Funny Things: A Comic Strip Biography of Charles M. Schulz
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Discover the man behind Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Peanuts gang in this imaginative and tender-hearted tribute told in comic-strip format! Charles M. Schulz was arguably the most influential and popular cartoonist of the 20th century, and he poured many of his own emotions and experiences into the world of Peanuts over its iconic 50-year run. Now, Luca Debus and Francesco Matteuzzi pay tribute to the master by telling the story of Schulz’s life in the medium that made him immortal: the comic strip. Every strip provides a laugh as well as a piece of insight into his remarkable life story. Starting with the last days of his monumental career, Funny Things jumps back and forth in time to narrate both Schulz’s artistic achievements and the personal episodes that formed him as an author and human being, ultimately shaping him into the most beloved cartoonist on the planet. Filled with affection, charm, and poignant insight, Funny Things imagines Schulz through the lens of the very world he created, inviting us all to meet the man behind the blanket.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Italian artists Debus (The Importance of Being Earnest) and Matteuzzi (Banksy) imitate the style of Charles M. Schulz (1922–2000) in this clever reconsideration of the cartoonist and his particular genius. Structured like the newspaper funnies that inspired Schulz as a child—six black-and-white strips punctuated by full-page color spreads—the narrative achieves the comical downbeat rhythm that made Peanuts a surprise hit. Narrating from his usual table at the California skating rink he built after achieving fame and fortune, Schulz relates a shy, neurotic boyhood in St. Paul, Minn. Unsure what to do after serving in WWII, Schulz plugged away as a working artist until finally getting a syndicated strip in his late 20s. Considered meek and immature, he surprised his friends and family by marrying a brassy divorced woman with a daughter and then setting out for California. Debus and Matteuzzi avoid retreading familiar analysis of Peanuts (a name Schulz hated) and cover lesser-known aspects of Schulz's life, such as his Christian faith, though they drop in biographical details that inspired the strip (for instance, the family dog who served as a model for Snoopy). The creators hew largely to Schulz's self-deprecating spirit until the final frames, which deliver a surprisingly emotional conclusion to such a mild-mannered life. It's an affectionate yet bracing portrait of an artist who never overcame self-doubt, workaholism, and insecurities to appreciate his own greatness. Even readers only passingly familiar with Snoopy and the gang will be charmed.
