Category: Charles M. Schulz

The all-time greatest comic strip

It’s a First Printing, Charlie Brown

Over at Nat Gertler’s AAUGH Blog he discusses the book adaptations of “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” I bought a used copy many years ago and assumed that because the title page says “First Printing 1965” it is indeed an original printing.

But wait! Nat explains that all of World Publishing’s press runs say “first printing,” so for a few minutes while listening to the podcast I feared that mine is merely a reprint. But Nat goes on to explain that he has determined the features of an apparent true first edition. For starters, the book should be 8.5 inches tall, without a large black area to the right of the illustration. Check.

Second, the end papers should be a nice, deep red color. Check.

Finally, the first printing came with a dust jacket. Mine doesn’t have that, but the end flaps have text, and Gertler’s description matches two pieces of paper that came with my copy. Therefore, I conclude that my Charlie Brown Christmas book is a true first-run printing.

The most significant piece of information that Nat provides is the name of the artist who illustrated the book. Only the cover has a Schulz drawing. The interior was drawn by Sparky’s former assistant Dale Hale, who did the job in only two weeks.

Are There Famous Artists Anymore?

Before finding some small success as a cartoonist, Charles M. Schulz began his career as one of the instructors at the Art Instruction School in Minneapolis. But the greatest of correspondence courses for illustration and cartooning was The Famous Artists School in Wilton, Connecticut. Among its faculty was my favorite classic illustrator, Jon Whitcomb. As stated in the video, he specialized in drawing pretty girls, which is probably why he is my favorite classic illustrator.

As a kid I rode my bike countless times to buy comic books at a shopping center that was two miles away, in Wilton. As a teenager I came to realize what, and who, I had left behind by moving to Massachusetts. I had been living in the midst of many cartoonists and illustrators! With absolute certainty, I can say that if my family had remained in Norwalk, Connecticut, I would have pursued an art career, most likely starting as an assistant to an established cartoonist or comic book artist.