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Peanuts Every Sunday #2
Peanuts Every Sunday, 1956-1960
Since their original publication, Peanuts Sundays have almost always been collected and reprinted in black and white. But many who read Peanuts in their original Sunday papers remain fond of the striking coloring, which makes for a surprisingly different reading experience. These late 1950s strips comprise the first golden age of Peanuts Sundays in one gorgeous, full-color book. Linus, Charlie Brown, Pig-Pen, Shermy, Violet, Sally, Patty, and Schroeder are all present, but the rising star is undoubtedly Snoopy. Peanuts Every Sunday: 1956-1960 has been scrupulously re-colored to match the original syndicate coloring―allowing readers once again to plunge back into Charles Schulz's marvelous world.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2014
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About the author
Charles M. Schulz
3,036 books1,645 followersCharles Monroe Schulz was an American cartoonist, whose comic strip Peanuts proved one of the most popular and influential in the history of the medium, and is still widely reprinted on a daily basis.
Schulz's first regular cartoons, Li'l Folks, were published from 1947 to 1950 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press; he first used the name Charlie Brown for a character there, although he applied the name in four gags to three different boys and one buried in sand. The series also had a dog that looked much like Snoopy. In 1948, Schulz sold a cartoon to The Saturday Evening Post; the first of 17 single-panel cartoons by Schulz that would be published there. In 1948, Schulz tried to have Li'l Folks syndicated through the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Schulz would have been an independent contractor for the syndicate, unheard of in the 1940s, but the deal fell through. Li'l Folks was dropped from the Pioneer Press in January, 1950.
Later that year, Schulz approached the United Feature Syndicate with his best strips from Li'l Folks, and Peanuts made its first appearance on October 2, 1950. The strip became one of the most popular comic strips of all time. He also had a short-lived sports-oriented comic strip called It's Only a Game (1957–1959), but he abandoned it due to the demands of the successful Peanuts. From 1956 to 1965 he contributed a single-panel strip ("Young Pillars") featuring teenagers to Youth, a publication associated with the Church of God.
Peanuts ran for nearly 50 years, almost without interruption; during the life of the strip, Schulz took only one vacation, a five-week break in late 1997. At its peak, Peanuts appeared in more than 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries. Schulz stated that his routine every morning consisted of eating a jelly donut and sitting down to write the day's strip. After coming up with an idea (which he said could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours), he began drawing it, which took about an hour for dailies and three hours for Sunday strips. He stubbornly refused to hire an inker or letterer, saying that "it would be equivalent to a golfer hiring a man to make his putts for him." In November 1999 Schulz suffered a stroke, and later it was discovered that he had colon cancer that had metastasized. Because of the chemotherapy and the fact he could not read or see clearly, he announced his retirement on December 14, 1999.
Schulz often touched on religious themes in his work, including the classic television cartoon, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), which features the character Linus van Pelt quoting the King James Version of the Bible Luke 2:8-14 to explain "what Christmas is all about." In personal interviews Schulz mentioned that Linus represented his spiritual side. Schulz, reared in the Lutheran faith, had been active in the Church of God as a young adult and then later taught Sunday school at a United Methodist Church. In the 1960s, Robert L. Short interpreted certain themes and conversations in Peanuts as being consistent with parts of Christian theology, and used them as illustrations during his lectures about the gospel, as he explained in his bestselling paperback book, The Gospel According to Peanuts, the first of several books he wrote on religion and Peanuts, and other popular culture items. From the late 1980s, however, Schulz described himself in interviews as a "secular humanist": “I do not go to church anymore... I guess you might say I've come around to secular humanism, an obligation I believe all humans have to others and the world we live in.”
Schulz's first regular cartoons, Li'l Folks, were published from 1947 to 1950 by the St. Paul Pioneer Press; he first used the name Charlie Brown for a character there, although he applied the name in four gags to three different boys and one buried in sand. The series also had a dog that looked much like Snoopy. In 1948, Schulz sold a cartoon to The Saturday Evening Post; the first of 17 single-panel cartoons by Schulz that would be published there. In 1948, Schulz tried to have Li'l Folks syndicated through the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Schulz would have been an independent contractor for the syndicate, unheard of in the 1940s, but the deal fell through. Li'l Folks was dropped from the Pioneer Press in January, 1950.
