Graphics Books

Sagmeister is a true artist and thought-provoking designer. His ideas are fresh, unexpected and sometimes shocking. He's an industry hero and this book is filled with so many wonderful examples of his work. His solutions will inspire designers and make non-designers do a double-take.

Stephen Sagmeister is one of the most entertaining and innovative personalities in the design field. This book is an excellent showcase of his amazing and vast body of work. The book itself is an amazing piece of design. Highly recommended.

Stefan Sagmeister is my favorite designer, I get so much inspiration from his work and this book is really great. It shows the evolution of his career and it's really cool to see how his design solutions have evolved.

As far as self indulgent books go, this is a great one. Stefan Sagmeister, the king of all the cool little tricks brings out everything in this book. His work is great, and cover the extent of his student, and profession careers, which is a lot more than you've ever seen. Everything from packaging coat hangers, paper turn tables, and self mutilation. The slip cover alone would sell me on this one, revealing a lot more than meets the eye. This is my favorite book; full of style, wit, and a lot more.

Entertaining, Inspiring and Absolutely Perfumed Book.
One of those books you smell the pages (No metaphor, just put your nose over the pages) and relax completely.
Very creative, and well designed...
Stück Baby! Stück

This particular book follows the eleventh and twelfth seasons of the "Simpsons." We are offered summaries for each episode, as well as chalkboard and couch gags, hard-to-know facts and trivia, and character sketches and designs from various episodes. This is a great addition to the first two books in the series, but seems to be filled with some extra, not very essential material, just to seem larger and worthy of the price. Yet, in any event, I think if you are a big "Simpsons" watcher, or want to know more about these seasons, this book is a great purchase.

This book is hilarious, even better than the other two! Every series,the simpsons just gets funnier and funnier. I can't wait for the next book to come out and the next series to be shown on C4. If you like The Simpsons, you will love this book.

Amazing. The ultimate for any Simpsons fan!

THE SIMPSONS BEYOND FOREVER! A COMPLETE GUIDE TO OUR FAVORITE FAMILY...STILL CONTINUED is probably the best book on the Simpsons that I've read, along with THE SIMPSONS: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO OUR FAVORITE FAMILY and THE SIMPSONS FOREVER! A COMPLETE GUIDE TO OUR FAVORITE FAMILY...CONTINUED. It includes, and I am taking this right from the cover, all new characters, episodes, and secret jokes you might have missed from seasons 11 & 12. The book was created by Matt Groening and edited by Jesse L. McCann. It details each episode and even has extras: Season 11 Production Art; Season 11 Character Designs; Season 12 Production Art; Season 12 Character Designs; Church Marquees; "D'oh"s and "Mmm"s; Itchy & Scratchy; Couch Gags; Who Does What Voice; and Songs Sung Simpson.

The books dedication even reads:
TO THE LOVING MEMORY OF SNOWBALL I:
YOU ALWAYS MANAGED TO LAND ON YOUR FEET.

My favorite sayings in the book are all on p. 104 - 105, "Simpsons Tall Tales":

A hungry, hungry Homer: "I haven't had buffalo in six hours. Marge, how about whipping up some buffalo sausage, huevos buffaleros, and some fresh-squeezed buffal-OJ?"

VICTUAL REALITY:
HUCK FINN (NELSON): I'm considerable hungry. We got any food left?
TOM SAWYER (BART): Hmm. Looks like we're out of cornpone, fatback, hardtack, fatpone, corntack...
HUCK: Any tackback?
TOM: Tackback?
HUCK: I mean, backtack.
TOM: Plum out.

COMPARE AND SAVE:
APU: One jug of whiskey, three plugs of tobacky, and some extra-strength opium. That will be two cents, boys.
TOM: Gasp!
HUCK: Two cents!
APU: Hey, if you think my prices are high, go across the street!
(He points at a $0.99 Store.)

I would buy this book for double the price!

P.S. - I also reviewed the first two books mentioned above.

