Seventy-five years ago this week, one of the most iconic comic strips in American history introduced the world to Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the “Peanuts” gang.
“Peanuts,” created by the late longtime Santa Rosa resident Charles M. “Sparky” Schulz, debuted in newspapers on Oct. 2, 1950, and is one of the most enduring creations in pop culture.
To commemorate the milestone, fans locally will be celebrating at events, listening parties and more.
Here’s a few ways to mark the occasion.
At the epicenter of the “Peanuts” universe, Santa Rosa’s Charles M. Schulz Museum will host a “Celebrating 75 Years of Peanuts!” party on Saturday with several hands-on activities.
Beginning at 11 a.m., visitors can take a photo with Snoopy, learn how to draw the “Peanuts” characters with artist Robert Pope, hear author Andrew Farago discuss his new book, “Snoopy, the Story of My Life: The Myth, the Legend, the Beagle!,” explore the museum’s current retrospective exhibit, “HA! HA! HA! HA! 75 Years of Humor in Peanuts,” featuring original “Peanuts” comic strip art, and enjoy a free mini chocolate chip cookie – Snoopy’s favorite – from Santa Rosa’s COOKIE…take a bite!, while supplies last.
The party is included with the price of admission; $15 for adults, $10 for seniors 62 and over, $7 for students and children 4-18, and free for kids 3 and under and museum members.
“It is meaningful to see people of all ages continue to connect with Sparky’s work and creativity 75 years after the strip’s debut,” Shulz’s widow, Jean Schulz, said in a statement shared Wednesday by the Charles M. Schulz Museum. “I have been known to quote Sparky’s belief that art is determined 100 years later, and it feels as though this is becoming a reality.”
Visitors to the museum Thursday through Saturday will also receive a free mini poster commemorating the anniversary featuring Snoopy and Woodstock, while supplies last. The 8.5-by-11-inch poster shows the duo atop Snoopy’s dog house with the words, “I love my home,” written across the bottom.
Museum director Gina Huntsinger said the museum is thrilled to celebrate the milestone.
“‘Peanuts’ is loved all over the world, but there is only one place that Snoopy and his creator, Charles M. Schulz, called home: Sonoma County!,” she said in a Wednesday email.
Another book hitting the shelves this month in honor of the strip’s 75th anniversary, “The Essential Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz,” sheds light on Schulz’s beloved art and the strip’s lasting cultural impact. Written by award-winning animator and author Mark Evanier and featuring some 700 of Schulz’s drawings and other images, as well as a foreword by Jean Schulz, the book – available Oct. 7 – was produced in collaboration with the museum and Peanuts Worldwide LLC. At $75, the book also includes prints, stickers, postcards and a full-color comic book featuring the “Peanuts” gang.
Later this month, independently owned local record stores across the country are holding listening parties featuring the music of Vince Guaraldi, an American jazz pianist best known for composing music for “Peanuts” animated specials. Local shops participating in the parties, taking place Oct. 17-19 and hosted by National Record Store Day, include Santa Rosa’s The Next Record Store, Petaluma’s Paradise Found Records & Music, and Napa’s Folklore bar, restaurant and vinyl shop. Contact the stores for dates, times and other details.
Schulz, who moved to Sonoma County in 1958, lived in Sebastopol before he relocated to Santa Rosa where he opened the Redwood Empire Ice Arena in 1969. The cartoonist would call the city home until his death in 2000 at the age of 77.
Today, signs of Schulz’s work can be found throughout the county, including nearly 100 statues of his beloved “Peanuts” characters that can be found throughout the area with the help of an interactive digital map launched over the summer by Visit Santa Rosa — a program of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber.
Of course, you don’t need to leave the house to celebrate “Peanuts” if you have Apple TV+, as the streaming service offers countless hours of animated “Peanuts” specials and series, including “Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical,” the first “Peanuts” musical in three decades that premiered in August and features original music written by composer Jeff Morrow and singer, songwriter, and composer Ben Folds.
Audiophiles can also go down a “Peanuts” memory lane by revisiting The Press Democrat’s limited-run podcast, ” You Don’t Know Peanuts,” produced in partnership with Peanuts Worldwide LLC. The only officials “Peanuts” podcast explored the comic strip’s connection to everything from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to Hallmark to NASA, and shared previously unheard stories of the strip’s history and cultural influence.