THE ESSENTIAL PEANUTS: THE GREATEST COMIC STRIP OF ALL TIME

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the publishing of Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts comic strip, Abrams ComicArts is publishing a commemorative coffee table book honoring its legacy. Award-winning comics writer and historian Mark Evanier examines the cultural and historical context of Schulz's work through the viewing of reprints of some of the most iconic Peanuts strips to be published in newspapers. THE ESSENTIAL PEANUTS: THE GREATEST COMIC STRIP OF ALL TIME will also feature an introduction by MUTTS creator Patrick McDonnell, a foreword by Jean Schulz, design by Chip Kidd, and a portfolio of collectible Peanuts ephemera that includes: 

• 8 ready-to-frame prints 
• 5 vinyl stickers
•  8 postcards 
• Iron-on patch 
• Full-color comic book and more!

The book is being released on October 7, 2025 but you can preorder it now on Amazon.com. Timed for its 75th anniversary, The Essential Peanuts underscores how and why the comic strip transcends cultural, generational, and linguistic barriers to remain relevant and beloved. By exploring the creative ambition of Charles M. Schulz, his wry commentary on childhood struggles and triumphs, and his enduring influence on art, literature, and everyday life, Evanier not only celebrates an incomparable legacy but also reveals the universal appeal at the heart of Peanuts.

In addition to comic strip reprints and text by Evanier, The Essential Peanuts includes commentary and contributions from Robb Armstrong (Franklin), Derrick Bang (Vince Guaraldi and A Charlie Brown Christmas), Rob Boutilier (The Snoopy Show), Paige Braddock (Schulz’s pen line), Alberto Brambilla (Peanuts in Italy), Benjamin L. Clark (Peanuts paperbacks), Alexis E. Fajardo (selecting the Essential Peanuts), Ben Folds (the sound of Peanuts), Sarah Gillespie (editing Schulz), Chip Kidd (design of Peanuts), Amy Lago (editing Schulz), Mike Massimino (Snoopy and Apollo 10), Akio Matsunaga (Peanuts in Japan), Jeff Morrow (scoring Peanuts), Hilary B. Price (Peppermint Patty and Marcie), and Shuntarō Tanikawa (Poet laureate and translator of Peanuts in Japan).

Since the first Peanuts strip made its debut on October 2, 1950, it has made a lasting impression on the world. From the introduction of Franklin (the first Black character in a major syndicated newspaper strip) to holiday special viewing that has become family traditions to a modern-day animated movie that created a new generation of Snoopy fans, Peanuts has had a lasting influence that few works of art or literature can claim. The loveable loser Charlie Brown, had adventurous canine companion Snoopy, and their gang of neighborhood school buddies are truly beloved.

“Not many cartoons live into the next generation, and that probably is the best definition of art, isn’t it? Does it speak to succeeding generations? Real art, real music, real literature, speaks to succeeding generations.” –Charles M. Schulz

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ROCK THE VOTE WITH THE PEANUTS GANG

Three things I normally don't talk about on the blog are religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.  This is one of the most interesting election years ever though isn't it?  We have a loudmouth candidate who offends almost everyone, a candidate who is all things to all people, even a candidate with some pretty revolutionary ideas about how we should all spend our time on Halloween evenings.  No I'm not talking about Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump or Gary Johnson but rather Lucy van Pelt, Snoopy, and Linus, who are joining Charlie Brown, Sally, and Franklin, in a very special election to decide which Peanuts character would make the best President.

After seeing the integrity, and smooth dance moves, that he demonstrated in THE PEANUTS MOVIE, Charlie Brown has earned my vote.  Who will you choose?  Cast your vote right now at peanutsrocksthevote.com.

While I'm not going to get embroiled in online debates pitting Republicans versus Democrats, I also won't hesitate to encourage people to take the civic responsibility of voting seriously.  With all the hoopla and hype surrounding presidential elections, voter turnout is still only around 60% of the eligible population with that number being even lower among young voters (18 - 24 years old) at 44%.  To help encourage more people to get involved in voting during this presidential election year, The Peanuts have partnered with Rock the Vote, a nonprofit voter education organization that encourages young people to register to vote.  When fans go to peanutsrocksthevote.com to vote for their favorite Peanuts candidate, they can also utilize the Rock the Vote's custom online voter registration tool so they can make sure to be registered to vote in the real life presidential election on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.

In addition to providing a nice outlet for getting disengaged people to participate in our country's political process, when young children begin asking about the upcoming election this Peanuts promotion provides a nice way to have an educational civics lesson that encourages kids to want to get involved in voting at an early age without having to talk about the specifics of what is sure to be one of the nastiest campaign seasons in modern history.  I'd honestly much rather talk about voting and what the responsibilities of being president are with my 7 year old twins by using Charlie Brown as an example compared to any of the real candidates.  So we're going to have a family movie night that will include watching THE PEANUTS MOVIE then have a teachable moment discussing why we vote for people for a variety of jobs; why it is important to vote; and what are the strengths and weaknesses of each Peanuts candidate are; followed by a visit to peanutsrocksthevote.com where we'll all cast our ballots.  Four years from now my kids will be old enough to discuss the real candidates with but for now we're just going to let them enjoy being carefree children and stick with basic discussions about politics and government using this nice Peanuts example.

