A "Peanuts" Inspiration

St. Paul's public tribute to Charles Schulz is an intensely personal experience for one mother, who credits the cartoonist's work with helping her son fight cancer.

May 23, 2000

By Karl J. Karlson
The Saint Paul Pioneer Press

One of the first Snoopy designs to be snapped up by a sponsor for St. Paul's tribute to Charles Schulz this summer comes from a Lakeland woman, who credits the cartoonist with making her son's life bearable while he was undergoing cancer treatment.

Linda Brant-Malm is so sure that Schulz's 1990 book "Why, Charlie Brown, Why?" helped Nicholas, then 4, that she has entwined her life with the characters from the comic strip. She even went out and got a job as a costume maker for Camp Snoopy at the Mall of America before the Bloomington amusement park's opening in 1992.

Nicholas, now 14, had Wilms' Tumor, a type of kidney cancer that usually strikes very young people. He spent much of his early life in hospitals and receiving chemotherapy, Brant-Malm said.

When she heard about "Peanuts on Parade," Brant-Malm knew she had to design a theme for one of the sculptures honoring Schulz.

Taking a favorite family phrase from the "Peanuts" book -- "little green booties" -- she created a Snoopy in green surgical scrubs, the kind of protective clothing and foot coverings doctors and nurses wear while doing surgery. Whenever family members got to that line in the book, everyone would laugh, Brant-Malm recalled.

City officials on Monday previewed her design and about 300 others submitted by area artists for the planned tribute to Schulz, who died at age 77 of colon cancer in February, on the eve of publication of the last "Peanuts" strip he drew.

On hand Monday for the briefing were potential sponsors, who leafed through three-ring notebooks filled with designs that ranged from outright silliness (a statue covered with real in-the-shell peanuts) to celebrations of city neighborhoods (a kilt-dressed Snoopy representing Highland Park).

For her part, Brant-Malm was adamant that whoever sponsored her statue allow it to be placed by St. Paul's Children's Hospital, where Nicholas was treated.

"I want the pediatric oncology (cancer) patients to be able to dip their hands in paint and then put their handprints on Snoopy before we dress him in scrubs. That way they are touching him as he touched us," she said.

Her sponsor -- the insurance firm Met Life, Auto and Home, which uses Snoopy in its advertising campaigns -- quickly agreed.

From her $1,000 stipend, she must buy her supplies for the decorations. With what is left over, she plans to buy copies of "Why Charlie Brown, Why?" which will be given to Children's Hospital.

She explains the impact the "Peanuts" book had on her son.

"He was about 4 when he started to realize that he was not like other kids. He was doing physically well, but you could tell something was going on in his mind," she said. When he started preschool, for instance, he made her promise not to tell anyone about his condition, she recalled.

Then the Schulz book and television special came out, telling the story of Janice, a young girl who develops cancer but survives. The book and show examine serious issues, including how cancer affected her friends and family.

"It was about the hard questions Nicholas and his older brother, Erik, had," Brant-Malm said.

After reading and rereading the book, Nicholas found his life changing for the better, his mother said, and he became willing to talk about his cancer and was proud to be a survivor.

Taking part in the "Peanuts on Parade" event will be her way of paying tribute to Schulz and the impact his work has had on her son and family.

The 5-foot-high polyurethane Snoopy statues will be decorated at a three-day public event next month and then put on public display until October. City officials hope that the tribute to the hometown cartoonist will be as popular an attraction as last summer's 300 colorful "Cows of Chicago" statues were with tourists.

The Snoopys then will be auctioned, with funds going to a scholarship fund and to help pay for a permanent bronze sculpture in downtown of 10 "Peanuts" characters playing in a band. That grouping is expected to cost $200,000.

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Peanuts on Parade

May 21, 2000

By Miriam Silver
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat

As if the late Charles "Sparky" Schulz were there in spirit, smiling from the sidelines, the 106th anniversary Luther Burbank Rose Parade on Saturday honored his beloved "Peanuts" comic strip characters.

The grand marshals, adult-sized Lucy, Charlie Brown, Linus and Schroeder, costumed actors from Knotts Berry Farm, kicked off the Rose Parade at 10 a.m., skipping happily down South E Street.

Right behind them was the City of Santa Rosa's float, with the official Redwood Empire Ice Arena Snoopy and his red dog house, atop a flatbed truck, helping out the assembled City Council members.

The council float won for best use of roses.

"It's really good to see that they are actually celebrating Charles Schulz and his life and what he's done for Sonoma County," said Heather O'Rourke, 28, attending the Rose Parade with her four children.

"It's kind of sad that he is gone. My kids won't get to enjoy all the things he has done," she said.

Nevertheless, her oldest, Keshia Terrell, 6, said she really liked seeing Lucy in the parade.

"Oh, I liked the dancers, too," she said, pointing at the girls in tap shoes with The Katherine Wheeler Dancers.

Macy's Snoopy a highlight

Farther down Santa Rosa Avenue hovered one of the parade's highlights: the giant inflated Snoopy from the annual New York Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, tethered Saturday on the lawn in front of city hall.

The winning float from Elsie Allen High, which won top honors for a non-profit, also won big cheers on every corner for its Red Baron airplane, decorated in roses and driven by the Louis the Lobos school mascot.

The plane, with propeller spinning and smoke spewing from the top, made 360-degree turns.

Parade promoter Toni Bodenhamer said because of copyrights, floats were not allowed to have exact likenesses of the comic strip characters, only illusions of them.

Snoopy was, as usual, the lovable hit, and parade participants did what they could to salute the world's most famous beagle.

Girls in ponytails and braids pinned floppy black felt ears to their hair.

Marchers with Children's Discovery Centers wore white T-shirts painted with a smiley Snoopy likeness, floppy ears pinned to their shoulders.

Kids in the Piner-Olivet marching band wore Charlie Brown-type T-shirts -- yellow with navy zig-zags.

Santa Rosa Rosa All Community Girls Softball had its float decorated in black and white paper, with the likeness of Snoopy stretched length-wise. And on the back, there was a huge papier-mache glove, bat and ball.

Happiness is ...

The parade's theme was "Happiness is 50 years of Peanuts," and Snoopy Millennium stuffed animals were sold, with proceeds to benefit the Children's Home.

The Susan Sutton Trio on KJYZ's float and the Guerneville Gator Band played music from the "Peanuts" TV shows.

Many entries picked up on the "Happiness Is..." theme in music, costume or float design.

The Slater Middle School Band carried a sign that said "Happiness is sharing music." The Creekside Mental Health float featured a Lucy-like little girl in a brunette wig, sitting in a booth, with a sign that said, "Psychiatric help, 5 cents." A placard added, "Happiness is telling your problems to a friend and listening to music."

The Red Cross float featured Snoopy wearing a Red Cross helmet. A sign said, "Happiness is a dark and stormy night ... Thanks to you, we're prepared. We'll miss you, Charles Schulz."

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Schulz Honored for Lifelong Contributions, Creative Achievements

May 16, 2000

PRN Newswire

MINNEAPOLIS -- Art Instruction Schools of Minneapolis will present a Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously to Charles Schulz, the school's most famous graduate.

Schulz enrolled in the correspondence art school while attending high school in St. Paul, and later became an instructor at the school. The award will be presented to Schulz' family on Saturday, May 20, during the Luther Burbank Rose Parade Festival in Santa Rosa, California, Schulz's adopted hometown.

