About the Artist…Charles Schulz
CHARLES M. SCHULZ (1922-2000) The most widely syndicated cartoonist in history, with an audience of 355 million in 75 countries; his comic strip was read in 2,600 newspapers and published in 21 languages! Schulz published more than 1,400 books, won Peabody and Emmy awards for his animated specials, and is responsible for the most-produced musical in the American theatre, entitled "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown."

All of this success began in 1950 when United Features ran the first comic strip it entitled "Peanuts". For the next 50 years Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and the rest of the gang reflected the social commentary and often bitter humor of the post war generation; Schulz's fresh perspective of psychological issues being experienced, evaluated, and ultimately decided upon by children was a hoot; the strip shouted to the innocence inside of cynical adults…and then on the very same night before his last strip ran in Sunday papers "Sparky" passed away.

The only child of devoted and uneducated parents, Schulz reveled in the uncomplicated memories of his childhood all through his career. As an unusually smart kid, he was a loner and had few friends. At 20 his mother died and, three days later, he was sent off to war in Europe. He never recovered from the shock, and melancholy dogged him for the rest of his life. Charlie Brown was Schulz's' alter ego, and both remained profoundly isolated.

The brilliant architecture of Schulz's ink lines are accomplished by inconsistent pressure with a nib. This changes the flow of ink, and creates motion and life within the line. When closely examined, the line of Charles Schulz is artistically reminiscent abstract expressionists in the 1940's and 50's. The recognition that Schulz achieved during his lifetime was not as an artist, but as a cartoonist, although looking at this exhibition one cannot help but to admire the lines. This collection came from Ted Long, a friend and colleague of the artist, who acquired them in the late 1970's.