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Fun Facts

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The Peanuts comic strip began as something very different.

Before Peanuts became a worldwide classic, it started under the name Li’l Folks, a small comic by Charles M. Schulz featuring simple characters and humor. When the strip was picked up for syndication in 1950, the name was changed to Peanuts, a title Schulz strongly disliked because he felt it was meaningless and didn’t reflect the tone of the strip. Despite his feelings, the name stuck, and Peanuts debuted in just seven newspapers. From those humble beginnings, it quickly gained popularity thanks to its subtle wit, emotional honesty, and unique approach to childhood themes.

Peanuts became a global icon in print, on screen, and in culture.

What started as a small comic strip quickly grew into a massive cultural phenomenon. Peanuts was eventually published in over 2,500 newspapers around the world and inspired dozens of animated TV specials, starting with A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965. That special became an instant classic and helped define the Peanuts brand with its use of jazz music, child voice actors, and a sincere message. Other specials like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving became seasonal favorites. Peanuts characters became part of holiday traditions, pop culture, school plays, and even space exploration when Snoopy became NASA’s official safety mascot.

Charles Schulz created every single strip himself for fifty years.

Unlike many other cartoonists, Schulz never used assistants or handed off the strip to others. Every single drawing, piece of dialogue, and storyline was created by him alone from 1950 until his retirement in 2000. He poured his own experiences, humor, and insecurities into the work, which helped Peanuts remain emotionally consistent and relatable for half a century. Even the animated specials, such as A Charlie Brown Christmas, closely followed Schulz’s vision, often using his original dialogue and sticking to the spirit of the comic.