"We will always cherish the memories of a young Charles Schulz, dutifully working through the lessons of our Cartooning Course," reads the inscription on the award Art Instruction Schools prepared for Schulz. "As an instructor at Art Instruction Schools, he shared his talents and insights as he taught and motivated other inspiring artists to do their best work. Over his long and successful career as a Master Cartoonist, he shared his life with the world, through his cartoon characters and his philanthropy."

The city of Santa Rosa also will pay tribute to Schulz during this year's Luther Burbank Rose Parade Festival. The parade theme is "Happiness is ... ," a phrase Schulz made popular through his comic strip. Other activities planned for the festival include street painting and a children's mural, co-sponsored by Art Instruction Schools and Cartoonists Across America. Artists from throughout the region will create works of art using chalk on outdoor pavement, much like the street painting events held in Italy during the Renaissance. The public is invited to view the works in progress and interact with the artists as they work. Proceeds from the street painting event will support the Sonoma County Arts in the Public Schools program.

Art Instruction Schools began in 1914, and continues to offer its nationally accredited, home study art course. Schulz is the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the school.

To request information about scholarships from Art Instruction Schools, call 800-513-2992.

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Snoopy comes to St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (Associated Press) -- The dog days of summer will take on a new meaning this year when St. Paul displays at least 50 Snoopy statues as a temporary tribute to the late Charles Schulz. Schulz, the "Peanuts" cartoonist who died in February, was born in Minneapolis and grew up in the Twin Cities area. The 5-foot-tall statues will be decorated by invited artists at RiverCentre June 10-11.

After four months on display, they will be auctioned, with proceeds going toward a permanent downtown statue showing a collection of "Peanuts" characters. To be selected for the program, artists must attend a workshop May 9 where the process and details of the program will be explained. The artists chosen will receive a $1,000 honorarium.

Like the plan itself, all designs mustbe approved by Creative Associates, the business arm of Schulz's estate, and United Media, owner of the comic strip. City officials are hoping the summerlong event, called "Peanuts on Parade," will attract tourists from around the nation and the world.

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Charlie Brown Gets One More Chance to Kick the Football

May 10, 2000

By John Carman
The San Francisco Chronicle

Alone in his Santa Rosa studio, drafting his final Peanuts comic strips, Charles Schulz blurted it out for an audience of no one.

"Good grief," he said, "that little kid is never going to get to kick that football."

Schulz himself related the incident to Lee Mendelson, his friend and TV collaborator of 37 years, shortly before Schulz died in February.

The little kid, of course, is Charlie Brown, the Schulz creation who's honored tonight in a CBS special, "Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years!"

Charlie Brown was destined always to have the football whisked away at the last moment by Lucy Van Pelt, but he will get gridiron pointers in the special from Joe Montana.

That, and baseball pointers from Willie Mays and Yankees manager Joe Torre, as well as a musical tribute from Faith Hill. The one-hour special is hosted by the ubiquitous Whoopi Goldberg.

Up Against "Millionaire"

The special, which has the bad fortune of being scheduled opposite ABC's equally ubiquitous "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," isn't a Schulz retrospective.

A CBS tribute to Schulz aired in February. Tonight's special, in the works since last year, was designed as a 50th anniversary homage to Charlie Brown and his Peanuts pals. Mendelson said Schulz was involved in planning the show.

But it could be the last original TV special in a string of 46. Another project, called "It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown," is to debut later this year on home video, then land on television later.

While holiday perennials such as "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "The Great Pumpkin" apparently have an infinite life span, Mendelson said Schulz's family will have to decide whether to sanction any more new TV specials.

Though colon cancer forced Schulz to give up his comic strip -- the last new Peanuts was published in newspapers the day after he died -- Mendelson said Schulz intended to oversee more television specials.

Long Collaboration

Mendelson's association with Schulz stretches back to 1963. Mendelson had produced a documentary about Willie Mays and figured that since he'd examined the world's best baseball player, he might as well try to bring the worst baseball player, Charlie Brown, to TV as well.

Schulz acquiesced, though the resulting show was shelved for several years for lack of a sponsor. CBS' "A Charlie Brown Christmas" finally got Schulz and the Peanuts gang onto network TV, in 1965.

Mendelson, now 67, eventually grew accustomed to the hour-and-40-minute drive from his Hillsborough home to Sonoma County to confer with Schulz.

In addition to Schulz and executive producer Mendelson, the regular Peanuts TV team included Los Angeles-based animator Bill Melendez and, until his death in 1976, composer and jazz artist Vince Guaraldi, recommended to Schulz by Chronicle critic Ralph Gleason.

There was no regular voice for Charlie Brown. Mendelson said real children were hired to give voice to the Peanuts cast, which meant turnover every few years. He said the originals are now in their 40s.

Mendelson said he knew Schulz as a man of disciplined habits, great curiosity and pride disguised by shyness.

Schulz's neighbors knew his weekday routine well. There would be coffee, a pastry and The Chronicle in the coffee shop at Schulz's Redwood Empire Ice Arena in Santa Rosa, after which he'd head for his studio up the street to work on Peanuts.

Asked what he remembered most about Schulz, Mendelson said, "It was his curiosity. He read books avidly. He went to movies. He went to stage shows. He questioned everyone: `Why did you get into what you do, and what do you like about it?'

"Also, he was very competitive, whether it was tennis, or golf, or the comic strip. He wanted to win. Did you know that at one time he was a 7-handicap golfer? He was basically a shy man, but internally he was a competitor. He once said to me that he was a humble egotist."

The veneer of humility probably sprang from Schulz's Midwestern roots. He was a Minnesotan, and Minnesotans tend to mix their competence with self-effacement and a sense of fatalism.

In his heart, said Mendelson, Schulz knew that he'd created the world's best comic strip. No one is about to whip that football away from him.

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Senate joins House in honoring "Peanuts" creator

May 2, 2000

WASHINGTON -- The Senate approved legislation Tuesday awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to the late Peanuts comic strip creator Charles Schulz.

Created in 1776 and first awarded to George Washington, the Gold Medal is the highest honot Congress can bestow on an individual.

The bill, by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., praises Schulz for giving "the nation a unique sense of optimism, purpose and pride."

"I am extremely pleased that the Senate has approved this legislation to recognize Charles Schulz as a national treasure," said Senator Feinstein. "In the Peanuts comic strip, he has given generations of children and adults alike a cast of colorful characters who help teach us the small and large lessons of life. He has given this nation a unique sense of optimism, purpose and pride."

It was passed by unanimous voice vote. The 77-year-old cartoonist died in February in Santa Rosa, Calif. He had announced in November he would retire after being diagnosed with colon cancer.

Schulz was known for his generous philanthropy as well as for his artistic and cultural legacy. Most notable was his work with the national organization Canine Companions for Independence, an organization that breeds, raises, trains and places dogs with individuals limited by disabilities.

The House passed similar legislation earlier, but a slight difference in wording will require the two versions to be reconciled before the bill can go to President Clinton.

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Snoopy, Snoopy Everywhere in St. Paul

April 29, 2000

By Curt Brown
The Minneapolis Star Tribune

St. Paul leaders and tourism officials on Friday launched a series of summer events honoring cartoonist Charles Schulz that will culminate in the placement of 50 5-foot-tall polyurethane sculptures of Snoopy around the city in June.

