Peanuts #14 on sale Wednesday, December 18

Boom! Studios' Peanuts #14 comic book went on sale on Wednesday, December 18, 2013.  In this issue are the seasonally themed new stories "December 16" and "Naughty or Nice," together with "How to Be a World Famous Author" and "Give It a Shot."  See a five-page preview at comicattack.net .

The Peanuts comic book can be purchased at your local comic book store, or ordered directly from Boom! Studio's website.

Reminder: Three Peanuts specials on TV this week

Just in case you haven't marked your calendar yet, three Peanuts specials air on three consecutive days at the end of this week:

A Charlie Brown Christmas + A Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales airs again Thursday, December 19 on ABC from 8 - 9 PM

Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown airs Friday, December 20 on FOX from 9 - 10 PM

I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown airs Saturday, December 21 on ABC from 8 - 9 PM

If you missed either of them, you can watch A Charlie Brown Christmas or I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown at hulu.com .

Enjoy and happy holidays!

Peanuts news tidbits: ABC extends contract for specials; Harris holiday poll; Jeannie Schulz chat at Reddit

Late last week, the ABC network announced they've extended their contract to show the Peanuts holiday shows - It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; and A Charlie Brown Christmas - through 2020. The specials moved to ABC in 2001, and have consistently garnered good ratings; last week, the 48-year old A Charlie Brown Christmas attracted a larger audience than FOX's brand-new show Almost Human. You can read the full press release here.

So it's not surprising to hear that in a new Harris Interactive poll about the holidays, Americans chose A Charlie Brown Christmas as their favorite animated holiday special. You can read the full press release and poll details at Harris Interactive's website.

Finally, on Wednesday, December 11, Jean Schulz participated in an online chat at the popular site Reddit. The chat is quite lengthy; Mrs. Schulz's name is highlighted above her responses.

Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown returns to FOX on Friday, December 20

While it's not a Christmas-themed special, FOX treats it like one: for the third year in a row, the 2011 TV special Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown will air at holiday time.  Look for it on Friday, December 20, 2013 on the FOX Network from 9-10 PM (Eastern/Pacific).

A classic Peanuts Christmas countdown on FiveCentsPlease.org for 2013

Christmas is coming, and so is FiveCentsPlease.org's tradition of counting down to the Big Day with the Peanuts gang. Starting Friday, November 29 and continuing every day through December 25, our home page will feature a different, seasonally themed single panel.

Alas, it appears that new panels from the syndicate are a thing of the past. As we did last year, we've dug into the archives and will present the countdown panels from 2002: another year when Thanksgiving occurred on November 28.

(Note that while GoComics is also running Peanuts countdown panels, they aren't new either. In fact, they're exactly the same panels they ran last year. And the year before that. We thought you might enjoy a little variety and something less recently seen!)

Please join us on our home page each day. We hope the Christmas countdown panels prompt a little smile every 24 hours, as they do for us.

New Dark Hall Mansion A Charlie Brown Christmas 2013 limited edition print

December 3rd will bring us the last - but certainly not least - of Dark Hall Mansion's 2013 limited edition print trilogy depicting the classic Peanuts holiday television specials.

The new artwork by Dave Perillo expertly captures the many memorable moments of A Charlie Brown Christmas as a series of descending panels. While the design and layout compliment Mr. Perillo's previous two prints, he's departed from the scheme just a bit by giving the famous dance scene two panels stretching across the print, allowing plenty of room for great depictions of each character and their distinctive dance moves.  Needless to say, the print ends with very nice renditions of the most famous Peanuts Christmas scenes of all.

Standard versions of the matching prints of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving are still available from Dark Hall Mansion's store, but quantities are increasingly limited.

Standard edition on left, Variant edition on right
(click to enlarge)

As before, there will be two versions of the Christmas print: a standard version and a variant version sporting more intense colors.

Both editions are 12" x 36", individually screen printed, 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 12″ x 36″ panels of wood.

The prices will be as follows:

Standard: $65

Variant: $100
Wood Editions: $250

All editions go on sale Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at a random time between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM Pacific time at Dark Hall Mansion's webstore.

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

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving's anniversary celebrated in the news

The classic Peanuts special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving first aired on November, 20, 1973, making 2013 the show's 40th anniversary. The media has taken note, with several articles published in the past couple of days:

• The Los Angeles Times tells us about The recipe for 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving'
• Lee Mendelson himself wrote A 40-Year Thanksgiving Feast, Peanuts-style for the Huffington Post
• And finally, the Chicago Tribune's RedEye has Talking turkey and "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" with Lee Mendelson

(Note that while Mr. Mendelson says Charles Schulz drew "over 18,000" Peanuts comic strips, the actual count is 17,897.)

Don't forget that the special itself airs Thursday, November 28 from 8 - 9 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC.

Peanuts #13 out Wednesday, November 27

The Peanuts comic book from Boom! Studios returns to shelves this Wednesday, November 27, with issue #13.  Two of this month's new stories are "Football Basics," "Public Speaking" and "Miss Crabby Pageant." You can read a 5-page preview at Comic Book Resources.

