Peanuts

GOOD GRIEF, CHARLES M. SCHULZ!

Jared K. Eblin

Mrs. Youngs

English IV

March 1, 2003

OUTLINE

I. Thesis: Charles Schulz was one of the greatest and most successful cartoonist in history because his "Peanuts" is flooded with Schulz's humor, philosophy, and therapy that touched a nerve in American culture.

A. Secret of Success

B. Background

1. Schulz's Biography

2. Reaction to Death

3. History of "Peanuts"

II. Personality

A. Sensitivity, Anxiety, Tragedy and Loneliness

B. Religious Person

1. Simple daily life

2. Establishment of his cartoon style

III. Characters

A. Main Character

B. Role of Snoopy

C. Other Characters

IV. Humor

V. Themes

A. Psychology

B. Philosophy

C. Theology

VI. Conclusion

Jared K. Eblin

Mrs. Youngs

English IV

March 1, 2003

PEANUTS

Charles "Sparky" Schulz was one of the greatest and the most successful cartoonist in history because his "Peanuts" is flooded with Schulz's humor, philosophy, and therapy that touched a nerve in American culture.

Prematurely bald and eternally hapless, Charlie Brown has graced the funny pages since before Americans liked Ike. The unlucky protagonist of Peanuts, he has spent nearly half a century trying to kick a field goal, avoid kite-eating trees and work up enough courage to say "hello" to his secret crush. Meanwhile, his large-snouted beagle, Snoopy, has passed the years adrift in fantasy, chasing imaginary fighter aces or assuming a "Joe Cool" alter ego. Following the pair's exploits and those of their chums Linus, Lucy, and Peppermint Patty was a daily ritual for 355 million readers worldwide, devotees who have made the Peanuts franchise a $1 billion-a-year business.

"For 50 years, Peanuts has shown us the way," gushed Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau upon learning that Schulz laid down his pens. It is "the uncontested gold standard for comics." Other artists lined up to laud their first Peanuts experiences life changing. "The love I have for that strip made me want to be a cartoonist," says Mutts writer Patrick McDonnell, echoing a common sentiment.

The first daily strip appeared on October 2, 1950, in seven newspapers. The Sunday strip did not begin until January 1952; until then, Peanuts was a six-day effort. Originally titled L'il Folks, the name was quickly changed to avoid confusion with L'il AbnerÐ'--adventure tales and simple gags dominated the comic's page. Peanuts, by contrast, offered a unique combination of understated wit and heart. Drawn with Zen-like-simplicityÐ'--a few lines for grass, a few lines for rainÐ'--each four-panel strip affected readers on a level far deeper than Terry and the Pirates could ever reach.

Although Schulz wanted to retain the original title, he delivered a list of 10 names, of which Peanuts was one. He later justified this selection on the basis of the popular TV children's show of the time, THE HOWDY DOODY SHOW, where the young studio audience would sit in a "peanut gallery." "It was the worst title ever thought up for a comic strip," Schulz would insist, every time he was asked. He thought the title "confusing," with "no dignity." "I don't even like the word," he'd say. The worst part, he feared, was that people confuse Charlie Brown with the name "Peanuts," and in the early days that was true: Schulz received letters from fans that read along the lines of, "I love this new strip with Peanuts and his dog." Fortunately, such confusion didn't linger long. (Koerner, Brendan I)

Peanuts was a success anyway: in his first month of work Schulz made $90; the second one, $500; the third, $1000; and his pay has gone up ever since. Today, besides the strips, other Peanuts products like books, pillows, napkins, games and dolls, as well as commercial ads help to compose a considerable annual incoming.

One indication of just how popular "Peanuts" was came when Newsweek published a cover story about Schulz' retirement in late 1999. The issue was the second highest selling at the newsstand for the magazine (321,000), trailing only the issue featuring a tribute to John F. Kennedy Jr., after his accidental death.

"Peanuts" was the most popular comic in a popular art form. A Metropolitan Sunday Newspapers study found that 113 million Americans (86 million adults and 27 million kids) read the funnies. "Peanuts" was respected for reasons, including its "sense of morality," King Features Syndicate editor in chief Jay Kennedy says. Also: "The philosophical commentary. Using kids to deliver profound thoughts was pretty novel at the time Ð''Peanuts' started. And it was beautifully drawn."

Personal touch. Schulz, who admits to lifelong problems with anxiety, confronted is fears and psychic scars in Peanuts. "If you were to read the strip, oh, for just a few months, you would know me," he said in a early interview. "Because everything that I am goes into the strip."

On May 27, 2000, nearly 100 syndicated cartoonists created special Peanuts- themed cartoons as a lasting memorial to Charles M. Schulz, creator of the enduring and beloved strip. "I think it would be a fun way for cartoonists to personally honor and thank Sparky,"