We’re now in one of Schulz’s
peak periods of creativity. Snoopy has become the strip’s dominant personality, and this
volume marks two milestones for the character: the first of many
“dogfights” with the nefarious Red Baron, and the launch of his writing
career (“It was a dark and stormy night …”) Two new characters —the
first two from outside the strip’s regular little neighborhood—make
their bows. Roy (who befriends Charlie Brown and then Linus at summer
camp) won’t have a lasting impact, but upon his return from camp he
regales a friend of his with tales of the strange kids he met, and she
has to go check them out for herself. Her name? “Peppermint” Patty. With
an introduction by filmmaker Hal Hartley, this volume contains 730 black-and-white comic
strips.