Look for Peanuts #13 at your local comic book store, or you can order it directly from Boom! Studio's website.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving interactive storybook app from Loud Crow Interactive

In time for Thanksgiving 2013, Loud Crow Interactive has released another interactive storybook app based on a classic Peanuts television special. Not surprisingly, that new title is A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, which retells the story of and recreates scenes from the 1973 show on tablets and smartphones.

The read-along app features narration by Stephen Shea (who performed the voice of Linus in animated specials from 1971-1975, including A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving) together with dialog and music from the show. In each scene, the characters are animated and readers can poke, prod, and pull objects to make different things happen.

The Charlie Brown Thanksgiving app currently sells for $5.99 and is available for iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches from the Apple App Store, for Android devices from the Google Play store, and for Kindle Fires from the Amazon Appstore.  For more information, visit one of the store links, or Loud Crow's website.

This is Loud Crow Interactive's fourth app based on the Peanuts TV shows; the previous interactive storybooks are A Charlie Brown Christmas; It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; and Charlie Brown's All-Stars. The Thanksgiving app seems to be aimed at younger readers than the earlier ones; previously, you had to experiment to find the hidden actions in a scene, but for the most part, the new app shows you exactly where to tap and drag. (There are still a few hidden bits, but not many.) This may be good for younger kids, but in my opinion, it makes the app less entertaining for older readers.

The good news is the Thanksgiving app is free of in-app purchases, which blighted Loud Crow Interactive's original release of the It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown app. To their credit, Loud Crow has since released an update to the Great Pumpkin app including all the former in-app purchases for free instead.

Catch a Charlie Brown Christmas concert

Several years ago, concerts featuring Vince Guaraldi's music from A Charlie Brown Christmas started springing up around the country, and it seems they've proved popular, as the number of concerts has continued to grow each subsequent year.

Over at his Impressions of Vince blog, my colleague Derrick Bang has posted his comprehensive list of 2013 concerts. Check it out and see if there's a concert in your vicinity.

Personally, I went to one of the Heather Pierson Quartet's A Charlie Brown Christmas concerts last year and really enjoyed it. I recommend them, if you live near one of the locations of their eight shows in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. But I'm sure the other groups put on good shows, too!

Peanuts Movie Marathon on ABC Family, Wednesday, November 27, 2013

ABC Family has traditionally shown the first two Peanuts films during the week of Thanksgiving. This year, the cable channel's bringing something new to the tradition - they'll be broadcasting all four Peanuts theatrical films in a seven-hour long movie marathon starting at 4 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on Wednesday, November 27, 2013. The broadcast times are (all Eastern/Pacific):

Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown 4:00 - 5:30 PM
Snoopy Come Home 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown 7:30 - 9:00 PM
A Boy Named Charlie Brown 9:00 - 11:00 PM

I believe this is the first time all four movies have been shown back-to-back on television in at least twenty years, and possibly longer.  (It's slightly puzzling why they aren't showing them in chronological order, but nifty nevertheless.)

Dark Hall Mansion's new A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving limited edition prints for 2013

Thanksgiving is approaching and Peanuts fans can celebrate with another helping of lovely limited edition prints from Dark Hall Mansion.

The 2013 print commemorating A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving tells the story of the well-loved 1973 television special in an eye-catching vertical layout of 12 panels. Think of your favorite moment from the show, and it's here in the print!

This is the second in a series of matching prints by Dave Perillo - standard versions of last month's It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown are still available from Dark Hall Mansion, and next month will see the release of a new Charlie Brown Christmas print.

As with previous Dark Hall Mansion releases, there will be two versions of the Thanksgiving print: a standard version and a variant version with more vivid colors.

Standard edition on left, Variant edition on right
(click to enlarge)

Both editions are 12" x 36", individually screen printed, 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 12″ x 36″ panels of wood.

The prices will be as follows:

Standard: $65

Variant: $100
Wood Editions: $250

All editions go on sale Friday, November 15, 2013 at a random time between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM Pacific time at Dark Hall Mansion's webstore.

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

New Snoopy and Woodstock balloon to debut in 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Snoopy balloon will have a new look as it floats down the streets of Manhattan in the 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year, Snoopy will be soaring together with Woodstock when the famous canine from the Peanuts comic strip makes his 37th parade appearance.

Model of the new Snoopy and Woodstock balloon

The new balloon is the seventh different depiction of Snoopy to take part in the parade; previous balloons have shown Snoopy as an astronaut; an ice skater (with and without Woodstock); "Millennium Snoopy;" and of course the World War I Flying Ace.

In fact, Snoopy now holds two Macy's Parade records: most appearances by the same character (starting with his debut in 1968), and now most balloon versions as well.

The 87th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade airs on Thursday, November 28, 2013 from 9 AM - Noon on NBC. (All time zones; the Macy's Parade broadcast starts at 9 AM, regardless of which time zone you're in.) So tune in and check out the latest in beagle balloon fashion!

UPDATE Nov 13: The news site NorthJersey.com has posted a series of photos showing the new balloon's test flight, giving a better idea of what it looks like.