Promoters hope the four-month display -- fashioned after last year's popular painted cows in Chicago -- will be a bigger boost to tourism than last year's display of Titanic memorabilia at the Union Depot. They plan to offer packages for Japanese visitors, who are said to be especially fond of the big-eared beagle.

"We have a local son who developed an icon known worldwide," Mayor Norm Coleman said Friday, as he joined Lowertown artist Ta-Coumba Aiken in unveiling a prototype of the plastic pooch. "He touched the lives of millions of people, and this is our chance to demonstrate that his life did have meaning."

Schulz, the only son of a Depression-era St. Paul barber, attended St. Paul Central High School and worked as a Twin Cities art instructor before the popularity of "Peanuts" exploded 50 years ago. He left in 1958 for Santa Rosa, California, where he died Feb. 13 at age 77, the evening before his last Sunday strip was published in 2,400 newspapers worldwide.

Local artists will have a chance to paint individual designs on the dancing Snoopys, which will cost sponsoring corporations $4,100, including a $1,000 artist's fee. Sponsors can also opt to pay $3,100 for a Snoopy and paint it themselves or commission their own artists.

Interested artists are required to attend a May 9 workshop at Tivoli Too, a Highland Park design studio producing the sculptures.

A "Peanuts Paint-off," in which artists will decorate their Snoopys, is scheduled for June 9 to 11 at the RiverCentre convention hall.

After that, the Snoopys will be spread around St. Paul, bolted to concrete bases and coated with a protective material to minimize vandalism. At the end of the display, an auction of the sculptures will benefit cartooning scholarships and a permanent downtown "Peanuts" display.

"As an artist, Charles Schulz dealt with the joys as well as the pains, and this is an opportunity for his fellow artists to compete by using our own expressions," Aiken said. "This is our Statue of Liberty."

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City to honor Schulz with scores of Snoopys

April 28, 2000

By Karl J. Karlson
St. Paul Pioneer Press

St. Paul's plan to pay tribute to hometown "Peanuts" cartoonist Charles Schulz with a collection of fiberglass Snoopys this summer has won the support of his family, city officials said Monday.

As many as 50 statues of the beloved beagle -- decorated in various artistic styles -- will be on public display throughout the city this summer in a copycat of last year's highly visible and successful "Cows of Chicago" promotion.

Details on how citizens and groups can sponsor a Snoopy and be involved in the effort are expected to be announced by Mayor Norm Coleman at a news conference Friday during the annual spring art crawl though St. Paul's downtown art community.

"There will be some surprises" in the Schulz salute, said Erich Mische, the mayor's director of strategic initiatives.

While the colorful statues are meant as a temporary tribute, the city also is working on a permanent memorial to Schulz, Mische says.

Ideas under consideration include an endowed chair of illustration at the College of Visual Arts, an annual illustrators' symposium and award, or perhaps incorporating "Peanuts" characters into streetlight designs.

Mische has been working on tribute arrangements with the Schulz family -- and with the companies that own the copyright to the "Peanuts" characters -- since shortly after the cartoonist's illness and planned retirement became front-page news throughout the nation late last year.

Schulz, 77, died of colon cancer on Feb. 12, the eve of publication of the last Sunday "Peanuts" comic strip. He grew up in St. Paul in a building at Snelling and Selby avenues where his father had a barbershop. When St. Paul officials asked the public for ideas for a memorial or tribute, thousands responded, Mische said.

Among the suggestions was the "Cows of Chicago" idea, in which colorfully decorated plastic cows were displayed throughout the city last summer and became a popular tourist attraction. In St. Paul's version, fiberglass casts of Charlie Brown's beagle, Snoopy, will be auctioned to pay for the promotion. Buyers -- probably local businesses or organizations -- then will have them decorated by local artists and put on public display.

Schulz worked briefly for the Pioneer Press, which published his early cartooning efforts called "Li'l Folks" until he wanted to be paid for them. United Feature Syndicate began selling the renamed "Peanuts" strip in 1950.

As the strip developed over the next 50 years, Schulz's humorous but sometimes dark sense of childhood struck a chord with almost everyone. The comic strip once had an audience of about 355 million readers and, at its peak, was printed in 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries in 21 languages.

He drew all of the strips, both daily and Sunday versions, working six weeks in advance. The last daily comic appeared Jan. 3.

Schulz left the Twin Cities in 1958 and soon settled in Santa Rosa, California. There he established a museum and corporate offices, and financed the building of an ice rink.

Not much for travel, he returned to the Twin Cities only twice, in 1992 for the opening of the Mall of America and its Camp Snoopy and in 1994 for a fund-raiser for Canine Companions, a group that trains dogs to live with people with neurological diseases.

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Saint Paul Prepares to Celebrate "Peanuts On Parade"

April 28, 2000

PRN Newswire

Summer-Long Series of Events Featuring 50 5-Foot Statues of Snoopy Throughout the City will Honor Local Native Charles Schulz

Mayor Coleman Invites Artists From Around the World to Submit Ideas About How They Would Paint and Decorate a Snoopy Statue

SAINT PAUL, Minnesota -- Saint Paul Mayor Norm Coleman today announced plans to honor Charles Schulz this summer with a special citywide celebration.

"Peanuts on Parade" will create and install 50 five-foot tall Snoopy statues decorated by artists. The statues will remain in place for four months and then be auctioned off, with the proceeds being used to establish a scholarship in Schulz's name and a permanent statue of the Peanuts characters.

"For fifty years Charles Schulz shared his gift and heart with the world," said Saint Paul Mayor Norm Coleman. "This summer the city he grew up in will create a unique and special way to honor him. The events this summer will help us create a permanent sculpture and scholarship fund to make sure his legacy continues on for years to come."

A Call To Artists And Businesses

Mayor Coleman today issued a special invitation for artists to submit their design ideas and thoughts about how they would decorate a Snoopy statue. He also issued a request to businesses to support the effort by sponsoring statues.

Sponsorship of a Snoopy, including an honorarium for the artist, is $4,100. Businesses will be able to hire their own artist or view submissions and ideas from other artists selected by event organizers. Selected artists will receive a $1,000 honorarium. Creative Associates/United Media must approve all designs.

The public will be invited to watch selected artists publicly decorate the statues June 9-11 at the Peanuts Paint-Off at RiverCentre in downtown Saint Paul. The finished statues will be on display throughout the city for a period of four months.

At the end of the four months the decorated Snoopy statues will be rounded up and brought to a central location for a final viewing and auctioned off for charity. Once they're auctioned, the statues will go to their new homes. Proceeds from the auction will be used to fund a permanent sculpture of the entire Peanuts gang in downtown, scholarship for emerging illustrators and to endow a Chair of Illustration at the College of Visual Arts.

Interested artists are invited to attend a Peanuts on Parade artist workshop on May 9. Details and a design application will be available at the workshop. Interested artists should call 651-266-8539.

More information about Peanuts on Parade is available on the City's Web site at http://www.ci.stpaul.mn.us or by calling the Peanuts on Parade hotline at 651-266-8542.

Businesses interested in sponsoring a Snoopy and artists interested in attending the workshop should call Jeff Nelson at 651-266-8539 or email him at jeff.nelson@ci.stpaul.mn.us

Specs for Snoopy:

Height: 5 feet
Width: 3.5 feet
Weight: 225-250 pounds
Casted Snoopy Material: Polyurethane Suggested Paint -- Water Based Protective Coating -- UV Inhibitived Clear Coating

"Peanuts on Parade" is a project supported by the Capital City Partnership, the City of Saint Paul and the Saint Paul Convention and Visitors Bureau.

