Amy Johnson, daughter of Charles Schulz, poses with some of her father's comic strips in her home. Most devoted fans of Charlie Brown and Snoopy have no idea why the cartoonist places the words "Happy Birthday Amy" unobtrusively inside one of the comic panels each August, as a special message to her.
(Associated Press photo/Deseret News, Stuart Johnson)
And responds...(page 6)...
More news from the media world...
CLINTON WISHES SCHULZ WELL, SENDS THANKS
Dec. 16, 1999
By Chris Smith
Press Democrat Staff Writer
President Clinton on Wednesday wished
Charles M. Schulz a speedy recovery and
thanked him for the enduring comics
characters who have "taught us all a little
more about what makes us human."
In a statement released by the White
House, Clinton said he was saddened to
hear that Santa Rosa's most prominent
resident has decided it is time to retire the
nearly 50-year-old "Peanuts" comic strip.
Schulz, 77, said on Tuesday he needs to
concentrate on recovering from the colon
cancer discovered during emergency
surgery a month ago.
"Like all readers of "Peanuts,' I was
saddened by the news that Charles M.
Schulz will retire his beloved comic strip on
Jan. 4," the president said in his
statement. "But every one of his fans
understands that this difficult decision is
the right one for Mr. Schulz's health and for
his family.
"The characters Charles Schulz created
are more than enduring icons," Clinton
said. "Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy, Pig
Pen and Lucy taught us all a little more
about what makes us human.
"Virtually every day for a half-century,
Charles Schulz has shown us that a comic
strip can transcend its small space on the
page. It can uplift, it can challenge, it can
educate its readers even as it entertains
us. "Peanuts' has done all of these things."
Read the president's tribute, a grateful
Schulz said from his Santa Rosa home,
"That's very nicely put."
Prior to falling ill on Nov. 16, Schulz had
drawn enough daily strips to last through
Jan. 1, and enough Sunday strips to last
into February. He said he will draw one last
daily strip, a farewell strip that will run in the
more than 2,600 newspapers in 75
countries that carry "Peanuts."
Schulz said in an interview Tuesday that
though it's unfair to retire Charlie Brown
before the hapless kid succeeds in kicking
the football before it's yanked away again
by Lucy, all he wants now "is to get better."
The Ottawa Citizen, 12/16/99
SCHULZ PLANS TO GIVE FANS FAREWELL
By Mary Ann Lickteig
The Associated Press
Thursday, Dec. 16, 1999; 6:17 a.m. EST
SAN FRANCISCO �� Before he officially retires, Charles
Schulz
plans to draw one more "Peanuts" strip, his editor
says.
But whether Charlie Brown wins the love of the little
red-haired
girl, defeats the kite-eating tree or finally connects
with Lucy's
football remains to be seen.
"I haven't seen it yet; I can't tell you," his editor,
Amy Lago said
Wednesday. Then she thought a minute. "Knowing Schulz,
probably not."
Lago said she was unsure whether Schulz will draw the
strip or
put together a collage of characters Schulz has
already drawn,
but added she would not disclose the final strip or
its story line
before it is published Jan. 3.
On Tuesday, Schulz announced that he planned to retire
his
49-year-old strip.
He had drawn daily strips for use through Jan. 1 and
Sunday
strips for use through Feb. 13 before undergoing
emergency
surgery last month.
Doctors diagnosed him with colon cancer at that time,
and the
77-year-old cartoonist, who took pride in meeting
deadlines,
decided to retire when he realized that he did not
know when he
would be well enough to withstand the pressure of
daily
deadlines.
He also suffered a series of small strokes during his
surgery and
now has trouble with his vision while drawing, Lago
said.
"You wouldn't know it to see him. He recognizes people
and
faces," she said, and he is able to draw, but
something "clicks in
the brain" making it difficult.
He is expected to recover, she said.
St. Paul considering way to honor Charles Schulz
Public asked to give ideas on famous son
December 18, 1999
By Karl J. Karlson
The St. Paul Pioneer Press
The city of St. Paul is looking for ways to pay homage to one of its most famous sons, cartoonist Charles Schulz, creator
of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy and the rest of the "Peanuts" gang.
Since Schulz announced his retirement Tuesday, there has been a public outpouring of folks asking, "What can we do?" said
Erich Mische, director of strategic initiatives for Mayor Norm Coleman.
"We've gotten all kinds of calls from people offering suggestions, and we welcome any more they might have," Mische said Friday.
Schulz, 77, was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. Just prior to that diagnosis, he had stopped drawing new comic strips. Schulz worked
six weeks in advance, so when the new material runs out, he will officially retire.
The last new daily "Peanuts" strip will appear in subscribing newspapers Jan. 3, with the final Sunday strip published Feb. 13.
The son of a barber, Schulz grew up near Snelling and Selby avenues in St. Paul and was a 1940 graduate of Central High School.
After World War II, he began drawing the comic strip "Li'l Folks" under the pen name "Sparky." After the Pioneer Press decided not to
pick up the strip, it was bought in 1950 by United Feature Syndicate and now runs in more than 2,600 newspapers, reaching millions of readers in 75 countries.