Enjoy every Peanuts Sunday strip from 1952-1955 in full color in Fantagraphics' new collection

Shipping this week is Peanuts Every Sunday 1952-1955, the first volume in Fantagraphics' new line of Peanuts reprint books. This 224-page volume collects every Peanuts Sunday strip from those four years in full color - unlike in The Complete Peanuts, where they appeared only as black and white. Not only that, but the strips are reprinted at twice the size (13.25" x 9.25") as in The Complete Peanuts, making for a hefty, coffee table-sized book - so now fans can experience the strips much closer to the way they originally appeared.

The reprints in Peanuts Every Sunday 1952-1955 aren't simply scans of old newspaper strips; Fantagraphics has used the original high-resolution black and white line art, and then recolored it using the original strips as a guide. This results in a much higher quality reproduction of the strips - because it eliminates problems such as color registration and the color half-toning used for newspaper printing in the 1950's - while still remaining faithful to their original appearance.

If you're wondering why this series doesn't start in 1950 (like The Complete Peanuts), that's because the Sunday Peanuts comic strip didn't debut until January 6, 1952; prior to that, Peanuts was a daily-only strip.

Fantagraphics says there will be 10 volumes in the Peanuts Every Sunday series, released once a year. Every two years, there will be a box set containing two volumes of Peanuts Every Sunday in a slipcase (similar to how every two volumes of The Complete Peanuts are also collected together in a box set); so if having a slipcased set is important to you, you'll have to wait until next year.

But otherwise, Peanuts Every Sunday 1952-1955 can be ordered either directly from Fantagraphics or also from Amazon and other online bookstores. Your local bookstore or comic book store can also order a copy for you if they aren't stocking it already! List price is $49.99.

Definitely visit Fantagraphics' website and blog for more details, an 18-page PDF excerpt, and photos of the book to get a better sense of how it all looks:

Main webpage for Peanuts Every Sunday 1952-1955

Blog Post 1

Blog Post 2

(The title Peanuts Every Sunday may sound familiar to folks who've been collecting Peanuts books for a very long time; yes, there was a 1961 collection of Peanuts Sunday strips with the same title, although it did not, in fact, include every Peanuts Sunday comic. Given the appropriateness of the title for Fantagraphics' new series, we can't really blame them for reusing it!)

A Charlie Brown Christmas and other holiday specials 2013 broadcast dates

ABC has announced their December holiday special schedule for 2013, and it includes four Peanuts outings. All times are Eastern/Pacific.

A Charlie Brown Christmas will be shown twice, Monday, December 2 and Thursday, December 19, 2013 from 8-9 PM both nights. It will air unedited, and be accompanied by Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales.  (Note there's been a change from the originally announced dates; initially the second showing was announced for December 5, but showing it a couple weeks later makes a lot more sense!)

If you missed either of them, you can watch A Charlie Brown Christmas or I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown at hulu.com .

I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown will air Saturday, December 21, 2013 from 8-9 PM.

Finally, Happy New Year, Charlie Brown, together with She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown, will be broadcast on Monday, December 30, 2013 from 8-9 PM.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving to air Thursday, November 28, 2013 on ABC

Be sure to finish your turkey dinners early, because ABC is showing A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving evening, Thursday November 28, 2013, from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific).

The special will air uncut together with a slightly shortened version of This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; the special first aired on November 20, 1973.

If you missed the show, you can watch it online at hulu.com for the first couple of weeks of December.

Another year, another A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack release

Fans of Vince Guaraldi and the music of the Peanuts television specials might have thought that after releasing a newly remastered version of the A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack in 2012 (which was preceded by a different remaster in 2006, which was preceded by the original CD release in 1988), that Fantasy Records might take a year or two before releasing another edition of the classic holiday soundtrack. They'd have been wrong.

On October 22, 2013, Fantasy released what they are calling A Charlie Brown Christmas (Snoopy Doghouse Edition). The CD contents are exactly the same as the 2012 remaster - the same tracks, the same remastering, the same booklet with liner notes by Vince Guaraldi expert (and my FiveCentsPlease.org colleague) Derrick Bang - but this version comes with special packaging that converts into a doghouse and includes little standup cutouts of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, and Lucy (see the picture below).

On YouTube, Concord Records (owner of the Fantasy label) has posted an "unpacking" video that gives a better idea of how the packaging works.

If you already have the 2012 release, there's no need to get this one unless you're a completist. But it might make a nifty gift if you're planning on giving the CD to someone else... which is probably what Fantasy is hoping you'll think! The "plain" 2012 CD release remains available as well, and is slightly cheaper, so you can save a few bucks if you don't want the special doghouse packaging. For more commentary on this new CD release, see Derrick's post at the Impressions of Vince blog.

Meanwhile, the soundtrack isn't the only A Charlie Brown Christmas item to get a re-release this year. Lee Mendelson's book detailing the creation of the 1965 TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition, has been reissued with a new cover. The contents are otherwise apparently the same as the previous hardback and paperback editions.

