Charles Schulz: Quotes from The Commonplace Book

“Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn't work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos.”
― Charles M. Schulz

Even a Few More Variations on a Thanksgiving Theme

From the Schulz File

“Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn't work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos.”
― Charles M. Schulz

“My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I'm happy. I can't figure it out. What am I doing right?”
― Charles M. Schulz

Two Comics Collections: A Twosday Twofer

The Wizard of Id: 1972 Daily and Sunday Strips, by Brant Parker and Johnny Hart, Titan Books.

I think everyone likes to remember certain periods of the past by the best products of the time. When I recall what it was actually like to live in the 1970's, I think of ubiquitous cigarette smoke, awful synthetic fabric, and social and political unrest everywhere. One of the best things that came out of the Seventies (and one of the few things that made them bearable to live through) was the humor. And I find that some of the best humor is now preserved in these yearly collections of The Wizard of Id.

Created by Brant Parker and Johnny Hart, punched up by gag writers Jack Caprio and Dick Boland, the comic is set in the pseudo-medieval Kingdom of Id, ruled over by a short and short-tempered King. His main advisers are the Wizard (an incompetent magician) and Rodney (a cowardly knight). The concept of the strip allows for a broad spectrum of humor, from full-out jokes on human nature, to jabs at the social problems of the day, to fantasy-specific gags about magic and fairy tales (these last I particularly enjoy). Because of the Cloud-Cuckoo-Land setting the humor seems less of a period piece and more perpetually applicable.



The Complete Peanuts: 1985 to 1986, by Charles Schulz, Fantagraphic Books. Foreword by Patton Oswalt.

Few people reverence the art and achievement of Charles Schulz or love his creation, Peanuts, more than I do, but I have to admit (which I think few connected to the project of publishing the complete strips would) that by the mid-Eighties the comic was definitely on the downswing. Much of the humor seems to be Schulz saying "Look at these wacky trends! Aren't they funny?" rather than making any real gags. It's kind of like seeing your grandfather, if he been an elegant champion-grade ballroom dancer, trying to stay relevant by attempting to break dance. Patton Oswalt in his introduction points out how much of the comic during these years are "shadow autobiography," dealing with lawyers and product licencing; other parts seem recursive, the characters and established themes feeding in on themselves instead of blossoming outward.

But there are occasional nuggets of silver in the silt, if little gold, and I intend to keep collecting this series to the end, which should come in seven more volumes. As I said, I love Peanuts, and this complete collection will make obsolete a ton of the old Fawcett-Crest paperbacks I've been collecting since I was in second grade. With this volume I finally noticed a design feature of this set. On the spine of each cover is a little oval cartouche with a different Peanuts character. On the books from 1950 to 1974 the characters are walking to the left; on the 1975-1976 volume Charlie Brown stares straight ahead; after that, the characters are headed to the right. They seem to be headed to the future. I am going that way with them.

The Complete Peanuts: 1983-1984

Yesterday I got this in the mail. My latest purchase from E. R. Hamilton, and the seventeenth volume in the series. I like getting these through ERH; they are generally about nine dollars cheaper than cover price, and I don't mind waiting until they are discounted. By the early 1980's Peanuts was past its glory years (this was the era of Flashbeagle, aerobics jokes, and Trivia), but it is still pretty amusing. The love triangle between Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and Charlie Brown; Snoopy's brother Spike and his antics among cacti and coyotes; the story-line of "The Snoring Ghost," where Peppermint Patty's snores haunt her old desk: these all raised a few chuckles for me. These squat little volumes are starting to take up a lot of space.

500th Posting: Halloween, Death, Games And Dreams

To mark the 500th post of PowerOfBabel, I thought I'd return briefly to the original subject of the blog and update it with my latest acquisitions of action figures. It covers the last several months.

To begin with we have my latest purchases, some new Peanuts Halloween figures. I got Linus as The Monster, Sally as The Monster's Bride, and Snoopy as The Mummy with Woodstock as an archaeologist. Charlie Brown as The Vampire was included in the set, but I already have one like that from last year. I bought them at CVS Pharmacy, for $6.99 each. They come with cardboard backdrops of the pumpkin patch.

Next pictured are Kisuke Urahara and Toshiro Hitsugaya from the Bleach series. They were $17.99 each with shipping and handling from Entertainment Earth. Kisuke comes with hat, fan, and cane, Toshiro with sword.

Back when the Dragon Quest VIII action figures came out four or five years ago I was interested in them, but not so enthusiastic as to order them cold. Then we got the game for Christmas last year, and it just sucked me in. Now I had to have the action figures; the only place I could get them now was on eBay from sellers in China! Prices for each ranged from about $20 to $30, and then shipping, of course. They include: The Hero, with sword; Yangus, with axe; Jessica, with wand and whip; and Angelo, with rapier. The characters were designed by the same guy who does Dragon Ball Z.

Next is Zidane Tribal from the Final Fantasy games. He comes with two knives and a base. He cost $14.99 with shipping and handling.

Bringing up the rear are the Mad Hatter and Alice, under the aegis of Disney Alice In Wonderland Ultra Detail Figure, made by the Medicom Toy Corporation; the same fine folks, I believe, who brought us the best Planet of the Apes figures ever. I got these at Hastings for $19.99 each. These are very fine, detailed sculpts, with not a lot of action or any accessories (the teacup is forever attached to the Hatter's hand). The card states "Made With Care In Wonderland."

I also got some DC Universe characters for sale prices at Tuesday Morning: (Old) Bruce Wayne, (Tim McGraw) Batman, Warhawk, Lex Luthor, The Shade, and Cheetah. It was $14 for the six figures. I always liked the elderly Bruce Wayne in Batman Beyond; he perfectly embodies the trope of the Old Badass.

Halloween Peanuts 2009

Misleadingly marketed as "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" tie-in toys, these are available at the CVS Pharmacies at $6.99 each. Charlie Brown as a vampire, Lucy as a witch, and Schroeder as the Phantom of the Opera, with Snoopy and Woodstock in burglar-type masks (isn't there a specific term for these? Vizards, or something?) and a weird thin standee vinyl skeleton.

Here's the Autumnal Action Figures!

Possibly a tie-in to the new release of It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! There was a series of different Halloween figures before, but these are brand-new.

I went into a CVS store on an unrelated matter and found them there: Lucy and Peppermint Patty. Apparently Charlie Brown and Snoopy as the more popular characters had been scooped up already. I am going to check again later in case they get re-stocked, or at any other CVS I get close to. Each cost $6.99.

Lucy comes with a pointed red hat with stars, a white sheet costume, and a tub of bobbing apples. She is as she appears after the trick-or-treating at the Halloween party.

Peppermint Patty is an interesting case. The show was actually made before Peppermint Patty was established as a character. But somebody was in the hat and green mask and sheet costume that comes with the figure; it could have been Shermy or Patty or Violet or some other secondary character. But Peppermint Patty is more popular now, more well known, so it seems she was slipped into the anonymous role.