Reviews (2)

"Welcome to 1962!"
It's almost 45 years since Sally uttered this rather sarcastic prophecy to Linus after he filled her ears with tales of the Great Pumpkin (much of this story featured here in The Complete Peanuts Volume 6 would later make its way in It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown).The cartoons in this anthology would be featured in Holt paperbacks such as We're On Your Side, Charlie Brown, You Can't Win, Charlie Brown, Snoopy Come Home and You Can Do It, Charlie Brown.Other cartoons featured here would include one of the 1st Beethoven birthday parties hosted by Schroeder (featured on the cover of this volume), though one year he'd forget Beethoven's birthday and sink into a deep depression and would resign as catcher in order to devote more time to practicing his piano ("You're what?!" asks a devastated Charlie Brown, several times).Also, a new character named Frieda would make her debut.She was known for her vanity ("How do you like my naturally curly hair?") and harrassing Snoopy ("Why aren't you chasing rabbits?").She would later get a cat to spite Snoopy, whose attitude towards cats is typical of any dog "Cats are the crabgrass in the lawn of modern life!"Also, one of the great characters you never saw in person is mentioned quite a bit in the Van Pelt household- Linus's blanket hating grandma!Linus defends his blanket after being teased by Violet and Patty ("I am the Count Dracula of Transylvania!") and takes the brunt by a disappointed Sally after a night of sitting in the pumpkin patch.In 1962, he'd be featured wearing glasses, which Snoopy would often steal, along with his blanket.He and Charlie Brown are best buddies, though Charlie Brown doesn't share his beliefs in the Great Pumpkin and they get in an argument when Charlie Brown reveals to Linus that Miss Othmar gets paid for teaching (imagine the shock and depression when Linus discovers Charlie Brown is right!).He pulls a fast one on big sister Lucy, congratulating her for being crabby at him every day for over a year.Charlie Brown has trouble flying a kite (he almost buys a kite until Lucy preaches to him how cruel that would be to the kite!) and is bereaved when his baseball hero Joe Shlabotnik is sent to the minors (he stays loyal to his baseball hero, for the "blockhead" knows quite well the agony of defeat).He is given his own t-shirt which reads "Manager" and will not call off a ballgame just because of rain (Linus erects a wooden shade to protect him) and this is one of the only times his team wins a game!But he takes a chance on stealing home and slide as he might, he doesn't make it and becomes the goat again.Lucy gives some advice for free "The sooner you forget about it, the sooner everybody else will.Good night, goat!"Shermy says "Well, Charlie Brown, there a lots of pills we must swallow."Charlie Brown says he'd rather cancel his prescription!Charlie Brown admits he wishes he could be known as "Flash" Brown!The Van Pelts get a pool table and the entire Peanuts gang gets upset when their mothers spend more time playing pool than taking care of them.Sally is thrilled to get her own library card, gets frustrated with jumpropes and fears entering Kindergarten.Lucy is still Lucy, crabby to Linus ("Am I buttering too loud for you?")and Charlie Brown("AUUUUGH!"), she's hopelessly in love with Schroeder (painfully, too, since he often yanks the piano away from her head!) though admittedly the "fussbudget" knows nothing about his hero Beethoven after the Beethoven shindig and offers advice for anyone who has 5 cents (quite often good ol' wishy washy Charlie Brown).Snoopy's imagination still runs wild as he makes friends with a snowman who melts before his eyes and imitates a ferocious vulture, much to the chagrin of the Peanuts gang.As you can guess, Snoopy is less than thrilled with rabbit chasing (he'd rather make friends with them) and the prototype of Woodstock is featured here (though it'd be 8 years before he'd be introduced by name).The beagle gets a turkey as a Christmas present and reflects "Happiness is a thoughtful friend!"Also, look forward to an intro by Diana Krall, who like Schroeder, is an accomplished pianist.

Waiting eagerly...
This series is going to be a regular drain on my bank balance for the coming decade, as that is how long it is going to take Fantagraphics to finish publsihing this collection, if they stick to their published schedule.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Comics & Graphic Novels    3. General    4. Humor    5. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Features

• Box set

Reviews (1)

Complete 2-book Set : Identical as the books sold separately only cheaper!
The Complete Peanuts is definitely complete! It's a real collectors' item! Hats off to Fantagraphics Books for initiating such an ambitious project though their release schedule (releasing only two books every year - it will take twelve and a half years before the entire collection is published) leaves one frustrated.
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Editorial Review

The fifth volume in Fantagraphics Books' Read more

Reviews (14)

The best comic strip ever written
The best ever written. It's very difficult not to relate to Charlie Brown. He is Joe Everyman. I can't wait for the rest of the strips to come out. A big mistake for a "Peanuts" fan not to own them.