Mische said he has no preconceived idea of what St. Paul or its citizens should do to honor Schulz or note the departure of "Peanuts."
"A lot of people out there have memories of him -- memorabilia. We may try to find space to display some of his work. We're open to any suggestion," he said.
Mische said the city has not contacted Schulz, who now lives in Santa Rosa, Calif., about any plans.
"We will eventually," he said, "but now he and his family should be concentrating on his health."
Schulz daughter nuts about "Peanuts"
Utahn says her dad is truly Charlie Brown
December 18, 1999
By Sharon Haddock
Deseret News staff writer
ALPINE � Most devoted fans of Charles Schulz's Charlie Brown and Snoopy cartoon characters had no idea why the cartoonist tucked the words "Happy Birthday
Amy" unobtrusively inside one of the comic strip panels each August.
Even his syndicate editors didn't know the message was meant for his daughter, Amy Johnson, who now lives in Alpine with her husband, John, rearing her family of
nine children, riding horses and running an LDS bookstore.
But the year they cut out the message, they discovered that the enigmatic, reclusive artist of the popular strip does nothing without good reason.
He deliberately penned in the note to his daughter six weeks ahead of time so it would come out in print on her Aug. 5 birthday. He didn't like it when the editors
erased it; they never interfered again.
"He's an original. He's obsessed with the comic strip, but he likes it," Johnson said. "That's why he would never let anyone else draw for him or use their ideas. It's
what makes him so unique and what makes the comic strip work. He took it all very seriously."
As a result, Schulz's seriousness has entertained and amused and enlightened a generation of readers as the Peanuts characters appeared in daily and Sunday
newspapers for 50 years as well as on television, in videos and in a variety of venues and products.
Charlie Brown has yet to receive a Valentine. Lucy is constantly crabby. Snoopy is still flying the German skies of World War I while Pigpen has yet to come clean.
And Linus is still holding fast to his beloved blanket.
Despite all of the unresolved story lines, the 77-year-old Schulz will stop creating his comic strip Jan. 3.
He was diagnosed with stage-four colon cancer in November. Schulz still has ideas for half-hour specials and wants to keep creating as much as he can, his daughter said.
But it's a stressful life for a cartoonist, particularly one who has outlived most of his friends and colleagues, and her dad, she said, has put in his time.
"I'm not sure what he'll do with himself once he quits doing the comic strip," Johnson said. "Every day for as long as I can remember, he's always
had to be home by noon so he can work. He's used the same pen and the same desk for 50 years, threatening not to quit until he'd worn a hole through the wood. He's
almost done that."
Johnson and her siblings grew up in the small town of Sebastopol in northern California, living a "very, very normal" life shared with the Peanuts gang.
"I liked Snoopy the best because of the funny ways Dad could draw him. They (the characters) all almost did seem like brothers and sisters to us. They were around
all of the time," she said.
Her dad wasn't, however. He was consistently holed up at his desk. Even today, he seldom leaves the house and rarely makes the trip to Utah to see his grandchildren,
ranging in age from 1 to 16 years old. He came to visit for two hours a few years ago and to tour the Mt. Timpanogos LDS Temple.
Johnson is a returned LDS missionary. She is the only convert to the church in her family and met her husband on her mission to England. Her father is "very, very supportive" of her
decision to join the LDS Church but not inclined to investigate, she said.
When he visits it's a grand occasion, Johnson said. Her father has promised to come back and restore some of his drawings on a bedroom wall that were inadvertently ruined
during a remodeling project.
"My dad doesn't like to travel. He just doesn't leave the house. He always sits in a room all alone and draws. That's what he does."
None of Schulz's children are artists, perhaps because their father's drawing was such a constant. "All five of us can't draw at all," Johnson said. "My son does. It must've skipped a generation
because my son Brian was drawing Snoopy at age 7 and I thought he was tracing them, they were so good. Then I realized he didn't even know what tracing meant."
The Schulz kids are starting to realize they've grown up with a legendary, creative and insightful man who met a strict self-imposed deadline every day for 50 years and
who will live on long after his time. "Most people aren't famous until after they die. My dad is going to have the unique opportunity to see how much
he's loved while he's still around. He can be happy and watch the world love him."
Johnson is starting to buy more Snoopy and Lucy and Linus toys and books and dolls even though she has always had a lot of samples around her from licensees who
"borrowed" the simple but multi-faceted and expressive characters.
"I used to not buy stuff because I felt stupid, but I just bought a pair of Snoopy hugging dolls and I bought out about 20 old Snoopy books that I found because they're
the ones I used to read. I realized I might want to have these."
In the meantime, Johnson has the original comic strip drawn on the day each of her children were born. She has a priceless photograph of her father reading "Peanuts" to
her. She keeps several Sunday panels, including the ones with "Happy Birthday Amy," in a vault. She and her brothers and sisters are making a trip to California this holiday to spend it with Schulz and his
wife, Jeannie.