Later that year, Schulz approached the United Feature Syndicate with his best strips from Li'l Folks, and Peanuts made its first appearance on October 2, 1950. The strip became one of the most popular comic strips of all time. He also had a short-lived sports-oriented comic strip called It's Only a Game (1957–1959), but he abandoned it due to the demands of the successful Peanuts. From 1956 to 1965 he contributed a single-panel strip ("Young Pillars") featuring teenagers to Youth, a publication associated with the Church of God.
Peanuts ran for nearly 50 years, almost without interruption; during the life of the strip, Schulz took only one vacation, a five-week break in late 1997. At its peak, Peanuts appeared in more than 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries. Schulz stated that his routine every morning consisted of eating a jelly donut and sitting down to write the day's strip. After coming up with an idea (which he said could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours), he began drawing it, which took about an hour for dailies and three hours for Sunday strips. He stubbornly refused to hire an inker or letterer, saying that "it would be equivalent to a golfer hiring a man to make his putts for him." In November 1999 Schulz suffered a stroke, and later it was discovered that he had colon cancer that had metastasized. Because of the chemotherapy and the fact he could not read or see clearly, he announced his retirement on December 14, 1999.
Schulz often touched on religious themes in his work, including the classic television cartoon, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), which features the character Linus van Pelt quoting the King James Version of the Bible Luke 2:8-14 to explain "what Christmas is all about." In personal interviews Schulz mentioned that Linus represented his spiritual side. Schulz, reared in the Lutheran faith, had been active in the Church of God as a young adult and then later taught Sunday school at a United Methodist Church. In the 1960s, Robert L. Short interpreted certain themes and conversations in Peanuts as being consistent with parts of Christian theology, and used them as illustrations during his lectures about the gospel, as he explained in his bestselling paperback book, The Gospel According to Peanuts, the first of several books he wrote on religion and Peanuts, and other popular culture items. From the late 1980s, however, Schulz described himself in interviews as a "secular humanist": “I do not go to church anymore... I guess you might say I've come around to secular humanism, an obligation I believe all humans have to others and the world we live in.”
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 22, 2025
Though I prefer the Peanuts strips of the '70s and '80s the best, can't beat the strip for speaking for each one of us, at one point or another in our own lives.
July 12, 2015
So, I'm one of those people who grew up loving and reading Peanuts - I collected Peanuts stuff as a kid thanks to my mom and for years I had lots of Snoopy and Peanuts collectibles (not just a handful of things but to me they are special). So I'll always like a Peanuts book no matter how old I get or how much things change. Every once in a while it does a heart good to go back and read the things you loved when younger.
November 12, 2015
This was definitely enjoyable and something fun to read, whether sitting for a sesh or just a few here and there. Quirky and entertaining and leaves you with a smile. ;) Enjoy
December 29, 2019
Early Peanuts is amazing, but so brutal that perhaps it’s not recommended if one is prone to depression.
November 16, 2024
This beautifully curated volume captures five years of Peanuts Sunday strips, reprinted in full color for the first time since their original publication. The meticulous restoration and Joanne Bagge’s masterful coloring bring the strips to life with a nostalgic vibrancy, emulating the muted tones of vintage newsprint.
The strips themselves are Schulz at his best—witty, poignant, and visually stunning. This era showcases Charlie Brown fully embracing his role as the lovable underdog, with standout moments like the brilliantly ironic February 23, 1958, strip, where life’s relentless jabs are perfectly encapsulated. Meanwhile, Snoopy evolves into the whimsical, larger-than-life character we adore, whether boxing with a glove on his nose or proving his baseball prowess.
The large-format design of this book is a feast for the eyes. Over twice the size of the Complete Peanuts volumes, it allows readers to appreciate Schulz’s intricate linework and clever use of space. The humor and charm of the characters shine through even more vividly in this expanded presentation.
