I remember eagerly awaiting each new paperback of the Peanuts collections in the 60’ and 70’s. Together my brother and I had most of them, and most were read to pieces.

But it was hard for me to imagine a biography done in this manner: 440 pages of comic strips done by the biographers to illustrate [[Charles Schulz]]’s life. Each page has two sets of black and white strips with the final panel giving a most Charlie Brown-ish gentle jab or twist. After each six day black and white daily cycle, there is full color Sunday style cartoon.

It’s a wonderful biography. I learned much about how Schulz and the Peanuts script revolutionized comics with their readily identifiable day to day events instead of the clownish adventures of earlier comics. I saw how the Peanuts characters were literally drawn from Schulz’s life. I enjoyed learning about Schulz’s faith and personal life. (I know I have a copy of [The Gospel According to Peanuts] tucked away unread – now I want to explore this).

When I first read a review of this, I couldn’t imagine how it could be done. Now I can’t imagine how his biography could be done any other way. Five stars for the astonishing creativity of this book.

As the Amazon description says: “Filled with affection, charm, and poignant insight, Funny Things imagines Schulz through the lens of the very world he created, inviting us all to meet the man behind the blanket.” ( )

Fittingly, this dramatized biography of the creator of Peanuts is told in comic strip form -- six dailies and a Sunday page, over and over -- and filled with melancholy humor and relentless self-examination. It's also conveniently sized to fit next to Fantagraphics' "Complete Peanuts" collection on your bookshelf.

Sure, the facts and timeline get a little fuzzy, but a fascinating portrait of Charles M. Schulz emerges, a talented man of immense arrogance and raging self-doubt. It hits the highlights of his career and personal life, but leaves you hungry to learn more.

It pairs well with Bill Griffith's recent Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller: The Man Who Created Nancy. ( )