December 27, 2012

A Charlie Brown Christmas Coca-Cola sponsorship spots: facts, myths and actual video

A popular bit of trivia about the classic television special A Charlie Brown Christmas is that when the special first aired in 1965, it included - as part of the show's animation - two spots promoting the show's sponsor, Coca-Cola.

According to the original A Charlie Brown Christmas storyboards, after the opening title when Snoopy tosses Charlie Brown and Linus into the air, Linus crashes into a sign advertising Coca-Cola. (Look at the current version and you'll notice that while we see Charlie Brown crash into a tree, we never see where Linus lands.)


And at the end of the show, the closing carol originally included the complete verse (instead of fading out) with a final on-screen "Merry Christmas from the people who bottle Coca-Cola" right after the United Feature Syndicate credit.


These sponsorship spots were edited out of subsequent broadcasts and home video releases, because understandably, later sponsors (and the companies releasing the videos) didn't want to advertise someone else's product.

So, the two Coca-Cola bits have remained mostly unseen since 1965 (although Coke also sponsored the 1966 broadcast, so it's possible they also aired that year.) Even though they were extremely brief and not integral to the special at all, many Peanuts fans have wondered where they can see them. I've been told that the Paley Center (formerly the Museum of Television and Radio) in Los Angeles and New York has a copy of the original, unedited broadcast that you can view when you visit their collection, but I haven't personally verified this (and their policy is that they do not make copies of any shows, for anyone). The producers of the behind-the-scenes featurette on the Warner Home Video DVD and Blu-ray release of A Charlie Brown Christmas attempted to find copies of the Coke spots that they could use, but were unsuccessful.

But finally, someone has found copies of the sponsorship spots and posted them on YouTube for everyone to enjoy:



While the source of these videos isn't given, they certainly look authentic. (They're in black and white, and it's true they would have been in color originally, but it was common practice in the 1960s to make copies of shows on black and white film, because it was so much cheaper.)

The interest in these spots is so great that, unfortunately, a couple of misconceptions about them have arisen and been repeated on many sites across the Internet.

Misconception #1: The ending sponsorship spot was only a voiceover. Perhaps it was changed to a voiceover later on, or in certain markets, but as the video linked to above shows, the original broadcast displayed the words and Coca-Cola logo on-screen without a voiceover.

Misconception #2: In the scene where the gang throws snowballs at a can on a fence, it was a Coca-Cola can in the original broadcast, which has since been replaced by a generic can. This is false. The can has always been a generic can, even in the original broadcast. (The source for this information is a personal interview with Lee Mendelson.) This so-called "fact" probably arose as a conflation of the removal of the two actual Coca-Cola spots, and the edits that CBS made when broadcasting A Charlie Brown Christmas in the 1990s in order to make room for extra commercials - the throwing snowballs at a can scene was one of the removed scenes.

Fortunately, these days A Charlie Brown Christmas is always broadcast unedited at least once a year, and all home video releases from Paramount and Warner Home Video are also unedited - except for the very brief Coca-Cola sponsorship spots that we can now see on YouTube thanks to an enterprising fan.

December 26, 2012

Happy New, Year Charlie Brown airs Thursday, December 27

Don't forget that ABC will broadcast Happy New Year, Charlie Brown on Thursday, December 27, 2012 from 8 - 9 PM (Eastern/Pacific).  It will be accompanied as usual by a shortened version of She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown.

This will be the special's only broadcast this year, but you should be able to find it on hulu.com and ABC.com after it airs.

December 16, 2012

Three Peanuts TV specials air this week (Dec 17-21), including A Charlie Brown Christmas

There's plenty of opportunities to see the Peanuts gang on television this week, December 17-21, 2012!  First, you'll have a second chance to see A Charlie Brown Christmas and Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown; then it's this year's only outing for I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown.

The schedule is as follows (all times Eastern/Pacific):

Monday December 17:
Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown; FOX, 9 - 10 PM

Tuesday December 18:
A Charlie Brown Christmas + Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales; ABC, 8 - 9 PM

Thursday December 20:
I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown; ABC, 8-9 PM

Enjoy!

November 30, 2012

Watch A Charlie Brown Christmas online at Hulu and ABC.com

If you want to see A Charlie Brown Christmas sometime before it airs again on ABC on December 18, 2012, you can watch it online for free at hulu.com or ABC.com . As on TV, the classic special is accompanied online by Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales.

Update: as of January 2013, the show is no longer available online for now - but will probably be back in December 2013.

November 28, 2012

Peanuts Vol. 2 No. 4 in comic book stores now

Peanuts Volume 2, Number 4 is in stores as of Wednesday, November 29, 2012.  This installment of Boom! Studio's Peanuts comic book features the all-new stories "Food for Fraught," "How to Draw Violet," and "Do the Math," together with a few classic Peanuts Sunday strips and the "From the Drawing Board" feature.

You can purchase this issue at your local comic book store or order it directly from Boom! Studios, and view a preview at Comic Book Resources.

After this issue, the Peanuts comic book will once again be taking a few months of vacation before returning early in 2013 - so don't worry when you can't find a new issue next month!

November 22, 2012

FiveCentsPlease.org presents classic Peanuts Christmas countdown panels for 2012

It's time to join the Peanuts gang in counting down the days until Christmas, starting Friday, November 23, on the FiveCentsPlease.org home page. A different single-panel comic with a holiday theme will appear each day through Christmas.

