View source for Charles M. Schulz

{{Short description|American cartoonist (1922–2000)}}
{{Similar names|Charles Schultz (disambiguation){{!}}Charles Schultz}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox comics creator
| image         = Charles Schulz NYWTS.jpg
| image_size    = 
| caption       = Schulz drawing [[Charlie Brown]] in 1956
| birth_name    = Charles Monroe Schulz
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1922|11|26}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V9V6-JPV|publisher=United States Social Security Death Index|website=FamilySearch.com|title=Charles M Schulz|date=February 12, 2000|access-date=March 4, 2013}}</ref>
| birth_place   = [[Minneapolis]], Minnesota, U.S.
| death_date    = {{death date and age|2000|2|12|1922|11|26}}
| death_place   = [[Santa Rosa, California]], U.S.
| cartoonist    = y
| writer        = y
| inker         = y
| awards        = 
| notable works = ''[[Peanuts]]''
| website       = {{URL|https://peanutsstudio.com/}}
| signature     = Charles M. Schulz signature.svg
| signature_alt = 
| spouse        = {{ubl|{{marriage|Joyce Halverson|April 1951|1972|end=divorce}}|{{marriage|Jean Forsyth Clyde|September 1973}}}}
| children      = 5, including [[Meredith Hodges|Meredith]] and [[Craig Schulz|Craig]]
}}

'''Charles Monroe''' "'''Sparky'''" '''Schulz''' ({{IPAc-en|ʃ|ʊ|l|t|s}} {{respell|SHUULTS}}; November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2000)<ref name="NYTobit">{{Cite news |last=Boxer |first=Sarah |title=Charles M. Schulz, 'Peanuts' Creator, Dies at 77 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/library/arts/021400obit-c-schulz.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 14, 2000 |access-date=October 1, 2008}}</ref> was an American cartoonist, the creator of the comic strip ''[[Peanuts]]'' which features his two best-known characters, [[Charlie Brown]] and [[Snoopy]]. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential cartoonists in history, and cited by many cartoonists as a major influence, including [[Jim Davis (cartoonist)|Jim Davis]], [[Murray Ball]], [[Bill Watterson]], [[Matt Groening]], and [[Dav Pilkey]].

"''Peanuts'' pretty much defines the modern comic strip", said Bill Watterson, "so even now it's hard to see it with fresh eyes. The clean, minimalist drawings, the sarcastic humor, the unflinching emotional honesty, the inner thoughts of a household pet, the serious treatment of children, the wild fantasies, the merchandising on an enormous scale{{snd}}in countless ways, Schulz blazed the wide trail that most every cartoonist since has tried to follow."<ref>{{cite web |last=Watterson |first=Bill |date=October 13, 2007 |title=The Grief That Made 'Peanuts' Good |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB119214690326956694 |access-date=June 19, 2015 |work=WSJ}}</ref>

==Early life and education==
[[File:Charles Schulz HS Yearbook.jpg|thumb|left|Schulz's high school yearbook photo, 1940]]
Charles Monroe Schulz was born in [[Minneapolis|Minneapolis, Minnesota]], on November 26, 1922,<ref name="NYTobit"/> and grew up in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|Saint Paul]]. He was the only child of Carl Fred Schulz and Dena Halverson,<ref>{{Cite news |first=Jonathan |last=Franzen |title=The Comfort Zone: Growing up with Charlie Brown |date=2004-11-29 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/11/29/the-comfort-zone |magazine=The New Yorker}}</ref>  and was of [[German Americans|German]] and [[Norwegian Americans|Norwegian]] descent. His uncle called him "Sparky" after the horse Spark Plug in [[Billy DeBeck]]'s comic strip ''[[Barney Google and Snuffy Smith|Barney Google]]'', which Schulz enjoyed reading.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Complete Peanuts 1965–1966|author=Groth, Gary|publisher=Fantagraphic Books|chapter=Charles M. Schulz – 1922 to 2000|date=2007|isbn=978-1-56097-724-7|pages=322}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.toonopedia.com/google.htm|title=Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Barney Google|website=www.toonopedia.com}}</ref>

Schulz attended Richards Gordon Elementary School in Saint Paul, where he skipped two half-grades. He became a shy, timid teenager, perhaps as a result of being the youngest in his class at [[Saint Paul Central High School|Central High School]].

