Peanuts (the comic) Part II | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

[Music]. welcome to stuff you should know a. production of iHeart. Radio hey and welcome to the peanuts. cast I'm Josh there's Chuck Ben sitting. in and this is part two of two the deuce. as we call it sometimes um about stuff. you should know about peanuts that's. right uh if you remember where we left. off Charlie Brown had just murdered. Snoopy and was on the run from the.

law no of course not uh we had made up. and surely no one's going to listen to. this one first but oh just to catch you. up we we covered most of Charles. Schultz's early life the birth of. peanuts and we had gotten up to Snoopy. character-wise and here we go with that. little black and white beagle that is. probably the weirdest Comic character of. all. time yeah and we said before he was. based on um Schultz's dog Spike who.

apparently could eat razor blades. without getting sick he had another dog. how do they know that I guess Spike ate. razor blades and they were like oh okay. he's good that's what he was in Ripley. Believe It or Not for eating razor. blades yeah and not getting sick he had. another another dog named snook. snooky and then just like the um Jersey. Shore character and then apparently his. mom uh suggested that as she was dying. that if the family ever got another dog. they should name it Snoopy like.

snupi which apparently is a term of. endearment in Norwegian so you put all. those together you mix them up put them. in a blender um blend it and then regret. that immediately you've got. Snoopy yes Snoopy was a uh black and. white beagle who slept on top of a. dogghouse yeah apparently that came. around in 58 for the first few years. Snoopy actually slept in the house and. if you wonder why Sno Snoopy was on top.

of the house it's so you could see. Snoopy be very weird to have a cartoon. drawn inside of a dog house so it was. just sort of a utilitarian decision uh. Snoopy was um like I said one of the. weirdest character in comics I think. because Snoopy had and my favorite thing. about Snoopy was this weird. um Fantasy Life that Snoopy lived where. he had these alter egos I think there. were more than a hundred Snoopy Al egos.

that range from being a a world famous. it was always world famous usually right. a world famous tennis star he was a a. world famous surgeon and attorney uh the. fierce vulture is one of my favorite. alter. Ros uh a famous world famous author uh. Joe Cool was one I wasn't super into. actually it's probably my least favorite. alter that's funny um my grandma called. me Joe cool because I I sent her a card. once as a kid and identified myself I. think I signed it as Joe cool so.

called me Joe Cool from that moment on. uh but the really weird one was the. flying ace Alter Ego in which Snoopy was. a um was a air airplane fighter pilot. from World War II that had a an ongoing. um I was about to say beef but just. ongoing battle with the Red Baron. fighter pilot from Germany and that. became a big hit song in 1966 it was a. novelty song by the royal Guardsman that.

hit number two in the United States wow. which is uh I mean I had this 45 it was. it was a time we've talked about some. famous novelty songs in the past but it. was a time when a novelty song could be. like a legit number one hit yeah or. number two at least yeah um so that that. flying ace thing one of the things that. peanuts is known for is it was genu. generally not political it was much more. Universal than that um it wasn't so. narrow as to like discourse on.

politics right but during the Vietnam. war and Charles Schultz remember he was. a veteran of World War II very proud. veteran but and um during the Vietnam. war he he gave official approval for the. Air Force to use Snoopy as a mascot in. Vietnam mhm and at the same time as it. became clear that that the United States. strategy and involvement in Vietnam was. just a catastrophe and disastrous and. being led by people who were completely.

immoral even Charles Schulz became. dissatisfied or um against the Vietnam. War and he used the World War I flying. ace to comment on the Vietnam War like. there was it went as as um it became as. overt is there's there's one where. Snoopy as World War I flying a says. curse this stupid War um and eventually. it even Spilled Out from the flying ace. there's um there's strips where lonus. and Charlie Brown are discussing the. prospect of being drafted I mean like he.

got pretty anti-war as a matter of fact. during the Vietnam era which was really. out of character for not just him but. also for peanuts but um like that I. think that just kind of goes to show how. unpopular the Vietnam War was that even. Charles Schultz this conservative. Methodist World War II veteran was. speaking out against it through his. characters yeah I think Franklin's dad. was uh in Vietnam mhm during the comic.

strip exactly yeah um and by the way I. think I said World War II instead of. World War I so uh in show correction oh. did you say two I'm sorry I didn't. correct you I I really loathe that I. missed the. chance hey you mentioned Joe Cool there. was an offshoot of Joe Cool from the 90s. wasn't there I don't know was there yeah. you gotta got to mention Joe grunge I I. wasn't around for a Joe grung I wasn't. either but I mean I'm aware he existed I. wasn't aware he existed well now you.