"We decided we better be together for Christmas this year," she said.
And she's looking at everything she has from her dad a little more closely, with more of an eye for what she will always have of him.
"We always said when he died we absolutely would not let another artist draw the comic strip. That's never been done before. A comic strip is usually picked up and
continued. With us, there's no question," she said. "My dad is Charlie Brown, inside and out. Nobody else can be that."
Cartoonist's retirement chokes up voice of Lucy
Poulsbo resident Karen White provided the original TV voice for Charles Schulz's creation.
December 20, 1999
By Chris Henry
The Seattle Sun
A little piece of Karen White's childhood came to an end when cartoonist Charles Schulz announced last week that Charlie Brown and the rest of the "Peanuts" gang will retire.
Schulz, 77, who was diagnosed in November with colon cancer, said he is retiring for health reasons.
White, a Poulsbo resident, was the original voice of Lucy in early Peanuts television specials, including A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1963) and Charlie Brown's All Stars (1966). She is saddened by the news.
"I'm just like super depressed," she said. "It's really strange. It's been a part of my life for so long in one way or another. It's just a connection I've always had."
"Peanuts" has been a part of popular American culture for nearly 50 years.
That endearing underdog, Charlie Brown, was introduced to the nation Oct. 2, 1950. The syndicated cartoon strip eventually ran in more than 2,600 newspapers, reaching millions of readers in 75 countries. Television specials, greeting cards and other merchandise have helped anchor "Peanuts" in our collective consciousness.
White thinks "Peanuts" has endured in popularity over the decades because everyone can relate to at least one of the characters, be it Linus hugging his security blanket, Schroeder joyfully playing his piano or Snoopy, Charlie Brown's irrepressible beagle, pretending to fly his Sopwith Camel over the skies of Germany in pursuit of the Red Baron.
White played the bossy, sharp-tongued Lucy, who could always trick Charlie Brown into trying to kick the football, even though she pulled it away every time. Lucy dispensed blunt psychological advice from a booth that looked like a lemonade stand. She had a crush on Schroeder and refused to be discouraged by his cold-shoulder treatment.
Pert, friendly and forthright, White bears little resemblance to her alter ego. But she's got this little bit of grit in her voice, and you can almost hear her shouting, "You blockhead!"
"If someone yelled in one of the shows (as in AAARGH!), that was me," she said. "I was a great screamer."
And what does "Lucy" do now that she's all grown up? That's right, "The Doctor is IN," or at least the nurse. White, a licensed practical nurse, is executive director Bremerton's Ashley Gardens at Dyes Inlet, a residential facility for people with dementia. And wouldn't you know it, she married a blockhead. Her husband, Brent White, is a carver of wooden carousel animals.
The Whites presented a carousel Snoopy to Charles Schulz in honor of Charlie Brown's upcoming 50th anniversary. The whimsical carving is now in the Snoopy Gallery and Gift Shop in Santa Rosa, Calif.
White, 44, grew up in Hillsborough, California. Her second cousin, Lee Mendelson, is the producer of the "Peanuts" television specials. When "Uncle Lee" needed voices, "he just got the neighborhood kids together," White said. "That's how it started."
Recording the script took little memorization or even interaction with the other characters. An adult would read the line, and the child would say it back, with feeling, of course. Then the lines would be spliced together.
White and the other actors didn't think of themselves as big stars.
"When we got to the studio for the first time, we were just kind of, duh!' " she said. "I didn't even know how big a thing it was back then or how big a thing it was going to be."
White's window on stardom wasn't open long. After the first few shows, she literally outgrew the job. Over the years, there have been dozens of "Peanuts" kids, filling in the ranks as puberty hit their predecessors.
White still receives residuals, but they don't amount to much. She considered framing the last one, which was a check for $10.
In all her time at the studio, White met Schulz only once. During her seven years in the Navy, she lost contact with Mendelson, but her connection with "Peanuts" was renewed last year when her 15-year-old son, Patrick, interviewed him for a family history project.
Mendelson raved over Brent's carvings and commissioned the Snoopy for Schulz. The Whites took Patrick and daughter Brianna, 14, to Santa Rosa in late October to make the presentation. Schulz had been to the doctor shortly before he met with them.
"He wasn't as animated as I remember him," White said. "We didn't even know he was sick until we got home."
In a statement last week, Schulz explained his decision to retire, saying, "Although I feel better following my recent surgery, I want to focus on my health and my family without the worry of a deadline."
Schulz, who works six weeks in advance, drew his latest strips before he was diagnosed with cancer. When the new material runs out, United Feature Syndicate will offer old strips, starting with those from 1974. His last new daily installment will appear Jan. 3, and his last new Sunday strip will be published Feb. 13.
According to Mendelson, Schulz will continue to work on the animated shows, including a "Peanuts" 50th anniversary special, scheduled to air in May on CBS.
Schulz' contract states the comic strip will end with his death. He has personally written, drawn and colored each "Peanuts" installment.
