Charles Schulz’s Peanuts is one of the most beloved comic strips of the 20th century. But while some prefer the hilariously cruel and despairing tone of the first half of the series, it seems that the public perception of Peanuts is more in line with the cute, commercial tone it took on in its second 25 years.
This week Tim and Kumar come back to Peanuts, more than seven years after reviewing the Schulz bio, to delve more into the strip itself. What is the nature of the Peanuts kids? What motivates them? How does Peanuts (especially in its first half) fit an existentialist view of the world?
Also discussed: the recent movie — what was good or bad. Was showing the Little Red Haired Girl a good idea? Plus, a nod to a few of Schulz’s more interesting panel compositions, and, what Peanuts strip does Tim want on his wall?
- Peanuts on GoComics
- Charles Schulz on the necessity of loserdom (The Guardian)
- The bleak world of Peanuts, one of the 20th century’s greatest works of art, explained (Vox.com)
- Against Snoopy (New York Press)
- How Snoopy killed Peanuts (Kotaku.com)
- The Exemplary Narcissism of Snoopy (The Atlantic)
- Sartre and Peanuts (Philosophy Now)
- Review of Chip Kidd’s Only what’s necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts (Brainpickings.org)
- Why Charles M. Schulz gave Peanuts a black character (Flashbak.com)
- Selling out the newspaper strip (Schulz vs. Bill Watterson on commercialization) (L.A. Review of Books)
- It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is a Christmas special wearing a Halloween Costume (Vox.com)
- Why the Schulz family felt now was the right time for a Peanuts movie (The Telegraph)
- What kind of father was Charles Schulz? (Mashable.com)
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Yes, somehow it’s been ten whole years since Tim, Brandon, and Mulele sat down together and recorded 
In the early ’90s, Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell’s From Hell, based on the true story of Jack the Ripper, was published in issues, and collected in 1999. Kumar and Dana find that, upon re-reading (or re-re-re-reading), new questions still arise. What’s the story about? Why does the killer sometimes come off as a wise prophet? Many scenes are simply puzzling and need sufficient time to unpack. And then there’s the Star Wars reference…