Charles M. Schulz: Li'l Beginnings

by Derrick Bang, B/w Illustrations & Engraving (Illustrator)

Large format softcover published by the Charles M. Schulz Museum. Includes the entire Li'l Folks by Sparky early cartoon series drawn by Schulz between June 1947 and January 1950.

Genres: Comics

292 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Spencer Borup · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was in middle school, my mom took me to a newly-opened museum dedicated to the works of the late great Charles M. "Sparky" Schulz. I was in love with PEANUTS. Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroeder, etc. I had just played Snoopy in the musical "Snoopy," and would end up playing Schroeder in my high school's "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown."

LI'L FOLKS is the 2.5-year run of comics that informed Schulz's creation of PEANUTS, one of the greatest comic strips ever produced. Unlike PEANUTS, LI'L FOLKS uses a one-panel punch line format, which, while making it more consistently funny than PEANUTS, doesn't allow Schulz to develop loveable characters. And the characters are wherein the heart lies.

We do get glimpses of PEANUTS in these comics. We meet a boy named Charlie Brown--we even see him wearing a shirt with a zig-zag stripe sometimes--and we hear someone say "Good grief," and a certain boy obsessed with Beethoven, and a certain puppy-dog acting a little more human than is probably natural.

But LI'L FOLKS also stands on its own. Its charm is in how absolutely adult these small children act, even if they don't quite understand what they're saying. A young boy at the chalk board saying, "It's hard to concentrate in such turbulent times," or a boy saying to his slightly younger brother, "The weight of our future lies on the shoulders of your generation," etc. Two gags that I absolutely loved that weren't carried over into PEANUTS were the baby in the high-chair, saying things like "WAITER!" and the grandma playing on the kids' hockey team.

Just a side note: If you pick up this book, don't feel obligated to read the editor's commentary. It's utterly superfluous. Let Schulz's first syndicated strip stand on its own. Because it can, and with charm.

[Geoffwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most interesting tidbit: there was a real person named Charlie Brown, whom Schulz met in the army. He was just the kindest man on Earth, and he and Schulz were inseparable, the closest of friends. Schulz went on to devote his life to "Charlie Brown" while Brown lived a monastic life counseling boys at a juvenile detention facility, ultimately dying tragically young. Hmmm.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

The comics are great, and it's fascinating to see how much Schulz developed his style over two and a half years, as well as how these early comics informed later Peanuts strips.

But the commentary is not great. The author inserted too much personal opinion and spent too much time needlessly explaining exactly why the comics are funny (the sure way to ruin a joke)

[Michael P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not Schulz's best work, but a fascinating look at his first comic strip and at how PEANUTS evolved. Bang's commentary is wonderfully informed, even when he finds more in the panels than Schulz probably put there.