FiveCentsPlease.org has featured the Peanuts Christmas countdown panels for several years, and we didn't want this year to be an exception. Unfortunately, Universal Press, the syndicate that distributes the Peanuts comic strips, didn't provide new countdown panels for 2012. (Worse yet, it's possible that this delightful seasonal feature may have been discontinued for good.)

We've therefore reached back into the archives to bring you the countdown panels from 2001 instead (a year when Thanksgiving also fell on November 22).

We hope you'll visit our home page each day and enjoy revisiting these panels with us, as the holiday approaches!

November 21, 2012

Peanuts TV specials broadcast schedule for Thanksgiving 2012 and the following week

The Peanuts gang is going to be showing up on television quite a few times this week and next; here's a complete list. All times below are for the Eastern and Pacific time zones.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be broadcast both Wednesday, November 21 (the day before Thanksgiving) and Thursday, November 22 (Thanksgiving day itself). The special will air from 8 - 9 PM on ABC both evenings. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be shown uncut, together with an abbreviated version of "This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers."

The "Charlie Brown and the Elusive Football" balloon will be making a return appearance in the Macy's Parade on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22. The parade will be shown on NBC from 9 AM - Noon.  (The Snoopy balloon is not being retired, as some news reports might have you believe - Snoopy's just letting Charlie Brown have a turn this year, as he has in some previous years.)

On Friday, November 23 (the day after Thanksgiving), FOX will broadcast Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown, the most recent Peanuts animated special, from 8 - 9 PM .

Then the cable channel ABC Family will be showing A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home, the first two Peanuts theatrical movies, on Monday, November 26. Snoopy Come Home airs from 5 - 7 PM, and A Boy Named Charlie Brown airs from 7 - 9 PM (all times Eastern/Pacific).

Finally, A Charlie Brown Christmas will receive its first broadcast of the year on Wednesday, November 28. It will air from 8 - 9 PM on ABC. The special will be unedited, and accompanied by a shortened version of Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales and the non-Peanuts short Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa.

(Don't worry, if you prefer to see A Charlie Brown Christmas closer to the actual holiday, it will air again on December 18.)

Happy viewing!

November 16, 2012

Charlie Brown balloon returns to the 2012 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

It wouldn't be the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade without a Peanuts balloon, and 2012 will be no exception.

This year's balloon will be "Charlie Brown and the Elusive Football," which first appeared in the 2002 parade and has made several appearances since then.

The Charlie Brown balloon will be accompanied by a float featuring the Peanuts characters on the ground. Macy's says, "As Charlie Brown returns to the sky over the Macy’s Parade, his Peanuts pal Woodstock helps guide the way down the route. Snoopy’s famous doghouse is air traffic control headquarters and Woodstock is the official in charge. Checking out the scene to watch Charlie try to catch that elusive football will be the Peanuts gang including Snoopy, Lucy and Linus."

(The Snoopy balloon is not being retired, as some news reports might have you believe - Snoopy's just letting Charlie Brown have a turn this year, as he has in some previous years.)

You can watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC from 9 AM - Noon (all time zones) on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22.

Two Peanuts movies on ABC Family, Monday, November 26

The cable channel ABC Family will be showing A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home, the first two Peanuts theatrical movies, on Monday, November 26.

Snoopy Come Home airs from 5 - 7 PM, and A Boy Named Charlie Brown airs from 7 - 9 PM (all times Eastern/Pacific).

This is slight change of schedule from the past few years, when ABC Family has broadcast the two movies on the weekend following Thanksgiving.

November 13, 2012

The Charlie Brown & Snoopy Show: The Complete Series coming to DVD on November 20

On Tuesday, November 20, 2012, Warner Archive released The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show: The Complete Series, a DVD set containing all 18 episodes of the Peanuts Saturday morning cartoon show from 1983 and 1985.

While a few episodes of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show have been released individually on the various "Happiness Is... Peanuts" line of DVDs, this is the first time most of the episodes have been released on DVD in the United States, and also the first time they have all been released together as a set. (5 episodes have been released previously; 13 are new to DVD in this set.) Peanuts fans have been waiting some time for such a box set, so it's great to see it arrive at last!

The 18 episodes are on 2 discs with a total running time of 402 minutes.  The set can be ordered for $29.95 directly from Warner, or it can also be ordered from Amazon.com (although at the time of writing, it cost several dollars more at Amazon, so be sure to compare prices).

The full list of episodes included on this set is:

Disc 1
Episode 1 - Snoopy's Cat Fight
Episode 2 - Snoopy: Team Manager
Episode 3 - Linus and Lucy
Episode 4 - Lucy vs. the World
Episode 5 - Linus' Security Blanket
Episode 6 - Snoopy: Man's Best Friend
Episode 7 - Snoopy the Psychiatrist
Episode 8 - You Can't Win, Charlie Brown
Episode 9 - The Lost Ballpark

Disc 2
Episode 10 - Snoopy's Football Career
Episode 11 - Chaos in the Classroom
Episode 12 - It's That Team Spirit, Charlie Brown
Episode 13 - Lucy Loves Schroeder
Episode 14 - Snoopy and the Giant
Episode 15 - Snoopy's Brother Spike
Episode 16 - Snoopy's Robot
Episode 17 - Peppermint Patty's School Days
Episode 18 - Sally's Sweet Babboo

For more details about each episode, see the Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show section of the Peanuts Animation and Video Page.