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St. Paul to release details of city-wide "Snoopy" display

Plans moving forward for Schulz tribute

April 25, 2000
The Associated Press

St. Paul's plan to honor "Peanuts" creator and St. Paul native Charles Schulz has won the support of his family, city officials said.

The city has proposed a series of fiberglass Snoopys decorated in various artistic styles to be put on public display this summer. As many as 50 of the colorful renditions of the beloved beagle would get their inspiration from last year's "Cows of Chicago" promotion that garnered national attention.

Details on how citizens and groups can sponsor a Snoopy are expected to be announced by Mayor Norm Coleman at a news conference Friday during the annual spring art crawl though St. Paul's downtown art community.

"There will be some surprises" in the Schulz salute, said Erich Mische, the mayor's director of strategic initiatives.

While the colorful statues are meant as a temporary tribute, the city also is working on a permanent memorial to Schulz, Mische says.

Ideas under consideration include an endowed chair of illustration at the College of Visual Arts, an annual illustrators' symposium and award, or perhaps incorporating "Peanuts" characters into streetlight designs.

Schulz, 77, died of colon cancer on Feb. 12, the eve of publication of the last Sunday "Peanuts" comic strip.

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Schulz cost cuts trim four jobs at ice rink

April 14, 2000

By Chris Smith
Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Two months after the death of Charles Schulz, his family has made cost-cutting management changes at the Santa Rosa ice rink the cartoonist built and subsidized and visited almost daily.

Four managers of the Redwood Ice Arena's rink and cafe have been terminated and their positions consolidated under one person, Jim Doe, who previously managed the arena's gift shop.

Doe has been named by Schulz's wife and five children as the arena's new vice president of operations. Family members and family spokeswoman Barbara Gallagher said Thursday the restructuring is necessary to assure the future of the West Steele Lane ice arena, a place that Charles Schulz loved and allowed to run on a deficit budget. He once told The Press Democract he subsidized the arena by about $1 million a year.

"We had to do something," said Jill Schulz Transki, a daughter of the late "Peanuts" creator. Operating budget figures were not available.

"We all understand how difficult change can be," she said. "We want to keep the ice rink alive in my father's memory."

Gallagher said there was consensus at recent meetings with the arena's 65 employees that the operation was top-heavy, with the ice rink, cafe and gift shop being managed as separate operations.

Gallagher said four managers were given severance packages. Two others, former arena general manager Richard Dwyer and Karen Kresge, who has worked with professional skaters and directed the annual Christmas show, have been offered other positions.

Gallagher said the Schulz family wants the cartoonist's beloved ice rink not only to remain in operation but to be improved and put to greater use by the community, especially once the Charles M. Schulz Museum opens nearby.

Schulz's wife, Jeannie, said she believes her late husband would have been pleased that his family is acting to vitalize the arena he had built in 1969.

"His children remember how it was when it was first opened and they want to recreate that same enthusiasm and excitement," she said.

The arena was not just a business for "Sparky" Schulz, but a home away from home. He walked there for lunch every day, and delighted in hosting public events that included an annual seniors-league hockey tournament and the gala Christmas ice show.

The hockey tournament will return to the arena in July. Gallagher said the family hopes also to continue the holiday show.

Schulz was 77 when he died at his Santa Rosa home on Feb. 12 from complications of cancer.

He had been an avid ice skater, as well as a golfer and tennis player, and was thrilled just the day before he died to get back onto the ice, steadied by daughter Transki and a friend.

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The Music of "Peanuts" and True Love

April 9, 2000

By Dan Taylor
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Ed Bogas is a familiar name to fans of music and cartoons. Soon we can add those who love romance to the list.

With Vince Guaraldi, Judy Munson and others, Bogas has written music for 11 television specials, an 18-episode Saturday morning cartoon series and two feature films based on the late Charles Schulz's "Peanuts'' comic strip.

Bogas' latest CD, however, takes the pianist and composer's romantic streak far beyond Charlie Brown's unrequited longing for the little red-headed girl.

"And Time Stood Still,'' a collection of 12 original compositions in the classical style, is a tribute to Bogas' wife, singer Desiree Goyette.

His music for the album draws much of its inspiration from the site of their wedding, Chateau du Sureau in Oakhurst, about 20 miles south of Yosemite National Park.

"The place stuck with me,'' Bogas recalls. "We went up for another visit six months after the wedding, and I just started writing music.''

His San Francisco company, Bogas Productions, does music for broadcast commercials, as well as for television and movies.

"It's a completely different world,'' Bogas says. "In commercials, you only have the audience for a couple of minutes.''

Working on "And Time Stood Still,'' it did seem that by comparison, time did indeed stand still. The CD contains 12 selections, allowing Bogas time and freedom to explore his musical ideas.

"This is the first time since school that I'd done an art piece,'' Bogas says. "I borrowed very much from the Impressionist and late Romantic styles.''

The next to last piece on the album is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's poem "In der Nahe des Deliebten'' ("Nearness of the Beloved,'') set to music by Bogas and sung by Goyette.

Bogas not only played piano on the album, but directed the 30-piece orchestra and even played viola on some pieces. Noriko Kishi is guest cellist on the album's last selection.

Goyette, like Bogas, has a history with "Peanuts'' and Schulz. She has performed at Schulz's Redwood Empire Ice Arena, and she and Bogas worked together on some of the cartoons.

Even Bogas' brother Roy, also a pianist, has a Schulz connection, serving as musical stand-in for Schroeder, the piano-playing kid in "Peanuts'' on TV, and performing with then-conductor Corrick Brown of the Santa Rosa Symphony at a special concert at the ice arena.

One of my earliest assignments at this paper, 18 years ago, was to interview Schulz, Brown and Roy Bogas before that show.

Roy continues to serve as pianist for the San Francisco Ballet and as music director of Holy Names College in Oakland.

To borrow a line from TV ads, Ed Bogas' "And Time Stood Still'' is not available in any store.

"At the moment, the only place people can get it is from our 800 number,'' Ed says. That number is 1-800-342-3361.

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Baseball hall honors Schulz

March 25, 2000

By Chris Smith
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Baseball's Hall of Fame will honor late cartoonist Charles Schulz with a "Peanuts" exhibit that will open at the Cooperstown, New York, museum in May and run through the end of the year. Hall of Fame officials said they want to do something in Schulz's memory because he loved baseball and featured the sport in one of every 10 "Peanuts" comic strips.

In one oft-repeated scene, pitcher Charlie Brown bears down, determined to finally strike out a batter -- perhaps even win a game -- but the batter slams a drive that knocks the hapless blockhead's socks off.

"With some 1,800 comic strips about baseball, Schulz was truly one of the game's great ambassadors," said Dale Petroskey, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

The special exhibit, set to open May 20, will be called, "You're In the Hall of Fame, Charlie Brown!" It will feature original comic strips, larger-than-life artwork and "Peanuts" artifacts.

There also will be a video of interviews with Schulz and highlights of his 50-year career as the world's best-known cartoonist. The Hall of Fame's Bullpen Theater will show "Peanuts" TV specials, including "Charlie Brown's All-Stars" and "It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown."

Schulz, a sports fan who also loved golf, tennis and ice hockey, was 77 when he died Feb. 12 at his home in Santa Rosa.

