by Guy
Belleranti
When Charles Schulz’s Li’l Folks appeared as a weekly panel
comic strip in Schulz’s hometown paper, the St. Paul Pioneer Press,
history was in the making. For just a few years later, on October 2,
1950, this strip turned into what would become one of the greatest and
most loved comic strips of all time, Peanuts.
Actually Schulz disliked the name Peanuts, but United Features
Syndicate wanted that as the strip’s title, so Schulz, excited to at
last get a chance in the big time, acquiesced.
The strip premiered in seven daily newspapers, and started out
with four characters: Charlie Brown, Shermy, Patty and Snoopy (Charlie
Brown’s beagle). Charlie Brown soon became the main character, and as
other characters were introduced, Shermy and Patty appeared less and
less.
By 1952 Peanuts was also in the Sunday comic pages of some
newspapers. In addition, the first book collection, titled simply
Peanuts, appeared.
Peanuts increased in popularity throughout the decade. By 1958
the strip was appearing in 355 U.S. and 40 foreign papers. In
addition, several additional Peanuts books had been published.
However, this was just the tip of the iceberg. The popularity
of the strip and its characters grew and grew. For example:
- In 1960 Hallmark began producing Peanuts greeting cards.
- In 1962 Peanuts was named “best Humor Strip of the Year” by the
National Cartoonists Society.
- 1965 brought “A Charlie Brown Christmas” the first of many Peanuts
animated TV specials. Also, on April 9, 1965 Peanuts was featured on
the cover of TIME magazine.
- The strip eventually appeared in over 2,600 newspapers in 75
countries.
What made the comic strip so loved? First, there was the look
of his drawings. Schulz described his style as “The Toothpick School”,
as if drawn with a toothpick. A squiggle here and another there and he
could create hilariously funny expressions on his characters’ faces.
Second, there was his deft social comedy. Often inspired from his own
life, Schulz character’s, and their situations, hit the mark with
readers. They were people readers could relate to.
Some of the strip’s characters include:
Charlie Brown – the principle character, he is a lovable boy
who, while continually dominated by anxieties and shortcomings,
continues to persevere.
Snoopy – Charlie Brown’s pet beagle is memorable for his
daydreams as a writer where he always opens with “It was a dark and
stormy night...” Snoopy always sleeps on top of his doghouse, rather
than inside it. His alter ego, “the World War 1 flying ace” dons
goggles and a scarf when doing battle with the Red Baron from atop his
Sopwith Camel (his doghouse). Snoopy is also “Joe Cool”, where he
wears dark glasses while leaning against walls doing nothing except
looking cool.
Woodstock – Snoopy’s yellow bird friend who only speaks in
apostrophe marks.
Lucy van Pelt – a dominating personality who is often crabby
and mean to others, especially Charlie Brown. Her gimmick of pulling
the football away from Charlie Brown just as he is about to kick it is
hilarious.
Linus van Pelt – Lucy’s brother and Charlie Brown’s best
friend. He often carries his security blanket, and he has a steadfast
belief in The Great Pumpkin (a Halloween type of Santa Claus).
Schroeder – another of Charlie Brown’s friends, he is a
precocious pianist who idolizes Ludwig van Beethoven. Schroeder is
also the object of Lucy’s unrequited affection.
The Little Red-Haired Girl – an unseen girl who Charlie Brown
is in love with.
Many other memorable Peanuts’ characters include Peppermint Patty,
Marci, Violet, Pig-Pen, Spike and Rerun van Pelt.
Charles Schulz continued the strip for 50 years, with the last
original daily comic strip appearing on January 3, 2000. The final
original Sunday strip appeared a little over a month later, a day
after Schulz died at the age of 77 on February 12, 2000.
However, Peanuts lives on, with reruns now appearing in many
newspapers. Inducted into the Cartoonist Hall of Fame in 1986, Charles
Schulz was, without doubt, one of the greatest his field has ever
seen.
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