Charlie Brown and Snoopy Are For Everyone, Not Just Christians
Eric Paddon said in his review that Whoopi Goldberg's "specialty is foul-mouthed hate diatribes toward anyone who isn't a raving leftist like her."
Great Cartoons - Ignore the Introduction
It's a joy to watch the continuing development of the Peanuts characters through this, the fifth volume in the continuing series.You can safely ignore the 'introduction' - an interview with Whoopi Goldberg that casts little light on the Peanuts Gang or Charles Schulz.I have no axe to grind as far as Ms. Goldberg is concerned - she's a fine actress and an interesting person, but for a volume such as this, part of a complete collection, I'd expect a more relevant essay or perhaps some additional information on Mr. Schulz or his work.
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Reviews (4)

A wandering story that includes stories about wandering
Stories tend to be too tightly written. After having read Castle Waiting, I realized that. The storyline goes all over the place and doesn't so much leave you hanging at the end but blow out the light and crawl into bed.
Well...
I thought this looked like such a neat book. The drawings were clean and expressive, the writing was playful and fresh. But I was left wondering...well...what next?!
Good Bedtime Reading for the Pre-Teen Set
This collection of Medley's award-winning comic book series into a lovely 17-chapter volume should make for great bedtime reading for the pre-teen set. The setting for her graphic narrative is a classic semi-magical, medieval middle-European, fairy-tale land. The first three chapters tell of "The Curse of the Brambly Hedge", a riff on the "Sleeping Beauty" tale involving witches, a baby princess, and an entire castle enchanted into a century-long slumber. This establishes the backstory of "Castle Waiting" -- how it was abandoned and then became a refuge -- which becomes the foundation for all that follows.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fantasy    3. General    4. Graphic Novels - Fantasy    5. Graphic Novels - General    6. Humor    7. Science Fiction And Fantasy    8. Comics & Graphic Novels / Graphic Novels / General    9. Graphic novels   

Reviews (4)

hit the deal
A real great book, full of paintings, sketchs, pages, and fun.
No better book of this sort
A must have for aserious Williams fan. Considerd by most to be the founder of this genre. Exceeded my expectations.Xlnt value.

Retinal Delights
Immerse yourself in this mind-bending collection of original art. A full compliment of drawings, sketches, comic book covers and paintings round out this look at the career (still going strong) of Robert Williams. Thepaintings are lavishly reproduced on high-quality paper stock and theover-sized dimensions of this book are perfectly suited to appreciate theartist's awe-inspiring technique. A MUST for any fan of underground art,culture and surrealism! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Individual Artist    4. Popular Culture - General    5. Techniques - Cartooning    6. Techniques - Painting    7. Graphic novels    8. Painting & paintings   

Editorial Review

Dan Clowes described the story in Read more

Reviews (59)

Good, but Not Great
I liked this but I still enjoyed the movie even better. It's nice to read a comic book that is deceptive in the way it seems like it's about nothing but it actually has a whole lot to say about growing up.

Despite my doubts, this is a great story
I was a bit taken aback by Ghost World when I started to read it (without having seen the movie).For one thing, the protagonists are teenage girls, the author an adult man.How does an adult man learn how teenage girls act when no males are around?Tthe presence of the opposite gender always changes how people act.Regardless, women don't seem to be complaining about his portrayal of Enid and Rebecca, so I assume he pulled it off.
a guy who gets it right regarding teenage socially mobile girls
I would tend to distrust a male author who writes from a teenage girl's perspective, but I think this author gets it right.I was a teenage girl long ago, and his stories here evoke memories of oneupsmanship and competitiveness behind every girl friendship. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. General    5. Graphic Novels    6. Graphic Novels - General    7. Films, cinema    8. Graphic Novel   

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Humor    3. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Humor    3. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Humor    3. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Reviews (62)

If you want to understand it all you MUST read this one
If you seek to understand the Middle East, this is one you MUST read. That's all I have to say. To say more would be superfluous. You really want to understand it all, you MUST read it. There, I"ve said it twice. NOw go read it. If you want to understand.....

A lot of cliches, one lie and bias
It is not suprising that the conflict in the middle east lends itself to distortion and hyperbole, after all not everyone can visit the region and few understand the size of things being fought over.If the region was as proportional to the world as presented in the media it would be the size of Asia rather than .001% of it.
This book changed my view towards the palestinian case
Away from Sacco's great illustration and story telling and the great humour of incidents. How he captured the case of the palestinian ppl and how he mingled with them and the type of people he interviewed is just amazing. You can tell that Sacco is neutral he didn't go to defend a certain side, he just went to see what is really happening on the holy land. This book is a must to all people who sympathize with the Israeli Government, and see Palestinians as terrorists, who have no right to the land. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Comic books, strips, etc    2. Ethnic Studies - General    3. Fine Arts    4. General    5. History - General History    6. International Relations - General    7. Israel    8. Middle East - History - 20th Century    9. Middle East - Israel    10. Palestinian Arabs    11. Political Science    12. Politics and government    13. Politics/International Relations    14. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    15. Comic book & cartoon art    16. Graphic novels    17. Palestine    18. Current Events    19. Journalism    20. Graphic Novel   