It's worth noting that Warner Archive DVDs are not the manufactured, pressed DVDs that you typically find in stores; they are recordable DVD-Rs that are burned on demand as customers order them. While they should play without problem in any DVD player produced in the last 10-12 years and the video quality should be as good as a regular DVD, they may not be quite as durable or long-lasting as regular DVDs. For more information, see the Warner Archive FAQ.

However... it turns out that for the first batch of discs of any box set, Warner Archive actually makes pressed DVDs instead of recordable DVDs.  So if you order this set within a month or two of its release date, you're likely to get "real" DVDs instead of DVD-Rs.  (I can verify this - the set that I ordered on release day is pressed DVDs.)  But eventually they will switch to using DVD-Rs instead.

It's likely that this will be the only box set of the Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show that's ever released on DVD, and certainly it's more economical (and space efficient!) than buying the individual "Happiness Is... Peanuts" releases.  Plus there's no guarantee that all the episodes of the Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show will be released individually (consider that after two years, only five episodes have been released that way). So if you're interested in getting these episodes on DVD, this set is the way to go.

November 12, 2012

A Charlie Brown Christmas and other Peanuts holiday special broadcast dates for 2012

A Charlie Brown Christmas will air twice on ABC this year.  The first broadcast will be on Wednesday, November 28, 2012 from 8 - 9 PM (Eastern/Pacific time); the second broadcast will be Tuesday, December 18, 2012, also from 8 - 9 PM.

The classic Christmas special will air unedited both times. The hour-long time slot will be filled out with a shortened version of Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales and the non-Peanuts short Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa.

ABC will also be showing I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown on Thursday, December 20, 2012 from 8 - 9 PM (Eastern/Pacific); and finally Happy New Year, Charlie Brown on Thursday, December 27, 2012 from 8 - 9 PM (Eastern/Pacific).  Happy New Year, Charlie Brown will air unedited together with a shorted version of She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown.

ABC adds second 2012 broadcast of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

ABC has announced A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will now air Thursday, November 22, 2012 (Thanksgiving Day itself) in addition to the previously announced broadcast on Wednesday, November 21, 2012 (day before Thanksgiving).  The special will air from 8 - 9 PM (Eastern/Pacific time) both nights.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be shown uncut, together with an abbreviated version of This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers.

Related news:

Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown returns to TV on Friday, November 23, 2012

The FOX television network has announced that they will broadcast Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown, the most recent Peanuts animated special, on Friday, November 23 from 8 - 9 PM (Eastern/Pacific time).

Happiness is a Warm Blanket first aired on television in November 2011, after being released on DVD earlier in the year.  Last year it was broadcast at the same time as the classic special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; thankfully, that won't be the case this year - A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be shown the day before Thanksgiving (November 21) and Thanksgiving Day (November 22), but Happiness is a Warm Blanket will be shown the day after Thanksgiving (November 23).

FOX will also air Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown on Monday, December 17, 2012, from 9 - 10 PM (Eastern/Pacific time).

November 5, 2012

New A Charlie Brown Christmas limited edition prints coming November 9

Dark Hall Mansion are back with two fabulous new limited edition prints based on scenes from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Laurent Durieux's two creations each have a distinctive style and feel while remaining true to the spirit of the television special, and are full of fine details and nifty small touches - be sure to click on the images below view them at a larger size (or visit Dark Hall Mansion's website for even larger versions); the small thumbnails don't do the artwork justice.

Standard edition
Variant edition

Both officially licensed, numbered editions measure 18" x 24".  The standard edition of 300 prints are hand-pulled screenprints, and the variant edition of 50 prints are glicee prints on Moab Entrada Bright White 290 gsm.

There will also be a 10-print wood edition of the standard artwork on maple wood, and a 10-print canvas edition with the variant artwork.

The prices will be as follows:

Standard: $65
Variant: $100
Wood Edition (Standard artwork): $250
Canvas Edition (Variant artwork): price not yet announced

The new A Charlie Brown Christmas prints go on sale Friday, November 9, 2012 at 9:30 AM (Pacific time) at Dark Hall Mansion's webstore. Dark Hall Mansion's limited edition Peanuts prints sell very quickly, so make your orders promptly.

Update: These prints are now sold out.

For more information and larger pictures of the artwork, visit Dark Hall Mansion's blog, and visit their Facebook page for behind-the-scenes photos.

(Note: while Dark Hall Mansion also offered limited edition A Charlie Brown Christmas prints in 2011, these 2012 prints are completely new and different.)

October 31, 2012

Reminder: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown airs tonight October 31

Just a reminder that the classic TV special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown airs tonight, Wednesday, October 31, 2012 on ABC from 8:00 - 8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific time).

October 30, 2012

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving scheduled to air November 21 & 22 on ABC

ABC has announced that A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will air twice in 2012: Wednesday, November 21 (the day before Thanksgiving) and Thursday, November 22 (Thanksgiving day itself).  The special will air from 8:00 - 9:00 PM (Eastern/Pacific time) both nights.

The hour-long time slot means A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be shown uncut, together with an abbreviated version of This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers.

October 29, 2012

Schulz Museum update: new "Art of Peanuts Animation" exhibit & concert celebrating Vince Guaraldi on Nov. 3

Two items of particular interest at the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California this week:

First, the new exhibit The Art of Peanuts Animation: Production Cels from the Museum’s Collection opened this week.
Peanuts © 1966 Peanuts Worldwide LLC
This exhibit features 16 original, never-before-displayed Peanuts animation drawings and cels - including rare cels from A Charlie Brown Christmas and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown - and will be at the Museum through February 3, 2013. If you're a fan of the Peanuts TV specials (and who isn't?), it's definitely worth a visit. For more information about the Schulz Museum and its exhibits, visit the Museum's website.

