(2)
On October 2nd, 1950, a new comic strip appeared in American newspapers.
(3)
The hero of the strip was a roundheaded kid named Charlie Brown.
(4)
In the very first cartoon, two young schoolmates watch Charlie Brown walking by and one comments, Well, here comes old Charlie Brown.
(5)
Yes Sir, good old Charlie Brown.
(7)
This comic strip was to become one of the most popular in history.
(8)
Its creator, Charles M Schulz, drew the strip for 50 years until his death, but reruns of Peanuts still appear regularly in the newspaper.
(9)
What are some of the characteristics of Charlie Brown and his friends that have made the cartoon popular?
(10)
Charlie Brown is an unlikely hero.
(11)
Other kids don't like being around him because the things he does never seem to work out properly.
(12)
Kids want to be with someone who's good looking, popular, and successful so they can feel part of his success.
(13)
Charlie Brown is always worrying, hardly ever upbeat, afraid of failure and always making mistakes.
(14)
His kite gets snagged in the tree.
(15)
He needs counseling from Lucy.
(16)
His dog Snoopy is more popular than he is, and the Little Redhaired girl never notices him.
(17)
In short, Charlie Brown is a loser.
(18)
Charlie Brown illustrates all the insecurities the kids have.
(19)
Many of these anxieties carry over into adult life.
(20)
Sometimes they reflect problems in the life of the comic strips creator Charles M Schultz.
(21)
Schultz suffered from depression much of his life and had a difficult time in school.
(22)
He was not very popular with his classmates.
(23)
Humor and laughter are often a way of dealing with problems and in the Peanuts strip the world can laugh at all the silly things that people do.
(24)
Because of his honest way of dealing with problems, Charlie Brown and his friends are more interesting than the average comic strip characters that characters represent adult personality types.
(25)
Charlie Brown is wishy washy and is afraid to do things for fear of failure.
(26)
Lucy is a pushy, overbearing female who thinks she knows it all.
(27)
Linus, her younger brother, is intellectual but insecure.
(28)
He still clings to his baby blanket for security.
(29)
Schroeder is preoccupied with Beethoven's music to the exclusion of everything else.
(30)
Sally, Charlie Brown's younger sister, combines both a romantic attachment to Linus and a desire for material things.
(31)
Peppermint Patty is a tomboy who loves baseball but nonetheless has a romantic crush on Charlie Brown.
(32)
Snoopy the dog represents a cool, detached, inventive individual who also relies on basic creature comforts.
(33)
These characters add up to a human comedy.
(34)
In the comic strip, we can see ourselves and the people around us making mistakes, getting second chances, but tending to do the same things over again.
(35)
Behind the humor of Peanuts is a serious message.
(37)
Relationships are important.
(38)
Truth is difficult to find.
(39)
Criticism is too common.
(40)
Greed can easily overpower us.
(41)
These messages are both timeless and timely.
(42)
Peanuts has also been turned into television specials and several movies.
(43)
Snoopy stuffed toys are popular all over the world.
(44)
A huge industry has grown from a simple comic strip.
(45)
Perhaps this means that while we all secretly want to be winners, we really identify more closely with the Charlie Browns of this world.