Schulz loved drawing and sometimes drew his family dog, Spike, who ate unusual things, such as pins and tacks. In 1937, Schulz drew a picture of Spike and sent it to ''[[Ripley's Believe It or Not!]]''; his drawing appeared in [[Robert Ripley]]'s syndicated panel, captioned, "A hunting dog that eats pins, tacks, and razor blades is owned by C. F. Schulz, St. Paul, Minn." and "Drawn by 'Sparky'".<ref>{{cite book |author=Mendelson, Lee |url=https://archive.org/details/charliebrownchar00mend_0 |title=Charlie Brown & Charlie Schulz |publisher=The World Publishing Company |year=1970 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="mich1">{{harvnb|Michaelis|2007|p=9}}</ref>

Another noteworthy episode in his high school life was the rejection of his drawings by his high school yearbook, which he referred to in ''Peanuts'' years later, when he had Lucy ask Charlie Brown to sign a picture he drew of a horse, only to then say it was a prank.<ref name="guardian.co.uk">{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/oct/11/peanuts-matt-groening-jonathan-franzen | work=The Guardian |place=London | title=Oh boy, Charlie Brown | date=October 11, 2008 | access-date=April 28, 2010}}</ref> A five-foot-tall statue of Snoopy was placed in the school's main office 60 years later.<ref>{{cite web|title=Peanuts on Parade|url=https://www.johnweeks.com/tour/peanuts/snoopy.html|publisher=John Weeks|access-date=November 20, 2017|archive-date=March 26, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326191137/https://www.johnweeks.com/tour/peanuts/snoopy.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Military service and post-war positions==
[[File:United States Army Portrait of Staff Sergeant Charles M. Schulz.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|United States Army portrait of Sergeant Schulz, {{circa|1943}}]]
In February 1943, Schulz's mother Dena died after a long illness. At the time of her death, he had only recently been made aware that she suffered from [[cancer]]. Schulz had by all accounts been very close to his mother and her death had a significant effect on him.<ref>{{cite web|title=PBS Special: Good Ol' Charles Schulz|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/charles-schulz/good-ol-charles-schulz/86/|publisher=PBS American Masters|access-date=October 29, 2007|date=October 29, 2007}}</ref>

Around the same time, Schulz was [[Conscription|drafted]] into the [[United States Army]]. He served as a staff sergeant with the [[20th Armored Division (United States)|20th Armored Division]] in Europe during [[World War II]], as a squad leader on a [[M2 Browning|.50 caliber machine gun team]]. His unit saw combat only at the very end of the war. Schulz said he had only one opportunity to fire his machine gun but forgot to load it, and that the German soldier he could have fired at willingly surrendered. Years later, Schulz proudly spoke of his wartime service.<ref name="mich3">{{harvnb|Michaelis|2007|pp=150–151}}</ref>  For being under fire he did receive the [[Combat Infantry Badge]], of which he was very proud.<ref>[https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/peanuts-creator-charles-schulz-s-experiences-in-wwii-shaped-the-character-of-charlie-brown-1.656415 ‘Peanuts’ creator Charles Schulz's experiences in WWII shaped the character of Charlie Brown]</ref>

In late 1945, Schulz returned to Minnesota, where he did lettering for a Roman Catholic comic magazine, ''Timeless Topix.''   Before he was drafted, Schulz had taken a [[Distance education|correspondence course]] from the school [[Art Instruction Schools|Art Instruction, Inc.]],{{sfn|Inge|2000|p=54}} and in July 1946 took a job at the school, where he reviewed and graded students' work.<ref name=Michaelis/>{{rp|164}} He worked at the school for several years as he developed his career as a comic creator.{{sfn|Inge|2000|p=55}}