David Benoit
Second, this weekend on Saturday, November 3 at 4 PM (Pacific time), the Museum will host a concert by jazz pianist David Benoit celebrating the music of Vince Guaraldi. (Benoit has released a couple of CDs covering Guaraldi tunes, and also composed and performed music based on Guaraldi's themes for most of the Peanuts TV specials in the 1990's and 2000's). Benoit will be joined by Derrick Bang (author of the book Vince Guaraldi at the Piano), who will talk about Guaraldi's life and work. The concert is included with the price of admission to the Museum (and free to Museum members), but seating will be limited. For more information, see the Schulz Museum's Calendar of Events (and click on November).

October 21, 2012

Charlotte Braun gets the ax

This isn't a new story, but we don't often find it recounted in a mainstream magazine.

During the early 1950s, as Charles M. Schulz was fine-tuning the cast list for his fledgling newspaper comic strip, new characters slowly joined the original quartet of Charlie Brown, Shermy, Patty and Snoopy. Some would go on to become stars, such as Violet, Lucy and Linus; others ... not so much.


The most infamous example of the latter is Charlotte Braun, a character whose appearance was so brief that she remains unknown even to some avid Peanuts fans. She appeared fewer than a dozen times, and not one of these strips was reprinted before Fantagraphics' Complete Peanuts collections came along. (Charlotte fell victim to an inexplicable publishing quirk that initially left almost an entire year's worth of strips -- from early 1954 through early 1955 -- unseen since their one and only newspaper appearance, when the original Holt, Rinehart and Winston Peanuts reprint books were produced.) 

Charlotte arrived with a booming voice that Charlie Brown claimed was powered by a "built-in hi-fidelity speaker," and this tendency to SPEAK LIKE THIS AT ALL TIMES wore thin rather quickly. "Good ol' Charlotte Braun," as she once dubbed herself, insisted that she merely had a "driving personality (and) definite opinions." These characteristics quickly became embraced by Lucy, as she grew older, leaving Charlotte to the fading mists of antiquity and stump-the-expert quizzes among Peanuts devotees. Her final visit to the neighborhood was on February 1, 1955, a mere two months after she debuted on November 30, 1954.

But Charlotte hadn't gone quietly into that good night; indeed, she had been pushed. Although Schulz probably would have eliminated the obnoxious little girl anyway, the catalyst came with a letter from Elizabeth Swaim, a fan who strongly disliked this new character. Schulz answered much of his mail in those early days, and his reply promised to remove Charlotte ... while warning that Ms. Swaim would have "the death of an innocent child on [her] conscience." As an added bonus, Schulz included what probably was the last sketch ever done of poor Charlotte ... with an ax buried in her head!

This saga has been repeated a few times over the years, usually in comic fan publications or at the Charles M. Schulz Museum. We were surprised to find it, however, in the current (October) issue of Mental Floss magazine, in a feature titled "Five Letters That Changed History." (Click here for a larger version of the page shown above.)

Since the other letters are from Annie Oakley, Ian Fleming, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Wentworth Higginson (Emily Dickinson's publisher), Schulz — and Charlotte — are among rarefied company!

October 17, 2012

Peanuts Vol. 2 No. 3 out Wednesday October 17

Charlie Brown and Frieda face off in an election for class president in the latest issue of Boom! Studio's Peanuts comic book.  Peanuts Volume 2, Number 3 is out Wednesday October 19, and also includes the stories "Plane & Simple" and "News from Needles," campaign posters, and a handful of classic Peanuts strips.

You can see a preview at Comic Book Resources, and buy the issue at your local comic book shop or order it directly from Boom! Studios' website.

October 11, 2012

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown app from Loud Crow Interactive arrives

Loud Crow Interactive is bringing a new interactive storybook app version of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown to all sincere smartphones and tablets this October.

The app features artwork, animations, music, and dialog from the classic television special as well as narration by Peter Robbins, who performed the voice of Charlie Brown in the 1966 TV show.


You can interact with each scene, tapping and dragging objects to make them do new things; create your own costume for a new Peanuts character; bob for apples with Lucy and Snoopy; carve a pumpkin that will then appear in the story; play three old wartime songs on Schroeder's piano; and more.



Loud Crow's A Charlie Brown Christmas app was lots of fun, so this one should be too!  The app is available now from the App Store for iOS devices (iPhones, iPads, iPod touches); the cost is $4.99.  It will be coming soon for Android devices.

Visit Loud Crow's website and Facebook page for more details and preview screens.

October 10, 2012

New Peanuts feature film in development for 2015

This week Peanuts Worldwide, Twentieth Century Fox Animation, and Blue Sky Studios announced they are developing a new Peanuts theatrical film for release on November 6, 2015, timed to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Peanuts comic strip. (Yes, that's three years from now.)

The currently untitled film's script will be written by Craig Schulz (Charles Schulz's son), Bryan Schulz (Craig Schulz's son), and Cornelius Uliano (writer of several short films). No plot details have been announced yet.

Directing the film will be Steve Martino, who has directed two other films for Blue Sky Studios: the 2008 feature film version of Dr. Seuss's Horton Hears a Who! and the 2012 film Ice Age: Continental Drift.