"He is Charlie Brown," White said.
'PEANUTS': A CRACKERJACK COMIC
A Three-Part Look At The Strip's Life And End
December 20, 1999
by Dave Astor
With the 50th anniversary of his comic less than 10 months away, "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz is retiring to focus on regaining his health.
The cartoonist, who has been undergoing chemotherapy for colon cancer, will see his last original daily strip run Jan. 3, and last original Sunday strip on Feb. 13. Schulz, 77, did all the upcoming comics before his illness, except for special final ones he's creating for Jan. 3 and Feb. 13.
"Although I feel better following my recent surgery, I want to focus on my health and my family without the worry of a daily deadline," said Schulz, whose cancer was discovered during a Nov. 16 operation for a blocked abdominal aorta. He also suffered a stroke around that time.
The cartoonist, speaking during a 10-minute phone interview Dec. 14, added that he would have liked to have reached the 50-year milestone, but "nothing lasts forever."
Schulz is the most widely syndicated cartoonist in history, with more than 2,600 newspaper clients and an estimated 355 million readers in 75 countries.
Starting Jan. 4 for daily strips and Feb. 20 for Sunday ones, United Media will offer "Peanuts" reruns from 1974 on.
These comics will be distributed indefinitely, probably at the same price as originals but possibly at lower prices in "exceptional cases," according to United.
United Senior Vice President/General Manager Sid Goldberg said it's too early to say how many newspapers will use the reruns, but said he expected it to be a large number. He acknowledged that papers traditionally don't like comic repeats, but said many will make an exception for Schulz. "Symphony orchestras are still playing Beethoven 200 years after he died," remarked Goldberg.
Schulz is uncertain how the rerun idea will fare. "Some papers will like it and some will just plain drop it," he said.
Two newspaper editors contacted by E&P Interactive gave a thumb's up to repeats.
"I think it's a worthwhile endeavor," said Houston Chronicle Associate Publisher and Editor Jack Loftis. "Many younger readers have not seen the stuff from 1974 and those who did will appreciate the nostalgia involved."
Los Angeles Times Editorial Projects Manager and Comics Editor Nancy Tew added: "My hope is that we and most other papers will run it at least through 2000, the 50th anniversary year."
United's syndicate competitors are obviously watching to see how many "Peanuts" slots open up for their comics, while also realizing that Schulz's unique standing makes him deserving of reruns.
"I certainly think it's appropriate for now," said Copley News Service Editorial Director Glenda Winders. "As long as people want to see 'Peanuts,' that's exactly what I would do."
"There are a lot of gems in those reruns," added Universal Press Syndicate President John McMeel. "Probably a number of papers will use them, but it's hard to say how many."
Goldberg, who's also president of the Newspaper Features Council, did emphasize that "like millions of people, we're going to miss the new material... But we're gratified that Charles Schulz did the comic far longer than one would have expected a person to."
"Peanuts" began with seven papers on Oct. 2, 1950. As the comic grew in popularity, Schulz continued to write and draw every word and picture -- unlike many superstar cartoonists who use assistants.
Meanwhile, the comic spawned more than 1,400 books, more than 50 animated TV specials, and other spinoffs.
Licensed "Peanuts" products will continue, and Schulz plans to work on animation and book projects when his health permits.
"He won't have the daily deadline, but he'll still have the creative outlet," said Paige Braddock, the "Jane's World" Web cartoonist and former Atlanta Journal-Constitution graphics editor who's senior vice president and creative director of Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates in Santa Rosa, Calif.
Meanwhile, Schulz said he's spending time with family and friends, visiting his ice arena, and just trying to relax.
Will Schulz ever resume "Peanuts"? People who know him said it's theoretically possible but unlikely.
"He could do the comic, but he's very conscious about the quality and how it might suffer because of his health," said Braddock.
"To have the fullest recuperation, he has to put himself in first place and his comic in second," added Goldberg.
*******
"WE OWE HIM AN ENORMOUS DEBT"
People Praise Charles Schulz And His Comic
Seeing "Peanuts" in the newspaper every day has been a security blanket for millions of fans -- including cartoonists, syndicate executives, and others in the features biz. Here are some of their comments about Charles "Sparky" Schulz and his comic:
Scott Adams, creator, "Dilbert," United Media: "Charles Schulz was the best. And he was the biggest influence of my life professionally. It's no accident that I have a cartoon with a loser who has a dog that's smarter than he is."
Daryl Cagle, president, National Cartoonists Society: "There aren't enough adjectives to describe the guy and what he's meant to the profession. He's beloved. He's helpful to aspiring cartoonists and an inspiration to all cartoonists."
Lucy Shelton Caswell, curator, Ohio State University Cartoon Research Library: "We owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for the joy and pleasure he's brought millions of readers around the world for almost 50 years."
Lynn Johnston, creator, "For Better or For Worse," United: "I just find it astounding that he's done his comic for 50 years without any help from anybody. That's a marathon. As a total body of work, it's unequaled. I think he should be so very proud of what he's done."
