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News: It’s a Second Printing, Charlie Brown
posted June 7, 2004
June 7 -- Volume one of Fantagraphics' The Collected Peanuts showed decent middle-distance stamina by moving away from its first printing into a second, and over the six figure mark in terms of sales. The continued demand facilitated a second printing from Fantagraphics Books after an initial printing of approximately 70,000.
The book's designer, Seth, doesn't particularly see the sales success as a particular vindication for his design choices, which were greeted by some hardcore fans as too somber for mainstream success. "I'm gratified at the success of the book...but I don't feel like I can take much credit for it. It is Charles Schulz' book. Perhaps my designs help -- but how will I ever gauge that? Do I feel vindicated? Nothing ever makes me feel vindicated.
"I do know that it has been a genuine pleasure to work on the books," he continued. "I feel a real affinity with Schulz' work and surprisingly I don't have a big sense of trepidation when working on them… I feel quite free to pursue the design in as personal a manner as I can. While I have heard complaints, I've mostly received positive feedback. Which, considering that everybody knows just what a Peanuts collection should look like -- I'm surprised I've pleased anyone."