While the press release doesn't explicitly state how the movie will be animated, reading between the lines suggests it will be computer animation of some form (especially since all of Blue Sky Studio's films so far have been CGI).

Keep in mind that the film has just been announced and isn't due for another three years; the details are probably still being worked out and films often undergo a variety of changes as they are produced.  For example, the film's planned release date changed only six weeks after the initial announcement - initially they said it would be released November 25, 2015.  It's likely there will be more changes to the release date over time; so if the date listed in this article doesn't match other dates you see, it probably changed again.

This isn't the first Peanuts theatrical film; as fans will know, there were four earlier theatrically released films - A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969), Snoopy Come Home (1972), Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown (1976), and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (1980).

Stay tuned for more details in the months ahead! But in the meantime remember there are lots of other great Peanuts animation shows and films to enjoy, from the classic holiday specials, to the four earlier theatrical films, to the most recent release, 2011's Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown.

October 9, 2012

Newly Remastered Version of A Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack Album Released October 9, 2012

Getting a very early jump on the holiday season, Concord Music has released a newly remastered edition of the A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack album by Vince Guaraldi.

You may be thinking, "didn't they remaster the soundtrack already?" Yes, they did. Concord issued a remastered and expanded version of the album in 2006, but some listeners found fault with that release's remastering for changing the sound of the album too much and using different edits and takes of some of the tracks.  This new, 2012 remastered edition is a much more low-key remaster, resulting in modest sonic improvement and clarity over the original 1988 CD, but no radical changes.

This re-release of the album includes two "bonus" tracks: "It's the Great Pumpkin Waltz" and "Thanksgiving Theme" (from It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, respectively). However, both have been previously released - they can be found on the Charlie Brown's Holiday Hits album, and seem somewhat out of place accompanying the Christmas soundtrack. Unfortunately, the four bonus alternate takes from the 2006 release do not reappear on the 2012 edition. (Concord also calls "Greensleeves" a bonus track, and while it's true it wasn't on the original soundtrack LP, it's been part of every CD release so far, so it's a very familiar track at this point.)

The 2012 remastered edition does feature a very nice 20-page booklet with generous new liner notes written by Guaraldi expert and historian Derrick Bang. You can check out Derrick's writeup about the new remastered album on his Impressions of Vince blog.

It appears that all three versions of the A Charlie Brown Christmas CD (the original 1988 release, the 2006 remaster, and the 2012 remaster) remain in print simultaneously, at least for the moment - presenting listeners with an embarrassment of choices (or possibly with the feeling that they'll need all three).  The 2012 remaster is available as a digital download as well as on CD, and there's even a special green vinyl LP version of it!

(The album has also been repackaged in various ways over the year. If you're curious about the many different releases of the A Charlie Brown Christmas album, see Derrick's detailed A Charlie Brown Christmas Redux ... and redux and redux article.)

Happiness is... Peanuts: Go Snoopy Go DVD and Happiness Is... Peanuts: 3-Pack Fun DVD set now available


Warner Home Video's latest Peanuts DVD release, titled Happiness is... Peanuts: Go Snoopy Go, is available today, October 9, 2012.  The DVD (like its predecessors) features two half-hour shows: the 1992 show It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown and "It's that Team Spirit, Charlie Brown," episode #12 of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show from 1983.

It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown has a story similar to the classic 1966 special Charlie Brown's All-Stars: a local business will sponsor Charlie Brown's team and give them uniforms if the team can win the first game of the season. But will an early round of spring training in the snow and new team member, the tiny Leland, be enough help to get the win? It's Spring Training was previously released on DVD by Paramount, but that DVD has been out of print for several years.

This will be the first U.S. DVD release of "It's That Team Spirit, Charlie Brown." The episode consists of five skits: "Vulture," "Blanket," "Peppermint Patty," "Rerun," and "Rainy Day."

There are no special features on the DVD. Happiness is... Peanuts: Go Snoopy Go has a suggested retail price of $14.97.

Also out today, Warner has collected three of their previous Peanuts DVD releases together into a "gift pack." Titled Happiness Is... Peanuts: 3-Pack Fun, this set contains the Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown DVD; the Happiness is.. Peanuts: Team Snoopy DVD (featuring The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show Ep. 15: Snoopy's Brother Spike and Lucy Must Be Traded, Charlie Brown); and Happiness is Peanuts... Snoopy's Adventures DVD (featuring The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show Ep. 14: Snoopy and the Giant and Snoopy's Getting Married, Charlie Brown).

There is absolutely nothing new in the Happiness Is... Peanuts: 3-Pack Fun set except for a new slip cover.  All the DVDs and shows in it have been released previously on separate DVDs.  The set has a retail price of $19.98, which makes it cheaper than buying all three DVDs separately. So, if you don't have any of these DVDs and were thinking of picking them up, you can save a few bucks with this set. (Note that some sites, such as Amazon.com, are listing this set's title as just Happiness is Peanuts.)

October 7, 2012

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown scheduled to air Wednesday, October 31, 2012 on ABC


ABC has announced that this year's broadcast of the classic Peanuts TV special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will be on Wednesday, October 31, from 8:00 - 8:30 PM (Eastern/Pacific).

Unfortunately, the half-hour time slot means It's the Great Pumpkin will almost certainly be edited to make room for commercials (when the special first aired, there were only 5 minutes of commercials per half-hour; now there are 9 minutes of commercials per half-hour). ABC has confirmed via press release that the half-hour timeslot is correct. With the network is already having to carve out time in this year's schedule for the presidential debates and election coverage, it appears they're only willing to allot half an hour to the Great Pumpkin.