know that's it sounds like he rolled. with the. times so Snoopy had a family uh we. mentioned Spike he had a whole litter. that he was born with uh Spike Bell. marbles Olaf Andy Molly and Rover and. Spike was the one that I Lov Spike. became he became like arguably a main. character in the in the 90s basically uh. but he debuted in. 1975 and was uh you know he always had. that hat on and he had those whiskers.

that sort of look like a little beatnik. mustache yeah and he lived alone in the. California desert and he was usually by. by his big Cactus and it was just uh he. was he was sort of an alter of Snoopy. like in demeanor yeah yeah for sure but. Snoopy it's not like Snoopy was high. stronger. uptight I I I he was he was diff they. were very different though but I'm not. sure how one was a foil of the other I. think they were just different you know. oh I don't think they were foils I think. yeah and I think Snoopy.

um I mean I think he was precocious but. again it almost felt like a spin-off. within the old thing within the um. within its own thing because he and. Woodstock were commonly you know I he. would interact with the other characters. but he was often doing his own thing. right yeah like you said with Woodstock. um do you I have a question for you when. you were growing up did you have the. Snoopy snowco machine I did you lucky. kid I'm pretty sure either that or a. friend did I can't remember that stuff.

was addictive those Flav yeah same here. I had access to one but I had to like go. play at somebody's house to to get a. Snoopy snow cone I don't think maybe I. didn't have one or if it if it was it. was a hand-me-down I know one thing for. sure my parents didn't go out and buy me. that thing new right they got it at a. yard sale and it hadn't been washed out. from the last time probably so um. there's I got one other little piece of. Snoopy trivia all right Snoop Dog.

uh he was nicknamed by his mom because. she thought that he looked like Snoopy. as a young. man I could see that totally once you. once you hear it you're like oh my God. he does kind of look like Snoopy yeah. that's very cute yep I agree and Snoopy. the dog uh loved smoking some. weat I don't know I think that might. have been Woodstock who I say we talk. about real quick you want to sure I mean. Woodstock uh we talked a little bit. about Woodstock and the Woodstock. episode because Woodstock was um named.

for Woodstock because uh June 22nd 1970. is when Woodstock the bird uh got its. name I think it um he he was around in. the cartoon before that but didn't have. a name and there were other birds in the. cartoon that preceded Woodstock yeah um. and when they finally debuted. Woodstock's name it's Snoopy um hanging. out on the roof and I guess Woodstock. had been around for a while and he said. um or he thinks I finally found out what. that stupid stupid bird's name is you'll.

never believe it um and apparently it. was absolutely based on Woodstock yeah. and there is a um an author named uh. Michelle aate who wrote a book on um. Charlie Brown and like analyzing Charlie. Brown blackheads beagles and sweet. baboos New Perspectives on Charles M. Schultz peanuts where Michelle says um. like Woodstock represented the younger. generation like hippies like straight up. hippies that's what Woodstock. represented they were where Woodstock.

was uh like innocent and naive and just. kind of childlike and having fun and. doing doing their own thing and then. like even more um arcany the fact that. when Woodstock spoke the only person. that could understand Woodstock was. Snoopy and the reader can't that's just. these little kind of chicken scratch. lines you remember that yeah or. Woodstock scratch so Michelle bate makes. the case that that Charles Schultz in. some way shape or form is is making a.

commentary on how the older generation. can't understand the younger generation. but for him that was this kind of like a. an unusual um an unusual nod a kind nod. to the younger generation who a lot of. people his age and uh from his his his. political bent um didn't think very. highly of but apparently he did H all. right that's one of those that's like. when I was taking English classes in. college when I was like okay yeah if you.

say so it's analysis it's interpretation. like I love all that stuff you can make. a pretty good case for it you can also. you can also say like it's. almost um like a fan Theory yeah well I. think it for sure is but that's just. what commentary is right I think well. it's a fan theory in an academic book. form yeah exactly that's the only thing. that separates fan Theory from just. printing it in a book or typing it on. the internet right right but um. supposedly there's one other thing um.

more than once Snoopy refers to. Woodstock as a hippie. Bird yeah did that persuade you even. further no no no I I didn't think he he. wasn't non- hippie but the whole like. the generational um Chicken Scratch. representing like I'm just not sure. about that okay I gotta but but but I. love it I love talking about that stuff. I do too so do you like talking about. Peppermint Patty and Marcy love it a lot. of people love it because a lot of.

