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A comic artist is never in full control over their creation. The sketching tool might shake and wobble and swerve rather than turn — regularity remains an aspiration, not a guarantee. And a truly lively figure will eventually guide the artist, rather than the reverse. That was always how Peanuts cartoonist Schulz portrayed the reason Snoopy, his rambunctious invention, transformed between his introduction during the 1950s to his last panel features at the turn of the millennium.

“As my illustration method became freer, Snoopy was able to do more things,” Schulz said in 1975. “And as soon as I finally developed the technique of employing his creativity to imagine himself as numerous brave personas, the series adopted a completely new dimension."

Mapping the evolution of Snoopy’s design and individual nature might seem tedious through various Peanuts compilations, but thankfully for cartoon lovers, it's nearly turning slightly more manageable. Scheduled for the three-quarter century mark of Schulz’s strip, The Definitive Peanuts is a deluxe prestige art book by award-winning writer the writer which selects the most recognizable Peanuts strips and frames them combined with updated cultural and cultural context. Arranged by artist Chip Kidd, the volume includes a foreword by Jean Schulz, an opening by Mutts cartoonist Patrick McDonnell, and essays from 16 notable commentators (featuring a space explorer fond of Snoopy). Included in the set are a number of keepsakes, including postcards, reproductions, a stitched emblem, labels, plus a replica original strip compilation.

Developing from the publisher's celebrated Schulz publications, Evanier’s tribute explores the creator's innovative vision along with the comic's enduring influence across art, writing, and everyday life. The final product highlights how Peanuts has transcended generations, and transformed into a more significant entity than Schulz himself could possibly ascribe to his original vision.

Further down, there appear special excerpts from this definitive collection, particularly examining the transformation of Snoopy in the beginning stages.

Within his notes, featured in the book, the author points out how all of the artist's figures finally developed through sheer repetition and discovery, using Snoopy as the standout case. By the decade's close, Snoopy had become more elongated and ever more inventive, morphing into all sorts of animals to alter egos including Joe Cool. It's a stunning example of a skill which has faded with the print media fades, but clearly deserves a place in the annals of visual-art history.

The Definitive Volume, costing $75, debuts in stores on October 7th.