What You Can Learn From The Simple World Of ‘Peanuts’

As someone who has been drawing comics for a while now (the latest one is at the bottom of this newsletter), there are few people I admire more than “Peanuts” creator Charles Schulz.

With recent news focused on the cancelation of “Dilbert” over racist comments by its creator, we’d all be a lot better off remembering the example that Schulz left behind.

A reflection of himself

The most authentic and believable type of writing is always rooted in some type of personal truth being expressed by the author. And that includes comic strips.

Schulz’s widow, Jean, said that “Peanuts” wasn’t just a fictionalized version of his own childhood, but it was a daily diary for more than 50 years.

“He drew because he had to do it,” she said, noting that she only realized long after his death in 2000 how hard he actually worked to bring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang to life each day.

Schulz created a protagonist who was more vulnerable and transparent than anything the funny pages had ever seen.

“Pearls Before Swine” creator Stephan Pastis explained: “This was something saying, ‘Hey, I’m not happy. I wonder if you’re not happy. I’m feeling lonely. I’m feeling anxious. I’m heartbroken.’ ‘Peanuts’ had all of that.”

A force for change

Whereas Scott Adams brought about his comic’s downfall for endorsing segregation, Schulz almost lost his livelihood for opposing it during a tumultuous time in the nation’s history.

In 1968, he introduced the Black character Franklin even though some publishers objected to depicting him in class with the rest of the cast.

“He did not back down, not one bit,” asserted Charles M. Schulz Museum curator Benjamin Clark, noting that he told newspapers: “You print it the way I draw it.”

Chris Agee March 6th, 2023

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