My introduction to Peanuts was more than likely a worn Fawcett paperback; I seem to recall reading and rereading it until the pages fell apart. I wasn't aware that they were taken from newspaper daily strips until later. Peanuts (along with Calvin and Hobbes and a host of others) made perusing the daily and weekend comics a wonderful experience, discovering the latest shenanigans of such rich, funny, and sophisticated characters.
I remember fondly (and still try to watch annually) the Charlie Brown animated specials. My favorite was the Christmas cartoon; Charlie Brown's struggle to find meaning in the holiday amidst cynical commercialism resonated with me, as well as his dour outlook on life. His victory by the end always warms my heart, although it seems he had fewer of those in the newspaper comics.
I guess I felt a bit of an outsider like good ol' Charlie Brown. Unlike him, I've always tried to keep a positive outlook, but the weight of the world can be difficult to bear; reading about this charming fictional character (I was never really a big Snoopy or Woodstock fan) facing similar struggles was a source of comfort .
Recently I read an essay of how Shultz came up with Peanuts, dealt with success, and produced his daily comic strip; it was enlightening, and once again I found similarities with my own approach to the creative process. It's a shame that Charles isn't alive to produce any additional Peanuts, but the wealth of material that remains his legacy is amazing and highly inspiring.
Peanuts was an important part of my youth, simpler times which seem to be painter with richer colors by my memory. I'm grateful to have been introduced to the Peanuts gang, and hope to someday create a character or story that might speak to a young kid in today's world.
Good stuff. I was a Peanuts fan from my earliest days onward.
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