The Monday After: Revisiting old friends from 'Peanuts'

"Meet Schroeder ..."

The return today of the comic strip "Peanuts" to The Canton Repository – along with a varying lineup of other new and old comics – brings to mind the moment when Stark County readers were introduced to the characters in the popular feature drawn by the late Charles M. Schulz.

The front-page item of introduction was published on Sunday, Jan. 19, 1958. It pictured the now-familiar young musical lad pounding away at a miniature grand piano that had a bust of Beethoven sitting atop it.

"Schroeder is a lover of classical music, firmly believing that Beethoven was the greatest man who ever lived," the promotional text began. "He's a pianist, a slave to his art as he tortures Beethoven out of his tiny instrument."

Important to the newspaper's readers was Schroeder's status among many characters – Charlie Brown, Sally Brown, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Shermy, Peppermint Patty, Pig-Pen, and of course, Snoopy and Woodstock – in "Peanuts," set to be published daily in the Repository beginning the next day.

"Schroeder, one of a generation ahead of its time, is the butt of many a joke in 'PEANUTS,' a comic strip you're sure to like ... beginning Monday in the Repository."

'Peanuts' not new at time

When the Repository introduced it in 1958, "Peanuts" already had generated a large following for the humorous artwork Schulz had been drawing for several years.

The "Peanuts" strip had earned the Schulz the 1956 Cartoonist of the Year award from the National Cartoonist Society.

According to a timeline established at the website for the Charles M. Schulz Museum, schulzmuseum.org, the artist, two years after being discharged from the Army after serving in Europe during World War II, began publishing a panel cartoon in the St. Paul Pioneer Press under the name "Li'l Folks."

Schulz also sold 17 panel cartoons to The Saturday Evening Post between 1948 and 1950, the timeline indicates.

In 1950, "after several rejections, Schulz sells his strip to United Feature Syndicate," the timeline notes. "The syndicate renames his strip 'Peanuts,' a title he never liked."

On Oct. 2, 1950, 73 years ago today, "Peanuts" debuted in seven newspapers, according to the timeline.

"The syndicate pays Schulz $90 for his first month of strips."

Newspaper interviewed the artist

At the time his strip started in the Repository, the newspaper interviewed the artist, who said it was perfect for Canton – and any other community, for that matter – because "your city is full of peanuts!"

It wasn't a denigrating comment, the Minnesota artist quickly noted. The artist said he had four "peanuts" of his own, "and there is no better way to learn about children than to live with them."

"Why, peanuts are the grandest people in the world," Schulz said. "Your children are peanuts, and so are mine; they are delightful, lovable, funny, irresistible youngsters, and entirely unpredictable."

The interviewer reported that readers of the strip, who are familiar with the Schulz family, often saw the artists' children in the characters of "Peanuts."

"I do use more actual incidents since the birth of the kids; direct quotations and adaptations," Schulz said in that 1958 interview. "Most of these things I never could have done before I was married. No imagination ever could have suggested them."

First strips are memorable

A handful of other promotional ads helped readers meet the characters of "Peanuts" before the publication of the daily comic strip early in 1958.

Lucy was called a loud-mouthed fuss-budget "whose lack of logic drives her friends nuts." Her little brother Linus "finds security in sucking his thumb and holding a blanket against his face." Snoopy "is a dog who wants to be a human being." And Charlie Brown, "the lovable little fellow in 'Peanuts,'" is an "inveterate worrier" who "frets over trifles."

Together they brought to life "one of America's greatest comic strips," the newspaper said. Themes were simple and relevant to real life.

The first "Peanuts" column to be published in the Repository showed Snoopy getting dog hair all over Lucy's new coat. The second showed the dog sleeping with his head atop a toy sought out by Linus. The third strip delved into the black-and-white pup's consternation over Charlie Brown calling him "ol' fuzzy-face."

Then, on Nov. 6, 1960, Charlie Brown and his buddies began to work weekends. Though Snoopy stayed black-and-white, the image of "Peanuts" was more colorful for the rest of the characters.

"Charlie Brown and his comic young-fry pals have appeared daily in The Repository ... in the 'PEANUTS' comic strip," said a front-page promotional article on the date the Sunday "Peanuts" strip started in the Canton newspaper. "Now they're here each Sunday ... in The Repository color Comic Section."

The first "Peanuts" strip that the Repository published on that Sunday depicted Linus boxing with Snoopy and getting beaten by the spotted white beagle with a boxing glove on his nose.

"WHAM" shouted the caption in a panel in which Snoopy took a flying leap at his falling foe. Linus later is left commiserating with Lucy as he holds his trusty blanket of confidence to his aching head.

Lucy claims that the only part of boxing that she thinks is thrilling "is when they raise the winner's glove-hand in victory."

"In this case," says a still dizzy Linus, "it would have looked pretty silly."

Bringing back a favorite

Schulz's comic strip almost always was a bit silly, but that's what readers loved about it. Their children and grandchildren also could be silly at times.

So, many comic strip lovers were crestfallen when the strip was dropped from many newspapers at various points following his retirement because of health issues in December 1999 and his death on Feb. 12, 2000. According to the Schulz Museum's timeline the artist's final original daily column appeared on Jan. 3, 2000, and his last Sunday Peanuts strip appeared in newspapers on Feb. 13, 2000.

During years that followed, "reruns" of "Peanuts" comics were printed in many newspapers. Eventually, many publications dropped the strip.

"I was so disappointed," said Dorothy Steiner of Dalton, who avidly had read the strip with other comics each day in The Massillon Independent after reading her daily devotional and completing the crossword.

"I grew up with 'Peanuts,'" said Steiner. "In fact, I have a file folder of things I clipped from newspapers about 'Peanuts' and Schulz."

In fact, after the Independent discontinued the strip a few years ago, Steiner wrote a letter to the editor.

"Good grief, Charlie Brown," the letter said, in part. "We will miss you and Snoopy and Linus and even Lucy in one of the best comic strips ever."

Her plea to "bring it back," finally was realized. The Independent joins The Canton Repository and Alliance Review among the USA Today Network properties to again begin republishing old "Peanuts" strips as those papers independently transition to revitalized comics pages in coming months.

"Our mission to provide essential journalism in the communities we serve means we are always evolving our content to ensure we are relevant," explained a statement by Kristin Roberts, chief content officer for Gannett, to The Daily Cartoonist. "Refreshing our comics provides a consistent and modern presentation for our audience while incorporating beloved favorites they love."

Reach Gary at gary.brown.rep@gmail.com. On Twitter: @gbrownREP.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: The Monday After: Revisiting old friends from 'Peanuts'