dancingthroughchaos

‘Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, “Where have I gone wrong?” Then a voice says to me, “This is going to take more than one night.” – Charlie Brown

If, like me, you grew up with the Peanuts cartoons, you may be interested to know that Charlie Brown, Snoopy and friends turn 75 this year.  

For years, I would save up my birthday and Christmas money to extend my collection of  Snoopy books and, while I’m not sure I ever completed the series, they certainly filled a shelf.

Created by Charles M Schulz in the 1950s and first appearing as Lil Folks, this famous cartoon cast of children’s characters wrestled with very adult problems while bringing their innocent perspective to the world.  Their questions about identity and their never ending angst about the world still resonate with us and are as winsome as ever.

The good news for fans is that, from today until the 16th January, twelve Snoopy sculptures from twelve different artists will adorn the area around Fleet Street on an art trail you can follow. It’s an appropriate location as the home of the newspapers in which the comic strip was first featured in the UK. 

Over the years, Mr Schulz’s creation became the most popular of all the comic strips.  Peanuts, as it became known, was syndicated across more than 2,600 newspapers with a readership of 335 million in 75 countries and 21 languages.  Spin off merchandise in the form of mugs, stationery and clothing still generates millions of dollars every year, augmented by endorsements.  In 1980, Schulz was the highest paid celebrity in the world, with royalties alone bringing in $30 million. When he died in 2000, his net worth came in at around $500 million and the estate has earned many more millions since then.

Which character was/is your favourite?

‘Wishy-washy’ Charlie Brown, is the average guy whose passion for activities (baseball and kite-flying) are consistently thwarted by circumstance, people or nature, and whose crushing worries and abject failures keep him awake at night.

Lucy, is the archetypal annoying older sister who says it like it is, bosses everyone around and charges for brutally abrupt sessions at her psychiatrist’s booth – a contrast with the traditional US lemonade stand.

Linus, her little brother carries a childish security blanket with him and believes in The Great Pumpkin, but is a philosopher and theologian at heart.

Snoopy (of course), is everyone’s favourite dog who sleeps on top of his kennel and leads a double life with multiple personalties form the World War Flying Ace, famous medic, persistent but unsuccessful author, brave scout leader to Joe Cool himself. We also love his yellow, feathered friend Woodstock who speaks his own language and has a bunch of friends who love camping.

I always had a soft spot for tom boy Peppermint Patty who’s best friend, Marcie always calls her, ‘Sir’.  Patty is baffled by school, flunks everything but loves baseball and secretly loves Charlie Brown who only has eyes (but not much courage) for the ‘little red-headed girl.’

Charlie Brown gained a little sister, Sally who has a crush on Linus while Lucy is the number one fan of Schroeder,who bashes out Beethoven concertos and sonatas on his child-size grand piano and tries to ignore her.

Perhaps you prefer Pig-Pen, Freida or Franklin, or maybe Snoopy’s extended family: Spike from Needles or his other siblings who appeared in later cartoons.

Every four image strip is a self-contained story providing insight into a childhood world we’d mostly like to revisit: a place where the world, baffling as it was to us, was safe when adults we trusted were in charge and friendship saw us through most things.  Adults don’t feature in Schulz’s drawings apart from by suggestion or as disembodied voices in his animations; their perspective is irrelevant in the children’s world.

In 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas was broadcast and won Schulz an Emmy.  CBS had asked him to make an animated Christmas film using his characters.  He only agreed to the proposal on the basis that it include the nativity.  They objected, but he refused to back down. Clearly he had a faith that was expressed through his work.

This was confirmed when he approved Robert L Short’s best seller, The Gospel According to Peanuts (1965).  Using numerous Peanuts cartoons in his work and with the approval of Charles Schulz, Short illustrated Bible truths that were accessible and familiar for a new readership. 

When asked, Schulz quoted from Matthew’s gospel ‘saying that the church should be interested in becoming “all things to all people” and feels he [Short] is trying to give this idea expression through an idiom that has universal appeal.’

The book sold more than 10 million copies and has multiple file star reviews online.

Perhaps, as Christmas approaches, we should take another look at Charlie Brown and his friends.  They could reach further and wider than we thought possible and may still have something to teach us as well as make us smile.  I’ll certainly be looking out for A Charlie Brown Christmas somewhere this season in order to immerse myself in the wonder of the nativity all over again.

[Images courtesy of Pixabay & Unsplash]