His wife, Jeannie, said Friday she's delighted that her late husband's work is going to the Hall of Fame because baseball was something dear to him all his life. She said a new book on the sport retells a story that he told many times about a particular summer on a sandlot in his hometown of Minneapolis.

"Sparky" Schulz was 14, he would say, when a young man he recalled only as Harry started an informal, four-team baseball league at one the city's ballfields. There were no fancy uniforms or official umpires or travels to other diamonds ... just a bunch of kids playing baseball.

"He said that was the best summer of his life," his wife said.

The Hall of Fame exhibit is the latest in a series of posthumous tributes and honors to be bestowed on Schulz, who also amassed an enormous collection of awards while he was alive and creating "Peanuts."

Earlier this week, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted to rename the county airport northwest of Santa Rosa the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport. A Southern California artist is creating a sculpture of Charlie Brown and Snoopy that will be placed in Santa Rosa's Depot Park.

Congress is processing a proposal to award the cartoonist a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal. And in May, fellow cartoonists will honor Schulz with the National Cartoonists Society's lifetime achievement award.

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Baseball Hall of Fame to Pay Tribute to Charles M. Schulz with Special "Peanuts" Exhibit

March 23, 2000

Cooperston, New York -- Charlie Brown and friends have finally made it to the Hall of Fame.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum today announced the opening of a special exhibit honoring the late Charles M. Schulz and his Peanuts legacy. "You're in the Hall of Fame, Charlie Brown!", which will open on Saturday, May 20, and run through the end of 2000, will celebrate the most popular comic strip of all time and its longtime love affair with America's Pastime.

Schulz, who passed away on February 12, produced nearly 18,000 Peanuts strips over the past 50 years. Of that total, a remarkable 10 percent focused on baseball ... with the ever-lovable loser, Charlie Brown, often down but never out. The most successful comic strip in newspaper history, Peanuts appears daily in some 2,600 newspapers in 75 countries and is translated into 21 languages. United Feature Syndicate started the strip in syndication on October 2, 1950.

"I could draw baseball strips every day," said Schulz, in December of 1999. "Baseball is ideal because little kids do play it at that age, and they aren't very good. But they do suffer at it."

"Charles Schulz has inspired generations with his Peanuts legacy, just as baseball has inspired generations with its rich traditions and timeless qualities," said Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey. "With some 1,800 cartoon strips about baseball, Schulz was truly one of the game's great ambassadors, though few people realize this. We want this exhibit to capture the humor and spirit evident in his work, which entertained millions for half a century and kept baseball in front of readers, even in the comics."

Through original strips, larger-than-life artwork and three-dimensional artifacts, the exhibit will showcase the humor intrinsic to Peanuts and celebrate Schulz's theme of baseball as a metaphor for life. The exhibit, to be located in the Hall of Fame Library's atrium and exhibit gallery, is being written, designed and presented to be accessible -- both physically and intellectually -- to children as well as adults. Highlighted characters in the exhibit are Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and Schroeder, with appearances by Sally, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Pigpen, Woodstock and Rerun.

"You're In The Hall of Fame, Charlie Brown!" will also offer visitors "hands-on" access to hundreds of Peanuts strips involving baseball, as well as a video monitor featuring a compilation of Schulz interviews and highlights. The Hall of Fame's Bullpen Theater, located adjacent to the exhibit, will showcase Peanuts television specials every day, including "Charlie Brown's All-Stars" and "It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown!"

Schulz was born November 26, 1922, to Carl and Dena Schulz in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As a child, he showed promise as an artist, eventually prompting his father to enroll him in a correspondence course in cartooning at what is now the Art Instruction Schools, Inc. ("Draw Me"), in Minneapolis. Schulz completed the art course just prior to being drafted into the army, where he was an infantryman, staff sergeant and resident illustrator -- dutifully decorating soldiers' letters home with cartoons of barracks life -- during World War II.

Returning to St. Paul, where he was raised, Schulz first accepted a job with Timeless Topix, a small Roman Catholic magazine, offering him his first opportunity at cartooning. The magazine hired him to letter already drawn comics. Soon, he took on a second job as a teacher with his alma mater, Art Instruction Schools. He practiced his drawing and met many of the people who would inspire his future work (including a friend named Charlie Brown and a girl with red hair who broke his heart).

Eventually, his persistence paid off and he sold a number of single comic panels in The Saturday Evening Post. His success in the national magazine market helped him land a weekly comic feature called "L'il Folks" in the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "L'il Folks" brought forth the first glimpse of Charlie Brown and became the sole focus of Schulz's career. Marketing "L'il Folks" to syndicates around the country, Schulz ultimately signed a contract with United Feature Syndicate. Because of legal issues surrounding the name "L'il Folks" ("Little Folks" and "L'il Abner" already existed), the strip was renamed "Peanuts." Today Peanuts has an estimated global audience of over 355 million readers.

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Ex-prodigy Midori still grows at age 28

March 21, 2000

By Mary Ellyn Hutton
The Cincinnati Post

What do you do after you've conquered the music world and created your own legend, all before the age of 20?

That was the "problem" facing Midori a few years back.

But Midori, the violin whiz with the one-word name, the doll-like frame and the cast-iron work ethic, was not at a loss.

She founded her own non-profit foundation, Midori and Friends, to take music into the New York City schools. She enrolled part-time at New York University (she will graduate this year with a degree in psychology and gender studies). She moved into her own apartment and adopted two dogs.

At 28, by all accounts, she is playing better than ever.

The best-known former prodigy of our times, the subject of media attention from her earliest Snoopy-toting days, Midori seems to have crossed relatively unscathed into maturity.

Cincinnati audiences will be treated to her grown-up artistry this week at Music Hall, where she plays Beethoven's Violin Concerto with the Cincinnati Symphony at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday.

Midori sounded sleepy as she answered the phone in Omaha, Neb., where she gave a recital last week. But she was glad to talk about Midori and Friends.

She founded it in 1992, when she was just 20. Originally intended to provide in-class performances for students, it has expanded to include teaching.

"We do different kinds of music; Latino music. We'll be adding an African band next year. It's a very vital, growing, promising organization. Just to watch these kids being touched by music is really wonderful."

Midori herself gives many of the performances, which include visits to hospitalized children. Pianists Emanuel Ax and Yefim Bronfman have taken part, as have a variety of chamber and jazz ensembles. Until his death in February, cartoonist Charles Schulz was an honorary trustee.

"He loved classical music, and I loved Peanuts. That sort of connected us," she said.

That's her dachshund Franze on the foundation brochure, she said (her other dog is Willa, a Westie).

"We -- the dogs and I -- are thinking of getting another dog," she said.

Born in Osaka, Japan, Midori (she dropped her last name at 11, when her parents divorced) came to New York in 1982 with her mother, violinist Setsu Goto, to study with famed teacher Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School. She packed a lot of grit in her tiny frame even then, making a surprise debut with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic on a New Year's Eve concert that year.

In July 1986, she made the cover of the New York Times. In a now-legendary event -- which moved conductor Leonard Bernstein fall to his knees and kiss her hand -- she broke a string twice during his Serenade at Tanglewood but kept on playing to the end (the concertmaster and his assistant surrendered their violins in turn).

She showed her independence at 15 by leaving DeLay and Juilliard to strike out on her own. Since then she has risen to the top of the international circuit. She has an exclusive recording contract with Sony Classical.

There is a tinge of regret in her voice when asked if she would do anything differently today.

"I don't know if I'd do it all the same again, but I certainly don't regret what I did ."

Her objective has been to "keep a very balanced life," she said. She remains close to her mother and her 11-year-old brother, who live near her in New York. She loves to read -- among her favorite authors are Willa Cather and E.M. Forster -- and enjoys going to the theater.

Midori attributes much of her success to "a very supportive group of friends," including older artists as well as contemporaries.

"I used to think that friends have to be somebody your own age, but it's not so."

And she keeps striving.

"As an artist, I'm always trying to do and find more. I can never say that I'm perfectly happy."

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Twins To Feature "Peanuts" Characters In Opener

New Mascot Will Also Be Unveiled April 3

March 20, 2000

The Associated Press

FORT MYERS, Florida -- Charlie Brown will throw out the first pitch for the Minnesota Twins' April 3 opener as part of the team's tribute to "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz.

Snoopy, Linus and Lucy also will take part in pre-game ceremonies honoring Schulz, a Minnesota native who died last month.

The ceremony will also feature a tribute to former Twins owner Calvin Griffith. Former Twins stars Harmon Killebrew and Tony Oliva will participate in the Griffith tribute, along with fans who have held season tickets since the franchise moved to Minnesota in 1961.

The Twins will unveil their new mascot in nearly 20 years at the game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

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Other "Peanuts" shows are in production

March 2, 2000

By Mary Ann Lickteig
The Associated Press

SANTA ROSA, California -- Charles Schulz was involved in two more "Peanuts" shows that will appear this year, a home video called "It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown," and a 50th anniversary TV special scheduled to air on CBS in May.

The TV show, "Here's to You, Charlie Brown: 50 Great Years," is partially animated. It features highlights from past shows, 10 minutes of new animation and interaction between real people and members of the "Peanuts" gang.

Look for country music star Faith Hill singing "Poor Sweet Baby" to Charlie Brown.

"Peanuts" fans accustomed to heard-but-not-seen grownups -- a trombone was used for the "wah-wah" language they used -- might be surprised by one thing they see in the Pied Piper video: adults.

Schulz personally approved this, animator Bill Melendez said. "He said, `Fine. Let's have adults, no problem.' But you never know how people will react."

Adults have appeared before. The 1988 miniseries, "This is America, Charlie Brown" featured the "Peanuts" gang in period costumes interacting with pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, Thomas Edison and other historical figures.

Just before he died, Schulz also sent Melendez an outline for another show -- a story involving a game of marbles.

"I have a name for it, `It's Only Marbles, Charlie Brown,' " Melendez said. "He gave me the notes. And I've been working on a storyboard. I was going to show it to him."

Plans for that show remain uncertain.

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"Peanuts" empire future unclear

March 2, 2000

By George Lauer
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Charles "Sparky" Schulz made it clear before he died that no one else should draw his comic strip, but the future of the rest of the lucrative "Peanuts" empire is a little less clear.

A couple of the cartoonist's children are worried the company that owns the "Peanuts" copyright may produce animated shows or other kinds of productions that could take Snoopy and the gang too far away from Schulz's artistic vision.

"They might end up being like `South Park' or something and we just don't want that to happen," said Monte Schulz, Sparky's son.

"The simple issue is the kids are not in favor of having any more TV shows and because of the property ownership questions, we're not sure what kind of control we have."

When Schulz started syndicating his cartoon strip Oct. 2, 1950, United Media assumed copyright control over the title and the characters and all of their uses in print, TV and movies. Schulz retained creative control, and while he was alive there was no question about how things worked: Nothing related to the Peanuts gang went public without Sparky's approval.

As far as the syndicate is concerned, the Schulz family now assumes Sparky's role and the relationship is basically unchanged.

"We enjoy a wonderful relationship with the family and we will continue to get approval from them for everything we do," said Rosana Galvan, assistant manager of public relations for United Media.

"Peanuts" is the main source of income for United Media, which reported $84.9 million in revenue in 1998. Syndication of the strip, TV shows and licensing deals putting "Peanuts" characters on everything from lunch boxes to life insurance ads netted about $51.8 million, or 61 percent of their total revenue that year.

"Everybody's had these questions but I really don't think things are going to change that much," said Paige Braddock, senior vice president and creative director for Creative Associates, the Santa Rosa company that manages the "Peanuts" empire Sparky built.

"Sparky was a smart man and he protected his property the best he could. This office still maintains editorial and creative control over all the characters," Braddock said.

Two new TV shows were in the works when Schulz died last month: a 50th anniversary special in May on CBS and a home video called "It's the Pied Piper, Charlie Brown."

His five children have no problem with continued merchandising of Peanuts goods, which produces about $19 million a year for Creative Associates in Santa Rosa, as long as they can reject products they don't like.

But they believe that creating new "Peanuts" material without Schulz's input is unacceptable.

Jean Schulz, Sparky's widow, and Lee Mendelson, the longtime collaborator who produced all animated "Peanuts" TV shows, said it was premature to make any judgments about United Media's plans.

"All decisions remain with the family, so I really don't think there's a story here," said Mendelson.

The Schulz family's lawyer, Barbara Gallagher, said she believes creative projects include animated shows -- and she trusts United Media to heed the family's wishes. "I don't believe that they're going to try to pursue anything that the family doesn't want," she said.

Monte Schulz got worried after a United Media representative hinted the company will want to create new shows to help maintain the franchise's value.

"But forget it," he said. "At the expense of the integrity of the strip? The characters themselves? Dad's legacy? Not a chance. We'll have to live with fewer dollars in our pockets," he said.

The only way the family might accept new shows is if the story line and dialogue were pulled directly from existing strips, said Monte Schulz, who doesn't favor the idea.

Amy Johnson, one of Schulz's daughters, said her father's legacy, which includes 62 animated shows and four feature-length movies in United Media's library, should be left to stand on its own.

"Certainly we can look at those things over and over," she said. "You read great books over and over. You look at great paintings over and over. And that's what you want to pass down to your children."

Schulz's two closest collaborators on the TV shows, producer Mendelson, 66, and animator Bill Melendez, 84, haven't ruled out creating more if asked.

Melendez said that just before Schulz died, he sent Melendez an outline for another show -- a story involving a game of marbles.

"I have a name for it -- `It's Only Marbles, Charlie Brown,' " Melendez said. "He gave me the notes. And I've been working on a storyboard. I was going to show it to him."

Plans for that show are uncertain.

This story includes information from the Associated Press.

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Point of View

March 10, 2000

By Mark Evanier

Peanuts was just another comic strip. Yeah ... like Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is just another painting ... or like the Eiffel Tower is just another thing you too can build with the largest-size Erector Set. Peanuts was just another comic strip the way Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major is a catchy tune or the way Huckleberry Finn ain't a bad book.

Somehow, with Charlie Brown, it seems appropriate to underestimate. Everyone did.

All fifty years of his childhood, everyone had good reason to underestimate Good Ol' Charlie Brown. He was the boy who couldn't win a baseball game, couldn't write to his pen-pal with a pen, couldn't fly a kite, couldn't kick the football, couldn't drum up the courage to talk to the Little Red-Headed Girl ... and everyone knew it. Except around suppertime, he couldn't even command the respect of his own dog, who thought of him as "that round-headed kid." Even on those rare occasions when no one was actively underestimating Charlie Brown, nothing changed. You could always count on Charlie Brown to underestimate Charlie Brown.