Subjects:  1. Comics & Cartoons    2. Humor    3. Comics & Graphic Novels / Comics & Cartoons   

Reviews (1)

Graphics are wonderful
This book was random.It is a small collection of stories.The graphics are great and two or three of the ten stories really grabbed me.The book took an unexpected political twist and three separate stories were about Hamilton vs. Jefferson.I found myself dozing off a little bit during this time, but others might be into that sort of thing.
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Subjects:  1. Comics & Graphic Novels    2. Fiction    3. Graphic Novels    4. Graphic Novels - General    5. Comics & Graphic Novels / Graphic Novels / General   

Editorial Review

Fifty issues--collected into 15 volumes that total 2,000 pages--the Hernandez brothers' Read more

Reviews (6)

Pure wacky, graphic novel bliss...
I got out - way out - of comic books several years before the debut of the Hernandez Bros. Love and Rockets books, but a friend of mine kept shoving the series under my nose, time after time. His persistence finally paid off; eventually, after a stategic, last-ditch attempt with a Christmas gift (thanks Brett!), I finally took notice.
Brilliant
Jaime and Gilbert drew and wrote their hearts out from the beginning of this series and onward. The characters will draw you in, befriend you, make fun of you, and keep you wanting more. THis series is still a rarity amongst "alternative" comics, in its smartly told and...expertly drawn tales. Much of what passes for alternative in either comics or music is either pure rubbish or promising ideas tapped by sophmoric artists. Love and Rockets were a real gem from the start, and continue to be so because of the craftmanship demonstrated time and time again, as well as the uninhibited vision of its creators.

'Love & Rockets' when it still HAD rockets...
This volume of the L&R collection is, obviously, the beginning. This was Los Bros Hernandez finding their voices and experimenting with concepts and genres. A large part of these stories are sci-fi, a genre the authors essentially abandoned later in the run, in favor of more character-driven "realistic" stories (with some exceptions, such as the later 'Penny Century' material). This volume introduces Maggie, Hopey and Luba, three characters who form the nucleus of the Hernandez universe all the way up until today (in fact, Maggie is the star of a new strip being published weekly in the New York Times Magazine starting in April 2006).
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Reviews (1)

Hell Yes I Call This ART!!!
This is the book I've been waiting for, and now I can retire all my old Greg Irons undergrounds to bags and boxes and display this volume proudly on my shelf, and have it at easy access for constantconsultation.About the only thing I don't like about this book is the weird day-glo cover design.For some reason it almost makes the book look like an advance copy, as it appears unfinished.Aside from that I couldn't love this book more.Mr. Rosencrantz is generous in his biographical details, family photos, snapshots and art from every phase of Mr. Irons' too short career.This book is well worth every penny it costs, and so few books are these days.If you have an interest in anything from old San Francisco Rock posters, to underground comix, to record album design to book illustration to tattoo art....This is the book for you!!! Can't recommend this book highly enough!!!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Drawing By Individual Artists    3. Individual Artist    4. Nonfiction    5. Popular Culture    6. Popular Culture - General    7. Techniques - Drawing    8. Art / General    9. Graphic novels    10. The Arts: General Issues   

Editorial Review

Winsor McCay's beautiful dreamscapes appeared in the Read more

Reviews (5)

Great comic, great draftsmanship, great art...
What's to say? The greatest cartoon ever is out of print and can't be seen by anyone. Thankfully his animated work is available on DVD through Amazon and it's a humbling experience. Those were the first animated cartoons and in some respects they've seldom been equalled. His first one--THE first one--is a shocker, like some amateur building the Taj Mahal on the first try. In terms of raw, fantastic, dizzying, imagination coupled with stunning craftsmanship McCay may have no equal.
The first volume of Winsor McCay's classic comic strip
Winsor McCay's "Little Nemo in Slumberland" is a rare combination of artistry and imagination that deserves to be considered the first classic comic strip."The Yellow Kid" came first, but it never demonstrated the superb craftsmanship of McCay's work, which is done in a distinctive "art nouveau" style that presages the coming of surrealism.Within the frames of his story McCay was able to create illusions of vast size and space, showing a word that was remarkably futuristic.Each of Little Nemo's weekly adventures told of a dream of the tousle-haired boy (of about six?) and concluded with him falling out of bed or waking up.McCay's son Robert served as the model for Nemo.Before working on the Slumberland strips McCay had experimented with other comics including "Little Sammy Sneeze," "Hungry Henriette," "Poor Jake," "Tales of Jungle Imps," and "Dream of the Rarebit Fiend" (the last one under the pseudonym Silas), but none of them even hinted at the splendor of "Little Nemo."In 1909 McCay would go on to create "Gertie the Dinosaur," the first commercially successful animated cartoon, which is probably how most people know of McCay's work.But that can only be because they have yet to be exposed to this comic strip. Before Calvin, there was Nemo ...
Long before a little boy and his tiger explored the imagination with wrysocial commentary and surrealism, Winsor McCay did the same with thisamazing series of full page newspaper comics.This is a veritable treasuretrove of comics history.Read more