people uh it sort of you know has become. one of these Burton Ernie things where. they're like Hey listen Peppermint Patty. and Marcy are clearly uh gay young girls. who just maybe don't know it yet and. there's always been you know fan. speculation about uh about that and uh I. think you know that's fine that's all. well and good Charles Schultz himself uh. was interviewed in. 1997 and said that you know he. understood that people talk a lot about.

that but he said sexuality to him just. wasn't relevant to the comic because. they were just children right and that's. not to say that a child you know can't. be gay but he was like it just it it was. a kind of thing that didn't enter his. mind um I don't think he was like. offended or thought it was weird that. people would speculate about that but it. doesn't sound like that was his bent. when he drew this uh very sort of. classic tomboy character who was very. good in athletics who was called Sir by. which was always very funny to me um but.

either way two great characters uh one. of the favorite things for me with um. Peppermint Patty was how she would. invert names uh she called Charlie Brown. Chuck uh she did the opposite for Lucy. she called Lucy. Lucille um I think at one point maybe. it's Schroeder calls her Patricia oh. yeah which was a little spin on that but. that's just a fun little character thing. that I always really enjoyed I always.

loved Peppermint Patty's voice in the tv. specials yeah same it was. perfect yeah so there was a little strip. um or a little period of strips where um. Charles Schulz who had by this time. befriended Billy Jean King uh as Title 9. was being um passed or was being. discussed whether it should be passed or. not uh which which was uh which allowed. equal or demanded equal funding for. women's sports. uh in in I guess just college right I'm.

pretty sure it was just college and. there was more to it but I think it was. about equal opportunities and funding. for College athletics right which is. nuts because we're talking about the the. 19 late 1970s is that crazy but anyway. Billy Jean King who was a champion. tennis star was also a champion of Title. 9 and um being her friend and supporter. Charles Schultz drew some peanut strips. um basically using Peppermint Patty as a. standin. um and a lot of people are like see.

Billy Jean King was gay she came out in. 1981 um so of course Peppermint Patty. was and that's what Charles Schultz. meant but no he was using her as a. standin for a woman athlete as Billy. Jean King was and in that strip they're. talking about how Peppermint Patty is um. going to show all the men that she can. do anything they can do and maybe even. better and she's great at Sports and. then I think somebody asks Lucy who's. standing there what she's going to do. cuz she's no good at sports and LU he.

goes speak out so loud that Charlie. Brown is doing like a somersault midair. that was just perfect cuz he had. Peppermint Patty you had Lucy doing her. thing and then you had Charlie Brown. kind of standing in for the the. bystanding rest of us who are now going. to be moved by by the by the arguments. in favor of Title 9 pretty cool amazing. so some more Peppermint Patty stuff um. she was one of three characters who did. not go to the same school as the rest of. the Peanuts Gang uh Peppermint Patty and.

Marcy and Franklin lived uh on quote at. the other side of town so they sort of. represented um they never came out and. said it but they represented. um not uh poor children but it was. definitely the other side of town type. of situation um like they they had. broken homes uh they were um they didn't. get to go to the same school I remember. when Franklin visits uh visits Charlie.

Brown's neighborhood for the first time. he sees the psych Booth he sees Snoopy. on the house and the Great Pumpkin is. talked about and he leaves the. neighborhood and saying to go home and. said this neighborhood has me shook so. it was definitely like a a a demarcation. line uh for Marcy and Franklin and. Peppermint Patty and also Peppermint. Patty uh her mom was I guess dead like. they never said she said but she said my.

Mom's not around oh really she lived. yeah she lived with her father only. which was a very different thing for a. comic back then right um and one of my. favorite things is even though we never. hear parents speaking the things there. are references to things parents say and. uh Peppermint Patty's father always. called her a rare gem which I thought. was very sweet that is sweet because she. wasn't very smart so yeah Peppermint. Patty was um she was ground baking in a. lot of ways in that so yeah she was a. tomboy she um uh her she was the.

daughter of a single parent her child of. a single parent and then um on top of. that she was one of the first comic. strip um females who didn't who like. made her own way like she didn't need a. man she wasn't there to support the man. like Blondie did to Dagwood or anything. like that she was just her own person. making her own way by her own terms and. that was another groundbreaking thing I. think she came along in 196 six and just. people hadn't done that before yeah she.