Wow, The Simpsons has been around a LONG TIME! Right now, they're on Season 15 and the hit show doesn't look like it will end anytime soon. Of course, the episodes are kind of stupid now and some are losing interest. The Simpsons Beyond Forever covers season 11 and 12. The book is basically a really detailed episode guide. Inside, there is an Itchy and Scratchy Filmography, Homer's D'OHS! and his mmm's, and of course, the couch gags. But, that's only part of the book.
Also, they tell everything you need to know about each episode in seasons 11 and 12. There's the stuff Bart writes on the chalkboard, quotes from the episode, a summary and hilarious pictures. With 2 pages for each episode, they have plenty of room to fit anything they want on it. They even do a The Stuff You May Have Missed section for every episode. They have even more information for the Treehouse of Horror episodes. 4 WHOLE PAGES! The episodes aren't even that great!
The book, I wouldn't consider short, but not long. The first book(The Simpsons: A Complete Guide To Your Favorite Family) almost has 100 more pages than Beyond Forever! But, Beyond Forever has enough information that the few pages don't really matter.
You'll find EVERYTHING you need to know about season 11 and 12 in this book. Basically, it's amazing. I would reccommend this true work of art to any Simpsons fan. You could watch one Simpsons episode and still find this book interesting. Seasons 11 and 12 weren't included in the drop of ideas that has suddenly come into The Simpsons. The wonderful episode HomR lets you discover Homer's only stupid because he lodged a crayon up his nose as a kid. Plus, there's the crazy Trilogy of Error episode where it tells where Homer's finger was cut off by Marge and her brownies.
All in all, this book is AWESOME! Buy it.

i found this to be a very good book. the story kept moving and everytime it began to wind down it lifted back up with another twist. never a dull moment. The character Vash the Stampede is more noble then one would think. it's an intense ride through the story as one reads as Vash risks himself time and time agian.Vash proves heroic when traveling on teh steamship and he sets standards for selflessness. not only does he risk himslef but he also takes on a child not so much as his own but to take care of in a sense. the storyline is excellent and it's improved by the cartoon format that it's written in. the pictures bring the book alive in you mind. it's incredible how this story can suck a reader in. what can be said about a book that both sucks the reader in and captures their emagination?...excellent.

Before i began i must tell you that i believe that Trigun is one of the best series ever vreated. I really enjoyed this book, it is the first in the series and is definetley one of the bests. This book introduces all of the characters and it has awesome action! If you like lots of action and guns then you should buy this book!!

This manga is great! It is the first manga I have ever read so it took me a couple pages to get used to it and sometimes I would still end up looking over a frame many times before I understood what was happening. This has a lot to do with how much action there is and what I am assuming are the sound effects (still in japenese because they are part of the actual artwork and would be difficult to switch to english). There are some things that I don't like but overall its great and well worth the money.

I am a high school senior who enjoys manga, anime, and the like. The topic of this review is Trigun. This is the super thick volume 1 of Yasuhiro Nightow's masterpiece, Trigun. So you'll know a little more about Trigun's manga, it goes; Trigun volume 1, Trigun volume 2, and then it goes to Trigun maximum.
In this volume we learn of Vash the Stampede. A man with a 60 billion double dollar bounty on his head. The pacifist Vash runs into many adventures along his quest for a man. It all takes place on a sandy desert planet. .I won't tell you any more because it might ruin it, and this is such a great series full of surprises and I wouldn't want to mess any of it up for you.
With equal amounts of humor, adventure, action, and intrigue, this title shouldn't be missed. This is definitely one of my all time favorite titles, and I've read a lot of manga in my day. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys manga and has good taste.

There are tons of manga on that I regularly collect. Dragonball/Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin, Ranma 1/2, Case Closed(Detective Conan), Yu-Gi-Oh/Duelist/Millenium World, and others.... but there are a rare few that grab me, that are are real gems that contend for the greatest manga in existence, such as Akira, Nausicaa... and Trigun(and Trigun Maximum).

