Mathew Lyons

The bleak brilliance of Peanuts

Charles Schulz's immortal comic strip isn't just funny, it's a guide to life

Charlie Brown, Shermy and Patty in the very first Peanuts strip, 2 October 1950 
issue 19 November 2022

The numbers are extraordinary. Charles M. Schulz, whose centenary falls next week, spent nearly 50 years of his life producing daily comic strips for Peanuts. Between 2 October 1950 and his death in February 2000, he drew a staggering 17,897 of them. He retired in December 1999 after a series of strokes and a cancer diagnosis; he died the day before his farewell strip was published.

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