Chuck Klosterman’s thoughtful introduction and Gary Groth’s concise biography of Schulz add a layer of context and appreciation for this timeless work. Fans new and old will find something to love in this collection. It’s a joyous deep dive into the world of Peanuts, perfect for leisurely afternoons or rainy-day revisits.
Highly recommend this for Peanuts enthusiasts and newcomers alike—it’s a timeless reminder of why Schulz’s work continues to resonate across generations.
The strips themselves are Schulz at his best—witty, poignant, and visually stunning. This era showcases Charlie Brown fully embracing his role as the lovable underdog, with standout moments like the brilliantly ironic February 23, 1958, strip, where life’s relentless jabs are perfectly encapsulated. Meanwhile, Snoopy evolves into the whimsical, larger-than-life character we adore, whether boxing with a glove on his nose or proving his baseball prowess.
The large-format design of this book is a feast for the eyes. Over twice the size of the Complete Peanuts volumes, it allows readers to appreciate Schulz’s intricate linework and clever use of space. The humor and charm of the characters shine through even more vividly in this expanded presentation.
Chuck Klosterman’s thoughtful introduction and Gary Groth’s concise biography of Schulz add a layer of context and appreciation for this timeless work. Fans new and old will find something to love in this collection. It’s a joyous deep dive into the world of Peanuts, perfect for leisurely afternoons or rainy-day revisits.
Highly recommend this for Peanuts enthusiasts and newcomers alike—it’s a timeless reminder of why Schulz’s work continues to resonate across generations.
April 8, 2024
The second volume of Peanuts Sunday strips by Charles M. Schulz, the continuing adventures of Charlie Brown and pals continue to impress. In this specific period, we see Charlie really careening towards being much more neurotic and bumbling as ever while Snoopy grows more confident and even over-zealous at times. The stories are supremely accessible, and even though there is a touch of repetitiveness to them, there is a truly innovative quality to Schulz's storytelling.
What makes these editions so great is the restoration quality, whereby the "remastering" feels nice and subdued whilst the original colors by Joanne Bagge are mostly maintained to high quality. There is a choice to mute the colors a bit to add to the newsprint aesthetic, but it looks excellent in terms of reproduction.
What makes these editions so great is the restoration quality, whereby the "remastering" feels nice and subdued whilst the original colors by Joanne Bagge are mostly maintained to high quality. There is a choice to mute the colors a bit to add to the newsprint aesthetic, but it looks excellent in terms of reproduction.
September 20, 2022
I adore Charlie Brown Christmas, but I never understood the lionization of Schulz for the newspaper strips themselves. These early pages (the second volume of the series) have shown me the light. Delightful, funny, dark, impressive simplicity, great artwork. I think I may have to just buy volume 3, because my local library doesn’t have them, and supposedly the 1960s were the golden age.
December 1, 2018
Contains the single darkest Peanuts strip of all time!
January 12, 2020
The Peanuts! What more can be said? A refreshing and enjoyable read. Love these comics. Miss their regular, new insights.
May 12, 2023
I love anything Peanuts
March 20, 2015
Reading this after going through the Complete Peanuts one sketch I'd forgotten was Lucy with a forgotten jumper of Charlie Brown's in the yellow with zigzag, left a previous summer, her impersonation of him, then he comes along wearing the same jumper and does an impersonation of her. It really works in colour which I probably missed in an early read. That said, I'm a bit tired of watching Snoopy attack Linus's blanket so much (guess this is before Schulz gave him more of a fanciful human personality). Snoopy is already playing shortstop on the baseball team. You also get a sense of the growing friendship between the new baby Sally, and Linus long before he's her sweet baboo.
September 24, 2015
Beautiful presentation on thick paper with flawless colors of some wonderful classic funnies. The extended format for the Sunday strips is a little deceiving. Schulz actually developed an idea in greater detail in the dailies, when he had six days to explore a concept from different angles. The Sunday strips are generally more leisurely.
April 5, 2016
This is a quite amusing volume. Reading it I had a short "they never do things like they used to" moment. Than I closed the book and seen the cover once more. 1956-1960. From all the junk they used to publish this is one of the few. In 2016 is easy to dismiss the current production as junk simply because it is too much.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews