"It Was a Dark and Stormy Night, Snoopy" [Paperback]

Charles M. Schulz (Author)

Book Description

It’s the writer’s life for Snoopy!

The world’s most talented beagle has found a new career—as a writer, of course! The Literary Ace works feverishly on his typewriter, day and night, atop his doghouse. And while Snoopy is busy writing the next great American novel, you can be sure that the rest of the Peanuts gang will try to get in on the action—especially that “round-headed kid,” Charlie Brown. ’Cause it just wouldn’t be a story without some great characters—the ones right under our favorite doggy virtuoso’s nose!

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

It's the writer's life for Snoopy!

The world's most talented beagle has found a new career-as a writer, of course! The Literary Ace works feverishly on his typewriter, day and night, atop his doghouse. And while Snoopy is busy writing the next great American novel, you can be sure that the rest of the Peanuts gang will try to get in on the action, especially that round-headed kid, Charlie Brown. Cause it just wouldn't be a story without some great characters; the ones right under our favorite doggy virtuoso's nose!

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345442725
• ISBN-13: 978-0345442727
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.4 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #796,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Charles M. Schulz was born November 25, 1922 in Minneapolis. His destiny was foreshadowed when an uncle gave him, at the age of two days, the nickname Sparky (after the racehorse Spark Plug in the newspaper strip Barney Google).

In his senior year in high school, his mother noticed an ad in a local newspaper for a correspondence school, Federal Schools (later called Art Instruction Schools). Schulz passed the talent test, completed the course and began trying, unsuccessfully, to sell gag cartoons to magazines. (His first published drawing was of his dog, Spike, and appeared in a 1937 Ripley's Believe It Or Not! installment.) Between 1948 and 1950, he succeeded in selling 17 cartoons to the Saturday Evening Post--as well as, to the local St. Paul Pioneer Press, a weekly comic feature called Li'l Folks. It was run in the women's section and paid $10 a week. After writing and drawing the feature for two years, Schulz asked for a better location in the paper or for daily exposure, as well as a raise. When he was turned down on all three counts, he quit.

He started submitting strips to the newspaper syndicates. In the spring of 1950, he received a letter from the United Feature Syndicate, announcing their interest in his submission, Li'l Folks. Schulz boarded a train in June for New York City; more interested in doing a strip than a panel, he also brought along the first installments of what would become Peanuts--and that was what sold. (The title, which Schulz loathed to his dying day, was imposed by the syndicate). The first Peanuts daily appeared October 2, 1950; the first Sunday, January 6, 1952.

Diagnosed with cancer, Schulz retired from Peanuts at the end of 1999. He died on February 13, 2000, the day before Valentine's Day--and the day before his last strip was published--having completed 17,897 daily and Sunday strips, each and every one fully written, drawn, and lettered entirely by his own hand--an unmatched achievement in comics.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fooled by the Title!, March 17, 2004

By 

"hallran" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night, Snoopy" (Paperback)

Ok, for some reason, possibly by the title, cover, and back description, I got the idea this book was going to be all about Snoopy's attempts at the great American novel. Though there are a couple such strips, it is the entire 1995 year. But that ultimately didn't matter.

Full of the usual humor only Schulz could think of, there's the strips that make you laugh lighty, some that make you howl (Conrad, get his beak pierced?), but always make you smile. Good compilation, as usual, and worth the purchase if you're a fan of the strip.

Can't wait for the first book in the new series to come out though!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally, the 1995 Year of Peanuts is Chronicled!, March 4, 2004

By 

K. Palmer (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night, Snoopy" (Paperback)

Since the Peanuts series ended in 2000, Ballantine Books have been issuing compilations of the last years of Peanuts in reverse order (1999-2000 first, then 1998, 1997 and 1996). But for about two years I have waited for a book with the 1995 strips, which would complete their series (earlier years were compiled by other publishers). But in this book, all of the strips from 1995 are published. The strips aren't the best in Peanuts history (I think Schulz did his best work in the 1970's), but they still are interesting to review. This was a period when Schulz did away with his typical four panel weekday strip and mixed things up (with many of his strips being just one large panel).

Since the new Fantagraphics series, which will publish all of the Peanuts strips in order over a 12+ year period won't get to the 1995 season for about 10 years, this book is a must for the Peanuts collector.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brings smiles when needed, May 21, 2007

By 

Bit Twiddler "Ron" (MO USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night, Snoopy" (Paperback)

This was recommended to me by a writer friend. It didn't disappoint me. Now have it on corner of my desk for those trying times when smile or laugh is needed.