"A Charlie Brown Christmas" soundtrack added to Library of Congress' National Recording Registry

Vince Guaraldi's soundtrack album for "A Charlie Brown Christmas," the classic 1965 Peanuts television special, has been selected as one of this year's titles to be added to the National Recording Registry.

Each year, the Library of Congress selects 25 "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" recordings to be preserved in the Registry.  This year's selections range from a 1888 Edison cylinder recording for a talking doll to Leonard Bernstien's 1943 New York Philharmonic debut to Prince's 1984 album "Purple Rain."

In its May 23, 2012, announcement, the Registry says:

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” introduced jazz to millions of listeners. The television soundtrack album includes expanded themes from the animated “Peanuts” special of the same name as well as jazz versions of both traditional and popular Christmas music, performed primarily by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. The original music is credited to pianist Guaraldi and television producer Lee Mendelson. Best remembered is the “Linus and Lucy” theme, originally composed by Guaraldi for an earlier “Peanuts” project, which remains beloved by fans of the popular television specials, those devoted to the daily newspaper comic strip, and music lovers alike.

For more information about the Registry and this year's selections, see Derrick Bang's post at the Impressions of Vince blog, the National Recording Registry's list of this year's selections, or this article from the Washington Post.

Reminder: Schulz art on Antiques Roadshow Monday May 21

Remember: one of the items to be appraised on tonight's episode (Monday May 21) of Antiques Roadshow is a piece of original "Li'l Folks" artwork by Charles Schulz.  On most PBS stations Antiques Roadshow airs at 8 PM (Eastern/Pacific), but check your local listings to confirm when your station will air the episode - its title is "Minneapolis, Minnesota (Hour 3)."

Schulz "Li'l Folks" art to be featured on Antiques Roadshow May 21

A piece of original "Li'l Folks" artwork by Charles Schulz will be one of the items appraised on the Monday, May 21st episode of the PBS television show Antiques Roadshow.  The episode title is "Minneapolis, Minnesota (Hour 3)."  Normally Antiques Roadshow airs at 8 PM (Eastern/Pacific), but different PBS stations have different schedules, so check your local listings to see exactly which time and day this episode will air.

"Li'l Folks" is the weekly comic strip that Charles Schulz drew before he started drawing Peanuts.

This is the third time Charles Schulz's work has appeared on Antiques Roadshow; episodes in 2006 and 2010 also featured evaluations of original Schulz art.

Impressions of Vince - a new blog about Vince Guaraldi

Derrick Bang, the co-proprietor of FiveCentsPlease.org and author of the recently published book Vince Guaraldi at the Piano, has launched Impressions of Vince, a new blog devoted to jazz pianist and Peanuts music composer Vince Guaraldi.

While Guaraldi may be most famous for his Peanuts television soundtracks, there was much more to his career - he released a variety of jazz music albums with various musicians and partners, was a frequent performer at West Coast jazz clubs, and wrote and performed the Grace Cathedral Jazz Mass, the first such jazz mass in the United States, among other accomplishments.

The Impressions of Vince blog will be devoted to commentary, discussions and thoughts about Vince Guaraldi and his work, together with updates about Derrick's extensive Guaraldi reference pages at FiveCentsPlease. Derrick also hopes that fans and friends of Guaraldi will write in to contribute commentary, anecdotes, and tidbits about Vince to add to the ever growing archive of information.

We'll keep posting Peanuts-related Vince Guaraldi news here on the FiveCentsPlease blog, but if you're interested in all things Vince, check out the Impressions of Vince blog - Derrick has already posted several entries!

Happiness is... Peanuts: Team Snoopy DVD now available

Happiness is... Peanuts: Team Snoopy, the latest DVD from Warner Home Video, is now available.

The DVD features two half-hour shows: the 2003 special Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown and "Snoopy's Brother Spike," episode #15 of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show from 1985.  There are no special features.

Happiness is... Peanuts: Team Snoopy has a suggested retail price of $14.97.  For more details about the DVD, see our previous announcement.

Peanuts #4 now in comic book stores

The latest issue of the Peanuts comic book is on sale in comic books stores as of Wednesday, April 18.  The stories in Peanuts #4 are "Super-Secret Origins of the Masked Marvel" and "Fight for Flight" (a story about Charlie Brown and kites) as well as a handful of Charles Schulz Sunday comic reprints. As with previous issues, Comic Book Resources has a 5-page preview.

You can also order the comic online from Boom! Studios (but you'll have to pay for shipping).

This is final issue of the current run of Peanuts comic books; they'll be taking a break for a few months, but are expected to return towards the end of the summer (the exact date hasn't been announced yet).

Vince Guaraldi at the Piano: new book about the jazz musician and Peanuts music composer

One of the key ingredients of the original Peanuts TV specials' success was their jazzy soundtrack music, written by Vince Guaraldi. Now fans can learn much more about the composer and his work - both Peanuts and non-Peanuts - from the new book-length career study Vince Guaraldi at the Piano, by Guaraldi historian and expert Derrick Bang. (Note that Derrick is the co-proprietor of FiveCentsPlease.org.)

