Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The Peanuts Gang



This is my tribute to Charles M. Schultz who created the Peanuts comic Strip, featuring Charlie Brown. The comic strip had been featured in Sunday Newspaper's from October 2, 1950 to Feb. 13, 2000 the year that Schultz died. As a kid I couldn't wait to get the Sunday's Chicago Tribune so I could read the comics page, and cut them out so I could save them.



Charlie Brown was the outcast, the kid that did not fit in no matter how hard he tried. He reflected how society judges other based on class,cultural background, and race; anything that doesn't fit inside the box labeled "normal" is ostracized. His best friend Linus holds the spirit of optimism despite the harshness in the world, his honesty and innocence is what people used to possess as children, before society told us who we had to be. Lucy in my opinion was a feminist (though I don't know if Schultz saw her this way) she wanted her voice to be heard, and be a leader in every situation.




Charlie Brown and many of the characters were based on aspects of Schultz's life. The tomboy Peppermint Patty came from his Cousin Patricia Swanson. Heather aka "The little red haired girl," was inspired from his first love Donna Johnson, who he dated for three years. When he tried to propose to her, Johnson turned him down, and ended up marrying a fireman named Allan Wold. Heather is mentioned in many of the comic strips as well as the animated cartoons; Charlie Brown is always loving her from afar. Schultz's political views which were embedded in some of the character's dialogue, come from his experience being in the army.This is why snoopy dressed up as a WWII pilot during its "Its the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" T.V special.








There are comic strips created by artists, paying homage to Schultz who created characters that all people can relate to. His work has touch many lives and still are loved by younger generations. Its amazing how art can stand the test of time, and its message still valued after so many years.




for more info on Charles M. Scultz check out:

pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/schulz_c.html

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