Most people are probably familiar with Yasuhiro Nightow's series through the 26 episode anime series that was released in the US by Pioneer(now Geneon) and has aired on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block, and let me tell you, as good as it can be, does not do this manga total justice. Covering only about 1/3 of both Trigun and Trigun Maximumn, the anime was forced to not only cut the overall plot short, but also cut out the development of many characters. Vash, the tortured wanderer throughout the planet Gunsmoke, who endlessly searches for his sinister brother, Knives, has a slightly deeper history, as does his eventual traveling companion, the priest/gunman Nicholas D. Wolfwood. Millions Knives, Vash's bro, is far more vicious and cruel, as is his subordinate, Legato Bluesummers. Bernadeli insurance girls Meryl Strife and Milly Thompson are pretty much the same, although personally I found Meryl far more likeable in the manga. Most of the Gung-Ho Guns are also far more sadistic, screwed up, and crazy than the manga(particularly Zazie, although I won't spoil anything), shocking anyone who's used to their anime personas. Nightow's artwork is a true sight to behold, something people will just have to see to fully understand its beauty. The grimy, dusty, and decayed design of Gunsmoke truly is a marvel to look at, and I often spend minutes just staring at the art before proceeding on with the story. The fast-paced action sequences have a fantastic rush, although often they also cause things to become intensely confusing, wondering who's shooting at who and what's getting blown apart, and it does take some time getting used to Nightow's style during these action-packed parts, but once it does, you are in for one crazy yet entertaining ride.

The first volume is episodic for the most part, other than introducing Vash, Meryl, and Milly, the real plot doesn't really begin until volume 2(and continues on into Trigun Maximum), but the stories are a nice read and help us get to know our three main characters, thus setting up the main Knives/Gung-Ho Guns storyline. Overall, this makes one heck of a great read. Welcome to Gunsmoke, and enjoy your trip.

This is it, the original manga that started a worldwide franchise. Before the anime, before the card game, before the video games, there was this.

Actually, this first volume is actually Volume 8 of Kazuki Takahashi's manga-meaning that readers will learn as much about Yugi's beginnings as they do from watching the first few episodes of the anime. The source material for the first season of Yu-Gi-Oh!, the manga follows Yugi and his friends from their first encounter with Maximillion J. Pegasus to their arrival on Duelist Kingdom (Yugi's first duel with Kaiba is left out). Those familiar with the anime will also be pleased to know that characters like Insector Haga (Weevil) and Mai Kujaku/Valentine will make appearances. Also featured is a rundown on the Duel Monsters cards used in the current storyline. While those who have watched the anime may not find much to talk about here, it's worth a look for those who want to know what all the buzz is about. But if you're a diehard fan who's got to have Yugi on the go, this is good place to start.

This book is rated T for Teen: Violence, Adult Situations

Ummm...Hello? Why are you people talking about volumes 2, 3, and 5 of the regular YGO manga series? This is Yu-Gi-Oh: Duelist, the original story line of the Duelist Kingdom tournament. It is rated teen...that's been established by my fellow YGO fans. Seriously, if you're a parent, don't get this book for your 7-year-old kid who thinks he knows everything about YGO...these are the mangas that you read backwards, so good luck explaining that to your child, and then there are some (...) situations in the other YGO books (there aren't really any in this one, that I remember). Actually, Mai Kujaku (Mai Valentine for all you dubbies) is very, VERY clad...her (...) are practically falling out of her "shirt." But anyway, I wasn't too enthusiastic about reading this because I own three versions of Duelist Kingdom including this, so I know what happens already. It's kind of hard for me to read through all the duels because I have practically memorized every duel in the DK saga. I am usually very tempted to skip the duels the first time I read this, but I didn't skip them, but now I only read through entire duels every once in a while...but I do really like this book!

i would give this book a A+ cuz its so cool to no the character's origins. as some of the other pple mentioned Seto Kiaba doesnt look to good though that doesnt matter to me since i like yami more. anyway the plot of this story sorta sounds like the episode where kiaba tore up Yugi's granfather's bwd(blue eyes white dragon). The only difference with that is that yugi doesn't duel kiaba right off the bat. i'm not gonna tell more cuz that's 4 u to find out.

another thing is that if ur under 12 u shouldn't read this. someone i no read this when he/she was 10 and wouldn't stop asking questions about it. It has a little bit of perverteness cuz of tristan/honda's nephew jojhi. dont get me mad if ur 7 years old and say u like yu gi oh cuz u dont even no the 1/2 of it.

anzu(tea 2 u unkwoning freaks) is not that bad in this manga. but she does draw the smiley face as the friendship sign and makes the litle speech. actually its the only speech she makes on friendship in the entire series. it's still a great book and i would recomend this book to all my friends if they read yu gi oh.