Subjects:  1. Humor    2. Graphic novels   

Reviews (2)

The Kat lives on...
We are now, depending on method, between 1/3 & 1/2 way through the republication of Herriman's full-page comic spreads. There is plenty of good discussion of the artistic & literary value of this eccentric comic elsewhere, though perhaps not enough on the underlying philosophical issues it seems to raise, both in the push-&-pull of Kokonino Kounty's animal society, & in the recurrent surreal transformation of landscapes, an endless perceptual pun. But there is also immense & gentle, grace-filled hilarity of a sort we need no less now, than when Herriman was alive. Blessings on Fantagraphics for committing itself to this republication. Advice? Read it. Read them all - good food for the mind & the funnybone, not too common a combination...

"I am sitting here alone in my pretty cell of stone..."
Has the Krazy Kat curse finally lifted? More than a few brave companies have tried to reprint entire runs of this highly acclaimed but very underprinted comic only to end up self destructing. Way back in the hoary old days of the 1990s a company called Eclipse printed all of the Sunday pages from 1916 to 1924. Then something happened. No 1925 volume ever appeared. The curse begins. Not long after, another company, Stinging Monkey, printed volume one of "the complete Krazy Kat Dailies". That bold venture only lasted one mere volume. The curse returns. The small Pacific Comics Company has actually released three entire volumes of Krazy Kat dailies with no sign of stopping, but their market reach remains quite diminutive. Enter Fantagraphics, a company that may finally lift this ignoble curse from one of the best comics ever produced. They exhumed the smoldering Eclipse series and began anew with the year 1925. So far seven volumes have appeared covering the years 1925 - 1938. The last two issues appearing in full color (just as the strip did in 1935). Only three potential volumes remain for the years 1939 - 1944. Fantagraphics now stands well poised to obliterate this vile printing curse forever.
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Reviews (2)

Little Orphan Annie reprints
I bought all three books available; Annie for 1933, '34, and '35. They were great. If you love Annie, buy them. My only regret is that there are no more years in print. Gary Polson

Excellent example of a master graphic artist at work
"Little Orphan Annie (1933)" is a highly enjoyable book.TheAnnie strips originally appeared on the basis of one per day (with afour-strip "special" on Sundays.The storyline in this booklinks tightly with the calendar - with Page 1 having Annie on January 11933 looking back over 1932.During the course of the year she getsinvolved in four adventures in which she consistently demonstates herapproach to life (work hard, fight your own battles, help others down ontheir luck to get back up).The stories are overtly political - apparentlydecent pillars of society turn out to be crooks, con men turn out to havemore natural decency.When a farmer cheats Annie out of her wages, alightning bolt burns down his barn.Two women intent on putting Annie intoan orphanage are described as busy bodies.In the end Daddy Warbucksreturns to the US on Christmas Eve - just in time to save Annie from herlatest troubles.They both wish the readers a Merry Christmas.On NewYears' Eve they review the year ending, and wish everyone a happy 1934.Read more

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Reviews (7)

THE BOOK FOR EC FANS
Without a doubt this is the book for anyone interested in EC Comics. Not only does it feature cover reproductions of almost every pre-trend, new trend, and post-trend comic but it also has handy annotations of who did what in that particular issue. In addition it sheds a good deal of light upon Maxwell Gaines, the originator of EC and the father of Bill, who has for me remained a shadowy figure in the early history of comics. All in all it's a great book that I'll probably be dipping into for years to come.

In a Class by Itself
If you have any interest in EC comics, horror comics, or the history of the comic book genre at all, this is THE book to have.I cannot praise it highly enough.The scholarship is incredibly thorough and the details the authors have dug up is amazing.Also, the book is beautifully well done, with top-notch production values.This book is the ultimate, believe me.

the ultimate history of EC
This is, simply put, the greatest work of comic book scholarship ever in print.The authors delve so deeply into EC facts, history and lore that you can depend upon the thoroughness of this work.Much more than a history, this tome is also a beautiful art book.Don't delay......buy it now! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthologies (multiple authors)    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Horror    4. Graphic Novels    5. Graphic Novels - Horror    6. Horror    7. Comic book & cartoon art    8. USA    9. Graphic Novel