Happy almost turkey day, you turkeys (which is what my grandma calls us). Hope your family dinners are free of food flying political arguments. But if not, you can bury, calm, and reset yourself with one of these titles, available in stores now
The Realist Cartoons – by Ethan Persoff, Paul Krassner
The Realist was the legendary satirical magazine published from 1958 to 2001. Founded and edited by the brash provocateur, radical, and prankster Paul Krassner, humor and ridicule were the magazine’s weapons of choice, and Krassner assembled an amazingly eclectic list of contributing writers—including Norman Mailer, Lenny Bruce, Ken Kesey, Joseph Heller, and Woody Allen— who assaulted the American culture. Krassner’s credo was “Irreverence is our only sacred cow,” and in order to practice what he preached, he published some of the most incendiary cartoons that ever appeared in an American magazine. The Realist Cartoons collects for the first time the best, the wittiest, and the most provocative drawings that appeared throughout the magazine’s history, including work by R. Crumb, Art Spiegelman, S. Clay Wilson, Jay Lynch, Trina Robbins, Mort Gerberg, Jay Kinney, Richard Guindon, Nicole Hollander, Skip Williamson, and many others.
The Complete Peanuts Vol. 26: Comics & Stories – by Charles Schulz
While the 50-year run of the Peanuts newspaper strip (1950–2000) is obviously the heart and soul of Charles Schulz’s career, he also created a large amount of Peanuts material that didn’t run in the strip. This bonus 26th volume of The Complete Peanuts collects all of Schulz’s non-strip related Peanuts art: storybooks, comic book stories, single-panel gags, advertising art, book illustrations, photographs, and even a recipe. With close to 1,000 Peanuts images included, all created by Schulz himself, no true Peanuts library would be complete without this final, celebratory volume of The Complete Peanuts. As a fitting end to the volume — and the series — Schulz’s widow, Jeannie Schulz, provides an emotional introduction to the volume, as well.
The Complete Peanuts ’61-’62 (Vol. 6) Paperback Edition – by Charles Schulz
Though the long-running hardcover Complete Peanuts series concludes this season, the paperbacks launch into the 1960s! Schulz adds two new cast members: The obnoxious Frieda, of “naturally curly hair” fame, and her inert, seemingly boneless cat Faron. The rapidly maturing Sally, who was just born in the previous volume, is ready to start kindergarten and not at all happy about it. Linus’ life is particularly turbulent, as he is forced to wear glasses, sees the unexpected return of his beloved Miss Othmar, and coaxes Sally into the cult of the Great Pumpkin (with regrettable results).
Peanuts Every Sunday Vol. 4 1966-1970 – by Charles Schulz
Since their original publication, Peanuts Sundays have almost always been collected and reprinted in black and white. But many who read Peanuts in their original Sunday papers remain fond of the striking coloring, which makes for a surprisingly different reading experience. These late 1960s strips from our latest volume depict Schulz at his philosophical and illustrative peak in one gorgeous, full-color coffee table book. Linus, Charlie Brown, Pig-Pen, Shermy, Violet, Sally, Patty, and Schroeder are all present, and the rising star is undoubtedly Snoopy. Peanuts Every Sunday: 1966–1970 has been scrupulously re-colored to match the original syndicate coloring — allowing readers once again to plunge back into Charles Schulz’s marvelous world.
The Complete Peanuts Final Gift Box Set – by Charles Schulz
Gift box set featuring the two final hardcover volumes in The Complete Peanuts series: Volume 25 (1999-200) and Volume 26 (Comics & Stories).