A Return to Snoopy and Friends...

Whenever I'm near Santa Rosa, a detour is always necessary to the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center. Today, we were there to pick up my membership packet and view the newest treasures on display!

Our first exhibit was HA! HA! HA! HA! 75 Years of Humor in Peanuts. "Why does Peanuts make us laugh? For the 75th anniversary of Peanuts, explore the element that brings together all of Charles Schulz’s 17,897 Peanuts comic strips: his humor. Take a closer look at original Peanuts comic strip art to discover how Schulz’s sense of humor evolved and the comedic elements he used to create a legacy of laughter."

It was incredible to see this extensive collection. Learning more about the non-commercial works by Sparky truly delighted me. In this 1954 piece, Schulz includes a note to set up a cartoon to his friend, cartoonist Herb Greene: "NOTE TO MOTHER - When sending your child to kindergarten, please make certain that each item of clothing is marked for identification-" This bit of fun between friends also gives readers a look at a very rare combination of an adult and child in a cartoon by Schulz. The timing of this cartoon probably coincides with Schulz's eldest child, Meredith, beginning kindergarten. So clever!

Peanuts Evolution: The 1980s delighted me since that is the best of all decades! For Charles Schulz, the 80s found him renewing his experimentation in Peanuts, deepening the surprising characters, like Snoopy’s desert-dwelling brother, Spike, and using new graphic art techniques and tools. "Discover this fascinating decade in Peanuts through original comic strip art and artifacts."

Oh man, I was such a 'Mallie' in the 80s. Hysterical!

A truly amazing happening was being interviewed by Chloe Veltman, an arts and culture reporter for NPR, alongside Dave Willat, a docent and so much more. Dave was one of the children singers on A Charlie Brown Christmas. All singers were members of the St. Paul's Episcopal Church youth choir from San Rafael, who volunteered to record the vocals for "Christmas Time Is Here" and the closing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," performing with Vince Guaraldi's jazz music and even recording some dialogue for the special. Key singers included, along with Dave, Dan Bernhard, and Cary Cedarblade, who were paid $5 each for their memorable contribution to the beloved soundtrack. This is a fun video of them singing 60 years later. Wow... A true 'pinch me' moment.

An exhibit highlight, especially at this time of year, was 60 Years of “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. Debuting for the holidays in December 1965, one of the all-time classics of animation nearly didn’t happen. Discover the remarkable story behind how A Charlie Brown Christmas was written, produced, and animated under unenviable time demands. See original animation cels, original Peanuts strip artwork that inspired story elements, and more.

While interviewed, I became pretty emotional about my feelings regarding this 60-year-old cartoon. When thinking deeper about it, much of the cause, I believe, was childhood loneliness due to a lack of an extended family during the holidays. These joyful characters became my lifelong friends and Christmas co-celebrants. What an epiphany, six decades later.