From the title of the item, I would have to say that this is the new Yu-Gi-Oh! manga, Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duelist. The Duelist series is supposed to be based on what American viewers saw, Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, those things, without the annoyance of fillers like Noa's Arc and DOOM. This manga shows the first introduction of Pegasus, how Yugi-tachi got to the island, and the introduction of Mai and Insector Haga (Weevil Underwood for the American fans.) This is a lot more violent, though, as such, you should obey the "Teen" rating on the series.
Other than that, great book, great series, and help in the cause of getting pictures of the thing onto the Amazon.com site, so people will stop giving reviews for manga 2 and 5!

I really like this book. Well, I'm a big fan of Yugioh, so duh! This is the book in which we first see the Duel Monsters cards and meet the young CEO (though at the time we don't know he is one) Seto Kaiba and the mysterious Shadi.

Beware though, Seto, who usually looks all hot and sexy, doesn't look too spectacular. I'm not sure why, but some of the images of him look rather awkward, so if you are used to watching the anime, this is the manga, note the change. It's not like it matters to anyone but me anyway. (I'm an absessive Seto fangirl).

Also, if you are some silly little kid who's under ten and "thinks" he/she likes Yugioh, back away before I get angry. Don't even READ this if you're under 12.

I'm fourteen, and when I see f'ggin FIVE YEAR OLDS saying they like Yugioh I get real pissed...... So, if you are some baby, this book is too sophisticated for you. It is rated TEEN, whatever it says up there, and includes a lot of (minor) swears and violence and drugs and alcohol and more mature stuff.

Joey and Yugi and Honda (Tristen, to all you unknowing twerps) are known to pull perverted pranks. Once, they watched a movie that mentioned "censoured" girls and Joey trying to see through the censoring....O.O...... but that wasn't in this book, so don't worry about Yugi wanting to watch digitized porn.

Yugioh as a whole is awsome. It's my favorite anime for many reasons. It includes hot guys (SETO KAIBA!!! & Malik, Bakura, Yami), Millenium magic, dueling action (I love action/violence, I don't know why) and everyone else that makes it so unique and awsome.

Buy, or at least READ this book, (if you like Yugioh) because it is NOT some cheesy kid's book like the dubbed TV show has become. Now I'm going to get angry at 4kids and the dubbers..... *throws computer at dubbers, they scream and run, I follow them laughing like Yami Marik swinging the Millenium Rod DAGGER!!! (which, to all you unknowing dub-following YGO babies, DOES exist.... but any true Yugioh fan knows that, right?)*

I had received PSE 2 from a peripheral purchase (printer or scanner, I can't remember) and was intrigued by what I had heard in general about Photo Shopping pictures. However, the tutorials that came along with the help file weren't all that helpful so I put off learning the program. For some reason a bee got in my bonnet and I decided to look into the program again. I searched Amazon and found this book and after reading the reviews ordered my copy.

I can honestly say I was quite impressed. Usually, How-To books can get you headed in the right direction but for the most part you will only go to the chapters that you are interested in. This book is different. Each session leads into the next building upon what you have already learned. The instructions are fantastic. They are clear and the visuals that accompany them are easy to see and follow. The CD provides all of the photos you work with so there is no guess work. You can stop in a session and come back a few days later without having to reread everything again. At the end of each session there is an excellent review over what you have just learned. The author definitely has a good teaching style.

I can't say enough positive about the book. If you have ever been interested in learning Photo Shop here is your perfect opportunity.

