Unpacking Peanuts
The show where three cartoonists take an in-depth look at the greatest comic strip of all time-- Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. Undeniably one of the most influential cartoonists in history, Unpacking Peanuts examines Schulz’s contributions to art, storytelling, and pop culture. Hosts Jimmy Gownley, Harold Buchholz, and Michael Cohen bring their lifelong love and admiration of Peanuts to the conversation. The interaction between the hosts is genuinely funny and insightful as they discuss the strip’s impact on the medium and the world.
Your Hosts
Your hosts for Unpacking Peanuts are Jimmy Gownley, the cartoonist behind Amelia Rules, The Dumbest Idea Ever, and Seven Good Reasons Not To Grow Up; Michael Cohen, cartoonist behind A Gathering of Spells, Tangled River and Strange Attractors as well as composer for the band Complicated People, and this podcast; and Harold Buchholz, executive producer and writer of Mystery Science Theater 3000, former vice-president of Archie comics and cartoonist behind the Instagram strip Sweetest Beasts. Unpacking Peanuts is produced and edited by Liz Sumner.
Episodes
Aug 1, 2023
Aug 1, 2023
58 min
Sally is talking to buildings. Woodstock’s got a bike. Lucy has some pitching advice, and someone called Loretta is selling Girl Scout cookies. Plus: Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!
Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com
Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Michael Cohen. Additional voiceover by Aziza Shukralla Clark.
For more from the show follow @unpackpeanuts on Instagram and Twitter, and @unpackingpeanuts on Facebook and YouTube. For more about Jimmy, Michael, and Harold, visit unpackingpeanuts.com.
Thanks for listening.
Jul 25, 2023
Jul 25, 2023
1 hr 7 min
Peppermint Patty drops out of society to beep ol’ Snoop on the nose. Can Marcie bring her back to reality? Also…what IS reality in Peanuts? Elsewhere, Sally really doesn’t want to watch someone throw up, and Snoopy lets it all hang out as he gives streaking a try. Plus: Wing It On Home!
Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com
Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Michael Cohen. Additional voiceover by Aziza Shukralla Clark.
For more from the show follow @unpackpeanuts on Instagram and Twitter, and @unpackingpeanuts on Facebook and YouTube. For more about Jimmy, Michael, and Harold, visit unpackingpeanuts.com.
Thanks for listening.
Jul 18, 2023
Jul 18, 2023
1 hr 5 min
This week we take a long look at the famous “Mister Sack” storyline; a sequence of strips from 1973 that Schulz picked as his personal favorite. Charlie Brown wears a paper bag on his head to hide the weird baseball looking rash he has developed. The results of this turn his life upside down. Plus: What! Me Worry?
Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com
Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Michael Cohen. Additional voiceover by Aziza Shukralla Clark.
For more from the show follow @unpackpeanuts on Instagram and Twitter, and @unpackingpeanuts on Facebook and YouTube. For more about Jimmy, Michael, and Harold, visit unpackingpeanuts.com.
Thanks for listening.
Jul 11, 2023
Jul 11, 2023
1 hr 9 min
Is Linus a genius, or… not? Thibault the bully is back, but Marcie is having none of it! Miss Othmar is back too, with no fanfare at all. Is it because Schulz is now reckoning with the success of the animation? Plus: Big Little Books
Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com
Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Michael Cohen. Additional voiceover by Aziza Shukralla Clark.
For more from the show follow @unpackpeanuts on Instagram and Twitter, and @unpackingpeanuts on Facebook and YouTube. For more about Jimmy, Michael, and Harold, visit unpackingpeanuts.com.
Thanks for listening.
Jul 4, 2023
Jul 4, 2023
1 hr 19 min
Charlie Brown almost gets honored but then doesn’t. Peppermint Patty takes on the notion of Truth itself, and Snoopy achieves the Alpha State. Meanwhile, in the real world, it’s wedding bells for Charles Schulz! Plus: Who are the Beaker People?
Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com
Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Michael Cohen. Additional voiceover by Aziza Shukralla Clark.
For more from the show follow @unpackpeanuts on Instagram and Twitter, and @unpackingpeanuts on Facebook and YouTube. For more about Jimmy, Michael, and Harold, visit unpackingpeanuts.com.
Thanks for listening.
Jun 27, 2023
Jun 27, 2023
1 hr 11 min
In this special edition of Unpacking Peanuts, the guys take a close look at three of Schulz’s classic 1972 stories… Snoopy Versus The Cat Next Door, Thompson Is In Trouble, and The Six Bunny Wunnies Freak Out. Plus: Fear and Loathing in Hennepin County
Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com
Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Michael Cohen. Additional voiceover by Aziza Shukralla Clark.
For more from the show follow @unpackpeanuts on Instagram and Twitter, and @unpackingpeanuts on Facebook and YouTube. For more about Jimmy, Michael, and Harold, visit unpackingpeanuts.com.
Thanks for listening.
Jun 20, 2023
Jun 20, 2023
1 hr 13 min
Charlie Brown is the talk of the girl’s camp as Peppermint Patty meets the legendary Little Red Haired Girl, and Linus makes a bold move. Back at home Charlie Brown tries his hand at football, and Snoopy almost pens an epic. Plus: Woodstock takes the win.
Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com
Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Michael Cohen. Additional voiceover by Aziza Shukralla Clark.
For more from the show follow @unpackpeanuts on Instagram and Twitter, and @unpackingpeanuts on Facebook and YouTube. For more about Jimmy, Michael, and Harold, visit unpackingpeanuts.com.
Thanks for listening.
Jun 13, 2023
Jun 13, 2023
1 hr 20 min
Schulz’s life is in upheaval and that is mirrored in the strip. Linus is thrown out of the house, Lucy is thrown off the baseball team, and even Snoopy and Woodstock are breaking up. Elsewhere, it’s Peppermint Patty versus the dress code, and Sally versus a coat hanger sculpture. Plus: Hey hey they’re the Monkees!
Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com
Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Michael Cohen. Additional voiceover by Aziza Shukralla Clark.
For more from the show follow @unpackpeanuts on Instagram and Twitter, and @unpackingpeanuts on Facebook and YouTube. For more about Jimmy, Michael, and Harold, visit unpackingpeanuts.com.
Thanks for listening.
Jun 6, 2023
Jun 6, 2023
1 hr 38 min
Snoopy’s got a new persona, and it’s one for the ages. But is Charlie Brown an incompetent or just wishy washy? In the other neighborhood, Peppermint Patty and Charlie Brown go to a fair which ends in a romantic disaster. Meanwhile, in our world, Schulz plays the hits. Plus: Wait… why am I telling you about Sister Ruth?
Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com
Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Michael Cohen. Additional voiceover by Aziza Shukralla Clark.
For more from the show follow @unpackpeanuts on Instagram and Twitter, and @unpackingpeanuts on Facebook and YouTube. For more about Jimmy, Michael, and Harold, visit unpackingpeanuts.com.
Thanks for listening.
May 30, 2023
May 30, 2023
1 hr 34 min
Doomed romance is in the air as Snoopy falls in love with his favorite author, and Peppermint Patty writes a “Dear Chuck” letter. Elsewhere, we discuss Schulz’s personal life imploding and give our standard, insightful commentary on Peanuts, cartooning, and how to avoid the draft. Plus: Linus is MIA!
Transcript available at UnpackingPeanuts.com
Unpacking Peanuts is copyright Jimmy Gownley, Michael Cohen, and Harold Buchholz. Produced and edited by Liz Sumner. Music by Michael Cohen. Additional voiceover by Aziza Shukralla Clark.
For more from the show follow @unpackpeanuts on Instagram and Twitter, and @unpackingpeanuts on Facebook and YouTube. For more about Jimmy, Michael, and Harold, visit unpackingpeanuts.com.
Thanks for listening.