Jack Loftis, associate publisher and editor, Houston Chronicle: "The strip is a piece of Americana. It's an institution. Schulz himself is an icon -- and a very sweet man."
John McMeel, president, Universal Press Syndicate: "He has set the bar. Very few have reached it. When Sparky Schulz said no one else could do 'Peanuts,' that was because no one could come as close to perfection as he did."
Nancy Tew, editorial projects manager and comics editor, Los Angeles Times: " 'Peanuts' is totally one of a kind. It can never be replaced. It hits all age demographics. And Sparky is a dear, wonderful individual."
Anita Tobias, vice president for U.S. syndication, Los Angeles Times Syndicate: " 'Peanuts' is an absolute classic. There's hardly a cartoonist I've known who hasn't cited Charles Schulz as an inspiration. He's a lovely, kind, gracious gentleman. I've never seen anything quite like the media coverage his retirement is getting. It's a real tribute to the man and his work and how loved he is."
Glenda Winders, editorial director, Copley News Service: "I work closely with our cartoonists and I've never heard a bad remark about him. They all look up to him as the one who does it best and remains a gentleman as he does it."
********
TIMELINE FOR A TIMELESS COMIC
Some Major Milestones For "Peanuts"
"Peanuts" has lasted from the Truman to the Clinton presidency -- and chalked up many milestones along the way. Here are some of them:
1950: "Peanuts" starts on Oct. 2.
1952: First "Peanuts" book published.
1955: Charles Schulz wins Reuben Award as cartoonist of the year from the National Cartoonists Society.
1958: Snoopy stands on two legs for the first time.
1960: Hallmark introduces "Peanuts" greeting cards.
1964: Schulz wins second Reuben.
1965: First animated special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas," airs on CBS.
1980: Women's Sports Foundation appoints Schulz as the only male on its board of directors.
1984: "Peanuts" is sold to its 2,000th newspaper.
1990: Schulz receives the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Ministry of Culture.
1993: Charlie Brown hits a game-winning home run for the first time.
1995: "Peanuts" chosen the best comic of all time in an E&P poll marking the centennial of comics.
1996: Schulz gets star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1997: Schulz takes his first official "Peanuts" break (for five weeks).
1999: E&P names Schulz one of the 25 most influential newspaper people of the century; plans announced for a "Peanuts" museum in Santa Rosa, Calif.; Schulz decides to retire.
Drawn Into a Dark but Gentle World
December 21, 1999
By Bill Watterson
Universal Press Syndicate
Editor's Note: Bill Watterson, the creator of "Calvin and Hobbes," greatly admires Charles M. Schulz and the influence "Peanuts" has had on the comic strip art form. Before Watterson decided to retire after 10 years, "Calvin and Hobbes" appeared in 2,500 newspapers.
Comic-strip cartooning requires such a peculiar combination of talents that there are very few people who are ever successful at it. Of those, Charles M. Schulz is in a league all his own. Schulz reconfigured the comic-strip landscape and dominated it for the last half of its history. One can scarcely overstate the importance of "Peanuts" to the comics, or overstate its influence on all of us who have followed.
By now, "Peanuts" is so thoroughly a part of the popular culture that one loses sight of how different the strip was from anything else 40 and 50 years ago. We can quantify the strip's success in all its various commercial markets, but the real achievement of the strip lies inside the little boxes of funny pictures Schulz draws every day.
********
Back when the comics were printed large enough that they could accommodate detailed, elaborate drawings, "Peanuts" was launched with an insultingly tiny format, designed so the panels could be stacked vertically if an editor wanted to run it in a single column. Schulz somehow turned this oppressive space restriction to his advantage, and developed a brilliant graphic shorthand and stylistic economy, innovations unrecognizable now that all comics are tiny and Schulz's solutions have been universally imitated. Graphically, the strip is static and spare. Schulz gave up virtually all the "cinematic" devices that create visual drama: There are no fancy perspectives, no interesting croppings, no shadows and lighting effects, no three-dimensional modeling, few props and few settings. Schulz distilled each subject to its barest essence, and drew it straight-on or in side view, in simple outlines.
But while the simplicity of Schulz's drawings made the strip stand out from the rest, it was the expressiveness within the simplicity that made Schulz's artwork so forceful. Lucy yelling with her head tilted back so her mouth fills her entire face; Linus, horrified, with his hair standing on end; Charlie Brown radiating utter misery with a wiggly, downturned mouth; Snoopy's elastic face pulled up to show large gritted teeth as he fights the Red Baron -- these were not just economical drawings, they are funny drawings.
More yet, they are beautiful. Drawn with a crow quill-type pen dipped in ink, Schulz's line work has character in its quirky velocity and pressure, unlike the slick, uniform lines of today's markers and technical pens. "Peanuts" could never be drawn by anonymous assistants, as so many other strips were and are -- its line is inimitable. The strip looks simple, but Schulz's sophisticated choices reveal a deep understanding of cartooning's strengths. I studied those drawings endlessly as a kid, and they were an invaluable education in how comics worked.
