It may be argued that the most successful phenomenon in American popular culture during the latter half of the Twentieth Century was a simple four panel comic strip that graced the pages of over 2,600 newspapers, and had, at its peak, 355 million readers. Launched on October 2, 1950, “Peanuts” was the brainchild of Charles M. Schulz, whose remarkable career is chronicled in the PBS documentary, “American Masters: Good Ol’ Charles Schulz.” First shown in 2007, “Good Ol’ Charles Schulz” will air Saturday, May 28th at 9 pm on KQED Channel 9. Directed by David Van Taylor, “Good Ol’ Charles Schulz” explores the life of the late cartoonist, in an attempt to find the direct link between the man and his work. Interviews with Schulz’s friends and family members, in addition to archive footage Schulz himself, provide clues as to the inspiration for “Peanuts.”
The origin of “Peanuts” came in the form of a comic strip called “Li’l Folks,” that Charles Schulz drew for his hometown newspaper, the “St. Paul Pioneer Press” from 1947 to 1950. Going national in the fall of 1950, the strip’s name was changed to “Peanuts,” as the United Feature Syndicate wanted to avoid being confused with “Li’l Abner” (Schulz never did care for the name “Peanuts”). Although several characters would eventually appear in “Peanuts,” the strip basically revolved around a hapless boy named Charlie Brown, his unconventional dog Snoopy, and his two neighbors, the crabby, bossy Lucy van Pelt, and her younger, philosophical brother Linus. “Peanuts” lacked in any adult characters, but grownups were never necessary, as Charlie Brown and crew had more the enough insecurities and anxiety to make up for their absence. It did not take long for “Peanuts” to find an audience, as almost everyone could connect with it on some level, especially in identifying with Charlie Brown, whose failure at baseball, kite flying and kicking footballs was matched by his refusal to stop trying.
In 1965, “Peanuts” popularity reached a new level when CBS aired the first televised “Peanuts” special, “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown.” Within a few years, “Peanuts” became a merchandising juggernaut, with licensing agreements worth several hundred millions of dollars. Despite the success, “Peanuts” never managed to lose its soul, and stayed true to its formula for the entire run of the strip. In early 2000, Charles Schulz retired from his comic strip, due to failing health. The final original installment of “Peanuts” ran on February 13, 2000, the day after Charles Schulz death.
“Good Ol’ Charles Schulz” at times resembles “Citizen Kane” as people from Charles Schulz’s past are brought forward to offer insights as to which factors in his life may have inspired him to create the most popular and influential comic strip in American history. During the program’s 90 minutes, viewers are introduced to the individuals who served as the real life models for many “Peanuts” characters, including Linus, Lucy and even the Little Red-Haired Girl. Although Schulz did name Charlie Brown after an associate, it is presumed Charlie Brown’s persona was a self reflection.
Notes: One of “Peanuts” most familiar bits involved Lucy pulling the football away just as Charlie Brown is about to kick it. Lucy first executed the gag on November 16, 1952, and succeeded in fooling Charlie Brown for the next 47 years. Lucy’s prank varied from its usual outcome only twice. On October 24, 1999, during the final segment of the stunt, Lucy was occupied inside, and had her youngest brother Rerun do the honors. Lucy, as well as the readers, never learned if Rerun pulled the ball away or not. The other variation came in 1979, when Lucy made a bedside promise to a sick Charlie Brown that she would not pull the football away provided Charlie Brown got well. When the next opportunity took place, Lucy made good on her promise. Unfortunately, Charlie Brown missed the ball, and kicked Lucy’s hand.
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