Charles M. Schultz Museum
Charlie Browns Home
As a homage to Cartoonist everywhere, I offer you a peek at the Charles M. Schulz Museum, located in Santa Rosa, California.
Peanuts was the first comic strip, which I remember reading. As a child, I had been introduced to Charles Schulz gang of characters through the many television specials, which marked the holidays. To this day, “The Charlie Brown Christmas” is one of my favorite Christmas programs.
Charles Schulz always and only wanted to be a cartoonist, a feat he accomplished. His first success, as a cartoonist, was a picture of his dog, Spike, which was published in Ripley’s Believe it or Not!, in 1937. After serving in World War II, Schulz came home, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he had been born, and his father still lived; he had previously completed a correspondence course in art, and soon thereafter began drawing Li’l Folks, his first comic strip.
On October 2, 1950, Peanuts first graced the funny pages, in seven newspapers, in the United States; it would eventually be featured in 2,600 papers around the world, over the next fifty years; all drawn and lettered by the artist himself!
The Nursery Wall
“Charles Schulz painted this mural in 1951, for his daughter Meredith, at the family’s Colorado Springs Home. . . . After the Schulz family sold their home in 1952, subsequent owners painted over the colorful characters on at least four different occasions. Polly and Stanley Travnicck purchased the home in 1979, with prior knowledge of the possible treasure lying beneath many layers of latex.
When Polly Travnicck learned from Schulz that he created the mural with oil paints, she bought cans of sanding liquid and mountains of cotton balls, and set to work. She attacked the 96-square-foot wall one inch at a time, and remembers the three-month long chore fondly, ‘I was so happy. For weeks, I’d rub and say, ‘Where is Charlie Brown? Where is Charlie Brown? I know he’s here somewhere.’ And, finally there he was!’”
The Adorable Snoopy!
I remember in sixth grade, one of my friends, taught me how to draw Snoopy – I was impressed with the teacher and student, though they were not this good.
Kate and Linus
Sally may be a bit over the top.
I love the whimsy of this sculpture!