had a crush on Charlie Brown as did. Marcy uh Marcy was very softspoken and. shy she was very smart uh in fact she's. the one I think that points out like I. feel kind of bad for Peppermint Patty. because she was written so. unintelligently yeah like her her. teacher gave her a plaque at one point. for being in the D minus Hall of Fame. yeah uh and she didn't realized Snoopy. was even a dog until 1974 what uh when. Marcy pointed out she used to say he was. a funny looking kid with a big nose so.

they write her was really like not very. intelligent and I always felt bad for. Peppermint Patty but Marcy was always. her her loyalist friend um I don't know. if I said but also had a crush on. Charlie Brown and um my favorite cute. thing ever because Marcy was the. opposite of Peppermint Patty you know. she was smart and she was not good at. sports whereas Peppermint Patty was The. Jock and Marcy called the Super Bowl in. one comic uh The Splendid Bowl. which I just loved she is pretty great.

she didn't have a last name Peppermint. Patty's last name was reichart um Marcy. never had a last name and some people. said that um the reason why is because. that allowed her to be just kind of this. whatever Charles Schultz needed her to. be or say or do but I think uh very. quickly Marcy's character took over and. probably con constrained Charles Schultz. in a lot of ways because she was just a. weird little kid who had just her own.

set of understanding of the world that. didn't really fit with anybody else's it. was just totally hers and like I said. Charles Schulz was once asked like why. does Marcy call um Patty Peppermint. Patty sir and apparently his his. response was I have no idea Marcy's a. very strange little. girl again he's a conduit I mean it. wouldn't surprise me if that just popped. into his head yeah for sure and I I. hadn't realized this but a lot of um.

Asian-American kids took Marcy to be. Asian-American weird why I I don't know. I'm not sure I guess I don't know maybe. I don't know I have no idea but I I saw. that in several places all right uh well. that feels like a good time for a break. oh yeah yeah sure all right well we'll. come back and pick up with Franklin one. of my favorite characters right after. this.

learning stuff with. josua and. Char Stu. you all right we mentioned Franklin uh. before as one being one of the only. three that didn't go to the same school. lived in a different neighborhood uh. Franklin is um very famous obviously for. being the first black Peanuts character.

and that happened uh for a very. purposeful reason uh in 1968 there was a. la school teacher named Harriet Glickman. who wrote a letter to Charles Schultz uh. This was um just after Martin Luther. King Jr had been assassinated and she. said you know we need to overcome quote. the vasty of misunderstanding fear hate. and violence and I think you should you. should draw a black character for. peanuts I think that would be a big a. big step forward and a big move and.

Schultz initially declined um and it. wasn't cuz he he didn't want to but he. said that he thought it might be sort of. too patronizing a move uh but then. thought the better of it uh after you. know a little bit more thought and some. advice from glickman's neighbor who was. uh a black man his name was Kenneth. Kelly and he said you know what I see. what he's saying about being patronizing. so if you're going to do it just do it. in a very casual way don't don't make it. some big revolutionary stand just all of.

a sudden have this black kid in there. and that's what he did yeah and it doing. that like that would have this twofold. Effect one it would keep Charles Schultz. from having to make like a big social. statement but two it would also just. show how utterly normal black kids and. white kids co-mingling was that there. wasn't even any commentary about it it's. just this new character who Charlie. Brown met happened to be black that was. it um and that's how it happened they. met at the beach when Charlie Brown was. on vacation with his family and um can I.

read the comic strip yeah go ahead all. right it's four panels charie Brown's on. the beach shirt off he's got his shirt. off you got to take your shirt off it. was already off okay so Franklin comes. up with a beach ball and says is this. your beach ball second panel Charlie. says hey yeah thank you very much. Franklin says I was swimming out there. and it came floating by Third panel my. silly sister threw it in the water and. Franklin says I see you're making a sand. castle and it's kind of a crooked tower.

and in the last panel Franklin says it. looks kind of crooked and Charlie said I. guess maybe it is where I come from I'm. not famous for doing things. right just quintessential Charlie Brown. I acted all that up by the way you guys. just couldn't see it it was great but it. was a very sweet way to meet and then. Charlie invited Franklin over to his. side of town and that's where uh. Franklin got shook um these are the. strips that um we learned Franklin's dad. is fighting in Vietnam yeah and Charlie.