Indeed, everything about the strip is a reflection of its creator's spirit. "Peanuts" is one of those magical strips that creates its own world. Its world is a distortion of our own, but we enter it on its terms and, in doing so, see our world more clearly. It may seem strange that there are no adults in the world of "Peanuts," but in asking us to identify only with children, Schulz reminds us that our fears and insecurities are not much different when we grow up. We recognize ourselves in Schulz's vividly tragic characters: Charlie Brown's dogged determination in the face of constant defeat, Lucy's self-righteous crabbiness, Linus' need for a security blanket, Peppermint Patty's plain looks and poor grades, Rerun's baffled innocence, Spike's pathetic alienation and loneliness.
For a "kid strip" with "gentle humor," it shows a pretty dark world, and I think this is what makes the strip so different from, and so much more significant than, other comics. Only with the inspired surrealism of Snoopy does the strip soar into silliness and fantasy. And even then, the Red Baron shoots the doghouse full of holes.
Over the last century, there have been only a handful of truly great comic strips, comics that pushed the boundaries of the medium and tried to do more than tell little jokes as a relief from the atrocities described in the rest of the newspaper. Schulz does it all: He draws a beautiful comic strip, a funny comic strip, and a thoughtful, serious comic strip. For that, "Peanuts" has achieved a level of commercial success the comics had never seen before. We should understand, as Schulz did, that the merchandising empire "Peanuts" created would never have worked had the strip not been so consistently good. How a cartoonist maintains this level of quality decade upon decade, I have no insight, but I'm guessing that Schulz is a driven perfectionist who truly loved drawing cartoons more than anything else.
I've never met Schulz, but long ago his work introduced me to what a comic strip could be and made me want to be a cartoonist myself. He was a hero to me as a kid, and his influence on my work and life is long and deep. I suspect most cartoonists would say something similar. Schulz has given all his readers a great gift, and my gratitude for that tempers my disappointment at the strip's cessation. May there someday be a writer-artist-philosopher-humorist who can fill even a part of the void "Peanuts" leaves behind.
No "Peanuts"? It's our loss
December 21, 1999
By Mark Lane
The Daytona Beach News Journal
Imagining a newspaper without "Peanuts" is still difficult for me. But that's probably because I don't want to.
Charles Schulz recently announced he will no longer draw the strip. He is 77, battling cancer and has drawn round-headed children for a half century. His decision should be no surprise. But it is.
Schulz's work ethic and sense of craft were such that he drew his strips himself and still has enough to last until Jan. 3. This gives people time to get used to the idea. Maybe.
I look at the comics page and feel like an old fogy. I see past the tiny panels to what used to be there. "The Far Side," "Calvin and Hobbes," "Bloom County" and others you probably don't remember or haven't heard of. That's not counting the ones long gone. Artifacts of ancient graphic history: "Pogo" -- "Pogo" most of all -- "Steve Canyon," "Terry and the Pirates," "Dick Tracy."
Comic strips insinuate themselves into your life. They are not like other entertainments. Television series run a few months or a year or two. You expect them to come and go. Comic strips don't work that way. They are so much a part of a day's routine, so personally comforting that even in the unsentimental newspaper business, we expect them never to die. Each casualty is a shock, and readers write in protest.
Immortality is a bad thing in humor. I give Schulz huge credit for forswearing it. He won't allow anyone to take over his comic. After he stops, his syndicate will rerun his old strips rather than passing the franchise to less devoted hands.
I usually skip over immortal comic strips. They exist not because they are funny but because they remind people of a time when they used to amuse. When new artists take over a strip, it's a lot like new owners taking over a beloved landmark house. One of three things happens. They remodel and jazz it up past recognition, adding stucco, tile roofs, satellite dishes and picture windows to a Victorian exterior. Or they treat it like a historic site. One of those places that look as if they were hit with a neutron bomb after everyone had cleaned up for company. Everything looks grand, but there's no life inside. Or, saddest of all, they just let it slowly fall apart.
Second-, third- and fourth-generation strips are updated in ways that make no sense, treated as period-piece gag machines or are simply passed hand-to-hand to artists who are successively less interested in the job.
It's instructive to find some of the oldest ones reprinted in books. How strange to discover they possessed a life.It's like finding out your grandfather had a girlfriend. And she looked hot.
I wonder if a strip with the subtle, sweet-natured, beating heart of "Peanuts" would make it past the gauntlet of marketing advisers, focus groups and concept engineers that inhabit modern media. Too low concept. The gags are wistful, not yuk out loud. If submitted now instead of in 1950, it would never fly.
Without "Peanuts," I worry about the comic page. Sure, the page still will keep company with my cereal. But with Charlie Brown gone, I'll be even more uncertain of whether I've gotten bigger or the page has really gotten that much smaller.
Request for Schulz honors bringing some comic ideas
But heavy response for St. Paul tribute should find a winner
December 22, 1999
By Karl J. Karlson
The St. Paul Pioneer Press
How about replacing the 50-foot-tall, lighted "1st" atop a bank building in downtown St. Paul with a statue of Charles
Schulz surrounded by Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy and his other "Peanuts" cartoon characters?
