. She can't help sharing—it's the Southern way.

Puttin' on the Grits covers all the details of hosting festivities large and small. From mint juleps to charm lessons, Deborah reveals the colorful secrets behind why Southern women are such consummate hosts and captures the famous combination of elegance and wit that has become the GRITS calling card. Puttin' on the Grits even includes a discussion of how to be the kind of guest who gets invited back. Whether popping a cork or cracking open a six-pack, every hostess can now be the belle of the ball.

Customer Reviews:

THE PERFECT "GRITS" GALA.......2007-01-04

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SOUTHERN SOIREES....PRECIOUS PARTY PLANNING....JUST THE CUP OF TEA FOR A BELLE IN THE KNOW

A Delightful book!!.......2005-09-06

I thought this was a delightful and entertaining book. This book is packed with many different southern traditions and customs. Deborah Ford, writes with much passion and love for many of the southern manners, and social expectations. I really enjoyed that she packed this full of vital recipes such as how to properly make sweet tea, a must have if you live in the South. She also included many other recipes for gifts and other things you may want to have in your freezer just in case.

Puttin' on the Grits was a delightful book, with all sorts of illustrations, and tips. I thought she did a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of the South in the modern world. Deborah also gave many wonderful suggestions for learning all about Southern manners and those unwriten expections for those of us who may now live in the South. I would recommend this book to those who may want to learn more about what makes the Southern culture so unique.

Miss Grits writes another winner!.......2005-08-22

If y'all want to know how we Southerners entertain, and learn a tad more about how important family and friends are to us, you need to read this book. Miss Grits can always be counted on to entertain, and I can tell y'all, no nicer or classier lady has ever existed. "Miss Grits" is no act, she's the real deal!

Country Clubs & Libraries, Oh My!.......2005-08-12

GRITS stands for "Girls Raised in the South" namely Birmingham, Alabama. Well, I wasn't just raised here, I was born here in Tennessee. The first year of my marriage took place in Troy, Alabama, where I attended Troy State College (now University) and the art teacher wanted me to pose for his class, but wouldn't ask me himself. That's not the way they do things in the South; first, he sent a young woman teacher to 'visit' me; then, he has some female art students to approach me in the halls on my way to Bio-Scio classes. You want to know why I didn't -- I didn't have anything to wear! Now, that's funny!

We all saw Southern manners and Hospitality at its best in the Auntie Mame movie in which Lucille Ball starred. She was the best Auntie Mame and perfect as a Southern belle. Happy birthday to Bill Ross (8-11-32) wherever you are. Friends and family are the center of life in the South, or used to be -- in the old days. Now, you have to be the elite to enjoy that commodity. The poor are ever there, but they do no entertaining.

In Knoxville, it is the liquor they all go for at any event. Food can come as they have the time, but you won't catch those men and young women without a glass in their pretty hands. If you want to be 'the belle of the ball,' be sure to have plenty of 'spirits' of all kinds for your party. Elegance and wit is not what it is propounded to be; the women here are as dumb as those in the North with their noses in the air. I enjoyed the drawings in this little book and especially the pink pages.

Who but a gal from Birmingham would have been able to get away with that. In this town of my birth, purple is the color of choice, which perturbs me no end. Pink is girlish and easy on the eyes. I love to wear blue, but do get more attention in pink. Is it true that all women are 'pretty in pink' and 'all brides are beautiful,' or is that just a Southern thing?

SOUTHERN COMFORTS.......2005-04-24

Was Scarlet the first, the first Southern Belle to win us with her beauty, spunk and determination? Perhaps for many. She's been followed by the Steel Magnolias and a host of others. These gals are always witty and winning. Then along came Deborah Ford with "The Grits (Girls Raised in The South) Guide to Life," and we're reminded once again how irresistible women raised in that part of our country are.

Now, Ford reads "Puttin' On The Grits: A Guide to Southern Entertaining," an entertaining serving of everything one needs to be the perfect Southern hostess. Listeners will hear about gatherings large and small, recipes (wet and dry), and tips for making every guest feel like a king or queen.

The author shares all - offering advice on what and what not to wear, as well as appropriate table setting for backyard and banquet. (Yes, even a tailgate party deserves special accouterments.) When it comes to gracious thank you notes, well, Southern belles have written the book on that topic - not too sweet, always sincere.

Mint Juleps are a mainstay, and charm seems to be a birthright. Y'all listen and enjoy.

- Gail Cooke

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