Vince Guaraldi at the Piano gives Guaraldi the long-overdue recognition that he deserves. In its 390 pages, the book chronicles his years as a sideman; his attraction to the emerging bossa nova sound of the late 1950s; his collaboration with Brazilian guitarist Bola Sete; his development of the Grace Cathedral Jazz Mass; his selection as the composer for the Peanuts animated specials; and his emergence as a respected veteran in the Northern California jazz club scene of the 1970s. The book also includes an extensive discography and index.

We think all aficionados of the original Peanuts music sound and jazz music will appreciate this in-depth look at Vince Guaraldi. Vince Guaraldi at the Piano is available now from the publisher, McFarland & Company; visit their website to see the book's table of contents, read an excerpt, and to place an order. The book can also be ordered from Amazon, but their stocking of has been erratic; you may get quicker service by ordering it directly from McFarland.  A Kindle version of the book is also available at Amazon. You can also get a taste of Derrick's knowledge and research on Vince Guaraldi by visiting his Guaraldi pages at FiveCentsPlease.org.

Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown on HDNet Movies during April 2012

The cable channel HDNet Movies is showing the movie Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown several times during April 2012, starting April 4. Visit the HDNet schedule page and search for Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown for a complete list of showtimes.  (Thanks to Gerry Dorman for the tip.)

No Easter Beagle broadcast in 2012

Unfortunately, neither ABC nor any other network plan to broadcast It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown on television this year.

The special is available on DVD and from iTunes, though, if you don't already own a copy.

Peanuts #3 comic book out Wednesday, March 21

Peanuts #3, the third issue of the monthly Peanuts comic book series featuring new stories and reprints of classic Sunday Peanuts comics, is on sale starting Wednesday, March 21.  Comic Book Resources has a 5-page preview.

You can buy the latest issue at your local comic book store (use the Comic Shop Locator to find one near you), or you can order it directly from Boom! Studios (but you'll have to pay for shipping, too).

For more information about the new Peanuts comic book series, see our blog post about the first issue.

The Complete Peanuts 1983-1984 (Volume 17) now available

The Complete Peanuts Volume 17, collecting all the comic strips from the years 1983 and 1984, is now shipping when you order it directly from publisher Fantagraphics.

This volume includes around 60 comics that have never been reprinted in previous Peanuts strip collections, and features an introduction by film critic Leonard Maltin.

You can also order the book from Amazon.com and other bookstores, but it will be 2-3 weeks before it is available from them.

For more information, visit the Fantagraphics website.

Three new MetLife commercials starring the Peanuts gang

The Peanuts gang - Snoopy in particular - have long served as "spokescharacters" for insurance company MetLife, and the relationship still seems to be going strong. Over the past few weeks, three new MetLife commercials starring Charlie Brown, Lucy, Schroeder, and of course Snoopy have been airing on the TV networks during prime-time, including some premium placements during the Grammy and Oscar broadcasts.

They're pretty cute - if you haven't seen them yet, here are links to watch them on YouTube:

First Step

Good Call

5 Cents

(We're not recommending or endorsing MetLife or receiving any consideration from them; we just thought you'd enjoy the ads.)

Watch Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown & A Charlie Brown Valentine online

You can now watch Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown together with A Charlie Brown Valentine streaming online from either hulu.com or ABC.com.

The specials should be online through the end of February.

Reminder: Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Valentine air Saturday, February 11 on ABC

The Peanuts Valentine's Day double bill, featuring the specials Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown together with A Charlie Brown Valentine, airs Saturday, February 11, from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC.

Learn more about the new Peanuts comic book series

Peanuts fans living in Northern California — or those expected to visit later this month — will want to check out a cool event taking place at 1 p.m. Saturday, February 25, at Santa Rosa’s Charles M. Schulz Museum. The topic: BOOM! Studios’ new Peanuts comic book, with how-to-draw workshops, a panel discussion and comic book signing with creators Paige Braddock (Jane's World), Shane Houghton (Reed Gunther), Matt Whitlock (Family Guy), Lex Fajardo (Kid Beowulf), Vicki Scott (Peanuts illustrator), and Justin Thompson (MythTickle).

These programs are free with the price of Museum admission.

The creative talents cited above will give an illustrated, behind-the-scenes look at the process, to show how new Peanuts stories and artwork are being developed. The presentation will be followed by a comic book signing and workshops on how to draw your own Peanuts characters, with Whitlock and Scott.

The second issue of BOOM! Studios’ new Peanuts comic arrived this week, following January’s first issue, and a preview “zero issue” late last year. The book blends original stories with classic Peanuts Sunday strips by Charles M. Schulz; the new material is by Scott, Houghton and Whitlock.

The Charles M. Schulz Museum is located 50 minutes north of San Francisco (by car) on Highway 101. The address is 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa; for additional information, visit www.SchulzMuseum.org.