The replacement of one city icon with another is among the 200 or so suggestions that have poured into City
Hall since mayoral aide Erich Mische issued a call Friday for ideas on ways the cartoonist's hometown could honor his
unique contribution to the world.
The red neon "1st" sign atop the First National Bank Building (which now houses U.S. Bank) has been a St. Paul
skyline landmark since 1931, so the whimsical idea isn't going to fly. But it's among the most imaginative of citizen
suggestions.Others have ranged from the practical, such as having a permanent place to display Schulz memorabilia, to
the oddball, such as "filling all the bowls in St. Paul with peanuts," Mische said Tuesday.
Another unusual suggestion called for projecting silhouettes of the "Peanuts" characters with the Wabasha Street
Bridge spotlights, sort of like the comic book Batman signal.Still others recommended creating a special Schulz
postmark to use at the St. Paul post office or banners displaying "Peanuts" characters to hang from Kellogg
Boulevard streetlights.
The call for ideas for a public tribute came just days after Schulz announced that he was retiring and would draw
no new "Peanuts" comic strips. The world-famous strip runs in more than 2,600 newspapers and reaches millions in 75
countries.
Schulz, 77, who now lives in California, has been ill and was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. He grew up in
St. Paul near Snelling and Selby avenues, where his father had a barbershop.
Mische, Mayor Norm Coleman's director of strategic initiatives, said the effort to create a Schulz public presence in
St. Paul is a serious project that is drawing a lot of citizen support. There is no deadline for a final plan, but it will be soon, he said.
Mische is still open for suggestions. "The more people involved, the better," he said. "The response has been fabulous."
SUGGESTIONS POUR INTO ST. PAUL CITY HALL FOR HONORING 'PEANUTS'
December 22, 1999
The Associated Press
ST. PAUL -- Suggestions have been pouring into City Hall for how the hometown of Charles Schulz should honor the creator of the "Peanuts" cartoon strip now that he's retiring.
One person suggested replacing the 50-foot-tall, neon "1st" sign atop a downtown bank with a statue of Schulz surrounded by Charlie Brown, Lucy, Snoopy and other "Peanuts" characters.
The bright red "1st" on the First National Bank Building (which now houses U.S. Bank) has been a fixture on the St. Paul skyline since 1931, so the whimsical idea won't fly. But it's among the most imaginative of the 200 or so citizen suggestions.
Others have ranged from the practical, such as having a permanent place to display Schulz memorabilia, to the oddball, such as "filling all the bowls in St. Paul with peanuts," mayoral aide Erich Mische said Tuesday.
Another unusual suggestion called for projecting silhouettes of "Peanuts" characters with the spotlights on the Wabasha Street Bridge, sort of like the comic book Batman signal.
Others recommended creating a special Schulz postmark for the downtown post office or hanging banners displaying "Peanuts" characters from streetlights.
Mische issued the call for ideas Friday, just days after Schulz announced that he was putting down his pen. The last new daily "Peanuts" strip will appear in subscribing newspapers Jan. 3, with the final Sunday strip published Feb. 13.
Schulz, 77, who now lives in Santa Rosa, Calif., was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. He grew up in St. Paul near Snelling and Selby avenues, where his father had a barbershop. His precursor to Peanuts ran in the Saint Paul Pioneer Press in the late 1940s.
Mische said there is no deadline for a final plan, but it will be soon. He said he's still taking suggestions.
"The more people involved, the better," he said. "The response has been fabulous."
Congressional Gold Medal recommended for Schulz
December 23, 1999
By Meg McConahey
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
"Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz, who has often lamented cartoonists are ineligible for the Pulitzer Prize, may be in the running for the even more exclusive Congressional Gold Medal.
Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, said Wednesday he will nominate Schulz, who announced last week he is retiring from daily cartooning to concentrate on overcoming cancer, for Congress' highest civilian award.
"It'll never happen, because they don't care about us lowly cartoonists," Schulz said with a chuckle. "I don't think it will happen, but if it does, it will be nice."
Fewer than 150 individuals have received the medal since it was first awarded to George Washington in 1776. The list of recipients includes Mother Teresa, Colin Powell, Bob Hope, Andrew Wyeth, Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, Rosa Parks and Ulysses S. Grant.
Most recently, the award was given in November to members of the Little Rock Nine, a group of teen-agers who endured angry mobs and threats to their lives when they integrated an Arkansas high school in 1957. Among them was journalist Melba Pattillo Beals, who later found refuge with a Santa Rosa family and attended Montgomery High.
Thompson said the honor is fitting for Schulz, whose "lifetime of work has transcended generations" and become part of the fabric of "our national culture.
"I can't think of anyone more deserving than Sparky," Thompson said. "He's a part of our growing up, a part of our history. He's Americana. He's just a part of our everyday lives in such a good way. Every frame of that comic strip he has drawn has brought enjoyment to somebody's life, not to mention the fact that's he's done so many philanthropic things in our own community."