==Career==
The [[anti-Communist]] [[propaganda]] [[comic book]] ''[[Is This Tomorrow]]'' featured some of Schulz's early work.<ref>
{{cite book
| title = Charles M. Schulz: The Creator of PEANUTS in 100 Objects
| author1 = The Charles M. Schulz Museum
| author2 = Benjamin L. Clark
| author3 = Nat Gertler
| publisher = Weldon Owen International
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=QTmVEAAAQBAJ
| page = 79
| date = 8 November 2022
| isbn = 9781681888613
| access-date = 1 January 2023}}</ref><ref>
{{cite book
| title = Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography
| author1 = David Michaelis
| publisher = Harper Collins
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=omiHL5hnqLcC
| page = 167
| date = 7 October 2008
| isbn = 9780060937997
| access-date = 1 January 2023}}</ref>
Schulz's first group of regular cartoons, a weekly series of one-panel jokes called ''[[Li'l Folks]]'', was published from June 1947 to January 1950 in the ''[[St. Paul Pioneer Press]],'' with Schulz usually doing four one-panel drawings per issue. It was in ''Li'l Folks'' that Schulz first used the name [[Charlie Brown]] for a character, although he applied the name in four gags to three different boys as well as one buried in sand. The series also had a dog that looked much like [[Snoopy]]. In May 1948, Schulz sold his first one-panel drawing to ''[[The Saturday Evening Post]]''; within the next two years, a total of 17 untitled drawings by Schulz were published in the ''Post'',<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.airplanesandrockets.com/magazines/charles-schulz-saturday-evening-post.htm|title=Saturday Evening Post "Li'l Folks" Comics by Charles Schulz|author=Kirt Blattenberger Airplanes and Rockets}}</ref> simultaneously with his work for the ''Pioneer Press''. Around the same time, he tried to have ''Li'l Folks'' syndicated through the [[Newspaper Enterprise Association]]; Schulz would have been an independent contractor for the syndicate, unheard of in the 1940s, but the deal fell through. ''Li'l Folks'' was dropped from the ''Pioneer Press'' in January 1950.<ref>{{cite news |title=Schulz's 'Peanuts' comic strip has deep St. Paul roots |url=https://www.twincities.com/2015/10/28/from-the-archives-schulzs-peanuts-comic-strip-has-deep-st-paul-roots-2/ |work=[[St. Paul Pioneer Press]] |date=October 28, 2015 |access-date=October 28, 2015}}</ref>

Later that year, Schulz approached [[United Feature Syndicate]] with the one-panel series ''Li'l Folks'', and the syndicate became interested. By that time Schulz had also developed a comic strip, usually using four panels rather than one, and to Schulz's delight, the syndicate preferred that version. But to his consternation, the syndicate had to change the title for Schulz's strip for legal reasons and selected a new name, ''Peanuts''.{{citation needed||date=July 2024}}

''Peanuts'' made its first appearance on October 2, 1950, in seven newspapers. The weekly Sunday page debuted on January 6, 1952. After a slow start, ''Peanuts'' eventually became one of the most popular comic strips of all time, as well as one of the most influential. Schulz also had a short-lived sports-oriented comic strip, ''[[It's Only a Game]]'' (1957–59), but he abandoned it after the success of ''Peanuts''. From 1956 to 1965 he contributed a [[gag cartoon]], ''[[Young Pillars]]'', featuring teenagers, to ''Youth'', a publication associated with the [[Church of God (Anderson)|Church of God]].