Brown we learned Charlie Brown's dad is. a barber I don't know if that was the. first time or not but he mentions this. in response to um Franklin talking about. his dad um which if you'll remember um. Charles schulz's dad was a barber so I. think that's pretty sweet I love it and. you know what at the end we I meant at. the beginning to read the very first. ever strip let's save that for the end. okay um sadly uh as we can attest when. you do the right thing and promote. social unity and Harmony um often times.

ugly people will say ugly things about. it and Charles Schultz was no exception. he got um he said he didn't get like. huge amount of hate mail but it was very. vehement and that included some of the. editors of the papers that his column. was um syndicated in he could have lost. like a significant amount of money by. had the had the the wrong Vibe been. struck and a like a a push against him. been you know really kind of founded and.

carried out among especially Southern. newspapers like he was getting letters. from editors saying things like I don't. appreciate seeing you know black kids. and white kids being portrayed in the. same school what Universe do you live in. essentially like where where are you. getting these kind of far out ideas um. and he just basically he just shook it. off he was like whatever some people are. G to they're going to hate it at first. but they're going to get used to it. because I'm not stopping and he didn't. yeah and he was so he's there's the he's. looked at two different ways for this.

one that Franklin was was never fully. fleshed out to the satisfaction of a lot. of readers and then there's another vein. where Charles Schultz is looked at as. really putting his reputation in his his. entire comic on the line by doing this. because he thought it was the right. thing and that it was groundbreaking and. and open the gates for other um comic. strip artists particularly black ones to. follow in his footsteps. yeah he threatened to quit at one point.

uh there were some papers that said they. were going to uh either not run those. strips or have them redone and he said. you're going to print my Comics as drawn. uh or I'm done or you lose me for for. everything and this was to the to the. actual syndication company and so they. backed down and allowed them to um to. keep going uh but one of the cartoonists. that was certainly inspired by him that. you mentioned was a guy named Rob. Armstrong who who did the comic strip. jump start and we mentioned that Marcy.

didn't have a last name Franklin was. another character that didn't have a. last name for a while and eventually got. the last name Armstrong named after Rob. Armstrong the cartoonist uh which is. just a great tribute Schultz came to him. uh they became friends and he said he. asked him first you know if if you don't. mind can I use your last name and of. course Armstrong what do you say to that. you're just floored and was very very. very touched and honored that he became.

his last name yeah for sure it's a great. story and by the way that um there's a. great article about Harry Glickman and. her neighbor Kenneth Kelly uh there's a. great article in Las just from a few. years ago uh about this story and it. shows them still friends today um. hanging out and there's a great picture. of them with a little Franklin holding a. Franklin stuffy that's sweet I think har. Glickman passed in the last couple years. but that's sweet that they were friends. till the end yeah yeah this was in 2020. very very cute um so who else can we.

talk a little bit about a couple more. slightly minor characters I still think. are worth mentioning yeah I mean we. definitely need to mention Pig pin who. is a very beloved character even though. he's almost does nothing yeah he was. another kid who had the a great perfect. voice in the um in the tv specials it. was kind of. raspy and um yeah I can't describe it. any other way but raspy but it fit him. perfectly yeah. he always dirty always had that the.

Flies and the dust around him and I. think everyone especially these days. kids are cleaner but I remember in the. 70s there there were I remember the. dirty kids yeah I do too it just always. seemed to be covered in filth yeah and. there was a strip so he was introduced. in a series of strips starting in 1954. so pretty early on um and he says that. he hasn't got a name he says people just. call me things real insulting things. yeah and I guess they never they never. changed that like his name is always Pig. Pen um but in one of the strips um.

somebody's like you know they just. presume that he hates baths and he goes. no I really like baths I just like. getting dirty. more so he's like a cool little kid who. also um I've seen him described as like. maybe the the most the the one that's. closest to to like self-fulfillment and. satisfaction and contentment of any of. the characters is pigpen which is pretty. great he's he seems like he's never. pining for something like the rest of. them are no he just goes into does it or. gets it or whatever and he was in uh.

Dave did the math uh 0.55% of the comic. strips featured Pig pin yeah uh a little. over 100 out of almost. 18,000 uh there's also that Grateful. Dead connection one of the founding. members of the Grateful Dead was Ron. mcaren whose nickname was pigpen. apparently because he was a little. smelly himself is that way he got the. name yeah uh and then Sally man we got. to talk about Charlie Brown's little. sister Sally. yeah with her naturally curly hair she.

was always proud of that hair like I. mentioned earlier or it might have been. the previous episode Lucy was always. jealous because Sally uh Charlie got. this sweet little sister and she wanted. a little sister not lonus they all had. little crushes which is sweet you know. we mentioned Lucy and Schroeder but. Sally had a big crush on lus which was. very sweet yeah and one of the other. things about Sally that was great was. that she um when she was upset she would. go talk to the school building. yeah and it would talk back yeah it.