This book has some good practice lessons. One thing I didn't like is that every lesson involves creating a project using sports pictures. I would have liked to seen lessons creating projects other than sports, like portraits or landscapes. Other than that, good basic lessons.

I like the book very much, BUT "DID NOT RECEIVE" THE TRAINING CD THAT WAS TO BE INCLUDED. Is there a chance of getiing, I will even pay for!!!!!!
Thats what prompted me to purchase book.

Thanks much and have a good day. Jerry

Both my wife and I love this book. I received Photoshop Elements 2 with my camera and had trouble figuring out how to use it. My wife read somewhere about how good and easy this book was to use. The key to this book is that it explains step by step how to use all of Photoshop Elements 2s' tools. It is a lot to learn and takes time, but you can redo each leasson to get better and better at it. The key is to use it! It's nice to have this book to fall back on when you forget how to use a certain tool because you haven't had to use it for some time. The lessons are well planned out and the samples and photo work are all excellent. If you only work part time on your photos this book is a must have to make using this program easier.

Probably the most helpful computer book I have ever used. Purchased a second copy for a friend just starting with digital photo printing. As a professional photographer I would encourage anyone interested in digital printing to buy it.

When I saw this book and seen the reviews, I figured that it was just going to be "cool". Then when I finally got this in the mail I was completely overwhelmed by the imaginative visions that Barlowe puts into each of the paintings. Each picture is filled with detail and rich color. The captions get really in depth with what the picture stands for and which Demon is shown and when you think about it, it can be fairly creepy if this is what Hell was really like. Barlowe talks about making his way into the lowest reaches of Hell and bringing back the images to share with the world. The artwork in this book will completely blow you away.

Wayne Barlowe has long been one of my favorite artists, up there with Bekinski and Giger. He has a real talent for pulling the viewer into his world, so that we can almost smell the sulfur. This and its companion piece Brushfire are my (current) favorite art volumes, as I seem to be in a very hellish phase right now. But even when I'm not feeling hellish, I'm in awe of Mr. Barlowe's talent. I love the texture of the worlds and characters, the deep, roaring, ash-filled atmosphere of the environs of hell he portrays. I am always inspired by his work.

Normally I am reserved in my reviews but this one stands out as an entity that deserves high praise. I had been researching visions of Hell for some years when this book came out. It was an exquisite find as the author's vision was finely detailed and provided a wealth of information. His Hell is different yet similar to Dore's vision which appealed to me. It is as if he took Dore's vision and placed his own ideas and concepts on top of Gustave's.

This is highly recommended. The pictures are stunning and the text adds some nice thought as well. One reviewer wrote that he thought the souls looked to much like statuary and while I do agree with that criticism it is a minor quibble and is not always the case.

The book was not as good as I thought it was going to be. When I read certain passages of it at the bookstore I thought it was going to be a fictional narrative of a doomed person's experience in Hell. Instead it was more of an artists explanation about his paintings. The book still drew me in and made me think and feel about what Hell might be like. For this reason, the books ability to make me seriously think about Hell in a literal sense, I will give it four stars.

This collection is basically Barlowe's visual interpretation of Dante's Inferno from The Divine Comedy. Each painting has a page of description pointing out the purpose and reason for every detail in the image. From a tortorous picture of Lillith, to the haunting painting of a minor demon riding on the backs of several tortoured souls held together with muck, they are each fascinating to examine. Like Dali and other fantastical artists, one can look at these paintings and see something new every time. The color work is fantastic, and in some paintings actually appears to be digital photography until one looks closer. A ver well-thought-out project, it is pleasing to see another side of Barlowe's intelligent work.

I found this book very useful. It gave great examples of wonderfully designed business cards and letterheads. Great inspirational tool.

The stunning collection of cards displayed in this book are inspiring. Just one element in a card can influence the rest of my design and get me on a roll. This book is full of classy, eye popping designs to edgy, out the box designs. It is a sure fire fit for any designer.

Such a great source of inspiration for us right brainers! The BEST OF series never disappoints!

There are so many awesome designs in here, I come back to it time and time again for inspiration.

