M. Thomas Inge | Peanuts & Faulkner

December 14, 2007

Interview with M. Thomas Inge: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The first author guest featured this week is M. THOMAS INGE, an authority on popular culture and the history of the comic arts. He is the author or editor of over 50 books. His three-volume Handbook of American Popular Culture was cited by the American Library Association as an outstanding reference work in 1979 and was issued in a revised and expanded edition in 1989.From Booklist, the review of his book “Charles Schulz: Conversations”:

The media tributes that followed cartoonist Schulz’s death in February gave fans a glimpse at the quiet, unassuming creator of the beloved comic strip “Peanuts.” Those seeking additional insight into Schulz and his work can turn to the 16 interviews collected in this volume, which range from a 1957 Saturday Evening Post feature portraying Schulz as an unsophisticated, Middle-American everyman to the collection’s highpoint, a lengthy late-career dialogue with the Comics Journal, a publication known for applying critical rigor to the lowly comics medium. Christian Herald and Psychology Today interviews focus on aspects of Schulz’s work that were of particular interest to their readers, and a Los Angeles Times sports pages piece examines Charlie Brown’s losing record on the ball field. Schulz’s comments touch upon everything from his drawing technique and work habits to theological ruminations. In all the interviews, his basic decency and commitment shine through, and the modest Schulz refuses to admit that his work could be considered art. The thoughtfulness and creativity he demonstrates in these pages belie his demurrals. Gordon Flagg

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