October 2, 2012

Two articles celebrate the 62nd anniversary of Peanuts with archival photos

The Peanuts comic strip debuted on October 2, 1950 - 62 years ago today - rating, as it does every year, a brief mention in many "This Day in History" articles.

This anniversary, two websites have gone above and beyond and marked the occasion with articles featuring some rarely seen Peanuts and Charles Schulz-related photographs.  (At least, they were new to me, and I've seen a lot of such photographs.)

First there's Biography.com's photo of the week, titled Snoopy and the Apollo 10 Gang Go to Space.

And then Time-Life has a feature of 21 photos titled Good Ol' Charles Schulz: The 'Peanuts' Creator at Home.

Take a few moments to check them out while you nibble on your pizza and root beer and consider which volume of "The Complete Peanuts" you're going to read as part of your anniversary celebrations.

(And if you're interested in more photographs, the Charles M. Schulz Museum's new website has a nice selection covering Charles Schulz, his art, and the Museum's collection.)

September 28, 2012

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving limited edition prints from Dark Hall Mansion


It's a good month for fans of Dark Hall Mansion's limited edition Peanuts prints.  Hot on the heels of their 2012 Great Pumpkin prints, they've announced two great new prints commemorating the 1972 television special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

Drawn by Tom Whalen, the artwork is in the same style as his It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Christmas prints (sold by Dark Hall Mansion in 2011), so now collectors can have a matching set of Tom Whalen prints for all the three classic Peanuts holiday specials.

The Charlie Brown Thanksgiving prints showcase Snoopy and Woodstock in their pilgrim costumes, while the rest of the gang is gathered around the table for Charlie Brown's unique Thanksgiving dinner.  The standard print is done in warm fall-colored tones, while the variant print uses a more eye-popping color palette.

Standard edition

Variant edition

The two officially licensed editions are 18" x 24", numbered, hand-pulled screenprints.  The standard edition is limited to 300 prints, and the variant is limited to 50 prints.

Each style - standard and variant - will also have a special 15-print wood edition printed on 18" x 24" maple wood.

The prices will be as follows:

Standard: $65
Variant: $100
Wood Editions: $250

The prints go on sale Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 9:30 AM (Pacific time) at Dark Hall Mansion's webstore.  Limited edition Peanuts prints from Dark Hall Mansion have been quick sellers, so don't hesitate with your order if you're interested.

UPDATE: The prints are now sold out.

As always, for more information and for larger pictures of the artwork, visit Dark Hall Mansion's blog, and visit their Facebook page for some behind-the-scenes photos.

September 18, 2012

Peanuts Vol. 2 No. 2 in stores Wednesday September 19

The Volume 2, Number 2 issue of Boom Studio's Peanuts comic book arrives in stores Wednesday, September 19.

As usual, in addition to your local comic book shop, you can order it directly from Boom Studio's website, and you can find a preview at Comic Book Resources.

September 14, 2012

New limited edition It's the Great Pumpkin prints from Dark Hall Mansion

The fine folks at Dark Hall Mansion are back with two new limited-edition prints celebrating the television special It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

The two officially licensed prints, created by artist Michael De Pippo, capture the essence of the special in a style reminiscent of classic TV listing ads. The standard print is inspired by the "I got a rock" scene, while the "variant" print recalls Sally expressing her frustration with Linus after the non-appearance of the Great Pumpkin.

Standard edition
Variant edition

Both versions are 18" x 24" hand-pulled screenprints and numbered to reflect their limited quantities.  The standard edition is limited to 280 prints, and the variant is limited to 50 prints.

In addition, there will be a special run of 10 of each style printed on wood (maple for the standard edition, fir for the variant edition).

The prices will be as follows:

Standard: $65
Variant: $100
Wood Editions: $225

The prints go on sale Tuesday, September 18, 2012 at 9:30 AM (Pacific time) at Dark Hall Mansion's webstore.  Previous limited edition Peanuts prints from Dark Hall Mansion have sold out quickly, so if you're interested, order promptly.

For more information and for larger pictures of each poster, visit Dark Hall Mansion's blog.

(Note: while Dark Hall Mansion also offered limited edition "Great Pumpkin" prints in 2011, the 2012 prints are completely new and different.)

September 8, 2012

Mutts to pay tribute to Charles Schulz week of September 10-15

All next week, from Monday September 10 through Saturday September 15, the comic strip Mutts will pay homage to Charles M. Schulz and Peanuts.  Here's a two-panel teaser:


Mutts, created and drawn by Patrick McDonnell, follows the lives and thoughts of fellow pets Earl the dog and Mooch the cat, their owners, and a variety of animal friends.

Patrick McDonnell has always been a strong supporter of Schulz and Peanuts. He's appeared at the Charles M. Schulz Museum several times, curated an exhibit for the Museum, and in 2000 organized a "Peanuts tribute day" among fellow newspaper cartoonists to commemorate 50 years of the Peanuts comic strip.  Charles Schulz was likewise known to be a fan of McDonnell's work on Mutts; in his foreword for the first Mutts strip collection, he said "Mutts is exactly what a comic strip should be."

So be sure to check out Mutts every day next week - if your newspaper doesn't carry the comic, you can read it online at selected newspaper websites (those that use "Comics Kingdom" for their online comics), or at the official Mutts website.

