"Beaver's Library Book" and Charlie Brown

[MichaelMartinD]

I have done posts before comparing LITB to PEANUTS, but this weekend I discovered a direct parallel. I was reading a PEANUTS collection of strips from 1959-1960, and there was a story arc that pretty much parallels "Beaver's Library Book." Charlie Brown loses a library book and starts having nightmares that "the library people" will come take him away and give him up to the FBI. He writes a letter to the library saying that he intends to "turn himself in" and begs them not to harm his mother and father. Charles Schulz did this story arc in 1959, and the Beaver episode aired early in 1960, so I wonder who influenced whom? Or was it just an idea that was in the air?

[stevea]

Related to the above post, but not to LITB: it's interesting (only to me) I'm reading this now, as today I just came across Charles Schulz's final Peanuts strip from Feb. 13, 2000. It was the Sunday strip, published the day after he died.

In it, he announced his retirement, which he had made public in December 1999.

Over 23 years later, the strip is in remarkably good condition!

[stevea]

Originally Posted by MichaelMartinD

I have done posts before comparing LITB to PEANUTS, but this weekend I discovered a direct parallel. I was reading a PEANUTS collection of strips from 1959-1960, and there was a story arc that pretty much parallels "Beaver's Library Book." Charlie Brown loses a library book and starts having nightmares that "the library people" will come take him away and give him up to the FBI. He writes a letter to the library saying that he intends to "turn himself in" and begs them not to harm his mother and father. Charles Schulz did this story arc in 1959, and the Beaver episode aired early in 1960, so I wonder who influenced whom? Or was it just an idea that was in the air?

The episode was written by Connelly and Mosher. Who knows? -- one or both could have read "Peanuts." It certainly was and is read by millions.

[biffbronson]

In the past, cartoonists of newspaper strips or panel comics generally tried to work about 6 months ahead of publication; for example, a strip appearing in mid-1959 could have been completed by the end of 1958. One reason for such a time lag was to allow for the cartoonist to go on vacations, another was to allow for times of illness.

Just something to keep in mind -- of course, scripters for TV also often had significant lead times before their stories were filmed/taped. So, my point being that a question of who had the idea first is complicated by not knowing time lags between writing and publication or production.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by biffbronson

In the past, cartoonists of newspaper strips or panel comics generally tried to work about 6 months ahead of publication; for example, a strip appearing in mid-1959 could have been completed by the end of 1958. One reason for such a time lag was to allow for the cartoonist to go on vacations, another was to allow for times of illness.

Just something to keep in mind -- of course, scripters for TV also often had significant lead times before their stories were filmed/taped. So, my point being that a question of who had the idea first is complicated by not knowing time lags between writing and publication or production.

Probably why you see so many same/similar scripts. Nobody could prove plagiarism because everyone would claim to have had the idea first.

[MichaelMartinD]

Originally Posted by stevea

Related to the above post, but not to LITB: it's interesting (only to me) I'm reading this now, as today I just came across Charles Schulz's final Peanuts strip from Feb. 13, 2000. It was the Sunday strip, published the day after he died.

In it, he announced his retirement, which he had made public in December 1999.

Over 23 years later, the strip is in remarkably good condition!

Both PEANUTS and LITB are classics of pop culture and childhood. PEANUTS was at its very best from the mid 1950s to the mid 1960s. And I think it's altogether possible that Connelly and Mosher saw the PEANUTS strip before writing the episode.

[Torgo]

Not saying the writers of LITB weren't inspired by Peanuts, but the idea of the Library Police was around, one of those many things that came about from children's fears.
Stephen King himself wrote a novella called The Library Policeman, inspired by his son Owen's fear of not returning books on time to the library.

[vitoscotti]

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[stevea]

I didn't know about him dying, nearly a year ago. Reminder of another great episode involving the library.

I wonder how many takes were involved in that scene, before Seinfeld didn't crack up.

[vitoscotti]

Jerry Seinfeld being respectful while he's being balled out was brilliant.

[CosmicCharlie]

wow the Seinfeld Clip ! that guest Librarian was SO GOOD - Jerry smirking the whole bit !