would it would have thought bubbles just. like Snoopy does uh in response to her. stuff like she one time I can't remember. what she was talking oh she said she was. scolded by her teacher for talking in. class but the teacher was mistaken she. hadn't been talking at all and she was. really upset about this and the school. thinks poor sweet baby yeah just sweet. stuff like that like Sally just kind of. attracted that kind of thing well and. the school thing kind of brings up the. fact and I know we talked a little bit. about the minimalist style in the first. episode but so many of his panels were.

just them in front of a brick wall or. them at that psychiatrist stand or. Snoopy's dog house or just the pitcher's. mou right uh it was all just very sort. of Spartan Spar stuff yeah but it worked. yeah I saw it described as that that. universe is um it's it's bounded by. those four panels and connected by the. gutters the spaces between the four. panels but somehow it just seems like. boundless there's no there's no. geography to it you just where you're.

where that that moment is taking place. but you couldn't possibly imagine the. peanuts Universe in some mapped out way. yeah I wonder if that's why it never. occurred to me to wonder where they were. from yeah yeah I mean have you ever. thought about like where was peanuts. based like I've never even wondered that. I never thought that or wondered that. but I saw in a number of the essays that. they presumed that it was in the midwest. because the seasons. like there was there were there were.

definite seasons in peanuts and I think. as a kid that was one of the things that. really got to me because I love the. seasons too so to see the Peanuts Gang. like hanging out in a pile of leaves or. ice skating or something like that or it. was summer and there was like an apple. on the on a tree or something like yeah. that even like you said even though it's. minimalist and you can't even begin to. imagine where they're from it it it. would evoke like how those kids were. feeling like it it added an extra layer. to the dialogue or the action or.

something like that because you as a kid. knew how you felt when you were standing. next to a pile of leaves and it was. chilly out and Thanksgiving and. Christmas were just you know coming. right down the pike so we know it's not. peanuts is anywhere USA except Florida. Southern California and Hawaii yeah and. and I think we said right Charles. Schultz is from the Minneapolis St Paul. area yeah I'm sure it was just sort of. that yeah so I mean that's that's. generally where it was set. eventually uh I think not too long after.

getting married the first time moved to. to Santa Rosa California or Northern. California um Santa Rose is where the. Charles Schultz museum is um and never. never looked back but even still he. never the Peanuts Gang never suddenly. ended up in California like they were. still where they were you know that's. funny all right let's do our final break. and finish up with part two of part two. of peanuts right after this we'll be. right back in two and.

two learning stuff with. josua and. Char Stu. you so chuck if I can remember all the. way back to part one the first episode.

in this pairing I think an hour and 20. minutes ago I think I mentioned how do. you know that I got a little Ticker on. my I got a timer I want one of those I. got an egg. timer um is it a Snoopy egg timer it is. uh so I mentioned that there's no adults. in the peanut world and that if there if. an adult is is um around it's they're. either being mentioned like a real life. adult or an adult in the peanuts.

Universe like somebody's parent or in. the tv specials you can hear them but. they're off camera you don't see them. and the only way you hear them is that. muted trombone sound effect right yeah. there is one strip in the peanuts. Pantheon in the 18,000 comic strips. there's one where adults are shown and. even then it's just their. legs yeah and even that I think kind of. like Franklin was shook I think peanuts.

people were shook for sure for a number. of reasons one this whole series where. Lucy is participating in an adult golf. tournament for some weird reason it. there's way more scenery way more stuff. going on in all the panels right yeah I. mean yeah it's not a four panel and was. it from one of the books I don't I don't. know it's from 1954 so no it would have. been before the books all right uh no it. oh it's a Sunday trip so the Sundays. were more than four. panels uh from May 16th 1954 and in that.

they they're playing golf and stuff she. and Charlie Brown are uh Lucy was. famously a bad athlete uh as well. because she was always screwing up in. center field or in right field but. Charlie said she played center field for. some reason oh yeah and in the last. panel it shows them with three or four. pair of adult legs standing around and. it's just it's almost surreal and. disconcerting to see human legs in. peanuts yeah it's just odd to see it is.

they're wearing pants with creases in. them and everything it's just it's not. it ain't right and I guess it ain't. right Charles Schulz realized. immediately that it ain't right I can't. believe it even got out you know but he. he never did it. again yeah he got death threats I'm sure. how dare you show legs exactly yeah it. was a very weird thing I mean I remember. one thing I remember was cuz I was close. to my my one grandfather my mom's dad.

