Over the course of 50 years, Charles Monroe “Sparky” Schulz published a total of 17, 897 comic strips of “Peanuts,” featuring his two best-known characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Today, he is considered one of the most impactful cartoonists in history.
Born on Nov. 26, 1922, to parents Carl and Dena Schulz, the cartoonist grew up as an only child in St. Paul, Minnesota. Schulz was a boy of a few words, spending much of his time reading comics such as “Popeye”, “Skippy”, and “Mickey Mouse.” graduating St. Paul’s Central High School in 1940, where he learned lettering, perspective, and the fundamentals of cartooning, Schulz served in the US military from 1943 to the very end of World War II. Upon returning to his hometown, he was assigned to accomplish the calligraphy for a Catholic comic magazine, “Timeless Topix.” Not too long after this, he worked as an instructor at Art Instruction Schools, where Schulz’s passion for drawing took off.
On Oct. 2, 1950, the very first strip of “Peanuts” was published, which starred Charlie Brown, his loyal dog, Snoopy, and the rest of the lovable Peanuts Gang. Soon enough, the comic panels were featured in more than 2,600 newspapers from all around the globe. Other cartoons by Schulz branched out beyond newspapers, eventually being featured in books, animated television specials, amusement parks, and even a musical which took place in Carnegie Hall. The cartoonist acquired multitudes of awards over the years, including an Emmy Award for the 1973 short film, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.”
In the 1990s, his health issues grew, and in Nov. 1999, a stroke heavily affected his vision and memory. In Jan. 2000, Schulz officially withdrew from creating Peanuts comic strips. He unfortunately passed away on Feb. 12, 2000, due to colon cancer, in Santa Rosa, California. Despite his death, Schulz has brightened the world for over half a century with his world-renowned cartoons and comics.
