"The world according to Peanuts" (article and video)

[Mario500]

"The world according to Peanuts" (article and video)

Charles M. Schulz's beloved comic strip "Peanuts" continues to garner fans 23 years after the cartoonist's death, from the lovable loser Charlies Brown to the dog with the greatest imagination, Snoopy. Correspondent Lee Cowan talks with Schulz's widow, Jean, and with "Pearls Before Swine" cartoonist Stephan Pastis, about the timeless influence of the man they called "Sparky" and his beloved cast of characters.

(note: hyperlink connected to location of quotation directly above this note)

[biffbronson]

Thank you. I am a fan of the strip. Not only do I own all 26 hardcover books of The Complete Peanuts, I'm also building a 2nd set for my niece -- and I have some of the softcovers & color Sundays collections as well.

Such a great photo of Schulz shown:



I don't have too much of the merchandising stuff, but notably I own an old Mattel See 'n Say with the characters on it and Snoopy in the center:

[stevea]

Peanuts is still a daily pleasure.

[Yong Fang]

I never really was a fan of Peanuts, even the holiday cartoons they showed on television. The kids were strange and were more like adults than children. Charlie Brown was a loser and you just felt sorry for him. But the strip wasn’t funny, although sometimes philosophical and sort of a relic of its time of the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Snoopy and Woodstock were cool however. Snoopy was the star and was the likeness that made the strip a lot of money. Snoopy is on literally everything from coffee cups to T-shirts. The kids were so annoying and strange the dog was his own friend with Woodstock the yellow bird and his mates. Snoopy was also a World War I fighter aviation enthusiast. Snoopy was fun, Charlie needed Prozac.

Hopefully Disney will never get ahold of it. I did read recently that Peppermint Patty and Marcie were NOT lesbians. From an official source. Could have fooled me. But no one outside of the coasts even knew what that was anyway.

Franklin was developed later because someone wrote Charles Shultz and said there are no black kids. Now there would be kids of all races which would have been fine by me. Maybe the dirty kid would have to take a bath now. Don’t know.

[GentlemanJim]

So, if they remade Peanuts today, do you think that Schroeder might have a Liberace style candelabra sitting on his piano?

[biffbronson]

The strip was unique in that the characters were a means through which Schulz' introspection was played out. Strips about children had been around for decades, including Little Orphan Annie, Skippy, Little Iodine, Smitty, Henry, Reg'lar Fellers, and Nancy. But Peanuts was a different approach.

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

Franklin was developed later because someone wrote Charles Shultz and said there are no black kids.

Franklin's introduction (1968) created controversy, but Schulz held his ground and things eventually settled down.

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

Maybe the dirty kid would have to take a bath now. Don’t know.

There was actually a daily strip once where Pig-Pen was all clean, but immediately the dirt began to accumulate on him again. It was a rare look at him, with his hair neatly combed, etc. He's a very early character, going back to 1954.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

So, if they remade Peanuts today, do you think that Schroeder might have a Liberace style candelabra sitting on his piano?

No, it'd interfere with Lucy's yell that sent Schroder into a somersault.

One of my favorite characters is Peppermint Patty. Nobody else thought Snoopy was a kid or called Charlie Brown "Chuck."

[stevea]

Originally Posted by biffbronson

The strip was unique in that the characters were a means through which Schulz' introspection was played out. Strips about children had been around for decades, including Little Orphan Annie, Skippy, Little Iodine, Smitty, Henry, Reg'lar Fellers, and Nancy. But Peanuts was a different approach.

I remember reading Henry and Nancy, but nothing is/was as great as Peanuts.

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by stevea

No, it'd interfere with Lucy's yell that sent Schroder into a somersault.

"

Don't you think if the cartoon was reimagineered today, it would have a woke character?

The candelabra was just a metaphor for "that".

[Mario500]

Originally Posted by GentlemanJim

Don't you think if the cartoon was reimagineered today, it would have a woke character?

The candelabra was just a metaphor for "that".

" 'that' "?

[GentlemanJim]

"Liberace" should be sufficient cue.