The award, said Thompson, is not simply a rubber stamp. Support by two-thirds of both the House and the Senate is required to co-sponsor the legislation before it can even be heard. But he said he expects none of the controversy that surfaced when the medal was awarded to Frank Sinatra in 1997.
"I can't imagine anyone other than the Red Baron opposing it," Thompson quipped of the Schulz nomination.
Thompson will introduce the legislation when Congress reconvenes in January. He said he has already received bipartisan support from lawmakers in Illinois, Nevada, New York and Louisiana and hopes to push through the legislation in 2000.
The 77-year-old Schulz has been honored by the French and Italian ministries of culture and has received many awards from within the art and entertainment community, but he has never been recognized by the U.S. government.
Schulz has been fighting for his health since November, when he collapsed in his Santa Rosa office. During emergency surgery for a blocked artery, doctors discovered he also was suffering from colon cancer.
"Basically he needs to just concentrate on himself at this point and to get through this chemotherapy," his secretary, Edna Poehner, said.
Since he announced that his last new daily comic strip will run on Jan. 3 and his final new Sunday comic on Feb. 13, Schulz has been overwhelmed with honors, accolades and correspondence from well-wishers and fans all over the world. Charlie Brown is on the cover of this week's Newsweek magazine.
The Baseball Hall of Fame is planning to honor "Peanuts," and the mayor's office in Schulz's hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota, put out a call for suggestions for a fitting municipal honor. The Harlem Globetrotters wanted to pay tribute to the cartoonist at halftime during their Jan. 22 game, but the ailing Schulz had to decline.
Charlie Brown: What Really Matters Is Having Goodness Deep in Your Heart
December 27, 1999
By Charles M. Madigan
The Chicago Tribune
In the depths of late-1950s America, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, a hard town torn by the decline of the big railroads, the Pittsburgh Press arrived every Sunday morning, bringing a friend.
Mass was usually over by 9:30, sometimes earlier if a fast visiting priest filled in for the apoplectic, angry, sadistic Irish toad who ran the parish as though he were the Great High Lord of the Castle at Cashel.
On the sofa, you could dunk toast in your cocoa and watch Oral Roberts on the TV, always loud and mystifying, with healing vibrations that were transmitted straight through the set if only you would put a faithful hand on the cabinet.
Oral Roberts, forbidden fruit for Catholics, had a gigantic forehead. (Or was it just the TV reception in the mountains?)
Or you could read the paper. People in Pittsburgh, 120 miles to the west, were doing horrible things to one another, which the Pittsburgh Press would report in some detail, as attributed to police. Prostitutes, somehow connected to the steel industry, we assumed, were captured in abundance.
Sodom on Three Rivers, that was Pittsburgh.
The newspaper always arrived with the comics on the outside. Peanuts above the fold and Dagwood and Blondie below. Thank god, Peanuts above the fold.
Now, Peanuts creator Charles Schulz has cancer and must give up drawing the strip to devote all his energy to fighting it.
This is the worst of bad news for him.
And for many of us, it is like hearing that your therapist has decided to retire.
For the loser child of 1950s America, for the boys who would never make it at football, never bring home a report card anyone would be proud of, never make it past the first pitcher in the pickup ballgame, never feel the warming gaze of an endless collection of the most wonderful young women in the world, there was Charlie Brown.
There has never been a comic-strip character like him and there will certainly never again be a comic-strip character like him. Although surrounded by his friends, which included his dog, failure was always Charlie Brown's closest companion.
Everything else was cheap and perverse.
Mickey Mouse was a rat in gloves, with one dog who was stupid and another one who wore pants. Dick Tracy. Flyface at breakfast? No. Jiggs and Maggie? He got stinko and she mashed him with a vase every week. The perfect marriage.
Not so Charlie Brown.
He was a calming, psychic balm that managed to spread itself all the way from the warming bedtime stories of childhood to the first, remarkable tastes of Mark Twain and, later, Salinger, Faulkner, Parker, Hemingway, Fitzgerald and everyone else who taught you that it wasn't just you, that everyone was in deep trouble.
Without a doubt, most adults thought the strip was about a bunch of funny little kids.
But there was a reason why Sparky Schulz always drew Peanuts from a child's perspective, as though nothing in the whole world mattered beyond the level of about 48 inches or so.
That was where we all lived, after all, a doorknob-level world where the beagles were almost as tall as you if you could persuade them to scoot around on their hind legs.
Charlie Brown sent a simple message: It is OK to fail. What really matters is having goodness deep in your heart.
Face it, most people would have tried to kick that football just once. Lucy would zip it out of the way at the last instant and you would have ended up flat on your back.
The message of Charlie Brown was that, even if he finally got his foot on the pigskin, it really wasn't going anywhere anyhow. Of course, we will never know, but the safe bet is that it would skitter off onto the sidelines or never get enough elevation to climb beyond a charging lineman with his big hands up in the air.