I finished reading Shulz and Peanuts: A Biography by David Michaelis, a book which was chock full of information, analysis, and speculation I did not know before. Peanuts was there from the beginning of my memories of the world around me - I had just turned 7 when the first Charlie Brown Christmas airing occurred. Michaelis is excellent the few times he delves into what nerves Peanuts touched in the world, and hes very, very good at detailing the life of Shulz before Peanuts started, which is almost half the entire book. For Michaelis, Shulzs best work reflected the unhappiness he had in his first marriage, which lasted until 1972, and he finds uncountable examples of direct references to what was going on in his life (also some cute flirtations with the woman Shulz had an affair with at the end of the marriage, and the woman he married next who apparently didnt cause so much turmoil). At any rate, this book is ridiculously thoroughly researched, including references to the handful of comic strip artists of the last two decades who have been worth following (and it reveals the fact that Shulz rightly hated Garfield.) Recommended if you want to know more about one of the most culturally significant work of our lifetimes.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 14:34:43 +0000
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