The polling shows a very close race between all six Peanuts candidates.  Who do you think is going to win?  Go get your votes in at peanutsrocksthevote.com!

Family Movie Night: The Peanuts Movie

Unfortunately because of life-threatening food allergies the only Peanuts we can have in our home are those associated with the Charles Schulz comic strip featuring Snoopy, Charlie Brown and their youthful gang of friends.  So it was a real treat to enjoy a #PeanutsMovieNight courtesy of our friends at Fox Home Entertainment.

Our Peanuts themed family movie night began with an after-dinner trip to the neighborhood park to take a stab at flying a kite, hate to admit it but I'm about as skilled at that as good ole Charlie Brown is, and to throw around a baseball playing catch since that is one of Snoopy and the gang's favorite activities.  When we returned home from the park, we watched on of The Peanut Movie Blu-ray bonus features that provides drawing lessons for Charlie Brown, Snoopy and Woodstock.  The kids then spent some time taking a stab at drawing their favorite Peanuts characters.

While the kids were drawing, my wife and I whipped up some movie snacks (cinnamon toast, jelly beans, and popcorn) so we could have our own feast like the one in the A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving television special.  Then our family curled up on the couches around the living room to enjoy watching The Peanuts Movie.

Once the show concluded, my kids had some more fun playing with a set of McDonalds' Peanuts Happy Meal toys that we'd been sent along with the movie and several other The Peanuts Movie themed goodies from the good folks over at Fox Home Entertainment.  Bedtime soon arrived and we all soon had dreams of little Woodstock type yellow birds circling our heads.  It is always nice to have a family movie night that includes other themed activities going beyond just watching a video and we had a wonderful evening enjoying some quality time together.

In The Peanuts Movie, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved Peanuts gang appear as you’ve never seen them before in a brand-new animated feature film from the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of Ice Age. Join everyone’s favorite eternal optimist, Charlie Brown, as he embarks on a heroic quest to win the affection of the little red-haired girl, while his beagle pal Snoopy takes to the skies to pursue his arch nemesis, the Red Baron. It’s a hilarious and heart-warming adventure!

 The Peanuts Movie is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and DigitalHD.  For more information, visit PeanutsMovie.com



FTC DISCLOSURE / DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy is a member of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders Blogger Program receiving special information, goodies, giveaways and perks as part of its participation. A Geek Daddy is not financially compensated for participating in the program. Opinions expressed our my own.  #PEANUTSinsiders

THE PEANUTS MOVIE - BLURAY/DVD/DIGITAL HD + FLYING ACE SNOOPY PLUSH GIFT SET GIVEAWAY

Hurrah! Hurrah! THE PEANUTS MOVIE will soon be available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning March 8, 2016!!!  Watching Peanuts television specials tied to holidays like Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Years and Valentine's Day every year was a family tradition for both my wife and I growing up that we've now passed on to our kids as well.  Based upon our affection for the television specials there was no doubt our family was going to see THE PEANUTS MOVIE when it was in theaters last year and we loved it!  My kids, wife and I all thoroughly enjoyed seeing Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang in their first movie and are really looking forward to adding THE PEANUTS MOVIE to our home video library. I am sure now when we regularly watch the  holiday specials on TV we'll also routinely be watching THE PEANUTS MOVIE as well.

To share our excitement about THE PEANUTS MOVIE being released on Bluray and DVD plus via Digital HD Download with our A GEEK DADDY readers, the blog is giving away a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD + Flying Ace Snoopy Plush Toy Limited Edition Gift Set courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment. To be eligible for this Snoopyrific giveaways just follow @Geekdad248 on Twitter and retweet our original contest tweet which is embedded below before March 7, 2016 @ 11:59 pm EST.

Follow @Geekdad248 & RT for chance to win THE PEANUTS MOVIE on Blu-ray from A Geek Daddy Blog #PEANUTSInsider #ad pic.twitter.com/upDw5JnZhg

— A Geek Daddy (@GeekDad248) February 27, 2016

Each RT will be assigned a number based on the order it was received and voila! We shall select our winner with random.org. Simple as that!

In THE PEANUTS MOVIE, good ol’ Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved Peanuts gang appear as you’ve never seen them before in a brand-new feature film from the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of Ice Age. Join everyone’s favorite eternal optimist, Charlie Brown, as he embarks on a heroic quest, while his beagle pal Snoopy takes to the skies to pursue his arch nemesis, the Red Baron. It’s a hilarious and heart-warming adventure!

Congrats to Justis from Woodford, Virginia who won our movie giveaway.

