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Rating:  -
The Complete Peanuts 1969-1970 is the latest in a compendium that seeks to present Charles Schulz's classic Peanuts comic strip as never before - complete and unabridged! Featuring an introduction by Mo Willems, the latest volume gives Woodstock a name for the first time, shows Snoopy's ultimately disastrous stint as the Head Beagle, chronicles Charlie Brown's heartbreak when the little red-haired girl moves away, offers a fascinating extended glimpse into the text of Snoopy's "It was a dark and stormy night" novel, and much more. One sequence particularly reflective of the stormy 1960s shows poor Snoopy caught in the middle of a riot with tear gas at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm! A "must-have" for collectors of Charles Schulz's work, highly recommended.
Rating: -
The Complete Peanuts: 1969-1970
My dear readers:
Dear me. Where has the time gone? It seems just like yesterday that the first Complete Peanuts arrived, and the world re-discovered the world of Peanuts in a special kind of way.
Since then, we have been witness to historical events as seen through the eyes of Linus, Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, Chuck, Woodstock, Lucy, and Snoopy. The Red Baron made his appearance recently. I hope he comes back soon.
This time, we are privy to the dramatic exclamation of Lucy. "THIS IS MY YEAR!". We witness Snoopy and Peppermint Patty glide along gracefully on a pond of ice in preparation for their world tour. Lu cy throws a piano tantrum in her efforts to get LInus' attention...and a pianovoric tree appears. Snoopy introduces us to the exotic world of the "I'm Too Stupid to know the difference Dance' (and other favorites). Yes, the beloved Red Baron does return to the skies to fight another day. Snoopy begins his great novel (It was a dark and stormy night...) There are so many special times in this book, I can scarce put it down for fear of losing my place...Ah, just a few more minutes to soak up the world that Sparky created, just a few more pages and I will put this book down.
Who am I kidding?
(long pause)
I write these words with a light heart. Another two years have gone by, and now I wait again for my Peanuts to reappear. When my grand-son comes over, we will sit together, he and I. He will ask me to read my favorite book, and the Peanuts journey will begin once again.
www.fantagraphics.com
Tim Lasiuta
Rating:  -
Many memorable stories here:Snoopy on the moon, Lucy feeds Schroeder's piano to the kite-eating tree, the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm scenario of a protest against that stupidest war, Vietnam Bloody War. Alas, from now on the Peanuts Gang shall be progressively more neglected in favour of Snoopy's fancy impersonations and his little bird's friend, Woodstock. Frieda gone, Shermy gone, and scarcely a story that doesn't involve Snoopy and/or Woodstock. But this is still a good book, with many goldies and oldies.
Rating: -
After nine previous volumes, this volume, volume 10, brings Peanuts into my lifetime. It was fun to read my birthday strip which has Linus and Charlie Brown discussing the fact that one more forfeit will put their baseball team in first place. For some reason, I find this comforting.
In any case, for those of us who really enjoy Peanuts, there is plenty to enjoy from 1969 and 1970. Two words: "head beagle." We also finally discover that the name of that bird that can't seem to fly straight is Woodstock.
All it all, it has been a great pleasure to collect these volumes of Peanuts strips. As always, I can't wait for the next one to come.
Rating: -
Another momentous event occurs in this, the tenth volume of what seems like an infinite series. 232 pages in, the various birds that have hung around Snoopy's place since the mid 1960s finally achieve distillation down to a recognizable unit. On June 22nd, 1970, Snoopy addresses the reader: "I finally found out what that stupid bird's name is... you'll never believe it.. Woodstock!" In the tradition of Mutt and Jeff, Batman and Robin, and even Laurel and Hardy, Snoopy and Woodstock became, from that moment on, almost inseparable companions. In this volume Snoopy plays straight man... dog... to Woodstock's fumblings. Most of their interaction at this point follows the same pattern: Woodstock runs into a tree, Snoopy comments, Woodstock takes a raucous birdbath, Snoopy comments, etc. After twenty years of Peanuts, its most famous duo has finally coagulated. A standout volume, indeed.
By this point the Peanuts gang had so settled into their routines, histrionics, and personalities that further comment isn't required. The absences remain more pronounced than the appearances. For instance, Pigpen does not appear once (though his filthy aura graces the spine). Shermy appears twice. When Frieda appears, she almost always goads Snoopy into chasing rabbits and not much more. Franklin's around, but he never plays a leading role. Peppermint Patty's monolithic personality crowds out these lesser characters. And Marcie doesn't even appear until the next volume. The Peanuts stage and cast won't change much for a few decades.
This volume closes out the 1960s. Some consider this decade the strip's absolute peak with the onset of the 1970s signaling the a decline that culminates in the 1990s. Whether true or not, no evidence of decline appears in this volume. Apart from The World War I Flying Ace, Snoopy takes on other personas, including the rather bizarre "World Famous Grocery clerk," first Beagle on the moon ("You can tell I'm returning because I'm facing the other way" (March 8, 10 - 15, 1969), hockey player, aspiring novelist, and a prototype "Joe Cool" complete with shades (June 13, July 24, 1970).
Other highlights include: Lucy throws Schroeder's piano into a kite eating tree (January 20 - 25, 27 - 30, 1969); Lucy looks for the answers to life (March 17 - 21; Linus tells her "5"); a timeout for a bug crossing the infield (May 12, 1969); the little red haired girl moves away (July 14 - 19, 21 - 24, 1969); Snoopy gets "rejection slip shock" (September 12, 1969); Snoopy gets reported to the "Head Beagle" (October 9 - 11, 13 - 18, 20 - 21, 1969); Linus recites "begat" Bible verses (December 21, 1969); Snoopy becomes "Head Beagle" (February 16 - 21, 26 - 28, March 2 - 7, 9 - 13, 1970); a riot breaks out at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm (June 29 - July 4, 6 - 8), "Woodstock is glad that he tastes terrible with cranberry sauce" (November 26, 1970).
"The Complete Peanuts" is now ten volumes strong. Fantagraphics, the publishers of the series, have recently completed the amazing feat of reprinting the complete Krazy Kat Sunday pages. Any company that can accomplish that Herculaen task will very likely finish the entire 50 year run of Peanuts. The single complaint remains the lack of color on the Sunday pages. Still, having even twenty years of complete Peanuts strips more than makes up for the colorless Sundays. Be sure to clear off a few bookshelves to fit the next thirty years in.
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