In 1957 and 1961 he illustrated two volumes of [[Art Linkletter]]'s ''[[Kids Say the Darndest Things]]'',<ref>{{cite book|title=Kids say the darndest things!|publisher=Worldcat|oclc=336428}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Kids still say the darndest things!|publisher=Worldcat|oclc=11396008}}</ref> and in 1964 a collection of letters, ''Dear President Johnson'', by Bill Adler.<ref>{{cite book|title=Dear President Johnson|isbn=978-0740766756|oclc=1383960}}{{page needed|date=November 2020}}</ref>

===''Peanuts''===
{{Main|Peanuts}}
At its height, ''Peanuts'' was published daily in 2,600 papers in 75 countries, in 21 languages. Over nearly 50 years, Schulz drew 17,897 published ''Peanuts'' strips.{{sfnp | Kidd | Spear | 2015 | loc=back cover }} The strips, plus merchandise and product endorsements, produced revenues of more than $1 billion per year, with Schulz earning an estimated $30 million to $40 million annually.<ref name="NYTobit"/> During the strip's run, Schulz took only one vacation, a five-week break in late 1997 to celebrate his 75th birthday; reruns of the strip ran during his vacation, the only time that occurred during Schulz's life.<ref>{{cite news |title=Good grief! Schulz takes leave to mark 75th birthday |url=https://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/19971126/news/311269935 |work=[[The Standard-Times (New Bedford)|The Standard-Times]] |date=November 26, 1997 |access-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref>

The first collection of ''Peanuts'' strips was published in July 1952 by [[Rinehart & Company]]. Many more books followed, greatly contributing to the strip's increasing popularity. In 2004, [[Fantagraphics]] began their ''Complete Peanuts'' series. ''Peanuts'' also proved popular in other media; the first animated TV special, ''[[A Charlie Brown Christmas]]'', aired in December 1965 and won an Emmy award.<ref>{{cite book |last=Crump |first=William D. |date=2013 |title=The Christmas Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MdGoAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA67 |edition=3rd |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |page=67 |isbn=978-0-7864-6827-0}}</ref> Numerous TV specials followed, the latest being ''[[Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin]]'' in 2024. Until his death, Schulz wrote or co-wrote the TV specials and carefully oversaw their production.

