Mr. Michaelis referred to numerous interviews throughout Charles Schulz’s life in which he talked about his own "melancholy" and anxieties. "I have this awful feeling of impending doom," he said on "60 Minutes" in 1999. "I wake up to a funeral-like atmosphere." Many portraits of Schulz pick up the same theme. Rheta Grimsley Johnson’s 1989 biography, "Good Grief: The Story of Charles M. Schulz," similarly describes him as depressed and plagued by panic attacks, despite a large family and mammoth financial and critical success. Nor does it seem that Mr. Michaelis made a secret of his perspective. He wrote an appreciation of Schulz in Time magazine in December 2000 after his death at 77 in which he clearly laid out the thesis he expands on in his 655-page book, sometimes word for word.

Join indie-guru Hal Niedzviecki on a how-to journey through the world of pop culture. In his upbeat, spirited style, Niedzviecki first provides a quick history of entertainment — from its origins through to the present day, when corporate powers largely determine what we read, hear and watch.

Niedzviecki then shows how to reclaim cultural expression by encouraging everyone to use the tools of modern media: print (self-publishing zines, comics and books), video (making movies and shows), CD (creating original music) and the indie-paradise of the Internet (websites, blogs, video games). Quick and easy do-in-a-day project ideas are included, so emerging artists will feel ready to tackle more ambitious works.

Punctuated by inspiring interviews with young creators, engaging sidebars, and zine-style graphics that capture the spirit of the indie movement, The Big Book of Pop Culture is an empowering guide to original artistic expression.

COMICS INTROSPECTIVE conveys what it’s like to hang out with an indy comics talent,” Irving states. “It’s done with a combination of original photography, multiple art gallery sections, and an introspective dialogue with each subject. Don’t expect a standard retrospective interview with these folks: these are in-depth, casual, yet often hard-hitting conversations that just happen to be documented in book form.”