For many of us, the best part of waking up on Sunday morning wasn’t a cup of Folger’s, but the Sunday comics. My brother and I always fought over who got to read our favorite strips first, and that included Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz and his gang of relatable kids — who often offered surprisingly philosophical takes on the world.
And soon, a new book will offer fans a look into the life, art and legacy of Schulz and his famed creation. The Essential Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz, written by Mark Evanier, illustrated by Charles M. Schulz with an introduction by Patrick McDonnell and foreword by Jean Schulz comes out from Abrams ComicArts on Oct. 7, timed to the 75th anniversary of the classic comic.
“Having loved Peanuts since I was about Charlie Brown’s age (and no more successful at kite-flying), I was thrilled when Abrams ComicArts asked me to spend weeks reading and writing about the comic strip that was so much more than just a comic strip,” says Mark Evanier in a press release shared with PEOPLE. “The only drawback was that I tried writing the book sitting on the roof of a doghouse, but I kept falling off.”
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Below, celebrate Snoopy’s birthday with a sneak peek at a few of the spreads from the book.
The first strip
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Schulz originally wanted to call the strip “Good Ol’ Charlie Brown,” but the syndicate nixed that idea. As Schulz would later explain, “The initial theme of Peanuts was based on the cruelty that exists among children. I remember all too vividly the struggle which takes place out on the playground. This is a struggle which adults grow away from and seem to forget about. Adults learn to protect themselves.”
A little dog appears
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Snoopy made his first appearance in the third-ever Peanuts strip, joining Charlie Brown, Patty and Shermy to make a quartet. It wouldn’t be for six weeks that readers would find out his name, and they wouldn’t learn he’s a beagle for some time. Schulz later said he patterned Snoopy after a dog he had as a kid, named Spike.
Woodstock flies in
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As Snoopy fans already know, many of the most evocative Peanuts strips didn’t have any words at all. Here, we meet Woodstock for the first time — even though he’d changed significantly in appearance later on.
A few classic favorites
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In this selection of trips, we see the budding relationship between Charlie Brown and Snoopy, from strips spanning December 1950 to November 1951.
Snoopy gobbles up our hearts
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Many of Snoopy’s early appearances were focused on food and chasing his ball — which will feel familiar to anyone who lives with a canine companion — but he soon took on a personality that was as human as any of the other characters.
Snoopy shares his thoughts
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In this strip from May 1952, we see Snoopy’s thoughts for the first time. That further cemented his place among the canonical characters — and our hearts — forever.
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