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Posts from Heddels for 11/09/2023
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By Oli Stevenson on Nov 09, 2023 12:01 am
Over 50 years and nearly 18,000 comic strips, the story of Peanuts introduced us to some of the world’s most recognizable and loved cartoon characters, in particular, troubled boy Charlie Brown and his daydreaming beagle Snoopy. Since its inception in 1950, Peanuts has also had a profound effect on both popular and counter culture with Schulz‘s characters becoming part and going against the status quo.
In Part 1 of this two-part series, we explored the history of Schulz and his comic strip, and explored why it remains so admired 70 years later. In this second part, we’ll dive into the impact that Peanuts has had across the cultural spectrum, including the visual imagery of the Vietnam War and the Space Race.
Happiness Is…
A signed first edition of Happiness Is A Warm Puppy, the first Peanuts book via Raptis Rare Books
Peanuts has been a huge marketing phenomenon. Schulz was quick to act on the comic’s early popularity and the first Charlie Brown and Snoopy toys were released in 1958. By the time of his death at the turn of the century, around 20,000 new Peanuts products were being produced every year—so it’s no surprise that the comic has infiltrated popular culture.
The popularity of Peanuts merch really kickstarted in 1962, 12 years after Schulz’s first comic strip hit US newspapers. Schulz’s syndicate, United Features, was constantly approached by companies hoping to license Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the other characters but struggled to find the right fit. Then in ’62, Connie Boucher, a San Franciscan window designer, came to Schulz with a simple idea: Peanuts datebook calendars. Schulz loved Boucher and her ideas so the same year they released the first licensed Peanuts book Happiness Is… a Warm Puppy. It spent 45 weeks, the best part of a year, on The New York Times bestseller list. Boucher went on to found Determined Productions Inc.
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