August 27, 2012

The Complete Peanuts 1985-1986 (Volume 18) now available

The Complete Peanuts 1985-1986, volume 18 of Fantagraphics' reprint series of the Peanuts comic strip, is now shipping from Fantagraphics.  This collection includes all the comic strips from 1985 and 1986 and an introduction from comedian and actor Patton Oswalt.

The latest two-volume box set, The Complete Peanuts 1983-1986 Gift Box Set, which includes both Volume 17 (published earlier in 2012) and the just-released Volume 18 together in a special slipcase, is shipping as well.

Both the individual book and the box set are also available now from your local comic book store, or can be ordered from Amazon or other book stores.

Some of the highlights of the 1985-1986 volume: the Peanuts gang encounters Halley's Comet, go to "rain camp" and "survival camp," and meet new character Tapioca Pudding; Peppermint Patty wins the “All-City School Essay Contest” with her “What I Did During Christmas Vacation” essay; and Snoopy accidentally does in his dog house with a cannon.

For a 16-page preview, photos of the box set slipcase, and more information, visit the Fantagraphics website's pages for The Complete Peanuts 1985-1986 and the The Complete Peanuts 1983-1986 Gift Box Set.

August 19, 2012

Schulz Museum blossoms at 10-year anniversary celebration

On Thursday, August 15, 2002, the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center opened to the public amid great fanfare. The star-studded guest list included numerous cartoonists and animators — among them Patrick McDonnell (Mutts), Greg Evans (Luann) and Sergio Aragones (Mad Magazine) — along with Peanuts-type celebrities such as Robert Short, author of The Gospel According to Peanuts and several other books. One noted special guest was Yoshiteru ("Yoshi") Otani, whose whimsical sculptures, designs and other efforts for various Snoopy Town Shops in Japan had helped inspire the new Schulz Museum's overall look.

Your FiveCents
Please bloggers were present as well, along with literally hundreds of Peanuts fans who couldn't wait to be among the museum's first visitors. The gift shop already was laden with plenty of books, plush Snoopy dolls — wearing museum T-shirts, of course — and other items designed to commemorate this event. Scott and Victor also were among the contributing writers for Derrick's first book, 50 Years of Happiness: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz ... and you can see them standing in front of an entire shelf filled with copies of this book.

They're quite pleased by the fact that the book has remained available in this same gift shop ever since, where it remains a steady seller.

Flash-forward a decade, to Saturday, August 18, 2012: the weekend designated to celebrate the museum's 10th anniversary. Some things have changed over the years, such as the museum's staff, in part because it has grown so much. But the core message remains fixed: the celebration of Charles M. Schulz's work, and the dedication toward keeping his vision alive through an ever-changing assortment of imaginative and cleverly designed exhibits, many of which also have toured the country with stops at other museums.

The festivities began at 11 a.m. with a "cherry tree ceremony" designed to honor both the museum's anniversary, and Otani's artistic contributions and ongoing devotion to its mission. The ceremony also held a greater purpose: as part of the 2012 Japan-U.S. Centennial Cherry Blossom Tree Planting Initiative, to further enhance the friendship between these two countries. The centennial celebration looks back to 1912, when — to express appreciation for the United States' partnership in that year's Treaty of Portmouth, Japan sent 3,020 cherry trees from Tokyo, to be planted along the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Cherry blossoms — sakura — are Japan's national flower.

Roughly 50 people gathered in the Schulz Museum's front courtyard on this warm August morning, where they found a young cherry blossom tree carefully wrapped for the ceremony, and planted alongside the Snoopy Labyrinth. The small but dedicated group included quite a few folks who had traveled all the way from Japan, along with (sadly) only half of your FiveCentsPlease team. Jeannie Schulz and museum director Karen Johnson gave short introductory speeches, and Jeannie presented Otani — also present for the occasion, once again wearing the eye-catching white "Snoopy jacket" that had prompted so many photographs, back in 2002 — with a lovely sculpture by Stan Pawlowski, another artist who has been a longtime friend to the Schulz family and the Peanuts empire (and whose full-size bronze statue of Charlie Brown and Snoopy continues to draw tourists to Santa Rosa's nearby Railroad Square).

A proclamation then was read aloud by San Francisco's Deputy Consul General of Japan, Michio Harada, who spoke warmly of the ongoing friendship between his country and the United States, and between Otani and the Schulz Museum. He also explained the significance of cherry trees, and the annual celebrations that take place in Japan each spring, when people have picnics beneath the flowering trees, the goal being to eat good food, drink plenty of sake and reflect upon life's blessings.

(It may be awhile before this tree grows enough to permit such an indulgence, but we'll be first in line with our picnic baskets when it does!)

Following these remarks, the ends of the tree's robe were pulled by Jeannie, Karen, Yoshi and Deputy Consul General Harada, and the tree was "introduced" to the world (or at least that small portion of it present as witnesses). All four obligingly stood during a multitude of photos, and then we all broke into informal groups (and, in several cases, for a quick lunch at the nearby Warm Puppy Café).

August 16, 2012

Yoshiteru Otani helps Schulz Museum celebrate its 10th anniversary this weekend (Aug 18-19)

To commemorate the Charles M. Schulz Museum's 10th anniversary, Japanese artist Yoshiteru Otani - creator of the Morphing Snoopy and Peanuts Tile Wall artworks in the Museum's Great Hall - will be part of several events at the Museum this weekend, August 18-19.  (The Museum officially opened on August 17, 2002.)

