If you haven’t read Monte Schulz’s comment on Mr. Media‘s audio interview with David Michaelis, and how the book came to be written, click here. This Peanuts cartoon seems somewhat apropos. Note that the word balloon in the first panel is not touching the top border. I’m sure you must know why!
©UFS
Cartoonist and Charles Schulz admirer Jimmy Johnson seems to have started his commentary on the Michaelis biography of Schulz. I’ve figured out how to link directly to Jimmy’s posts, so click here for the first one, and here for his second. At the moment it appears Jimmy has a missing image at that link. In reference to his former wife Rheta’s authorized biography of Sparky Schulz, Jimmy says, “As I indicated in an earlier post, I was not just a bystander to all this.” I’m looking forward to what he has to say.
Just a quick note to say that I fully concur with Jimmy Johnson’s assessment of “Good Grief!” – it still “holds up”! While reading the “Schulz and Peanuts” book, I went back and re-read most of “Good Grief” as a break from the sometimes overwhelming Michaelis book. Rheta Grimsley Johnson’s book definitely gives an excellent, well-rounded portrait of Charles Schulz, the man and the cartoonist, without delving into the few (understandably) untouchable areas. While it was an “authorized” biography and approved by the man himself, it certainly did not present him in a totally uncritical light. There were many revelations in the book, such as unveiling Donna Johnson as the “little red-haired girl” and the frank discussion of his travel issues, which were ground-breaking at the time. I feel it was a testament to Charles Schulz that he allowed such details to be revealed. Credit should also go to the author for being able to present the many facets of the man in an enlightening way, without sugar-coating his personality quirks and opinions. In retrospect, it is obvious that the two off-limits areas, as mentioned by Jimmy Johnson, were two of the major portions in David Michaelis’ biography.