IT WAS on Oct. 2, 1950, that Charles M. Schulz introduced the characters of Charlie Brown, Shermy and Patty in just seven newspapers, launching a 50-year journey for the cartoonist that forever changed the landscape of popular culture and humor. Schulz’s comic strip was hailed as one of the greatest of the 20th century, while providing a much-needed voice for the underdog, via Charlie Brown.
Through all of life’s trials and tribulations—including a kite-eating tree, a losing baseball streak or the blunt advice of Lucy Van Pelt—Charlie Brown persevered. His eternal optimism gave us hope, which made him relatable to readers all over the world.
“Charlie Brown gets referred to as a loser all the time,” laments Craig Schulz, the son of Charles M. Schulz and one of “Snoopy and Charlie Brown The Peanuts Movie” writers and producers. “But in reality, Charlie Brown is a winner because he never gives up. We all lose a lot more than we win, and who better than Charlie Brown to teach us that?”
Schulz put into just four panels the world he saw unfolding around him. “I always thought of my dad as the great observer,” recalls Craig Schulz. “No matter where he was or what he was doing, he would find a comic strip in the moment. He never missed an opportunity to tell a story.”
The universal appeal of all Peanuts characters is the reason the strip and its characters have remained relevant as “Peanuts” celebrates its 65th anniversary this year.
When “Peanuts” completed its run in 2000, the strip had an estimated readership of over 350 million and appeared in 2,600 newspapers, representing 21 countries around the world.
This January 2016, that legacy continues with the return of the Peanuts Gang to the big screen, in “Snoopy and Charlie Brown The Peanuts Movie.” In the movie, Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved Peanuts Gang make their big-screen debut, like they’ve never been seen before, in state-of-the-art 3D animation.
From the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the “Ice Age” films, “Snoopy and Charlie Brown The Peanuts Movie” will prove that every underdog has his day.
Over the years, many studios had pursued a big-screen version of Peanuts, but the Schulz family resisted. Their thinking began to change when director Steve Martino expressed his passion and ideas for the project. Moreover, Craig Schulz had admired Martino’s work, including the way his film “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” was true to the style of Dr. Seuss.
“Snoopy and Charlie Brown The Peanuts Movie” will open Jan. 8. The film, from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros., will also be available in 3D.