So, I was wracking my brain trying to remember the name of the little red-haired girl when I realized that I could ask The Google. Of course, I didn’t have much of a chance of remembering it since it was only mentioned once, and never in the strip.
The 1977 animated TV special It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown brought the Little Red-Haired Girl back, making her first on-screen appearance. Linus states that her name is Heather, and that she is the Homecoming Queen. Once again, Charlie Brown becomes a wreck, trying desperately to impress her once he learns that he has been chosen to escort her to the dance after the football game.
But, then, Schultz didn’t consider the animated series to be canonical, so officially she has no name and has never made an actual appearance.
In any case, once I started reading about the little red-haired girl, I got sucked into reading about other characters. I had completely forgotten that Violet’s best friend was named Patty. I thought the only Patty was Peppermint Patty. My memory is not good. I remembered Shermy, dimly, but had no idea that he spoke the first and only words in the first strip.
I used to have Peanuts books and I would read them from front to back over and over. Still, in looking at the character biographies, I was surprised at how much I didn’t know or have forgotten.
Who’s your favorite Peanuts character? Besides Snoopy, of course.
I kind like Peppermint Patty. I love how she say called Charlie “Chuck”. “How’s it going Chuck?”…”What are you doint, Chuck?”…etc.
I loved the piano kid (what was his name?) and being AA, the black kid stuck in my brain, but I can’t remember his name?
BTW, speaking of Peanuts, did they ever have a strip or tv where PigPen was “cleaned” up, I have this fleeting memory of something like that happening, but maybe it was another show that made reference to it?
Schroeder is the pianist.
Schroder!!!! Thx u! I love the way he was always bent over that piano and the girl (was it Lucy?) was always trying to get his attention by leaning on his piano and he would give her a look like…”please get away from me”…lol
Lucy had a massive crush on Schroeder but he was not interested one bit. He was in love with his music, but I always had a feeling he might have a crush on Charlie Brown since he was the only one who never criticized him. But he rarely spoke so who knows.
Franklin was the first (and only?) African American character (at least to have been given a name.)
“Franklin”..Thx again. Don’t even know if he had any speaking parts, but it’s just a habit of mine (and probably a good number of AA too) to just look for the other “face that looks like me” wherever I go…lol.
“Franklin” was a trailblazer then…lol.
Have you seen Mad TV’s remake of “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown?”
People disagree about its appropriateness. Pretty racist. And vile. But also funny. Mad TV would play out the worst stereotypes pretty evenly among different demographic groups so it should not offend a fan of the show. Sort of like South Park does.
It could make you laugh or cry or cry from laughter. Or it may just be so offensive that people will flame at me for showing it at such a politically correct blog.
I don’t know, the only part of it I thought was remotely funny was Shroeder spinning records instead of playing piano. The rest just wasn’t funny.
I really liked seeing all of the characters in totally different roles (Snoopy as rabid Snoop Dog, Woodstock shitting on Lucy’s head, etc.)
But this bit at the end…
… left me in stitches. Also when Sally offered Lionel to see her vagina for a nickel. I guess I have a very SICK sense of humor.
There were a couple series where Pig Pen got cleaned up, only to end up dirty. I remember one strip where he is spic-and-span indoors, and tells Charlie Brown it will last only until he walks outside. He does, there is a big WHOOMP and he’s immediately full dirt again.
piano playing kid was my favorite, and whoever said one day in school “my brain is full” – maybe that was charlie brown, I don’t remember
Marcie and Peppermint Pattie were a mystery for me when I was like 5 years old. I asked my mom why, if Peppermint Patty is a girl, does Marcie call her “Sir.”
Mom said it was because Peppermint Patty was obviously a “Tom Boy” and probably liked that. Later I realized there must be more to their relationship that they weren’t telling us.
“It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown” should be retitled “Jump the Shark, Charlie Brown”.
When we were kids we had a few of the Charlie Brown collections and I can remember one of my favorite strips (because I am an artist) was Linus trying to analyze Charlie Brown’s drawings. He said something to the effect of, “I noticed that when you draw people, you draw them with their hands in their pockets or hidden from view. I wonder if that means anything about your deep seated insecurities, Charlie Brown.”
To which Charlie Brown replied, “No, I just can’t draw hands.”
remember that now that you mention. very funny
Schroeder and Sally
Ah Peanuts, what fun. I remember after moving to Colorado I was shuttled between divorced parents a couple of times per year and somehow made a habit/tradition of ALWAYS getting a big format Peanut book every time I was in Stapleton. Got a pretty sizable collection and still have it now.
Favorite character after Snoopy/WW1 flying ace? Probably Linus the philosopher. Others that would always put a smile on my face when they came on screen were those others have mentioned – Peppermint Patty and Schroeder — and of course Woodstock.
I do remember just how much we longed to see the holiday specials (back then it was just Christmas and Great Pumpkin, I think). And of course everyone loves the piano theme “Linus and Lucy” by Vince Guaraldi. As a tike I was always so sad when those specials would end.
Times change. I’ve shown my kids the old stuff as part of our Pizza-Movie nights every Friday for many years now. Many of them the kids love just as much as we did — Pink Panther, the Grinch who Stole Christmas, Peter Pan, Jungle Book, and of course the Warner Brothers collections. But the old Peanuts specials have fallen flat. Even what I consider the best part – Snoopy getting shot down behind enemy lines — got little reaction. I have to say while I can pick up an old Bloom County or Calvin even the early Garfields and get a chuckle that isn’t the case with Peanuts.
I enjoyed parroting Frieda ending every sentence with “My Naturally Curly Hair.” Of course I remember nothing about her but that line and, of course, her Naturally Curly Hair.
Am I the only one?
Charlie Brown because my mother used to call my her “little Charlie Brown” when I was a child. We don’t get along, but of course I still find that to be important.
If I understand your comment, I can see why you don’t get along with your mother. I mean, calling your kid a “little Charlie Brown” is basically saying you’re an incompetent sucker or something close to that. What were Chuck’s redeeming qualities? His ever-hopefulness? Would that be the positive spin?
If my parents had called me their “little Lucy” I would have been offended, ya’know.
Linus. I had a poster of him leaping in the air and exalting “To live is to dance – to dance is to live!”
“I’ll never be satisfied until I’m too smart for my own good!”
Lucy, my favorite anti-hero. I wonder sometimes if Schultz adopted a bit of Leona Helmsley to her personality.