(CNN) -- Who was the real Charles M. Schulz? Was he the man who suffered anxiety attacks, remembered slights for decades and put every ounce of existential angst into his comic strip, "Peanuts"? Was he the grandfatherly cartoonist hailed as a towering figure in American popular culture, who revolutionized the comic strip and created not only a multimillion-dollar business, but a daily touchstone for fans worldwide? Or was he between the lines in "Peanuts" itself, in the melancholy of Charlie Brown, the exuberance of Snoopy, the intellectualism of Linus, the directness of Lucy and the bafflement of Peppermint Patty? Biographer David Michaelis was intrigued by the seeming divide between the popular image of Schulz -- one the cartoonist fostered in interviews and talk-show appearances -- and the depth of emotion manifested in the comic strip.
@highlight
Charles Schulz subject of new biography, "Schulz and Peanuts"
@highlight
Book reveals little-known side of Schulz, including affairs
@highlight
Schulz very much a "genius," says author -- a complex personality
David Michaelis
"I think [@placeholder] wanted to write a book a certain way, and so he used our family."
Charlie Brown
Michaelis draws parallels between Schulz's sometimes contentious first marriage and the relationship between @placeholder and Lucy, as well as how romantic affairs and fantasies emerged in the strip.
Lucy
Michaelis draws parallels between Schulz's sometimes contentious first marriage and the relationship between Charlie Brown and @placeholder, as well as how romantic affairs and fantasies emerged in the strip.
Charles M. Schulz
Schulz
Charles Schulz
Schulz
Schulz
And he goes into @placeholder's dark places, from his fear of travel to the death of his mother.