It pretty much covers Schulz's entire life, from his early childhood experiences and him serving in WWII, to achieving his dream of becoming a cartoonist, his work process, his inspirations, his divorce, how he found love again at 50, and his special connection with his fans. There's also lots of interesting, and often touching, trivia included, like Snoopy and Charlie Brown's historical ties to the Apollo 11 moon landing, and the fact that 'Snoopy' is the name that his mum suggested they give their next dog, before she died.
The Manga biography of Charles M. Schulz is more or less tailored for younger readers, but can honestly be enjoyed by anyone who loves Schulz and his work. Much like the 'Peanuts' comics, the book is endearing and charming, but not saccharine, it doesn't gloss over things like the loss of his mother, the way the Second World War affected him, the failures and rejections that came before 'Peanuts' was eventually picked up, or his struggle with anxiety and depression. I loved both the unique approach of telling Schulz’s story through the manga medium, and the way it serves as a sincere tribute to both the creator himself and his work.
It may not include every detail the way a full-on written biography would, but after finishing this manga one will certainly have a pretty good idea about who Charles Schulz was and how much of himself he poured into all of his characters, as well as how his life experiences, the people he cared about, his personal mental health struggles, his perspective on sadness, loneliness, hopefulness, and his intentional rejection of cynicism were reflected in his work.
Big thank you to UDON Entertainment for giving me a review copy.
