On October 2, 1950, Charlie Brown came to life with Charles M. Shultz’s creation of Peanuts.
Originally, Peanuts was a comic strip called Li’l Folks, which followed the lives of Charlie Brown and his friends. The comic strip was like many others published at the time, with four panels published daily. Much like the Charlie Brown we know today, jokes were made at his expense. One of the most memorable jokes is his endless attempts at kicking a football, only for it to be pulled away at the last second.
The Peanuts features Charlie Brown’s group of friends, each distinguishable by their clothes, personality and running jokes. Linus, Lucy, Peppermint Patty and Pigpen are great examples of this, from Linus’s blue blanket to Patty’s signature tomboyishness. Shultz managed to create characters that felt real and reflected children that might be seen on the playground.
However, this alone couldn’t have kept Charlie Brown’s antics afloat for over half of a century. Charlie Brown teaches people of all ages important life lessons through comedy. His stories often revolve around optimism, friendships and accepting people as they are. Charlie Brown is known for expecting the worst but hoping for the best, a trait he is sometimes ridiculed for by his friends. His friendship with Linus shows two loners who are different from the rest of the group, while his friendship with Lucy shows how disagreement and antagonism can coexist with friendship. These lessons are important to human beings as a whole, not just children, who are the intended audience.
Sophomore Amelia Veltri says, “I have learned a lot about being optimistic and friendship.”
Despite its beginning as a comic strip, many recognize the Peanuts as characters on the screen. There are over fifty Peanuts TV specials, the most popular being It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; and A Charlie Brown Christmas. There are also five Peanuts movies, the most recent having come out in 2015. Many families have created traditions watching these films over the holidays.
In regard to whether or not future generations would adore Peanuts as much as they are adored now, Veltri says, “Yes, because it is a family staple and watched throughout the holiday season, and it never fails to put you in the holiday mood!”
The 75th anniversary of Peanuts has brought along with it a handful of collaborations with brands. Popular companies such as Kate Spade, Pottery Barn and American Eagle have partnerships with Peanuts to create products with characters like Snoopy and Woodstock, as well as the main character, Charlie Brown.
Charlie Brown and the Peanuts have been around for 75 years already, and there are no signs that they are going anywhere in the near future.
