Written by Jerilyn Watson
(THEME)
VOICE ONE:
I’m Barbara Klein.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Steve Ember with People in America in VOA Special English. Today we
tell about Charles M. Schulz who wrote and drew the newspaper comic strip
"Peanuts” for half a century.
(MUSIC)
VOICE ONE:
Millions of people around the world who loved the comic strip "Peanuts" were
sad when Charles Schulz died in February, two thousand. He was seventy-seven
years old. The artist who created Charlie Brown and his dog Snoopy had retired
a month earlier because of poor health. The last new daily “Peanuts”
appeared January third in two thousand six hundred newspapers in seventy-five
countries.
Charles Schulz drew "Peanuts" for fifty years. The comic strip first appeared
in seven American newspapers in nineteen fifty. At that time, the subjects
were all children and animals. They still are. People love these characters
because they demonstrate the failings and strengths of all human beings. For
example, Charlie Brown usually cannot get things right. But he tries his
best. And he never stops trying.
Charles Schulz
VOICE TWO:
Charles Schulz would not permit anyone else to draw "Peanuts." However, the
stories about Charlie Brown and his friends did not completely disappear when
their creator died. Newspapers are publishing earlier “Peanuts” comic
strips, called “Classic Peanuts.” Special programs based on stories about
the "Peanuts" group are still shown on television and performed as musical
plays.
VOICE ONE:
For example, the animated cartoon, "A Charlie Brown Christmas," has appeared
on television since nineteen sixty-five. In it, Charlie Brown has to choose a
Christmas tree for a special Christmas program. He gets a small ugly tree
because he feels sorry for it. But the other children laugh at it. They say
Charlie Brown has failed again to do something right. Then in preparing for
the show, one of the children tells about the true meaning of Christmas. The
other children decide that maybe they can make Charlie Brown’s tree look
beautiful.
Here is some jazz music by the Vince Guaraldi Trio from the television show,
"A Charlie Brown Christmas."
(MUSIC)
VOICE TWO:
Other children often criticize Charlie Brown. He suffers many losses and
rejections -- just as people sometimes do in real life. His baseball team
always loses. He keeps trying to kick a football, but never succeeds. His
friend Lucy keeps pulling the ball away. But he continues to believe that some
day she will let him kick the ball.
VOICE ONE:
Charlie Brown has a dog named Snoopy who may be even more popular than
Charlie. Snoopy is a funny character. He sleeps on top of his dog house.
Snoopy is always trying to write the great American novel. But he cannot get
beyond the first line of his book. He writes: "It was a dark and stormy night"
again and again. Snoopy dreams of himself as a pilot searching for the Red
Baron, a famous German fighter pilot in World War One.
VOICE TWO:
There are other memorable characters in the “Peanuts” comic strip. Lucy
mistrusts everyone. She often seems angry. Schroeder plays a small toy piano.
Every year he celebrates the birthday of composer Ludwig von Beethoven. Linus
always carries a blanket to feel secure. Peppermint Patty is good at sports.
She likes Charlie Brown very much and is the only one who calls him “Chuck.”
Charles Schulz said he saw himself in some of his characters. He recognized
himself in Charlie Brown's continued failures. In Snoopy's humor. In Lucy's
moments of anger. And in the insecure feelings of Linus. Some of the
situations in "Peanuts" seem to have developed from Mister Schulz's own life
experiences.