Warner adds "Peanuts Holiday Classics" in high-definition to iTunes offerings

Warner Brothers Home Entertainment announced that they are now offering a package of six Peanuts television specials in HD (high definition) video on iTunes. Titled "Peanuts Holiday Classic," the six shows are: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965); It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966); A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973); It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown (1974); Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1986); and This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers (1988).

The six shows can only be purchased together $29.99; or $24.99 for the six in standard definition (SD) video. They can be found using this link.

The high definition versions cannot be purchased individually, they are only available when you buy the "Peanuts Holiday Classics" bundle; however, most of the shows are available separately in standard definition. For a complete list of Peanuts releases on iTunes, see the iTunes releases section of the Peanuts Animation & Video Page.

A Charlie Brown Christmas; It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; and This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers have been previously released in high-definition on Blu-ray discs (and those discs remain available), and air in high-definition on television. It’s a Mystery, Charlie Brown and Happy New Year, Charlie Brown are not available on Blu-ray, so this is the first high-definition release of them. (Conversely, the Blu-ray discs include two shows that are not available in HD on iTunes.)

New blog from the Peanuts Studio

Peanuts fans looking for a glimpse into the world of Peanuts licensing and art should check out the Peanuts Studio blog, brought to you by the folks responsible for overseeing the art and content of licensed Peanuts products worldwide. They're also the driving force behind, and frequent contributors to, the successful Peanuts comic book from Boom! Studios, among other things. They're hoping the Peanuts Studio blog "will give an insider’s view of the ongoing work in Charles Schulz’s Peanuts Studio."

Currently at the month-old site, you can see a video of Peanuts Studio cartoonist Paige Braddock drawing Charlie Brown with one of Charles Schulz’s pen nibs (as the video explains, they still have a supply of them); an amusing photo of illustrator Vicki Scott's office, and examples of Peanuts artwork and current products. No doubt there will be more nifty stuff to see in the months to come!

Visit the Peanuts Studio blog

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown to air Thursday, October 31, 2013 on ABC

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will make its annual visit to television screens on Halloween night, Thursday, October 31, 2013 from 8-9 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on ABC.

Happily, unlike last year, ABC is giving the classic Peanuts special an hour-long time slot, so it will air unedited together with a shortened version of You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown.

If you missed the show, you can watch it online at hulu.com during the first couple of weeks of November.

Put a beagle on your car!

California Peanuts fans have waited a long time for this moment, and it finally has arrived; they'll soon be able to travel in the company of the World-Famous Driving Ace.

The World-Famous Beagle sits at the California State Capitol, holding a prototype of
his very own specialized license plate; the text along the bottom reads "Museums are
for everyone." (Photo by Steven Hoffman/California Association of Museums)

On October 5, Golden State Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation — carried by Assemblywoman Toni Atkins, D-San Diego — to launch a specialized license plate that features Charlie Brown's favorite companion, Snoopy.

You can read additional details here. Information on ordering the plate can be found at snoopyplate.com, linked below.

Alas, this wonderful news applies only to California; Peanuts fans in the other 49 states will need to mobilize their efforts!

The campaign to add Snoopy to California's roster of special-interest license plates officially kicked off in the spring of 2010, with the debut of the web site snoopyplate.com ... but those of us living close to Santa Rosa's Charles M. Schulz Museum know that plans were afoot quite a bit earlier. We sat (im)patiently as California drivers expressed interest by signing up for the program, and then watched as that number slowly approached the 7,500 threshold demanded by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

At that point, the politicians got involved. The California State Assembly passed a bill to established the Snoopy license plate — AB 482 — this past spring, on May 30. The bill then went to the State Senate, which passed it on September 11, sending it to Gov. Brown's desk.

Dog-lovers up and down the state felt pretty secure at that point, knowing full well that Jerry Brown often can be seen at the Capitol with his beloved corgi, Sutter.

Now that the plate has become an official option, California's Peanuts fans will be scrambling to dream up a 6-character phrase that characterizes their devotion to Charles M. Schulz and his classic newspaper strip. (And yes, folks: six characters. Although other California plates have room for up to seven characters, with a space, the placement of Snoopy limits your options a bit.)

The Snoopy license plate will generate funding to help support California's many diverse museums. The California Cultural and Historical Endowment, a state entity, will administer the California Museum Grant Program with these funds.

Recent Peanuts DVD releases and announcements: "new" DVDs with nothing new on them

During the past couple of weeks, Warner Home Video has released two "new" Peanuts DVDs, and announced a third for January 2014. Unfortunately, there's nothing actually new about the DVDs other than their titles; all the shows on all the discs have already been released on other, still available Warner DVDs.

First up, on October 1, Warner Home Video released a 3-disc DVD collection titled Snoopy's Holiday Collection, which is a repackaging of previously released DVDs. The DVDs included are:

I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition DVD
Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales DVD
Happiness Is Peanuts: Snow Days DVD

If you have all those previous DVD releases, you don't need this repackaging.

Each of those DVDs included two shows each; so the complete list of shows on Snoopy's Holiday Collection are:

I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown
Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales
Is This Goodbye, Charlie Brown?
She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown
The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show Episode 18: Sally's Sweet Babboo

It also includes the bonus feature "Sibling Rivalry: Growing Up Van Pelt" that originally appeared on the I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition DVD.

