CHARLES M. SCHULZ

This manga-style biography translated from Japanese focuses on the “Peanuts” creator’s early struggles to master his art before making a living from it.

This work immediately immerses readers in the life of Charles “Sparky” Schulz, a shy, fundamentally decent Midwestern boy who grew up to be the same sort of young man, then family man, then grandfather, all while becoming one of the most iconic cartoonists ever. The story frames the dedicated young artist’s strenuous efforts to succeed in both craft and career. Following manga conventions, quickening heartbeats and other sound effects crank up the feels. The big eyes, sweet smiles, and static figures intimately bent toward one another in Kuki’s mix of color and monochrome panels provide twinkly undertones to the subject’s rise to world-class professional artist. Readers may be disappointed to find only a few samples of the original strips, and Franklin, a Black character Schulz introduced in 1968, whose integration with the white characters caused controversy in some circles, is strangely omitted. The rich array of details about how Schulz named and developed his characters, as well as insights into how they reflected his own experiences with anxiety and unrequited love, are fascinating, however.

Bland and a bit selective but still a gold mine for budding cartoonists and “Peanuts” fans.