I'll say right up front that I am a huge Charles Schulz fan. I think Peanuts is one of the most important things in the history of pop culture (not just comics, but in all of pop culture - film, literature, TV, music and art). It's the type of comic that's entertaining and fun for all of the obvious reasons but something that can also show you a little bit about how to live your life too. I mean, who doesn't like Snoopy or A Charlie Brown Christmas?
So I've been a little antsy about a new biography of Schulz that is coming out next week, Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography, by David Michaelis. It's a bio that supposedly gives a fuller picture of Schulz, including the sad, unhappy parts of his life. Now I see that I'm not the only one who is a little antsy about the book and a new American Masters that will profile Schulz too.
Monte Schulz, one of Charles Schulz's sons, says he liked parts of the documentary but found too much of it "dreary and depressing" and didn't show enough of the fun side of his dad. He even called the director to air his frustrations.
Schulz died in 2000, just as the final Peanuts strip was published. The book will hit bookstores next Tuesday and the American Masters doc will debut on October 29. Below is a video of Schulz being interviewed by Charlie Rose in 1997. Bill Richardson is interviewed first. The Schulz interview kicks in around 20 min, 20 secs (tried to get it straight from Rose's site but it wasn't working for some reason).
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-09-2007 @ 6:59PM
patrickm said...
ive always loved charles shultz...i remember being so sad when he died
this interview was great
it was sad to hear that he didn't think his art would influence future generations when the Peanuts Classics run in my local newspaper every day
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10-09-2007 @ 10:37PM
Jim said...
Good grief!
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10-10-2007 @ 12:55AM
mayorjimmy said...
For most people, Christmas just hasn't happened unless they see "it's a wonderful life" or "a Christmas story". me, "a charlie brown Christmas" is what i have to see every year.
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10-10-2007 @ 10:25AM
Tammy said...
Snoopy totally rocks!!
I bet you guys didn't have the Snoopy sheets & pillowcases and curtains in your bedroom as well as multiple Snoopys all over the house ... including the Snoopy snocone maker ...
I wish my Snoopy sheets would fit my adult bed ... Waaaaahhh!!
The holidays are NOT holidays without Snoopy & the Gang on tv ...
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10-10-2007 @ 12:08PM
blindguy said...
For anyone who has ever watched any of the cartoons, it's pretty obvious that he had some very sad moments in his life.
I mean come on, everytime Charlie tries to kick the ball, Lucy pulls it away. How about the great pumpkin, talk about disapoinment. Linus sits there all night and waites for the great pumpkin and what happens? He falls asleep seeing nothing. Charlie Borwn's mantra is "Good Grief!" not "Hey everything's wonderful!"
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10-29-2007 @ 9:59PM
steve baker said...
The PBS show os heavy on the "BS".
I read the comic strip for nearly 50 years and I guess I missed the point?
BTW: The Coasters song "Charlie Brown" had nothing to do with the Schultz character. I already knew this, but it only takes Google to check it out.
A Sloppy, sappy production, which I understand even Schultz' children have objected to.
I'm watching the Packers game instead.
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