Derrick Bang's Guide to Peanuts

I've been an avid Peanuts fan since back in the day, when I learned to read by happily paging through the Fawcett Crest Peanuts reprint books that my father brought home as gifts, when he returned from a business trip.

I built that interest into a serious collection of Peanuts books and Christmas ornaments as I grew older, and eventually crossed paths with Andrea Podley and the Peanuts Collector Club. Her patience with a guy who was, at the time, spending countless hours in the local library while trying to compile every Peanuts strip ever published -- this was years before Fantagraphics began its Complete Peanuts project -- led to many new friends and like-minded fans and Peanuts professionals.

As the years passed, and employing the skills I've honed from my years as a newspaper writer and editor, I've produced many articles on various fascinating aspects of Charles Schulz and the empire he built with Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest. And as much as I continue to love some of the collectibles, I've never lost sight of the important fact that it all started with a man, his drawing board and seven client newspapers back on October 2, 1950.

You'll find many of my articles within this site; you'll also find news, updates, research sources and links to other important -- or just plain fun -- Web sites with a Peanuts bent. Spend a few minutes (or several hours), and browse to your heart's content. And, if you'd like to get in touch...

e-mail your thoughts or questions.

Get Peanuts by e-mail! Have your favorite comic delivered daily to your inbox! GoComics offers free subscriptions to all sorts of comics, including Peanuts. Check it out here. Once you've arrived, you can either a) click on "subscribe free," beneath the strip, and then the "sign up for free" button in the subsequent pop-up window, or b) click on the "sign up for free" link in the upper-right corner. You'll then need to set up an account, which is no big deal ... and you'll be all set!

Current information about our favorite characters, such as news about the release of the newest volume of The Complete Peanuts or other books, details about how to get Peanuts checks or postage stamps from various countries, and other goodies.

The Peanuts FAQ File, our newspaper clippings archive, magazine articles about our favorite characters, and plenty of essays that explore the often fascinating world of Charlie Brown and his friends.

Other important Peanuts-themed stops along the World Wide Web, starting with the Charles M. Schulz Museum and United Media's official Peanuts Web site, and continuing through visits with Project Linus, MetLife and plenty more.

A biography and discography of Vince Guaraldi, the man who put the swing in Charlie Brown's step, along with articles about Peanuts music and links to other musicians important to the Peanuts universe, such as George Winston and David Benoit.

If you'd like to purchase something you see mentioned in these pages, or if you'd just like to browse through all the many Peanuts collectibles "out there," check out these vendors.

Ever seen a weightless beagle? Do you have a Peanuts tattoo to share? Want to know more about Zambonis? This catch-all section has all the links that I couldn't put anyplace else.

Starting with 2000's 50 Years of Happiness: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz, I've written or been involved with several Peanuts-themed books. If you're interested in my personal bibliography, look no further.

If you're thinking of asking us to send you some of Charles M. Schulz's licensed Peanuts art, read this first.

All PEANUTS characters pictured are copyrighted © by United Feature Syndicate, Inc. They are used here with permission. They may not be reproduced by any means in any form.