On Saturday August 18, first at 11 AM, the Museum will hold a cherry tree ceremony in honor of Otani and his artistic contributions to the Museum. Next, at 1 PM, Otani will give a live brush painting performance accompanied by Japanese Taiko drummer Rin Matoba, then will meet visitors and sign autographs.

The following day, Sunday August 19 at 2 PM, Yohiteru Otani will give a talk about his two works at the Schulz Museum, show the film The Making of the Schulz Museum—Yoshi Art, and once again be available to meet visitors and sign autographs.  (He's also giving a class on the art of paper cutting, but the class is sold out.)

Visit the Schulz Museum's calendar of events webpage for more details about these and other upcoming events. The Schulz Museum is located in Santa Rosa, California - see their visitor information page for directions, hours, and admission fees. (And be sure to look around at the rest of the Schulz Museum's newly redesigned website, featuring an extensive timeline and other information about Schulz's life and work, while you're there!)

August 15, 2012

Peanuts comic book update: Peanuts Vol. 2 No. 1 and Peanuts Vol. 1 trade paperback now available

The Peanuts comic book from Boom Studios returns to comic book stores on Wednesday, August 15 with the first issue of another 4 issue run. Confusingly, the new issue is numbered as #1 again; but if you consult the small print inside, you'll see that it is "Volume 2, Number 1." It can also easily be identified by the cover featuring a beach scene with the Peanuts gang. The comic book features all-new content with three stories - "Sun Tan Hero," "Brush with Disaster," and "How to Draw Linus" - and a few classic Peanuts comic strips. For a preview of the issue, visit Comic Book Resources.

Like the previous batch of Peanuts comic books, these four issues will be available with variant covers featuring the first appearance of one of the Peanuts characters. Not all comic book stores will stock the variant covers, and they carry a premium price.

You can order both the regular and variant version of the comic directly from Boom Studio's website as well.

In addition to the new Vol. 2 #1 issue, the trade paperback collecting all four issues of the Peanuts comic books released earlier in 2012 is now available. Titled Peanuts Volume 1, it includes all the stories and classic Peanuts strips from Peanuts Vol. 1 #1-4 and the special preview issue Peanuts #0. For those who already have all those issues there isn't much new in the trade paperback - it features a new cover and reproductions of both the regular and variant covers of the Volume 1 issues (although they're only reproduced at quarter size). But if you didn't pick up the separate issues, the trade paperback is a nice package and somewhat cheaper option for getting these new Peanuts stories. The Peanuts Vol. 1 trade paperback shipped to comic book stores a few weeks ago, or can also be ordered from Amazon or other book retailers.

July 6, 2012

Happiness is... Peanuts: Go Snoopy Go DVD announced for October 9, 2012


The next DVD from Warner Home Video will be titled Happiness is... Peanuts: Go Snoopy Go. Due out October 9, 2012, the DVD will (like its predecessors) feature two half-hour shows: the 1992 show It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown and "It's that Team Spirit, Charlie Brown," episode #12 of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show from 1983.

It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown has a story similar to the classic 1966 special Charlie Brown's All-Stars: a local business will sponsor Charlie Brown's team and give them uniforms if the team can win the first game of the season. But will an early round of spring training in the snow and new team member, the tiny Leland, be enough help for them to get the win? It's Spring Training was previously released on DVD by Paramount, but that DVD has been out of print for years.

This will be the first U.S. DVD release of "It's That Team Spirit, Charlie Brown." The episode consists of five skits: "Vulture," "Blanket," "Peppermint Patty," "Rerun," and "Rainy Day."

There are no special features on the DVD. Happiness is... Peanuts: Go Snoopy Go will have a suggested retail price of $14.97.

July 5, 2012

Two Peanuts-related articles: Baseball in the Peanuts comic strip & Jean Schulz interview

The Herald, a newspaper serving the community Rock Hill, South Carolina, recently published two nice articles of interest to Peanuts fans.  The first, On the mound, Charlie Brown was America's beloved loser, discusses the role of baseball in the comic strip.  (The article does include a quote from Derrick Bang, co-author of fivecentsplease.org, but we would have linked to it regardless - honest!)

The second article is an interview, Jean Schulz discusses why her husband's comic strip has staying power.  We thought fans might want to take a few minutes to read both!

June 20, 2012

A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home on ABC Family, Sunday, June 24

The cable channel ABC Family will be showing the movies A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home at 7:30 AM and 9:30 AM (Eastern/Pacific) respectively on Sunday, June 24, 2012.

May 23, 2012

"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.

May 21, 2012

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)."

May 14, 2012

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.

May 12, 2012

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!

May 2, 2012

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.

April 18, 2012

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).

April 13, 2012

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.

April 2, 2012

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.

March 20, 2012

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.

March 9, 2012

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.

February 29, 2012

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. In early 2012, three new MetLife commercials starring Charlie Brown, Lucy, Schroeder, and of course Snoopy aired 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.  I've also added another one from early 2013.

First Step

Good Call

5 Cents

Going Up

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

February 13, 2012

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.

February 10, 2012

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.

February 8, 2012

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.

Peanuts #2 comic book now available

The second issue of the Peanuts comic book is available in comic book stores starting today, Wednesday, February 8. You can check out a 5-page preview at Comic Book Resources.

As before, we recommend visiting your local comic book store to get this latest issue (you can find the one nearest to you with the Comic Shop Locator), but it can be ordered directly from Boom Studios, although with a hefty shipping charge.

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