[[File:CharlesMShultzJun96.jpg|thumb|right|Schulz receiving his star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at [[Knott's Berry Farm]] in June 1996]]
[[Charlie Brown]], the principal character of ''Peanuts'', was named after a co-worker at Art Instruction Inc. Schulz drew much from his own life, some examples being:
* Like Charlie Brown's parents, Schulz's father was a barber and his mother a housewife.{{sfn|Larkin|1999|p=6}}
* Like Charlie Brown, Schulz had often felt shy and withdrawn. In an interview with [[Charlie Rose (talk show)|Charlie Rose]] in May 1997, Schulz observed, "I suppose there's a melancholy feeling in a lot of cartoonists, because cartooning, like all other humor, comes from bad things happening."<ref>{{cite web|last=Kleon|first=Austin|date=October 17, 2007|url=http://austinkleon.com/2007/10/17/charles-schultz-on-charlie-rose|title=CHARLES SCHULZ ON CHARLIE ROSE|work=austinkleon.com}}</ref>
* Schulz reportedly had an intelligent dog when he was a boy. Although this dog was a [[Pointer (dog breed)|pointer]], not a [[beagle]] like Snoopy, family photos confirm a certain physical resemblance.{{sfn|Larkin|1999|p=7}}
* References to Snoopy's brother [[Snoopy#Siblings|Spike]] living outside of [[Needles, California]], were influenced by the few years (1928–30) the Schulz family lived there; they moved to Needles to join other family members who had relocated from Minnesota to tend to an ill cousin.<ref name="Needles">{{harvnb|Johnson|1989|pp=30–36}}</ref>
* Schulz's inspiration for Charlie Brown's unrequited love for the [[Little Red-Haired Girl]] was [[Little Red-Haired Girl#Inspiration|Donna Mae Johnson]], an Art Instruction Inc. accountant with whom he fell in love. When Schulz finally proposed to her in June 1950, shortly after he had made his first contract with his syndicate, she turned him down and married another man.{{sfn|Johnson|1989|p=}}
* [[Linus van Pelt|Linus]] and [[Shermy (Peanuts)|Shermy]] were named for his good friends [[Linus Maurer]] and Sherman Plepler, respectively.<ref name=sitribune>{{cite news|first=Carole|last=Kelleher |title=Linus Maurer, 1926–2016 |url=http://www.sonomanews.com/news/5179817-181/linus-maurer-1926-2016?artslide=0 |work=Sonoma Index–Tribune |date=February 4, 2016 |access-date=February 14, 2016}}</ref>
* [[Peppermint Patty]] was inspired by Patricia Swanson, one of his cousins on his mother's side. Schulz devised the character's name when he saw peppermint candies in his house.<ref name="mich">{{harvnb|Michaelis|2007|p=335}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/03/26/charlie-browncharlie-brown-was-the-name-of/|title=Charlie Brown was the name of one of...|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=March 26, 2000}}</ref>
* [[Sally Brown|Sally]] calls [[Linus Van Pelt|Linus]] her "Sweet Babboo."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Charles M. Schulz Museum - Sally first called Linus her "Sweet Babboo" 42 years ago today in a strip published on January 27, 1977. 💕 The term of endearment "Sweet Babboo" was inspired by the phrase Jean Schulz initially coined for her husband, Charles Schulz. Unfortunately for Sally, Linus repeatedly dismisses her affectionate use of the expression. {{!}} Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/schulzmuseum/photos/a.110604408053/10157069273093054/ |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=www.facebook.com |language=en}}</ref> The term of endearment was inspired by a phrase Jean Schulz used for her husband, "I called him, 'Sweet Babboo' and instead of saying, 'O, that's clever, I think I'll use that,' it just showed up six weeks later in the comic strip!"<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-10-02 |title=Jean Schulz Remembers Peanuts' Origins as Comic Strip Turns 70 - CBS San Francisco |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/jean-schulz-remembers-peanuts-origins-as-comic-strip-turns-70/ |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Influences===
The [[Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center|Charles M. Schulz Museum]] counts [[Milton Caniff]] (''[[Terry and the Pirates (comic strip)|Terry and the Pirates]]'') and [[Bill Mauldin]] as key influences on Schulz's work. In his own strip, Schulz regularly described Snoopy's annual [[Veterans Day (United States)|Veterans Day]] visits with Mauldin, including mention of Mauldin's World War II cartoons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://comics.com/peanuts/ |title=Peanuts by Schulz |publisher=Comics.com |quote=November 11th strips from 1969–70, '76, '79–81, '83, '85–89, '91–93, '96–99}}</ref> Schulz also credited [[George Herriman]] (''[[Krazy Kat]]''), [[Roy Crane]] (''[[Wash Tubbs]]''), [[Elzie C. Segar]] (''[[Thimble Theatre]]'') and [[Percy Crosby]] (''[[Skippy (comic strip)|Skippy]]'') as influences. In a 1994 address to fellow cartoonists, Schulz discussed several of them.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hoganmag.com/blog/charles-m-schulz-on-cartooning/|title=Charles M. Schulz on Cartooning|work=Hogan's Alley|date=June 7, 2017 |access-date=August 5, 2019}}</ref> But according to his biographer [[Rheta Grimsley Johnson]]:

{{blockquote|It would be impossible to narrow down three or two or even one direct influence on [Schulz's] personal drawing style. The uniqueness of "Peanuts" has set it apart for years ... That one-of-a-kind quality permeates every aspect of the strip and very clearly extends to the drawing. It is purely his with no clear forerunners and no subsequent pretenders.<ref>Johnson (1989), p. 68.</ref>}}

According to the museum, Schulz watched the movie ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' 40 times. The character [[Lucy van Pelt]] also expresses a fondness for the film, and in one strip, she cruelly spoils the ending for her younger brother.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://voices.yahoo.com/the-pbs-series-american-masters-good-ol-charles-schulz-634714.html|title=Yahoo|access-date=June 19, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729001417/http://voices.yahoo.com/the-pbs-series-american-masters-good-ol-charles-schulz-634714.html|archive-date=July 29, 2014}}</ref>

