Charles M. Schulz

Hello there. My name is Charles M. Schulz, but when I was a boy, everyone called me by my nickname, Sparky. I was born on November 26th, 1922, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. From the moment I could hold a crayon, all I wanted to do was draw. The Sunday newspaper was my favorite thing in the world because it was filled with colorful comic strips. I would spread the pages out on the floor and try to copy my favorite characters, dreaming that one day, my own drawings would be right there alongside them. I was a quiet and shy kid, and sometimes it was hard for me to say what I was feeling. But with a pencil and paper, I could tell any story I wanted. My best friend was my dog, Spike. He wasn't just any dog; he was brilliant. He understood dozens of words and could do all sorts of funny tricks. I loved drawing him and capturing his silly personality. One day, I decided to send a drawing of him to a newspaper feature called 'Ripley's Believe It or Not!'. I drew Spike eating pins and tacks, which he really did. I could hardly believe my eyes when they published it. Seeing my art in the newspaper for the first time felt like pure magic, and it made me believe that my dream of becoming a cartoonist could come true.

After I grew up and served in the army during World War II, I returned home with one goal in my heart: I had to be a cartoonist. It wasn't easy at first. I created a comic strip called 'Li'l Folks' which featured a group of little kids. I sold it to my hometown newspaper, but I wanted it to be seen by people all over the country. I sent my comics to big companies, and I got a lot of 'no's. It was discouraging, but I thought about how much I loved to draw, and I refused to give up. Finally, a company liked my work but wanted to change the name. They decided to call it 'Peanuts'. I never really liked that name, but I was so excited to have my big chance. On October 2nd, 1950, my dream finally came true. 'Peanuts' appeared in seven different newspapers across America. The main character was a round-headed boy named Charlie Brown. He was a lot like me—a little bit clumsy, a little bit worried, but always full of hope. And of course, he had a very special beagle named Snoopy, who was inspired by my wonderful dog, Spike. The rest of the gang, like the bossy Lucy, her blanket-loving brother Linus, and the piano-playing Schroeder, were all born from my own memories, feelings, and the people I knew. I poured my whole heart into those little drawings.

I never could have imagined what would happen next. 'Peanuts' started to appear in more and more newspapers, not just in America, but all around the world. People loved Charlie Brown and his friends. It felt amazing to know that my characters were making so many people happy. One of the proudest moments of my life was in 1965, when we created a television special called 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'. Seeing my characters walk, talk, and come to life on screen was a dream I didn't even know I had. For nearly 50 years, I did something that no other cartoonist did—I drew every single 'Peanuts' comic strip myself. Every line, every word, every single day. These characters were my family, and I wanted to tell their stories personally. In 1999, I knew it was time to retire and put down my drawing pen. I wrote a farewell letter to all my readers, thanking them for their kindness. My journey on Earth ended on February 12th, 2000, just before my final Sunday comic was shared with the world. Looking back, my biggest dream was simply to make people laugh. I hope that even today, when you see Charlie Brown try to kick that football, or watch Snoopy dance on his doghouse, it brings a smile to your face.