But he fooled 'em all. Charlie Brown went out a winner.

There was a time when everyone underestimated Charles Schulz, as well. He always said that, all his life, all he wanted to do was to create the best comic strip ever. At some point, that probably sounded like a ridiculous, unachievable goal for anyone, let alone the soft-spoken, nondescript "Sparky" Schulz. And let's get one thing straight Charles Schulz was Charlie Brown. True, he said the character was named for an old Art School buddy and, officially, it probably was. But Charlie Schulz ... Charlie Brown ... both the sons of barbers -- who was he kidding?

For me, the two main differences between the Charlies were that, first of all, one of them had an awful lot of money and success. Despite this, he never lost touch with what it feels like to be a loser.

Actually, knowing what it feels like to be a loser is easy. All you have to do is lose ... no great challenge. Knowing that feeling when you're not one and being able to write about it in an endearing, humorous manner is tougher. It was one of the things that made one Charlie (the taller of the two) the greatest success story ever in newspaper strips.

And the other difference was this I know the precise moment I met Charlie Schulz. Just when I first encountered Charlie Brown, I haven't the foggiest. As proven by my well-worn Peanuts paperbacks -- all first editions, all purchased new -- I've known him all my life. So, I'd wager, have you.

I first met the rich, famous Charlie at a San Diego Comic Convention back in the seventies. I was chatting with Russell Myers, the fine cartoonist of Broom-Hilda. For some reason, we were talking about Nancy and I asked how many newspapers were currently running it.

"I'm not sure," he said. Then he motioned to a thin, quiet gent walking past and added, "Sparky's with that syndicate. He'll know."

Sparky did know. I forget the total but I voiced surprise at how formidable the numbers were for a strip dismissed by so many as childish, repetitive and hopelessly out-of-date. Mr. Schulz's reply went something like this ...

"Something amazing happens every time a newspaper tries to drop Nancy. Readers don't just get angry ... they get militant. When a paper drops Li'l Abner or Brenda Starr or Dick Tracy, they get a lot of complaints. No matter what the strip is, it's someone's favorite and they complain.

"But when a paper drops Nancy, they don't get complaints. They get death threats. People get so upset, the paper has to put it back immediately.

"That strip is such a part of people's lives ... their childhoods. For a lot of them, it was the first strip they were ever able to read. It's like your old playground. You may not want to go back to it and swing on the swings or climb on the monkey bars ... but you like the idea that it's still there. Everything in this world changes so much it's nice when something doesn't ...

"And, of course, you want it to be there for children ... so that they can perhaps experience what you experienced and derive the same joy."

Just to remind you This is Charles Schulz talking about Nancy, not about Peanuts.

But obviously, he could have been talking about Peanuts. Everything fits, except for the part about folks becoming homicidal because their favorite strip was dropped. We have no data on how people would have reacted, had their local newspaper discontinued Peanuts.

No newspaper ever dared.

Later that same con, I was approached by a cartoonist with a few credits in barely-professional magazines. He'd seen me chatting with Mr. Schulz and craved an introduction. "I want to get his reaction to this," the young man said. Then he pulled out a couple of pages on which he'd drawn pornographic sequences of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the gang.

"I don't think that's a good idea," I told him. It was, in fact, a terrible idea -- foolish and insolent. It would have been, even if the work had been somehow well-drawn or witty. It was neither.

"Aw, come on. He'll get a bang out of 'em," the budding cartoonist insisted.

I wanted no part of it so he approached Mr. Schulz on his own. Even halfway across the hall, you could feel a wince of agony when the drawings were thrust into Schulz's line of sight. He looked like someone had taken a large, hardwood railroad tie and clubbed him over the head with it. "That's ... uh, nice linework," Schulz muttered in a feeble attempt to find something positive to say. (It was not, by the way, nice linework.)

Call it a study in contrasts between two men at opposite ends of one art form. Schulz displayed uncommon grace by not hollering -- in the enduring words of Lucy Van Pelt in big, Speedball pen lettering -- "YOU BLOCKHEAD!"

But he didn't. I don't think he understood why someone would do such a thing Is that an artistic endeavor? Despoiling someone else's creations? And doing it so poorly?

Wronged by someone he thought should have known better, Schulz would have sent in the S.W.A.T. team; that's how protective he was of his work. He was furious, for instance, a year or two ago when David Letterman's show dubbed naughty dialogue into pirated Peanuts animation.

But at that convention encounter, I think he decided that the kid would never know any better ... so what was the point? Oblivious to the pain he'd inflicted on another human being, the Peanuts pornographer ran happily back to his friends to brag that Schulz had complimented his linework.

Insofar as I can tell, that young, insensate cartoonist never created anything about which anyone cared. Charles Schulz ... well, we all know what he achieved.

There's got to be a lesson somewhere in there.

Whatever else one may feel about Schulz or his strip, all would agree he worked hard at it ... a lot harder than he had to, certainly. He wanted very much to reach fifty years, but feared that failing health would prevent it.

A year or two back, he made one concession to his own mortality He took a brief Sabbatical, during which classic strips were rerun. Throughout that period, he did not loll on the beach. For the most part, he stayed at the drawing board, working away, sometimes painfully using his left hand to steady the one that gripped the pen. That is, when he wasn't with doctors.

He didn't make the big five-oh ... a trivial failing, noticed by few. It was about the only thing at which he ever failed.

Others have, of course, argued for the primacy of other strips. If you walk into a room of cartooning buffs and proclaim that the greatest comic of all time was Walt Kelly's Pogo or George Herriman's Krazy Kat or Elzie Segar's Thimble Theater or any of several others, no fist fights will erupt. Some might even agree that Schulz lacked the bite and lush drawing of Kelly, the cockeyed worldview of Herriman, the engrossing story sense of Segar ... or any of several varied skills displayed in other strips.

But on two counts, the consensus for Peanuts seems unanimous. One, just mentioned, is endurance -- and the sheer output of work, kept generally up to standard for so long. The second is the extent to which Charlie Brown and company, moreso than any other characters in American fiction, became a part of our everyday culture -- and that of other nations, as well.

Asked once about all the merchandising, Schulz replied -- in doubtless earnest -- "The other day, I saw a little girl at the skating rink who had put a Snoopy decal on her purse. And, as I always am, I'm so proud that I created something that this little girl cared about so much, she wanted to have it on one of her personal belongings."

He said this, long past the point where such paraphernalia was bringing him money he might ever get around to spending. He was already wealthy beyond any reasonable measure of wealth ... and from characters clearly not designed to appear anywhere but in a comic strip.

This, animator Bill Melendez discovered when charged with making them move for a series of Ford commercials, and later for the long run of award-winning specials. Characters for animation are always designed to "work" from all possible angles. Schulz's didn't. Charlie Brown, especially, went a half-century on the funny pages with just a profile and a full-face view which didn't precisely correspond to one another.

Animation requires other angles, including three-quarter shots and this drove Melendez and his staff crazy How do you make Linus turn and still look like Linus? Meanwhile, the merchandise artists who had to sculpt the kids in three-dimensions were said to have gone through thousands of prototypes until they fashioned some that Schulz didn't loathe and so would approve.

Charlie Brown was also constructed with a big head and short arms, such that he couldn't reach up and scratch his head. Melendez had to do some subtle reproportioning and cheat a lot to make the cast do all those actions that Schulz never had to draw. Some claim that the evolution of Sparky's style reflected a subtle, perhaps unconscious adjustment in those directions.

