Monsieur Schulz

After wanting a copy for a while, I’ve just added MonsieurMonsieur Schulz cover Schulz et ses Peanuts, a commentary book about Peanuts by Marion Vidal. What makes this discussion of the strip interesting is that rather than being illustrated with examples of the strip itself, it’s filled with parodies and tribute drawings by a couple dozen cartoonists.

Alas, many of these strips play with the concept of throwing sex and violence into the strip. I dunno, perhaps these still seemed like fresh things to do in 1976, when this book came out. Not funny, perhaps, but possibly fresh (although not totally original even then.) Now, it just seems tired. That’s not to say that none of the art is of value — there’s a rather nice piece by French comics artist Moebius (athough I had seen that one before when it was reprinted in a San Diego Comic Con program a few years back.)

As for the text – it’s French. Not a language I read.

Still,

Classic finds
TV Guide revelation

The latest addition to the AAUGH.com reference library is a TV Guide from February, 1980, which features an article about Peanuts, written by Schulz himself. In it, he discusses why some things work in the strip that don’t work in the animated specials, and he manages to do so in a …

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Review: Christmas Gift Certificates for You

When I ordered a copy of the 1981 Hallmark Peanuts product Christmas Gift Certificates for You, I reckoned it would be one of those novelty coupon books, each page removable and offering the recipient a walk in the snow, help taking down the tree, or some Peanuts-y equivalent thereof. I …

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Wheelnuts

 I just picked up the July 1964 issue of Drag Cartoons, a black and white comics magazine focused not on performative gender-bending as the youth must suspect, but on souped-up autos, including not just drag racers but hot rods as well. Did I pick it up because it had a …