According to the biography ''Schulz and Peanuts'' by David Michaelis, Schulz considered [[Jim Davis (cartoonist)|Jim Davis]] his greatest rival in the field. Schulz disliked Davis's low, broad-appeal approach to his work and was somewhat jealous when Davis's ''[[Garfield]]'' eclipsed ''Peanuts'' in popularity; in spite of this, Schulz frequently provided advice to the younger Davis, particularly in the realms of merchandising and franchising, by using the strategy he had developed for Snoopy and allowing Davis to develop it further for Garfield. Davis considered Schulz a valuable mentor.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tardive |first=Ambrose |date=2024-06-19 |title=Peanuts vs. Garfield: Charles Schulz Secretly Considered Jim Davis His Arch-Rival |url=https://screenrant.com/peanuts-garfield-charles-schulz-jim-davis-rivalry/ |access-date=2024-06-21 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}</ref> Davis credits Schulz with redesigning [[Garfield (character)|Garfield]] in his modern form; while Schulz and Davis were each working on their respective ''Peanuts'' and ''Garfield'' television specials in adjacent rooms, Davis was struggling to work Garfield's obese, quadripedal physique into [[physical comedy|physical gags]] and asked Schulz for ideas, to which Schulz sketched out a redesign—bipedal and pot-bellied but slimmer—that Davis has used in its basic form ever since.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Robert |date=2024-12-17 |title=Peanuts' Charles Schulz Redesigned Garfield For a Touching Reason |url=https://screenrant.com/garfield-peanuts-charles-schulz-snoopy-dancing-davis-factoid/ |access-date=2024-12-29 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
[[File:Schulz Signed Lithograph 'Play Ball' 183-500.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Schulz' Signature ("Play Ball" Lithograph)]]
In April 1951, Schulz married Joyce Halverson (no relation to Schulz's mother Dena Halverson Schulz),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Schulz & Peanuts Time Line |url=http://www.schulzmuseum.org/timeline.html |publisher=Charles M. Schulz Museum |access-date=January 16, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090121173110/http://www.schulzmuseum.org/timeline.html |archive-date=January 21, 2009 }}</ref> and Schulz adopted Halverson's daughter, [[Meredith Hodges]]. Later the same year, they moved to [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]]. Their son, Monte, was born in February 1952, and three more children, [[Craig Schulz|Craig]], Amy and Jill, were born later in Minnesota.<ref>{{harvnb|Inge|2000|page=32}}</ref>

Schulz and his family moved to Minneapolis and stayed until 1958. They then moved to [[Sebastopol, California]], where Schulz built his first studio. (Until then, he had worked at home or in a small rented office room.) It was there that Schulz was interviewed for the unaired television documentary ''[[A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1963 film)|A Boy Named Charlie Brown]]''. Some of the footage was eventually used in a later documentary, ''[[Charlie Brown and Charles Schulz]]''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Charlie Brown and Charles Schulz|edition=The original documentary on DVD |publisher= Charles M. Schulz Museum}}</ref> Schulz's father died while visiting him in 1966, the same year Schulz's Sebastopol studio burned down. By 1969, Schulz had moved to Santa Rosa, California, where he lived and worked until his death. While briefly living in Colorado Springs, Schulz painted a mural on the bedroom wall of his daughter Meredith, featuring Patty with a balloon, Charlie Brown jumping over a candlestick, and Snoopy playing on all fours. The wall was removed in 2001, and donated and relocated to the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa.<ref>{{cite news |title=SIDE STREETS: "Charlie Brown House" owner misses wall |url=https://gazette.com/news/side-streets-charlie-brown-house-owner-misses-wall/article_42de3c2c-372e-5236-a193-d00737f20f69.html |work=[[The Gazette (Colorado Springs)|The Gazette]] |date=December 14, 2009 |access-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref>

