Drawn from the archives of the Charles M. Schulz Museum, an in-depth look at Peanuts with a “wealth of original art” (The New York Times). Charles M. Schulz believed that the key to cartooning was to take out the extraneous details and leave in only what’s necessary. For fifty years, from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, Schulz wrote and illustrated Peanuts, the single most popular and influential comic strip in the world. In all, 17,897 strips were published, making it “arguably the longest story ever told by one human being,” according to Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture at Syracuse University. For Only What’s Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts, renowned designer Chip Kidd was granted unprecedented access to the extraordinary archives of the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa, California. Reproducing the best of the Peanuts newspaper strip, all shot from the original art by award-winning photographer Geoff Spear, Only What’s Necessary also features exclusive, rare, and unpublished original art and developmental work—much of which has never been seen before. “Glorious...equal parts museum and monument, a masterwork of curatorial rigor and an affectionate homage.”—Brain Pickings

A biography of the artist whose "Li'l Folks" turned into the most successful comic strip of all time, "Peanuts," including how his characters reflected events in his own life.

Charles M. Schulz, the most widely syndicated and beloved cartoonist of all time, is also one of the least understood figures in American culture. Now, acclaimed biographer David Michaelis gives us the first full-length biography of the brilliant, unseen man behind Peanuts: at once a creation story, a portrait of a native genius, and a chronicle contrasting the private man with the central role he played in shaping the national imagination. Schulz and Peanuts is the definitive epic biography of an American icon and the unforgettable characters he created.

Launching into the 1960s, Schulz adds another new cast member. Two, in fact: The obnoxious Frieda of "naturally curly hair" fame, and her inert, seemingly boneless cat Faron. The rapidly maturing Sally, who was after all just born in the previous volume, is ready to start kindergarten and not at all happy about it. Lucy and Linus' war over the security blanket escalates, with Lucy burying it, cutting it apart, and, in the longest sequence of the book, turning it into a kite and allowing it to fly away. Aauugh! In fact, Linus' life is particularly turbulent in this volume, as he is forced to wear glasses, sees the unexpected return of his favorite teacher, Miss Othmar, and coaxes Sally into the cult of the Great Pumpkin (with regrettable results).

What¡¯s to Love: No one can deny the cultural impact of Charles M. Schulz¡¯s Peanuts, and it has been a singular honor for us to be able to continue his legacy. In 2015, Peanuts celebrates its 65th anniversary, so we thought there was no better way to recognize Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the rest of the gang than to invite some of the world¡¯s best-known names in comics, children¡¯s books, comic strips, cartoons, and webcomics to come together and show their love for Schulz. What It Is: Peanuts: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz is a giant love letter from creators new and old from comic strips to webcomics, children¡¯s books to comic books. Unprecedented at this scale, it is very rare for the Schulz estate to allow other cartoonists to illustrate the Peanuts gang in their own signature styles. This collection of original stories, pin-ups, and strips pay tribute to Schulz and the world of Peanuts, and includes contributions from Raina Telgemeier (Smile), Jen Wang (In Real Life), Patrick McDonnell (Mutts), Stan Sakai (Usagi Yojimbo), Terry Moore (Rachel Rising), Mike Allred (Silver Surfer), Paul Pope (Battling Boy), and many more. Features an introduction by Lincoln Peirce (Big Nate).

Learn more about the cartoonist who created Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the lovable Peanuts gang in this new addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling series! Charles (otherwise known as Sparky) Schulz always loved drawing from the time he was a young child, and as he grew older, he turned this passion into a phenomenally successful career. His early doodles of his mischievous dog and of a shy boy inspired two of his most familiar and beloved characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Here's the story about Peanuts gang and Charles's life that's sure to excite all readers but especially those who love the classic cartoon series.