The content leaves to desire. The election of cards that compose the book could have been better. The majority of them is common and it did not deserve to be in a book.

These heirloom quality, hardbound books are well received by my middle school aged son. Peanuts has a timeless feel, and the complete run in these books are a great tribute to this comic. I am buying all of the books in sequence for my son, and I think they will be enjoyed forever.

These are beautiful reproductions, bringing the joys of my youth back with full vigor and force. To be able to share them with my 6-year old daughter, listening to her playing out the parts as we read them together is all the more rewarding. Spectacular acheivement. I hope someday to amass the entire collection. The prices on Amazon are without parallel.

My wife is getting each one of these, couldn't wish for a better result from a gift.

All Peanuts Box Sets are worth to collect. Each book is well edited with a beautiful cover and package. Due to the long history of the story, it should be quite expensive to collect them all. However, they're still worth to try.

Like many others I grew up with Charlie Brown & gang. I bought some of Peanuts comic books when I was a kid. But with my meager allowance I missed out many of them. Now, even though I'm a mom with 2 kids, I was so excited when the box sets were released. I've bought the 1st 3 box sets and can't wait for the next. My son loves it too. It's wonderful going through the strips with my son on Sunday afternoons.

I used to read all these strips when they were in paperback form. I remember being around 12 or 13 and pouring over them again and again, with the added luxury of checking out the action every day in the daily paper. It's very gratifying, now that my six-year old daughter is reading, to share these volumes with her and watch her lose herself among the pages, and then ask to be quizzed on the many special characteristics of the kids in Charlie Brown's neighborhood. The printing quality is extremely high, the panels are crystal clear and the detail is really sumptuous.

My favorite so far is the Sunday strip where Charlie Brown is attempting to fly a kite in heavy wind and his cap keeps getting blown off, which he doggedly replaces atop his head every time. In the end Linus posits this classic: "I have a suggestion. Why don't you wear the kite and fly your hat?" I long for the day when we will have the collected volumes, and the prices on Amazon reallyl cannot be beat. But I must say, I miss those cheap little paper back volumes from my early youth. Rats!

If you already bought the previous releases of this collection, you know exactly what you'll find inside: intelligence, emotion and depth of the human relations.

Here you will get some of the Peanuts smartest movements, just like when Snoopy is locked under an ice piece and starts a reflection of his own life or when Linus sees himself without the safety of his blanket.

Even if you prefer the "modern version" of the strips (with Spike, Woodstock, the Red Baron, school scenes and stuff which would appear later, more precisely in the 70's), in this issue, you may find some of the roots and the reasons for the diamond that Charles M. Schulz carved on his life.

Thank you Charles, you really changed my life with these "guys" and "The Complete Peanuts 1961-1962" is another jewel from the master.

I bought all the items in the series and found them simply irresistible.
The strips are the integral version by the great master himself, Charles M. Schulz, and the edition is very, very good, with a robust hardcover and classy paper.

A special note for Italian speaking people: these are the "integral" strips, not the censored ones published for many years in Italy, where the religious quotations and remarks were systematically erased.

I gave this book to my dad who really enjoyed going through all of the comics. This is a very nice hard cover edition and is a good value.

This volume of The Complete Peanuts cover the years 1961 and 1962 in their entireties. The most noteworthy event of this book is the introduction of Frieda, the girl with the "naturally curly hair". Soon after her debut, the running gag where Frieda tries to get Snoopy to chase rabbits is used for the first time. Also introduced at this time was Frieda's cat Faron, who only made a few appearances before disappearing. Many of the jokes from this volume were later used in Peanuts television specials, most notably the Christmas and Halloween specials. Peanuts was one of the greatest comic strips of all time, and 1961 and 1962 are certainly among it's best years. Highly recommended.

I am so excited that The Complete Peanuts is being made available. I started with the first volume and have gotten each new volume. Charles Schulz was a master of understatement and pathos. HIs view of the world through the characters--Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus, Snoopy and the rest--is honest and real: skeptical, funny, pitiful and hopeful and very humanistic.

