BOOM! Studios to Publish ‘Peanuts’ Graphic Novel Based on New Film [Preview]

Coming in March is Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown, a graphic novel starring the beloved Peanuts characters created by Charles M. Schulz. Published by BOOM! Studios' children's imprint kaboom!, the book is an adaptation of the forthcoming animated DVD feature of the same name. Both the film and graphic novel are part of a major Peanuts campaign for 2011 that will see more special products, social media initiatives and events, including an additional non-comics children's book tie-in to the film. kaboom!'s graphic novel is scripted by Schulz's son Craig Schulz and Pearls Before Swine cartoonist Stephan Pastis.Happiness is a Warm Blanket is 46-minute widescreen animated feature that is, according to the BOOM! press release and reporting on TVShowsOnDVD.com, based on existing Peanuts work by Charles M. Schulz. While this kaboom! graphic novel is an 80-page hardcover comic book version of that retelling, there is precedent for original Peanuts comic books, as BOOM! Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon explained in the statement.

"New original PEANUTS comic book content is a tradition that goes pretty far back in comic book publishing," said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief, Matt Gagnon. "Dell Comics published 'Tip Top Comics' which featured new PEANUTS comic book content created under the guidance of Charles Schulz. 'Tip Top' ran from 1936 until 1961, creating well over 40 original PEANUTS stories and countless covers. It's exciting to be a part of the return of PEANUTS to the comic book format."

Featuring artwork by Bob Scott, Vicki Scott and Ron Zorman, Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown is the latest project from kaboom!, a rebranding of BOOM! Studios popular children's line that's produced hit licensed series including The Muppet Show, The Incredibles, and Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers. While the Pixar titles have moved to the Disney-owned Marvel Comics, kaboom! continues to publish original Disney-based comics like Darkwing Duck, Uncle Scrooge, Walt Disney's Comics and Stories and DuckTales. kaboom! will also publish Snarked!, an all-new original series by The Muppet Show writer/artist Roger Landrige, as well as Word Girl, licensed from Scholastic.