The best thing that can be said about this repackaging is that at a list price of $19.98, it's cheaper than buying the three DVDs separately.

---

Also on October 1, 2013, Warner Home Video released a DVD titled A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition DVD. Don't be fooled: this is just a renaming of the previously released A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Deluxe Edition DVD. There's absolutely nothing new other than the title.

---

Finally, Warner has announced a "new" Peanuts DVD release titled Touchdown, Charlie Brown!, due out January 21, 2014.

The shows on the Touchdown, Charlie Brown! DVD are:

It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown
The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, Episode 1: Snoopy's Cat Fight
The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, Episode 4: Lucy vs. The World
The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, Episode 11: Chaos in the Classroom

(The DVD itself lists incorrect episode numbers for The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show episodes; the above list is correct.)

It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown was previously released on the Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown Deluxe Edition DVD; the three episodes of The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show were previously released on The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show: The Complete Series DVD set.

And while Warner has labelled Touchdown, Charlie Brown! a "Peanuts Deluxe Edition DVD," unlike all previous Peanuts Deluxe Edition DVDs, there apparently aren't any special or bonus features on this disc. Together with the fact that there aren't even any new-to-DVD shows on the DVD, calling it a deluxe edition is a serious case of title inflation.

The Touchdown, Charlie Brown! DVD will have a list price of $19.98. But really, if you're interested in any of the shows on this DVD collection, I recommend that you avoid this disc and get one of the other, earlier, more complete DVD releases containing the shows instead.

It continues to be disappointing that instead of releasing the several Peanuts specials that have never been released on DVD in the US, Warner Home Video is recycling previously released shows under new titles that seem designed to confuse the customer.

The Complete Peanuts 1989-1990 (Volume 20) now shipping

The Complete Peanuts 1989-1990, volume 20 of Fantagraphics' ongoing reprint series of every Peanuts comic strip, is now available. It arrived in comic books stores this week, is shipping if you order directly from Fantagraphics, and Amazon orders should start going out very soon.

The book includes all the daily and Sunday Peanuts strips from 1989 and 1990, with an introduction by Lemony Snicket. Here's Fantagraphics' PR blurb for the book:

This 20th volume is particularly dense with romantic intrigue, as Marcie and Charlie Brown end up at camp together, sending Peppermint Patty into mad jealousy (especially since Marcie can't resist teasing her)... and an old friend of Charlie Brown's attempts to look him up again but confuses him with Snoopy and goes on a date with him instead. 

But the most crucial event in romance is Charlie Brown's romance with Peggy Jean — even though he's so flustered in his first conversation with her that he ends up stuck with the name "Brownie Charles" for the duration of her relationship ("I kind of like it..."). 

This volume also introduces yet another Snoopy sibling, Olaf, who is humiliatingly invited to enter an ugly-dog contest (and, even more humiliatingly, wins). Plus lots of Zen-like Spike-and-cactus strips, Sally Brown non sequiturs, D-minuses for Peppermint Patty, and wise thoughts from Franklin's grandpa... Snoopy treks through the wilderness as the Beagle Scoutmaster and through the desert as the World Famous Sergeant of the Foreign Legion, Woodstock takes a whack at being the King of the Jungle, Lucy enjoys Michael Jackson on her boom box, Marcie's perfectionism leads to a crack-up, Pigpen runs for class president, Snoopy gets called to jury duty... and for a change, Lucy pulls the football out from under Charlie Brown.

You can see a 15-page PDF preview and more images of the book at Fantagraphics' website.

The latest two-volume box set, The Complete Peanuts 1987-1990 Gift Box Set, containing The Complete Peanuts 1987-1988 (released spring 2013) and the just-released The Complete Peanuts 1989-1990 together in a thick cardboard slipcase, is also out and likewise can be ordered directly from Fantagraphics or Amazon.  You can see an extensive preview of the box set at the Fantagraphics link.

New It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown limited edition prints for 2013 from Dark Hall Mansion

All Peanuts fans know the arrival of fall means it's time for the Great Pumpkin... and the Great Pumpkin will surely bring something good to our friends at Dark Hall Mansion, who have crafted another splendid limited edition print.

This is the third year in a row Dark Hall Mansion has released an art print celebrating It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and each year they've brought us something different.  The 2013 print by artist Dave Perillo is taller and thinner than previous prints, and is made up of 12 panels illustrating well-remembered scenes from the classic Peanuts Halloween television special as your eye travels from top to bottom.

As usual, there will be two versions of the print - a standard version and a variant version with brighter, more saturated colors.

Standard edition on left, Variant edition on right
(click to enlarge)

(In the following months, there will be new "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" prints in also by Dave Perillo, in the same size and style, if you want to plan on getting a matching set.)

Both editions are 12" x 36", individually screen printed, 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 12″ x 36″ panels of wood.

The prices will be as follows:

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

The prints go on sale Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at a random time between 9:30 AM and 11:30 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.