How can you review Charles Schulz? You're kidding right? He's an icon! As far as the collection, it's a must have if you're a Peanuts fan. My husband and I have all the collection books up to this point and they are wonderful. There are drawings from the minute you open the cover and that's even before you get to the comics. For a long time fan like me (Ok my first stuffed animal was a Snoopy) to see the development of the characters from their creation to when Mr. Schulz finished is delightful. As for the book, the quality of the paper is superb and the comics-priceless.

All the Fantagraphics Peanuts volumes are top notch, but this is my fave so far because it is at the beginning of my favorite Peanuts era. I love Peanuts, but the 60's strips will always be the ones I love the most.
The great thing about this series is that it reprints everything in chronological order. Previous Peanuts collections have either omitted strips or printed them out of order. The reproduction quality is also outstanding.
I'm looking forward to the Pogo series!

This book contains all the Peanuts comic strips from 1965 and 1966. The most significant events from this time period were Snoopy's first imaginary battles with The Red Baron and the first appearance of Peppermint Patty. Charles Schulz was so good for so long, it's hard to choose a "peak" period of the strip, but the strips here are definitely great. Highly recommended.

I gave this collection 5 stars because the strip was still at its peak; but, ominously, this is where Peanuts starts to go down hill. The introduction of the Peppermint Patty character is the turning point, where the peak of Peanuts ends and the long decline from greatness begins.

Not that there was anything wrong with the Peppermint Patty character to begin with. The character was amusing as an occasional intruder into the Peanuts World; but, eventually, Peppermint Patty and the other characters introduced over the coming years came to take over the strip. This new concept of the strip was not as good as the original, and it got worse as years went by. This corruption of the "pure" original concept of Peanuts, combined with the shocking deterioration of Schulz's drawing ability in later years, clearly marks the end of Peanuts as the greatest of comic strips. Greatness is not the permanent condition of anybody or anything, and no peak lasts forever. Schulz had as long a peak period as any other comic strip artist (George Herriman being a possible exception), and I highly reccomend this volume because it was in that peak period, though towards the end of it.

Peanuts was a great strip from the beginning, and it was on a continuous upward arc from there. By the early 60s, the cast of characters was as complete as it had to be, the addition of Charlie Brown's nasty little sister Sally being the last necessary addition. Schulz possibly started running out of ideas for this cast and felt, to keep fresh, he had to bring in new faces. Unfortunately, the new faces weren't as good, or funny, as the originals. Peppermint Patty was the first of these newer characters. Peanuts was still pretty darned good for ten or so years after this, up to the mid-to-late 70s, but here is where Schulz started abandoning the original Peanuts characters and the newer cast was distinctly less inspired than was the original.

The newer characters reflected a creeping mellowness in his outlook, which is common for an artist growing older. (Some, like Mark Twain, get nastier and bitterer as they grow older, but, as in the case of Twain, this doesn't necessarily make them better either.) The newer characters were too "nice". Peanuts, for all the (mistaken) talk of its "heartwarming" humor, was not sweetness and light on the comics page. It was a tale of rotten little kids being rotten to each other. This was the source of its greatness. That was the originality and innovation behind the strip. Once it became "mellow" and "nice", it lost its originality and cutting edge.

However, though this volume represents the downward turn, it is still great stuff. Rereading it all these years later, I found it better than I remembered. When I was younger, I didn't really care for the Red Baron & Snoopy strips, thinking them too far away from the true gist of the strip. Now I found them very funny. Schulz started to play heavily on the "Bleah" vs. "Nyahh" arguments between Lucy, Violet and Snoopy, which were peaks in silly (but accurate and on-the-mark) humor. The "grit your teeth" baseball sequence, and Sally and her troubles with the "New Math" were other very inspired highlights.

Though there were bad signs of the decline to come towards the end of this volume, that decline hadn't set in yet. Peanuts had at least 2 more peak years to come, then 5 or 6 more very good years. Buy this, because it is one of the best volumes in the set, but mourn also, because here is where it starts to go down, down, down.