USPS celebrates Charles M. Schulz with new Forever Stamps

Jason Jones, Palestine Herald-Press, Texas
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Sep. 4—Charles M. Schulz, American cartoonist and creator of the comic strip Peanuts, is widely regarded as one of the most influential cartoonists of all time, and is cited by many cartoonists as a major influence. Nov. 26 of this year will mark what would have been Schulz's 100th birthday were it not for his untimely passing due to colorectal cancer in 2000.

To celebrate the influential cartoonist's milestone birthday, The U.S. Postal Service released 10 new fun-filled stamps featuring characters from his beloved comic strip "Peanuts." The 10 designs on this pane of 20 stamps include Charlie Brown, Lucy, Franklin, Sally, Pigpen, Linus, Snoopy with Woodstock, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty and Marcie.

A first-day-of-issue event for the Charles M. Schulz Forever stamps will be held at the Charles M Schulz Museum & Research Center in Santa Rosa, California on Friday, Sept. 30.

In a recent press release, the USPS paid tribute to Schulz while announcing the release of the commemorative stamps:

"Debuting in 1950, 'Peanuts' garnered hundreds of millions of readers worldwide. Its original cast included Charlie Brown and Snoopy, soon joined by Lucy, Linus and others. Each character reflects Schulz's rich imagination and great humanity. Charlie Brown, at the heart of 'Peanuts,' is often defeated but always resilient. Schulz's resonant stories found humor in life's painful realities including rejection, insecurity and unrequited love."

In the 1960s, "Peanuts" became a worldwide phenomenon with beloved television specials, books, a Broadway show and countless products. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" debuted in 1965 and has been a staple worldwide during the holiday season for almost 60 years.

Schulz steadfastly wrote, drew, inked and lettered every "Peanuts" strip for five decades, nearly 18,000 of them, the last one published the day after his passing.

In 2000, Schulz was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress.

The commemorative stamps may be purchased through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps, by calling 844-737-7826 or at Post Office locations nationwide.