Funny Things: A Comic Strip Biography of Charles Schulz by Luca Debus and Francesco Matteuzzi, is 445 pages of comics strips honoring the comic strip art and life of Charles Schulz. I like the impulse to honor him through the very medium he used. He would have liked that move. But neither their storytelling nor art style truly honors the spirit of his work, in my opinion. His art style and storytelling are both much simpler--very minimalist and wry--compared to the biographer’s work.

And Schulz is funny, whereas this biography rarely is. I have read whole collections of Peanuts, and I have read biographies (or maybe one?) of Schulz and did not find them a chore to plow through. Which I often found with this biography, unfortunately. Again, I appreciate the impulse to a comics biography and to fans of Peanuts, to know his life might be of interest.

I might trim it down considerably, like cut a quarter of it, or few people will read it, I’m afraid. Also, there’s a lot of filler in it.
Thank you to IDW Publishing, Top Shelf Productions, NetGalley, and the authors for providing an early copy of this graphic biography for review

I had the pleasure of getting a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've been a lifelong fan of the <i>Peanuts</I> comics, and even acted in a few performances of <i>You're a Good Man Charlie Brown</i>. I grew up with [book: Around the World in 75 Years] and have yet to go through a Christmas season with the Charlie Brown special... yet I never read a biography of Charles Schulz. I was delighted when I saw that this was coming out soon, and eagerly requested a copy.

There's something beautiful about Schulz getting his life story told through the medium that he dominated for the bulk of his life. Everyone knows Charlie Brown and Snoopy, and I think most readers realized just how much of good ole Sparky was to be found in Charlie Brown. This biography really exemplifies that fact, while also highlighting the differences where they existed.

Did you know about Sparky's love of sports, and the fact he was actually quite good at them? The ice rink his wife helped him build, or his service in WW2? How about how long it took for <i>Peanuts</i> to actually come to be, and the struggle to get it picked up? How about how dedicated he was to his craft - to the point that he wasn't satisfied with just one strip, but at one point had <i>three</i> going out every week?

While there are less than savory facts about Sparky's life, this biography doesn't shy away from them. Punchlines help soften the blows for some tragedies, and overall you're left with a fair bit of Schulz's own words about his life and considerations. It made me want to learn more about his biography, and to see if my library had the complete Peanuts collection available.

I really enjoyed this book.

🥜 As a lover of the Peanuts comic strip, I was excited to find this book about the creator Charles Schulz. And in comic book form? Fun!

🥜 Sadly, I didn’t enjoy the book as a whole. It was a chore to read. The flow of info felt awkward, and there were random panels inserted that didn’t add to the story IMO. It was also too long. There was basic info about his life, but considering how long this was, I didn’t feel like I got a true bio.

🥜 There are interesting tidbits, including Schulz’s thoughts about his comic, his inspiration, his anxiety, and how he embraced and shared his faith. However, and even though I knew this already, my favorite part was about including a black character (Franklin) in his comics. (Sidebar: For those who don’t know, a Harriet Glickman wrote to Schulz asking him to include a black character in his comic. Schulz had no problem with that, but he feared that since he was a white cartoonist it might seem patronizing. Harriet & many others disagreed and continued to ask him to include a black character. On 31 July 1968, Franklin appeared for the first time in the comic. The response was mostly favorable, but there were some who were unhappy. One newspaper wanted the character removed, but Schulz told them “Either you print it the way I draw it or I quit.” He stood his ground and Franklin stayed.)

🥜 If you are looking for a tribute (rather than a full bio) to Schulz’s life in a creative format, then give this book a try.

Thank you @NetGalley and IDW Publishing for an eARC of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Funny Things is a not particularly funny graphic novel depiction of the life of Charles M Schultz. For some unknown reason, the author feels the need to add in a bunch of panels that read like 50s gag reel bits in early television or Readers Digest jokes. This takes up a lot of space where the story could simply be told. I have read several graphic novel biographies and memoirs and none was as glutted with filler as this one was. The artwork is not particularly attractive. It is somewhat imitative of Schultz’s style, but not as appealing and much busier. Those interested in a biography of Schultz might do better with a traditional print version.

Thank you to NetGalley, IDW Publishing, and Top Shelf Productions for this amazing ARC. All opinions are my own.

Charles M. Schulz was the creator of Peanuts, the father of Charlie Brown and Snoopy and Peppermint Patty and Woodstock and Schroeder. All of these characters that make up so many childhoods and fill up so many TV screens during holidays and celebrations. He had a hard but joyous life filled with everyday anxieties, tragedies, failures, but also love, ambition, and success. I never knew how much I loved this guy! I mean, he was a part of my Christmases, my Halloweens, my everything...I even have a little Schroeder playing a piano on my bedside table!

To start off, I got very emotionally invested in this book—VERY. At the start of this book, I was laughing out loud; however, in the middle and near the end, I was just crying. He's lived such an impactful life and all he wants to do is skate, draw, and be with his family! His story is very heartwarming. On another note, I had no idea that he had passed away in February 2000; I was born just a couple months later! For some reason, I just assumed he was still alive since I grew up reading the Funnies in my dad’s Sunday paper—I still am!—and watching the films at my grandma’s house, and in the book, it ends with him still alive (spoilers?). I guess he technically still is alive. Through his legacy. It’s so strong, so unbreakable. I don’t think his art—his Peanuts—will ever die. He really had no idea what his art would become.

I really like how this book was in graphic/comic format as it made it really easy to read, and you didn't get stuck on extraneous details. In this format, it's easier to show rather than tell. The writing and pacing was done very well. I am not very religious, but I liked the "strips" devoted to talking about his faith. The art style was fluid and adorable, it really worked well with the stories.

Overall, a pretty great biography. RIP Sparky, you will forever be missed!