By [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] of 1970, it was clear that Schulz's marriage was in trouble.<ref name="PBS">{{Cite episode|title=Good Ol' Charles Schulz|url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/charles-schulz/good-ol-charles-schulz/86/|series=[[American Masters]]|network=[[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]|airdate=October 29, 2007}}</ref> He was having an affair with a 25-year-old woman named Tracey Claudius.<ref>{{cite web | title=I only dread one day at a time! | author=Miller, Laura | work=Salon | url=http://www.salon.com/2007/10/13/charles_schulz/ | date=October 8, 2007 | access-date=May 6, 2009 }}</ref> The Schulzes divorced in 1972, and in September 1973, he married Jean Forsyth Clyde, whom he had first met when she brought her daughter to his hockey rink.<ref name="PBS"/> They were married for 27 years, until Schulz's death in 2000.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stewart |first=Jocelyn Y. |date=March 8, 2006 |title=Snoopy's Legal Guardian |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-mar-08-me-jeannie8-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref>

Schulz's son Craig has served as President of the Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates licensing company, and has had a prominent role in modern Peanuts adaptations, including ''[[The Peanuts Movie]]''.<ref name="c592">{{cite web | last=Waxman | first=Olivia B. | title=Charles Schulz's 'Peanuts' Gang Headed to the Big Screen | website=TIME.com | date=2012-10-10 | url=https://entertainment.time.com/2012/10/10/charles-schulzs-peanuts-gang-headed-to-the-big-screen/ | access-date=2024-08-18}}</ref><ref name="v368">{{cite web | last=Taylor | first=Dan | title=Craig Schulz has quietly and wisely kept alive his father's work | website=Santa Rosa Press Democrat | date=2010-07-30 | url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/craig-schulz-has-quietly-and-wisely-kept-alive-his-fathers-work/ | access-date=2024-08-18}}</ref><ref name="f940">{{cite web | last=Smith | first=Chris | title=How the Schulz family made 'The Peanuts Movie' a reality | website=Santa Rosa Press Democrat | date=2015-11-02 | url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/how-the-schulz-family-made-the-peanuts-movie-a-reality/ | access-date=2024-08-18}}</ref> Schulz's daughter Jill starred in the 1988 [[live action]] and animation hybrid Peanuts special ''[[It's the Girl in the Red Truck, Charlie Brown]]''.<ref name="q794">{{cite web | last=Taylor | first=Dan | title=The life and legacy of Charles M. Schulz | website=Santa Rosa Press Democrat | date=2022-11-24 | url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/specialsections/the-life-and-legacy-of-charles-m-schulz/ | access-date=2024-08-18}}</ref>

===Kidnapping attempt===
On May 8, 1988, two gunmen in ski masks entered the Schulzes' home through an unlocked door, planning to kidnap Jean, but the attempt failed when Charles' daughter Jill drove up to the house, prompting the would-be kidnappers to flee. Jill called the police from a neighbor's house. [[Sonoma County]] Sheriff Dick Michaelsen said, "It was obviously an attempted kidnap-ransom. This was a targeted criminal act. They knew exactly who the victims were." Neither Schulz nor his wife were hurt during the incident.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SJ&s_site=mercurynews&p_multi=SJ&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB72DB00CB05CFA&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Cartoonist's Home Invaded in Apparent Kidnap Attempt|work=San Jose Mercury News|date=May 13, 1988|archive-date=April 21, 2022|access-date=August 20, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421200536/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SJ&s_site=mercurynews&p_multi=SJ&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB72DB00CB05CFA&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eXsUAAAAIBAJ&pg=3975,2195263&dq=kidnap+charles-schulz&hl=en|title=Good grief, it's a kidnap attempt|work=Toledo Blade|date=May 13, 1988}}{{Dead link|date=November 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Sports===
[[File:Charles M. Schulz Highland Arena.JPG|right|thumb|upright=1.2|Charles M. Schulz Highland Arena on Snelling Avenue and Ford Parkway in Saint Paul, Minnesota]]
Schulz had a long association with ice sports, and both [[figure skating]] and [[ice hockey]] featured prominently in his cartoons. In Santa Rosa, he owned the [[Redwood Empire Ice Arena]], which opened in 1969 and featured a snack bar called "The Warm Puppy".<ref name="guardian.co.uk"/> Schulz's daughter Amy served as a model for the figure skating in the television special ''[[She's a Good Skate, Charlie Brown]]'' (1980). Schulz also was very active in senior ice-hockey tournaments; in 1975, he formed [[Snoopy's Senior World Hockey Tournament]] at his Redwood Empire Ice Arena, and in 1981, he was awarded the [[Lester Patrick Trophy]] for outstanding service to the sport of hockey in the United States.<ref>"[https://www.hhof.com/htmlsilverware/silver_splashlesterpatrick.shtml Legends of Hockey – Non-NHL Trophies – Lester Patrick Trophy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822213946/https://www.hhof.com/htmlsilverware/silver_splashlesterpatrick.shtml |date=August 22, 2018 }}," Hockey Hall of Fame (accessed June 2, 2016)</ref> Schulz also enjoyed golf and was a member of the Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club from 1959 to 2000.

