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!

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:

The original opening titles and Coca-Cola spot

The original ending titles and Coca-Cola spot

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.

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.

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!