sweet before he died and Charlie Brown. and Franklin are always talking about. their grandads which I always thought. was really great yeah that is very sweet. uh we did to mention the movie the tv. specials uh we went in depth into the. Charlie Brown Christmas special in do. you remember what year it was what. Christmas episode that was it was either. December 5th or 9th 1965 when it first. no no I meant ours how when when we. recorded our Christmas special where we. talked in detail about the Christmas.

special yeah December 5th or 9th. 1965 we had a podcast in 1965 yeah we we. have the way back machine they're all. over the place we have an episode from. 720 CE oh wow yeah goody Clark and goody. Bryant yeah that was a wild wild ride uh. I don't remember which Christmas special. we had it in but in one of them we we. detail of Charlie Brown Christmas and uh. so we don't have to go over here but the. one sort of surprising thing if you. didn't listen to that up was that they. thought it was going to be a big failure.

right yeah so there was no laugh track. but this is a cartoon featuring kids. ostensibly for kids and there's no laugh. track to the jokes how are the dumb. little kids going to know when to laugh. and then it has like. um like one of the best jazz soundtracks. of all time yeah but that's not exactly. like what the what the eight-year-olds. are into right in in 1965 right so yeah. the TV Executives were like this is. going to go nowhere and boy were they.

wrong oh man I mean is is there aren't. many more iconic Christmas records than. that one no and and not just Christmas. records the Great Pumpkin Waltz is in. there which is just for my money the. best the best one of the whole album and. that whole album is great from the first. note to the last I shouldn't restrict. that to Christmas listening no I don't. know if it can though it' be weird but I. I mean I probably listen to that full. record at least 20 times over the month.

of December yeah maybe more probably. more than once a day yeah if I'm. thinking about it I'm really um almost. religious about it because I I don't I. don't ever want to get sick of it so I'm. really careful like how often I listen. to it oh I just pound it I never get to. it um it also has a song that has. nothing to do with Christmas lonus and. Lucy um which is what most people who. are generally aware of peanuts and. aren't like hardcore fans consider like.

the Peanuts. theme oh interesting mhm yeah and the uh. you know the the cultural icon that is. the Charlie Brown Christmas tree and. that's become part of the Lexicon for a. sad little Christmas tree yeah and you. can buy a Charlie Brown Christmas tree. too and put it on your tabletop which. we've done oh like a a recreation or. just a sad little tree it's well you. could do that and just call your side. little tree Charlie Brown Christmas tree. but you can buy one and it's like actual. thing yeah it's it's got like a wooden X.

that it connects it's got it has like a. little blue blanket Linus's blanket that. you put around the bottom like he does. it comes with a single red ornament it's. it's wonderful you know what buddy I. know what you're getting for Christmas. oh I could put it next to the leg lamp. yeah that'd be perfect actually wow. that's great um all right I mean geez we. could sit around and talk about peanuts. all day long if we're not careful but we. should wrap it up and talk a little bit. about the of peanuts sadly uh Schultz.

said he was retiring announced it in. December of. 1999 um he was diagnosed with terminal. colon cancer I don't even think we me. mentioned that he had a a uh a disease. throughout most of his career right that. was like had hand tremors yes so in 1981. he was diagnosed with essential tremor. which is a Tremor that affects you when. you try to do something with your hands. most specifically and he like drawing. yeah like drawing seven comic strips a.

week all the every week um and you can. actually see very clearly it's a. progressive illness as well Progressive. neurological disorder so it just gets. worse with time and you can see through. the progression of peanuts the lines. start getting much more. squiggly but if you look at tests of. people with hand tremors I think the. most prevalent test is it's like draw a. a like a circle from the inside out what. the hell is that called. spiral Spiral thank you you start at the.

center and go outward with the spiral. and they'll put that next to somebody. who doesn't have an essential tremor um. and what that looks like and it's just. like night and day so the fact that he. could even continue on for 20 years is. amazing yeah geez unbelievable so yeah. 99 uh diagnosed with cancer he had a big. backlog of uh comic strips that he had. drawn so they were able to keep. publishing through his illness uh until. the day he uh the day after he died.

actually February 12th 2000 he was 77. isn't that remarkable like they both. died at the same time or they both. expired at the same time peanuts and. Charles Schultz like they had that he. had that many backlogs that it just. worked out like like that yeah and he. had that many days left yeah pretty. amazing um unless the family was like. there were 100 more and they just shoved. them in a drawer and said it's really. kind of a great story this way I'm. hoping that the case me too uh his. family was smart though because they.

