▁they ▁were ▁not ▁as ▁good ▁as ▁the ▁ones ▁he ▁drew ▁later ▁in ▁his ▁career . ▁Appro xim ately ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 , 8 9 7 ▁stri ps ▁had ▁never ▁appeared ▁in ▁a ▁previous ▁U . S . ▁collection . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁book ▁in ▁the ▁series ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁and ▁to pped ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁Best ▁S eller ▁List . ▁ ▁Vol umes ▁Besides ▁Schul z ' s ▁work , ▁each ▁book ▁contains ▁an ▁introduction ▁by ▁an ▁influ ential ▁individual ▁( o ften ▁with ▁a ▁connection ▁to ▁Schul z ), ▁an ▁index ▁of ▁them es ▁and ▁characters , ▁additional ▁art ▁by ▁designer ▁S eth ▁( all ▁of ▁which ▁is ▁directly ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁specific ▁Pe an uts ▁panel ), ▁and ▁a ▁bi ography ▁of ▁Schul z ▁written ▁by ▁series ▁editor ▁Gary ▁Gro th . ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁first ▁volume ▁contains ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁Schul z ▁conducted ▁by ▁Gro th ▁and ▁an ▁extended ▁bi ography . ▁Sunday ▁pan els , ▁which ▁originally ▁appeared ▁in ▁color , ▁are ▁presented ▁in ▁black ▁and ▁white ▁in ▁the ▁series ▁( a ▁decision ▁approved ▁by ▁Schul z ' s ▁wid ow , ▁Jean ▁Schul z ). ▁The ▁hard cover ▁volumes ▁measure ▁ ▁× ▁ ▁while ▁the ▁soft cover ▁volumes ▁are ▁ ▁× ▁. ▁ ▁All ▁the ▁characters ▁on ▁the ▁covers ▁( and ▁their ▁styles ) ▁match ▁the ▁time ▁period ▁each ▁volume ▁represents . ▁ ▁Volume ▁ 2 5 , ▁covering ▁the ▁years ▁