Unpacking Peanuts

Well, it’s that time again… the every 500-year reunion of all the beagles in the world. Also, Marcie is on a real high, Lydia and Linus continue their weird dance, and Snoopy is armed to the teeth… no license required. All this, and an epic shift on the good ol’ anger/happiness index.  Plus: What does the dog do when it catches the car? Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com Unpacking Peanut...

Be ready! Pay attention! Concentrate! Cuz Schulz is on fire again, and things are happening! Lydia is driving Linus nuts. Spike is acting as Snoopy’s shadow. And Charlie Brown and Marcie even have a date! Also, we finally get the gang’s hot takes on carrot cake! Plus: Ginny Rules! Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold B...

The comics page is revitalized with new strips from young creators, and it seems like the competition/inspiration has revitalized Schulz as well! Also, after decades of a rigid four panel format, Sparky is shaking things up. Plus: The Legend of the Red Hand Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com Link to the trailer for Andy: A Dog's Tale: https://youtu.be/15nOdgoN-J4?si=Ax95er-vPwQNqDOC Unpa...

The working cartoonists of 1987 pick Schulz as the greatest of all time! But with all the talk of aches and pains, it’s possible time is catching up with our hero. Meanwhile in the strip, Peppermint Patty and Marcie compete for good ol’ Charlie Brown while cheating on some tests, but at least Franklin is around as a stabilizing presence. Plus: The Donzerly Light Transcript available at UnpackingPe...

After 37 years, Charles Schulz has created a world that his readers have taken into their hearts. And as Sparky looks back by reflecting on the original “stuck in a tree with your kite” sequence, he is also setting off on an epic journey into the weird with the almost forgotten third Van Pelt child. Plus: Illiterature Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimm...

Schulz is at a crossroad in his career. He is now a member of a Hall of Fame filled with mostly dead people, yet he is still a working cartoonist who has no plans of quitting. How does an artist who wants to remain vital compete against his own past? Seriously… asking for a friend. Plus: Jangly Black. Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michae...

The Gang goes to Camp Remote which causes Marcie to emote. Linus also makes another strong showing with a few classic appearances, and the guys marvel at the expressive art of the mature Charles Schulz. Plus: Tapioca Pudding. Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Mic...

Schulz is having fun reintroducing Linus, and he creates a great foil for him in the enigmatic and maddening Lydia. Then, the gang gives the Unpacking Peanuts treatment to a Nancy strip. Plus: I’ll be a sellout! Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Michael Cohen. Ad...

In this wild episode, Unpacking Peanuts gets cyberbullied by a Who’s Who of Nancy Fans, including Bill (Zippy the Pinhead) Griffith, Tom (Seinfeld) Gammill, Raina (Smile) Telgemeir, John (King Cat) Porcellino, Todd (the Poet) Webb, and more! They explain why Bushmiller is the bees’ knees, and then we cover a batch of hilarious strips from 1986!  Plus: you have a ganglion cyst, Lucy Transcript avai...

It’s been a year of Sally’s anxieties, worm attacks, and hanging out at the mall. Some old favorites make some cameo appearances, Woodstock is bad at football, and the Sousaphone makes it’s long awaited debut (look it’s not easy to write these things) Plus: fuzzy uniqueness. Jimmy's upcoming comic - https://substack.com/@gvillecomics Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com Unpacking Peanuts i...

In this episode, Sally introduces us to “The Glamorous World of Punctuation,” Snoopy and Woodstock go fishing, and Schulz goes deep “Into the Weird.” Also, the guys take a hard look at Schulz’s evolving line work and talk about Old Man Snoopy. Plus: Jimmy realizes that the eighties were a long time ago. Gville Comics on Substack - https://substack.com/@gvillecomics Lovely Mother's Day story about...

We start our new format episodes by answering a listener question about art versus content… for half an hour! Then we get into the strips (27:46) where Peppermint Patty wins an essay contest, Snoopy is terrorized by an Ent, and Charlie Brown drops an easy fly ball but, like, learns a life lesson or something? Plus: Hopefully no one will notice you’re being creative. Link to Paul Hebert's blog abou...

As you know, Unpacking Peanuts began when podcasting was just in its infancy and people had yet to discover things like “microphones” and “earpieces.” But now, using only the latest in modern technology (and by that I mean the hard work of Producer Liz) we have upgraded our first two episode’s audio to a level that borders on the acceptable! Plus: We make some jokes up front. Originally released M...