said you know what we don't think anyone. else should ever draw this like peanuts. should um should stop because he's not. around anymore and that's what happened. that syndication company unbelievably. almost honored that request uh when you. see new peanut stuff now um whether it's. like um movies and you know the brand is. still a thing but those those comic. strips if you see them are all reprints. yeah supposedly it's a billion dooll. brand um I believe and I read a quote.

from Bill Waton from Calvin and Hobs who. basically was like like merchandising. cartoons and stuff you can thank Charles. Schultz for that amazing yeah um and. then we mentioned one more thing before. we finish uh that there was a tribute um. to Charles Schultz and peanuts among. basically all the working comic strip. artists on November 26. 2022 very emotional yeah and you can go. to the Charles Schultz Museum website. and they have links to all of them and.

just some of them are amazing but a few. stood out to me we talked about the Gil. Thorp one which now that you've heard. these these two episodes go look up that. Gil Thorp November 26. 2022 comic strip tribute to to peanuts. because finally Charlie Brown gets to. kick the football and it's just the. sweetest sweetest thing I can't believe. that they thought of doing that it was. just so perfect so great yeah there was. one from Curtis you remember we talked.

about how a lot of black comic comic. strip artists credited um Charles. Schultz with introducing Franklin is. kind of breaking that ceiling for them. sure Curtis has one where Curtis the the. comic strip character asks Charlie Brown. to hang out and or he goes hey Charlie. Brown what you do and Charlie Brown goes. just chilling homie let's hang out yeah. and as they're walking away Curtis turns. to the to you the viewer and is like. that Charlie Brown's a lot cooler than. you think when he's away from that. peanut strip yeah that's pretty funny.

Garfield has Snoopy bringing out like a. hundred-year birthday cake yeah that. one's surreal looking and then to me it. is to me the. one I give it like the most. appropriately awkwardly formal award. Mary worth was that Mary worth okay I. thought it was so Mary worth is like the. most bone dry soap opera e comic strip. around to begin with and just in total. marry worth style Mary worth is sitting.

on the couch and it it just explains how. this is Charles Schultz's 100th birthday. and they're all celebrating it so happy. H 100th birthday Charles. Schultz it's just so just it very yeah. it was very dry and then Family Circle I. think Jeffy tripped over Snoopy's dead. body that's right which Charlie Brown. was on the run from uh so I promise I'd. read that very first comic strip because. it's really emblematic of like what. Charles Schultz was going after like his. debut comic strip for his.

baby was this and is very a little more. crudely drawn obviously but panel one. these two kids are sitting on the. sidewalk and you see Charlie Brown in. the distance walking up and the kid on. the sidewalk goes well here comes old. Charlie Brown and then Charlie Brown is. kind of walking in front of them good. old Charlie Brown yes sir and then he. walks by and they're watching him pass. and he goes good old Charlie Brown and. then the kid on the sidewalk in the last. panel says how I hate.

him that's was the debut to the world. that's really amazing pretty amazing. everybody that was a great way to end it. Chuck hey thanks uh if you want to know. more about peanuts just go start reading. peanut comic strips even if you didn't. appreciate them you'll probably learn to. like them more um just by forcing. yourself too and since I said that it's. time for listener. mail uh short and sweet one here hey. guys hope you're well your podcast has.

been a steady presence in my life for. almost four years it's got me through. one of many study sessions and kitchen. cleaning weekends over the years uh my. friend and now partner introduced me to. your show and I'm so thankful she did. being long distance it's nice to have. something to talk about and learn a few. things along the way uh of course. whenever we do see each other we make it. a habit to put on an episode and listen. together so I just wanted to say thank. you guys for everything you do you make. learning about the common to the Obscure. exciting and fun and I look forward to.

many more years listening to you have a. wonderful day this is of course Prim a. Canadian our new friend Olivia C in. Ottawa Ontario Canada North America. planet Earth very nice thanks Olivia. that was very kind of you what a great. one to to add to the peanuts episode. Chuck yeah yeah well if you want to be. like Olivia and get in touch with us and. just say that you appreciate us we. really love to hear that kind of thing. once in a while um you can wrap it up. gently caress it on the bottom and send.

it off to stuff podcast iheartradio.com. stuff you should know is a production of. iHeart radio for more podcasts iHeart. Radio visit the iHeart Radio app Apple. podcasts or wherever you listen to your. favorite. [Music]. shows.