Maybe they’re Martian years

New releases

Following up on my recent review of Snoopy: A Beagle of Mars (a title which, by the way, is an Edgar Rice Burroughs reference): several people gave me confirmation that physical copies of the book actually did come out last December. This is a second (or later) printing. However, they changed the data listed in the indica, which would usually for a book be publication date, and replaced it with a printing date, with no record of when it was first printed. They did, however, remove the line from the first printings that said “first printing”.

Perhaps odder still, they changed the copyright year from 2019 to 2020. Reprinting a work does not reset the copyright (and the proper copyright year is listed on the back cover.) Checking the US government’s copyright registration database, I can’t find any registration (yet) for this work, but given that the work was published in 2019, it should carry that year.

But this is just technical matters for those of us who have to research earlier publications (such things come up frequently in my work as a reprint publisher.)

New releases
Review: Snoopy (Classic Cartoon Character Bios)

The Abdo Kids : Classic Cartoon Character Bios books are blatant stuff-to-fill-school-libraries material. Sturdy hardcovers, lots of pictures, 24 pages, little text – about 250 words. The Snoopy volume uses Snoopy images from just about anywhere: strips (appropriately licensed), animation, photos, The Peanuts Movie publicity materials. And the simple facts it …

Classic finds
A needle-ssly fine present

Being a) an adult and b) not a Christmasian, it makes sense that I’m not given much in the way of Christmas presents. This year’s haul was just two items, both given by Dr. Mrs. The AAUGH Blogger: a Terry’s Chocolate Orange (yum!), and this Peanuts embroidery book from Japan. …

New releases
Double Love

Simon Spotlight has dropped two books for the Valentine’s Day Shopping Season, and they’re pretty similar. Love is Everywhere, Snoopy! is a board book that is supposed to be Charlie Brown explaining love to Snoopy (who is said to have asked, which raises the usual how-does-Snoopy-communicate-to-Charlie-Brown question.) Charlie Brown answers …