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

Peanuts #12 available Wednesday, September 25

Peanuts #12, the latest issue of Boom! Studios' comic book, arrives in comic book stores on Wednesday, September 25, 2013.  The new stories this month are titled "Movie Time," "Tutor Trouble," and "When You Wish Upon a Pumpkin," and as always, they're accompanied by a handful of classic Sunday Peanuts comic strips.

You can see a 5-page preview at Comic Vine, and the issue can also be ordered directly from Boom! Studio's website.

The Peanuts comic book will be on hiatus in October - no doubt it'll be busy getting its pumpkin patch in order - but will be back with a new installment in November.

(And yes, there was a Peanuts #11 released last month, in August - sorry for not getting a blog entry up about that.  You can still order it from Boom! Studio's website, too.)

Peanuts #10 in stores Wednesday, July 24

The comic book Peanuts #10 goes on sale Wednesday, July 24, 2013.  There's no advance word on the story titles in this issue, but you can find it at your local comic book shop or order it directly from Boom! Studio's website.

(Note that while many sites show Snoopy in an spacesuit on the cover, that appears to have been preliminary art that was changed.  Tip of the hat to Previewsworld for the updated cover.  Since Boom! Studios is publishing The Beagle Has Landed, a new Peanuts graphic novel with an space theme in October, no doubt they decided to save Snoopy as an astronaut for that book's cover.)

Fantagraphics sale on The Complete Peanuts through Saturday, June 29

Fantagraphics, the publisher of The Complete Peanuts books, is running a very short sale on all volumes of The Complete Peanuts.  Through Saturday, June 29, 2013, you can take advantage of the following offers:

• $5 off single volumes;
• Five-volume "decade" sets for $99.99;
• Or the complete 25-book run of The Complete Peanuts, including future volumes as they're published, for $499.99 (with free shipping).

Visit Fantagraphics' website for more details and ordering.

If you don't already own all the volumes (and you should!), this is a good opportunity to build your collection... but remember that the offers are only good for the next couple of days.

Peanuts #9 on sale Wednesday, June 26

The Peanuts comic book from Boom! Studios returns after a two-month break. In issue #9 you'll find the new stories "Write & Wrong," "LOL Lucy," "Have Dish Will Travel," and "The Dogtor Is In," along with a few Classic Sunday Peanuts comic strips.

Look for Peanuts #9 at your local comic book shop, or order it directly from Boom! Studio's website.

Tom Everhart featured on the Today Show

Tom Everhart, the artist whose work features characters and elements from the Peanuts comic strips together with his own colorful squiggles and dot collages, was profiled by NBC's Today show on Monday, June 17, 2013.

You can watch the Today show segment online and hear how the artist met Schulz and came to include the Peanuts characters in his own artwork, and see some of Everhart's latest creations.

Peanuts in Vogue

You might not expect to find the Peanuts gang mentioned in the pages of Vogue - simple striped shirts, sandals, and dog collars perhaps not being the vanguard of fashion - but last week our favorite cartoon characters were featured in a splashy gallery on the Vogue UK website.

According to the short article, offbeat UK fashion label The Rodnik Band has teamed up with Peanuts to create a line of womenswear featuring our favorite characters on t-shirts, dresses, and accessories. The clothes go on sale in the UK in the fall. Visit the Vogue UK website to read the article, titled "Snoopy's Fashion Comeback," and be sure to view the gallery and see all the pictures.

UPDATE November 30, 2013: Elle UK reports that the clothes are now available for a limited time at Selfridges (both in store and online, apparently).

Peanuts #8 on sale Wednesday, April 24

The next issue of Boom! Studio's Peanuts comic book arrives on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. The stories in Peanuts #8 are "Ha Ha Herman," "Missing Peace," and "Lone Beagle," accompanied by a handful of classic Sunday Peanuts comic strips. See a preview at ComicVine.

As always, you can find the latest of issues of Peanuts at your local comic book store, or order it from Boom! Studios' website.

The Peanuts comic book will be taking a vacation next month, but will return in June.

New Peanuts feature film confirmed to be in 3D

According to a report from The Wrap last week, the Peanuts feature film scheduled to be released in fall 2015 will be in 3D.

This isn't much of a surprise - considering that nearly every film produced by animation studio Blue Sky Studios has been a 3D movie (and, in fact, nearly every animated film regardless of studio is 3D these days) - but it is the first confirmation that the new Peanuts film will be following that trend.

The Complete Peanuts 1987-1988 (Volume 19) out now

Volume 19 of Fantagraphics' ongoing reprint series, The Complete Peanuts 1987-1988, has been published and can be ordered from Fantagraphics, Amazon.com, or your local comic book store.

Containing all the daily and Sunday Peanuts comic strips from 1987 and 1988, Fantagraphics describes the highlights of the volume as:

An ill-considered attempt at flirting sends Charlie Brown to the school doctor... Linus's ongoing romance with the too-young "Lydia" of the many names continues... Snoopy is joined in the trenches by his brother Spike... Sally engages in a career as a playwright by penning the school Christmas play but mixes up Gabriel and Geronimo... A hockey mishap sends Snoopy to the doctor for knee surgery... Linus and Lucy’s kid brother Rerun begins to take on the greater role that will lead to him being one of the dominant characters in the 1990s... and Snoopy, inevitably, writes a "kiss and tell" book.

