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News: Peanuts Hits NYT Bestseller List
posted May 23, 2004
 

May 23 -- The first volume of a 25 book series reprinting the entirety of Charles Schulz's newspaper strip masterwork, The Complete Peanuts 1950-1952 appeared at #19 on the New York Times Hardcovers Bestsellers list after its first week in bookstores. The listing was the first for Fantagraphics (also publishers of this magazine) or, for that matter, any North American alternative comic book publisher. The New York Times bestseller listings combine legitimate sales information with the important signifier that comes with the list's pedigree. An appearance can lead to additional movement in stores due to the added exposure and via further attention, consideration and care from booksellers.

The Complete Peanuts 1950-1952 also slipped into the top 25 for sales at the on-line retailer Amazon.com during roughly the same time period.

Fantagraphics Co-Publisher Kim Thompson informed the Journal that as of May 15, 55,000 copies of the volume had been sold of 70,000 initially printed. The company plans to release two new volumes a year and keep previous books in print for as long as possible during a decade-plus rollout. The placement on the New York Times list comes slightly over a year since the publisher made a public appeal for help and conducted a special sale to keep from closing its doors.