I'm reading David Michaelis' biography of Charles Schultz right now. A few months ago, I took the first book from this collection of Peanuts cartoons out of the library and was surprised at just how good Schultz was. Growing up in the late 1970s, I barely read the Peanuts in the newspaper because they seemed sweet and bland, but Schultz' earlier work is completely different and worth taking a look at if you haven't already. There's a darkness to the Peanuts that is compelling.

This book is the first of a series which will be published by Fantagraphics over twelve years.