Not only did Schulz not design his stars to work in other media, he didn't even think about color. Peanuts started as a daily only and, when the Sunday page was added, no one could figure out Charlie Brown's hairline. No one ever has. He remains the only character in popular fiction with either transparent or flesh-colored hair -- I'm not sure which.

All of this, I think, lends credence to the man's claim that the only thing he ever really cared about was producing the best comic strip of all time. And as the final bit of evidence, I offer the following. In August of '97, I wrote a column that said, in part

"Schulz has had his 'down' times ... weeks or months whether you wonder if the strip hasn't gone reprint, because you're sure you read that day's joke before. But he always rebounds and, the last few months, it's been funnier and fresher than a lot of strips by new guys."

Two weeks after it appeared, I received a long letter from Schulz, thanking me for the compliment and asking me, please, to let him know any time I thought any aspect of Peanuts was stale or in need of improvement.

This is like Willie Mays, at the top of his game, asking random kids in the stands to offer batting tips. The true mark of a pro is that he never thinks he's got it all figured out; that he can't do it just a wee bit better.

Both Charlies -- left us on Sunday, February 13, 2000. That was the day the last Peanuts strip ran in newspapers.

Technically, Mr. Schulz passed away the night before ... around 945 PM in his home in Northern California. But since that was Pacific Time, it was already Sunday on the East Coast. His last strip had just been delivered to America.

So let's please say that Charles Schulz and Peanuts died at the same moment. It's just too poetic to spoil with details.

One of his closest associates said to me this morning, "It was a blessing he went when he did. Otherwise, he would have had to undergo six months of painful Chemotherapy ... and he still wouldn't have made it. He was spared that and he got to see and read all the tributes."

Indeed. The Friday night before, CBS aired a one-hour special, emceed by Walter Cronkite, chronicling the amazing lives of both Charlies. Like most programs of this sort -- there have been several -- it was comprised primarily of excerpts from the specials (which Schulz did not draw) and songs from the specials and Broadway shows (which Schulz did not write).

Still, if one has to go, that's a helluva send-off. How many other people in this world get to watch a tribute hosted by Walter Cronkite a day or two before they die? Given that and the outpouring that followed the announcement that he was ill and would be stopping the strip, Sparky must have known how loved he was.

Some had hoped he'd draw a few final weeks in which some or all of Charlie Brown's many shortcomings would be given happy endings He'd win a baseball game, get that kite up in the air, kick the football, kiss the Little Red-Headed Girl, et al. (He actually did some of those things in the TV specials but those aren't pure Schulz so they don't count.)

I'm glad this wasn't done. It would have somehow changed all the strips he'd done before, and I like the idea that they'll be around, just the way they were, perpetually reprinted in newspapers and books. Even if I don't read them -- though I will -- it's great that children yet to come will experience what I experienced and perhaps derive the same joy. Just like that playground Schulz mentioned.

Besides, what a lot of folks don't seem to realize is that the long, glorious story of Charlie Brown did have a happy ending ... the happiest possible, in fact.

All the time we knew him, Charlie Brown just wanted to be liked ... to feel like he belonged in the world. Then, one day, he realized that he had a career goal, as well. He wanted to grow up and create the best comic strip ever. An awful lot of people think he did just that.

And you know what else? He found out that they liked him, too.

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Now that Schulz is Gone, What Happens to the "Peanuts" Franchise?

March 2, 2000

By Mary Ann Lickteig
The Associated Press

SANTA ROSA, California -- Charles Schulz left strict instructions that nobody else could draw "Peanuts," and, days before he died, told one of his daughters that animated shows featuring Charlie Brown and the gang must end as well.

Still, the cartoonist's children are worried that the company that owns the "Peanuts" franchise will turn out new programs that stray too far from Schulz's legacy.

"They'll end up being like `South Park' or something like that," says Schulz's son Monte.

The problem for the family is that, although Schulz earned more than $30 million a year from his creations, he didn't actually own the copyright to the "Peanuts" characters.

That remains firmly in the hands of United Media, which got 61 percent of its $84.9 million in 1998 revenues from the comics, TV shows and licensing deals that put the strip's characters on everything from lunch boxes to life insurance ads.

When Schulz began drawing Peanuts in 1950, comics distributors often demanded the copyrights to protect their investments. Schulz was never able to get his back.

United Media hasn't met with the family or Schulz's collaborators to discuss making more shows, and wouldn't elaborate about its plans.

"What I would say is that, at the appropriate time, we will discuss business issues with the Schulz family and that will include animation," said company spokeswoman Diane Iselin.

Schulz had two or three more TV shows in the works at the time of his death last month, including a Snoopy-as-Pied Piper story to be released on home video later this year.

His five children have no problem with continued merchandising of Peanuts goods, as long as they can reject products they don't like.

But they feel that creating new "Peanuts" content without his input is unacceptable Ï especially after Schulz told his daughter, Jill Transki, that he expected the shows to end with his death.

"A lot of people were asking about the animated shows; I thought get it directly from him," she recalled. "He looked at me just incredulously ... He was like, `You've got to be crazy.' "

It was the children who insisted that Schulz's contract stipulate no one else would draw the strip after his death. The contract also said he had to approve all "creative projects," a right that now belongs to his widow, Jean, and his children, according to the family's lawyer, Barbara Gallagher.

Gallagher believes creative projects includes animated shows Ï and that she trusts United Media to heed the family's wishes. "I don't believe that they're going to try to pursue anything that the family doesn't want," she said.

Nonetheless, Monte Schulz got worried after a United Media representative hinted that the company will want to create new shows to help maintain the franchise's value.

"But forget it," he said. "At the expense of the integrity of the strip? The characters themselves? Dad's legacy? Not a chance. We'll have to live with fewer dollars in our pockets," he said.

The only way the family might accept new shows is if the storyline and dialog were pulled directly from existing strips, said Monte Schulz, who doesn't favor the idea.

For United Media, there's plenty at stake.

Annual revenue from the strip in 1998 was only about $2 million, according to the latest figures available from United Media's parent, The E.W. Scripps Co., while licensing of Peanuts products, including the TV shows, brought in $50 million.

New animated shows would keep the franchise fresh, stimulating demand for related products, said securities analysts.

"I was under the impression the strips would stop but everything else would kind of continue business as usual," said James Marsh, an analyst with Prudential Securities.

Schulz's two closest collaborators on the TV shows, producer Lee Mendelson, 66, and animator Bill Melendez, 84, haven't ruled out creating more if asked.

"Its not my decision; it's the decision of the children and United Media," Mendelson said.

Melendez said he can write stories that would be true to Schulz, and he believes that United Media will try to find a way to make more. "I've never seen a money-making machine like this just let die, especially by the people who own it," he said.

But Melendez fears the company will hire other animators who never worked with Schulz.

"As long as they want me to make these shows, I'll do them. And if they don't want me to do them, they're going to run into a real nest of hornets. Because I'm the only one that can do them," Melendez said.

Amy Johnson, one of Schulz's daughters, thinks her father's legacy Ï which includes 62 animated shows and four feature-length movies in United Media's library Ï should be left to stand on its own.

"Certainly we can look at those things over and over. You read great books over and over. You look at great paintings over and over. And that's what you want to pass down to your children."

All PEANUTS characters pictured are copyrighted © by United Feature Syndicate, Inc. They are used here with permission. They may not be reproduced by any means in any form.