Unpacking Peanuts has been blessed with a plethora (a plethora, I say!) of amazing guests. Hop into the Unpacking Peanuts Time Machine as we revisit our time with Jeannie Schulz, William Pepper, Joel Hodgson, Benjamin Clark, Alexis Fajardo, Ivan Brunetti, Will and Kevin Hines and more! Plus: Remember that one Family Ties when… Original Episodes released: Alexis Fajardo from 4/12/22 William Pepper...

Happy Mother’s Day, moms! This one's for you. The gang strolls through Mother’s Day strips from the 60s to the 80s. Spoiler alert… a lot of them are sad!  But don’t worry, Peppermint Patty pulls out a win in the bottom of the ninth. Plus: That Thing You Do Unpacking Peanuts is taking a spring break. We'll have episodes every other week, then return to our regular schedule in early June. Harold's R...

We wrap up the early 80s and then take a look at some of the strips sharing space in the paper with Peanuts this decade including Calvin and Hobbes, Cathy, Doonesbury and others. Then, it’s a deep dive into the UP mailbag, and some more hot takes on forty year old comic strips. Plus: A Who’s Who of…Who? Unpacking Peanuts is taking a spring break. We'll have episodes every other week, then return t...

Peppermint Patty flunks big time. What’s her punishment? A trip to Europe of course!  Back home, Linus and Charlie Brown fail to notice a sea monster. Also, the Unpacking Peanuts crew declare which character they each most relate to. Can the internet withstand the excitement?! Plus: Clouds of Despair Harold's Robot Monster project on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/3dfilmarchive/...

It’s 1984. A time for rumpled expressions, tall grapes, and spotting black. It’s also another year highlighting sports, exercise, and corduroy pants. Plus: Michael disses Toth. Harold plays the oboe. Jimmy paints a cow. And Liz acts like a duck. We mention our previous interviews with Ivan Brunetti: https://pod.link/unpackingpeanuts/episode/047974d2b761266524932f6c9024e7e7 and with Mark Crilley: h...

Charlie Brown finds himself in the midst of a love triangle. Of course he has no idea what to do about it, but maybe Sally can help him out. Elsewhere in the neighborhood… Rerun is branching out. Lucy is Crabby. And Woodstock does a little dance. Plus: The Palmer Method  Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. P...

Is it a bonus mini episode or a cruel prank played on you by the heartless hosts of Unpacking Peanuts? Only by listening will you know for sure! Plus: There’s a spider on your shoulder!  Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Michael Cohen. Additional voiceover by Aziza Shukralla Clark.  For more from the show f...

In this episode, the guys ask what it is that sparks a burst of creativity? And how does the calendar affect a daily cartoonist.  Linus kicks the blanket habit (briefly) and is trying to help others do the same. Peppermint Patty loves her dad and Spike is under attack by coyotes… but the Beagle Scouts are on the way. Plus: Did there used to be more trees? Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.c...

Marcie makes her move and shows Charlie Brown how she feels. Charlie Brown blows it, leaving Peppermint Patty to pick up the pieces. Elsewhere… Marbles shows up, Rerun returns, and Woodstock enters his David Foster Wallace period. Plus: An MVP sweep. Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by...

Happy any day, everybody! In this episode, Peppermint Patty is in a greeting card quandary. Woodstock is a knight in shining armor. And there are more unnecessary “quotation marks” than you can “shake” a “tennis racket” at. Plus: ginkgo biloba? Transcript available at unpackingpeanuts.com Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz S...

The gang has a lot of fun answering the mail, and celebrates by taking a look at a totally random selection of Peanuts strips from the early 50’s through the 70s. Plus: the Bechdel-WALLACE test. The organization we mention where Liz and Michael are volunteering to help Ukrainians practice English conversation is called ENGin.org Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com (and maybe now on Apple...

Marcie accidentally tricks Peppermint Patty into thinking she experienced a miracle, sending Patty off on a quest to better the world.  Elsewhere, Lucy’s prices are skyrocketing, but Violet is her same old self. In our world, Schulz faces a health crisis that will change his art forever. Plus: Tony’s Lunch. Girardville, PA. Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com Unpacking Peanuts is copyrigh...