Snoopy, Linus and Charlie Brown: The never-ending track record of the Peanuts has many names. For more than 55 years the comic strips by author and artist Charles M. Schulz have been one of the most successful comic series worldwide. Today, more than 350 million “Peanut” books have already been sold and more than 2000 newspapers have published the funny stories – reason enough for a well-earned entry in the famous “Guinness Book of Records”.

Hamburg-based publisher CARLSEN now pays special tribute to “The Peanuts” and releases 25 volumes in German language, comprised of all comic strips published in daily and weekly newspapers between 1950 and 2000 – an incredible amount of 17.897 strips. So much material needs real perseverance: Although each volume contains comic strips of two years and the publisher releases two books each year, it will take 12 years before all books are available – a real comic monument. CARLSEN’s publishing strategy is modelled on the American edition. US publishing house Fantagraphic Books started publishing special editions in 2004.

Today, three volumes of the German “Peanuts” edition are already available at a price of 29.90 euros. Volume 4 will be release in spring 2008 and features comic strips from 1957 and 1958. Major distribution channels are traditional book shops and comic retailers. Each book launch is accompanied by media activities and large-scale POS promotion campaigns with special displays, shop window advertising material and flyers for final consumers.

“The Peanuts are and will always be steady-sellers with endless marketing potentials,” said Joachim Knödler, Director Sales & Retail, Copyright Promotions Germany – the official Peanuts licensing agency in Germany. “With Snoopy and his friends, licensees have the unique opportunity to realize long-term projects – success guaranteed.”