THE PEANUTS MOVIE Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™ & Digital HD includes:
• Snoopy Snippets – Can’t get enough of your favorite Peanuts characters? These six all-new Snoopy Snippets will brighten your day!
• You Never Grow Up Charlie Brown – In this fascinating documentary, you’ll learn about Charles Schulz, the history of the Peanuts gang, and their journey to the big screen!
• Snoopy’s Sibling Salute – It’s a Snoopy family reunion as The Peanuts Movie filmmakers introduce viewers to Snoopy’s siblings: Andy, Olaf, Spike, Belle and Marbles.
• Learn To Draw Snoopy, Woodstock and Charlie Brown – Director Steve Martino provides fun, step-by-step tutorials on how to draw Snoopy, Woodstock and Charlie Brown.
• Get Down With Snoopy and Woodstock Music Video – Clap, dance and sing along with Snoopy, Woodstock and Charlie Brown to an all-new version of everyone’s favorite Peanuts song!
• “Better When I’m Dancin’” Meghan Trainor Lyric Video – The Peanuts gang is dancing up a storm with moves like you've never seen before—and on-screen lyrics so you can sing along.

While waiting for the announcement of who has won our A Geek Daddy movie prize pack giveaway have some fun enjoying these Peanuts themed activities:

FTC DISCLOSURE / DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but Fox Home Entertainment is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  Winner must be following the twitter account @Geekdad248 at the time winner is randomly drawn to be eligible and so he or she can be notified.  Must reply to DM within 48 hours of notification or a new winner will be selected. If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Must be a US or Canadian resident over 18 years old. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive the same gift package that is being awarded to one of our readers for this contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers. Any opinions in this post are my own. A Geek Daddy is a member of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders Blogger Program receiving special information and perks as part of its participation. #PEANUTSinsiders

Get "Peanutized" - Turn yourself into a PEANUTS character

Hooray! Snoopy and the Peanuts gang are coming to the big screen this holiday season.  For our family, as I'm sure as for many of yours, its a tradition to watch Peanuts animated television specials during the holidays.  Halloween just wouldn't be the same without a showing of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown nor would Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years without our family enjoying one of the classic Peanuts holiday TV specials.  Now we'll have another story featuring Charlie Brown, his dog Snoopy, and their gang of friends to enjoy when THE PEANUTS MOVIE arrives at theaters on November 6, 2015.



To help you get in the mood for upcoming movie, there is a great feature that let's people get "peanutized" where they can create their own personalized Peanuts avatar.  Visit PeanutizeMe.com to create your own customized image that can be used for a social media profile or as the wallpaper for your personal computer or laptop's screen.  They're very easy to create - just choose your character's gender, hair, clothes, and accessories and voila there you have it your very own Peanutizd persona.  Here are a few images of myself and my kids turned into Peanuts characters.  What do you think? Did PeanutizeMe.com capture our inner Charlie Brown?

THE PEANUTS MOVIE will be the big screen debut for Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the rest of the beloved "Peanuts" gang.  Not only will this be their first appearance in a theatrically released motion picture, but it will also be the first time the Peanuts are presented in state of the art 3D animation.  In this film, Snoopy, the world's most lovable beagle -- and flying ace -- embarks upon his greatest mission as he takes to the skies to pursue his arch nemesis The Red Baron (oh by the way Snoopy we found your missing biplane the other day) while his best pal, Charlie Brown, begins his own epic quest.  From the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the ICE AGE films, THE PEANUTS MOVIE will prove that every underdog has his day!

For more information about the movie, visit PeanutsMovie.com or follow @PeanutsMovie on Twitter.  Our family is really looking forward to kicking off the holiday season with a trip to the move theater to see THE PEANUTS MOVIE this year plus looking forward to watching it again and again in future years as a brand new addition to our traditional seasonal entertainment.

Halloween @ the Zoo

During the Halloween season we often skip out on many of the trick-or-treat type events hosted for children because of my daughter's severe peanut allergy to avoid the risks and hassles involved with the candy and goodies that go along with them.  One thing that we do do every year to enjoy the Halloween atmosphere with our kids, and it has become somewhat of a family tradition for us, is take a trip to the local zoo to enjoy their Halloween decorations.

The Detroit Zoo does a nice job of creating artistic Halloween displays made out of pumpkins that you can appreciate as you stroll around the zoo grounds.  With the purchase of an annual pass to the zoological park it also doesn't cost us any extra money to take my minions on a special outing just to spend an afternoon enjoying the decorations. The changing fall colors often add a nice pallet of reds and oranges as a backdrop to enhance the decorations on display that really helps boost our Halloween spirit.

 Here are a few of our favorite displays from this year's visit:

Cinderella's Carriage

The Lorax

Christmas in October

Butterflies

Where the Wild Things Are

Witches Brew

Sesame Street

Detroit Sports Teams

In addition to the pumpkin art work, my kids always want to run up and hug the giant inflatable jack-o-lantern on display.  Yes Charlie Brown there is such a thing as the Great Pumpkin!

The DETROIT ZOO is located at 8450 W. 10 Mile Road in Royal Oak, Michigan.  During the month of October it is open 7 days per week (10am - 5pm/Weekdays & 10am - 4pm/Weekends).  For more information, visit: www.detroitzoo.org