As we settle into fall and approach the holiday season, one thing comes to mind: my beloved tradition of settling in and watching the classic Peanuts holiday specials. It’s true that happiness is a warm puppy…and also the sweet and smart humor of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and Snoopy, thanks to the genius of Charles M. Schulz.
In honor of one of our all-time favorite comics and comic strips, here are 5 facts about the Peanuts gang that may surprise you!
- When Charles Schulz was in high school, he drew the dog who would later be called Snoopy and submitted it to the yearbook committee at Central High School in St. Paul, Minnesota; they rejected it. They seem to like Snoopy okay now–they have a statue of him in their lobby!
- After the Apollo 1 disaster, NASA needed to rebuild its program and reached out to Charles Schulz to ask if Snoopy could be their official safety mascot. He was 100% in and since then, Snoopy has appeared in NASA training material. In fact, the highest honor a NASA Employee can receive is the Silver Snoopy Award, given every year for outstanding achievements in mission safety.
- When “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” aired in 1966, kids across the country were beside themselves that all Charlie Brown got after a night of trick-or-treating was a bag of rocks. CBS, the network that aired the special, received TONS of candy in the following weeks, all addressed to Charlie Brown.
- Adults never speak in the Charlie Brown specials, and instead have a droning “Wah-Wah-Wah” sound whenever they are onscreen. This distinctive sound was made with a trombone that had the rubber end of a toilet plunger over its bell.
- Charles Schulz originally named his comic Li’l Folks, but a newspaper editor vetoed it: there were already two comics with Li’l or Little in their title, and they wanted to be more original. He suggested Peanuts, since the comic was like a peanut gallery for every day life. Schulz hated this name change for the rest of the comic’s run.
For more on Charles Schulz and the Peanuts gang, we recommend:
The Complete Peanuts and My Life with Charlie Brown, by Charles M. Schulz
Peanuts, a Tribute to Charles M. Schulz, featuring the art of Matt Groening, Raina Telgemeier and others.
We also recommend getting lost in the Children’s Room J Graphic Schulz section, featuring all of the Peanuts comics you could ever ask for.
And if you’re in the mood to settle in with a Charlie Brown TV special, click here to place a hold on our favorites:
Happiness Is…Peanuts! Snow Days
It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
You’re A Good Sport, Charlie Brown