Another notable event in this collection is in 1988, when Schulz changed the daily strips from the "always 4 square panels a day" approach that he had used for 37 years to a more flexible layout with a variable number of panels that weren't always the same width.

The Complete Peanuts 1987-1988 also features a "foreword by Doonesbury author Garry Trudeau," but this is not a newly written piece - it was first published as an appreciation of Charles Schulz in the Washington Post in 1999, and has been reprinted in a couple of other collections about Charles Schulz since then.  Fantagraphics doesn't note this anywhere in the volume - tsk, tsk.

You can see a 15-page PDF preview and more images of the book at Fantagraphics' website.

Reminder: It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown airs Sunday, March 31

Don't forget that It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown together with Charlie Brown's All-Stars will be broadcast from 7-8 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on Sunday, March 31, 2013 on ABC.

Peanuts Vol. 2 No. 7 out Wednesday, March 27

Volume 2, Number 7 of Boom! Studio's Peanuts comic book arrives Wednesday, March 27, 2013. In this issue you'll find the new stories "Bank Notes" and "Alley Oops," as well as a "Rainy Day Mini-Poster" and several classic Sunday Peanuts comic strips. There's a preview at Comic Book Resources as usual.

Look for this issue at your local comic book store (if you're having trouble finding it, consider setting up a subscription or standing order for the Peanuts comic), or order it from Boom! Studios' website.

Snoopy Coaster game released for iPad and iPhones

Snoopy Coaster, a new Peanuts-themed game for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, is now available at the Apple app store.

In the game, players guide the Peanuts gang on an endless roller coaster ride through various environments such as amusement parks, snowy mountains, and a forest of kite-eating trees as they try to jump and catch coins, pop balloons, and not fall off the tracks.  Snoopy Coaster was created by Developed by Chillingo, CGMagic, and Peanuts Worldwide.

You can see a trailer and more screenshots at the Chillingo website, or read the full press release.

While Snoopy Coaster is only 99 cents (in the United States), beware that it is rather aggressive about offering you "opportunities" and "encouragements" to spend more money for boosters and add-ons via in-app purchases - in some cases it's not clear that clicking on a button will lead to the program asking you to spend money (fortunately, the app store does ask you to confirm and you can cancel).  However, buying these add-ons doesn't appear necessary to play the game, at least not for the first few levels.  It's unfortunate that this otherwise cute game is so pushy.

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown and Charlie Brown's All-Stars to Air Sunday, March 31, 2013 on ABC

ABC will broadcast It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown together with Charlie Brown's All-Stars on Sunday, March 31, 2013 from 7 - 8 PM (Eastern/Pacific time). Yes, that means you can watch It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown on Easter itself! This is a welcome return for It's the Easter Beagle, which last aired on TV in 2010.

Note that 7-8 PM is the correct broadcast time - while the original ABC press release and some other sources list the broadcast time as 8-9 PM, that is incorrect.

In 1974's It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown, Linus tries to convince the gang that there's no need to decorate their own eggs, because the Easter Beagle will bring them - but given Linus' history with the Great Pumpkin, his friends are skeptical. Meanwhile, Peppermint Patty and Marcie (ignoring Linus' advice) go through a series of mishaps preparing eggs for coloring.

Charlie Brown's All-Stars was the second-ever Peanuts television special, airing in 1966 just six months after the successful broadcast of A Charlie Brown Christmas. In this special, Charlie Brown tries to keep his baseball team together with the lure of getting actual uniforms and playing in a real league, but he faces a tough decision when he learns that the sponsor will only provide them if he takes the girls and Snoopy off the team.

Limited edition It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown prints coming March 15 from Dark Hall Mansion

Celebrate the classic springtime Peanuts special It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown with Dark Hall Mansion's latest limited-edition prints, arriving Friday March 15.

Created by artist Tom Whalen - who's done several previous Peanuts prints, so these new ones will go well with your collection! - the Easter Beagle artwork put Snoopy front and center, illustrating the joyful scenes where Snoopy peers into a decorated egg and imagines himself dancing with bunnies, and of course the denouement where the Easter Beagle bring eggs to the neighborhood kids. There are the usual nice little touches when you examine the details, and two different color schemes to choose from - bright springtime colors in the standard edition, and pastel hues in the variant edition.

Standard edition

Variant edition

The officially licensed, numbered editions measure 18" x 24" and are screen printed.

The standard edition will be limited to 300 prints, and the variant edition will be limited to 50 prints, and there will be a special canvas edition of 10 each of both the standard and alternate artwork.

The prices will be as follows:

Standard: $65
Variant: $100
Canvas: $250

The It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown prints go on sale Friday, March 15, 2013 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 if you're interested, don't wait too long to place an order once they go on sale.

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

Peanuts Volume 2 trade paperback from Boom! Studios now available

Peanuts Volume 2, the trade paperback collecting issues Vol. 2 #1 through Vol. 2 #4 of the Peanuts comic book, was released on March 6, 2013 and is now available.  You can get it at your local comic book shop, directly from Boom! Studios, or Amazon.com.  The list price is $13.99.

This paperback contains all the stories and classic Sunday Peanuts comic strips that appeared in those four issues, and as a bonus features a new cover unique to this collection (shown here) together with reproductions of both the regular covers of the issues and the "first appearance" variant covers.

Peanuts Vol. 2 No. 6 out Wednesday, February 27

Volume 2, Number 6 of Boom! Studio's Peanuts comic book arrives Wednesday, February 27, 2013.  The stories in this issue are "Dress for Success," "Mona Lucy," and "Restaurant Wars."  As always, a preview is at Comic Book Resources .

You can buy this issue at your local comic book store (consider setting up a subscription or standing order for the Peanuts comic if you're having trouble finding it), or order it from Boom! Studios' website.

Reminder: Peanuts Valentine's Day specials air Saturday February 9

Just a reminder that Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Valentine will air back-to-back on ABC from 8 - 9 PM (Eastern/Pacific) on Saturday, February 9.

Update: if you missed the shows on TV, you can watch them on-line at on hulu.com or ABC.com .

Belated news - Peanuts Vol. 2 No. 5 comic book

After a two month break, Boom! Studio's line of Peanuts comic books resumed publication a couple of weeks ago. Peanuts Volume 2 Number 5 was published on January 23, 2013. It features the new stories "Adventures of the Flying Ace: Behind Enemy Lines," "Crabby New Year," and "Dirty for a Day," together with several classic Peanuts Sunday strips. Comic Book Resources has the usual six-page preview of the book.

I apologize for being late with this news; my usual sources failed to alert me to the comic's release. Unfortunately, based on my personal experience, it may be difficult to find Peanuts #5 at your local comic book store as it's been two weeks since the book was published.  The issue can still be ordered directly from Boom! Studios, though. Looking ahead, if your comic book shop offers a subscription service (and most do), it may be wise to sign up for it, in order to reserve future issues of the Peanuts comic book.

Unlike the first time the Peanuts comic book took a break, this time Boom didn't restart with issue #1 again - thankfully, as it was already confusing enough to have two different issues labelled #1, #2, etc. So be on the lookout for issue #6 in two to three weeks... I'll try to announce it in a more timely fashion!

Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown + A Charlie Brown Valentine to air February 9 on ABC

ABC will broadcast two Valentine's Day-themed specials on Saturday, February 9, 2013.  Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Valentine will air back-to-back from 8 - 9 PM (Eastern/Pacific time).

In 1975's Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, Charlie Brown hopes for Valentine's cards at the school Valentine's Day party while Linus worries about how to show his affection for his teacher, Miss Othmar.

Then in A Charlie Brown Valentine (2002), Charlie Brown tries to impress the little red-haired girl, but instead Peppermint Patty asks him to a Valentine's Day dance.

Update: if you missed the shows on TV, you can watch them on-line at on hulu.com or ABC.com .

Limited edition Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown prints coming January 22 from Dark Hall Mansion

Dark Hall Mansion's first Peanuts prints of 2013 will be two nifty limited edition prints inspired by the 1975 television special Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown.

Fans of the comic strip know that Charlie Brown doesn't have much luck on Valentine's Day, and Jayson Weidel's movie poster-style prints deftly illustrate poor Charlie's trials and tribulations with some key scenes from the show - be sure to click the images to see larger versions!

Standard edition

Alternate edition

This is the first time Dark Hall Mansion has done prints based directly on Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown.  Last year they did release Peanuts prints with a Valentine's Day theme, but they were not based on the television special like these new prints.

Both officially licensed, numbered editions measure 18" x 24" and are screen printed.

The standard edition is limited to 280 prints, and the alternate edition is limited to 50 prints, and there will be a select wood edition of 5 each of both the standard and alternate artwork on maple wood.

The prices will be as follows:

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

The Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown prints go on sale Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at 9:30 AM (Pacific time) at Dark Hall Mansion's webstore. Be sure to be there when the store opens for business - Dark Hall Mansion's limited edition Peanuts prints are fast sellers!

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

Peanuts television specials on Netflix Instant streaming

UPDATE: As of January 2014, these shows are no longer available for streaming on Netflix.

The online streaming and DVD rental service Netflix now has a small selection of Peanuts television specials available via the Instant streaming feature. They include:

A Charlie Brown Valentine

A Charlie Brown Celebration

Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales

Happy New Year, Charlie Brown

I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown

It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown

This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Note that the best known specials, such as A Charlie Brown Christmas or It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, are not available on Netflix Instant streaming.  However, they and many other Peanuts specials are (and have been) available from Netflix as DVDs.

This is the first time that A Charlie Brown Celebration and It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown have been made available in a digital format as far as I know; they haven't been released on DVD in the United States or on other online services.

Many Peanuts TV specials are also available as digital downloads from iTunes or Amazon Instant Video, although they are only available to buy, not as cheaper short-term rentals.

Thanks to Jeremi Smith for the tip!