In 1998, Schulz hosted the first Over-75 Hockey Tournament. In 2000, the Ramsey County Board in St. Paul, Minnesota, voted to rename the Highland Park Ice Arena the Charles M. Schulz–Highland Arena in his honor.

Schulz also used his hockey rink for tennis exhibitions after meeting [[Billie Jean King]]. Many tennis pros played in the rink, including [[Roy Emerson]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://longreads.com/2019/04/16/its-tennis-charlie-brown/ |title=It's Tennis, Charlie Brown |last=Sauer |first=Patrick |date=April 16, 2019 |website=Longreads |access-date=April 16, 2019}}</ref>

===Art===
In addition to comics, Schulz was interested in art in general; his favorite artist in his later years was [[Andrew Wyeth]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/books/review/McGrath-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 |work=The New York Times|title=Review of ''Schulz and Peanuts''|date=October 14, 2007 |last1=McGrath |first1=Reviewed by Charles }}</ref> As a young adult, Schulz also developed a passion for classical music. Although the piano-playing character [[Schroeder (Peanuts)|Schroeder]] in ''Peanuts'' adored [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]], Schulz's personal favorite composer was [[Johannes Brahms|Brahms]].<ref name="NYTobit"/> He had a strong personal respect for [[Murray Ball]], creator of [[Footrot Flats]]; the two men influenced each other throughout their careers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-03-12 |title=Footrot Flats creator Murray Ball dies aged 78 |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/12/footrot-flats-creator-murray-ball-dies-aged-78-cartoon-new-zealand |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref>

===Religion===
According to a 2015 "spiritual [[biography]]", Schulz's faith was complex and personal.<ref name="auto">Lind, Stephen J. (2015) ''A Charlie Brown Religion'' (Jackson: U P Mississippi)</ref> He often touched on religious themes in his work, including in the classic television cartoon ''[[A Charlie Brown Christmas]]'' (1965), which features Linus quoting {{bibleverse|Luke|2:8–14|KJV|Luke 2:8–14}} in the [[King James Version of the Bible]] to explain "what Christmas is all about." In interviews, Schulz said that Linus represented his spiritual side, and the spiritual biography points out a much wider array of religious references.<ref name="auto"/>

Brought up in a nominally Lutheran family, Schulz was active in the [[Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)|Church of God]] as a young adult and later taught Sunday school at a [[United Methodist Church]].<ref name="auto"/> In the 1960s, [[Robert L. Short]] interpreted certain themes and conversations in ''Peanuts'' as consistent with parts of [[Christian theology]], and used them as illustrations in his lectures on the [[Gospel]], as explained in his book ''[[The Gospel According to Peanuts]]'', the first of several he wrote on religion, ''Peanuts'', and [[popular culture]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Short |first=Robert L. |author-link=Robert L. Short |date=1965 |title=[[The Gospel According to Peanuts]] |location=Louisville, Kentucky |publisher=[[Westminster John Knox Press]] |isbn=0804219702}}</ref>

Schulz's daughter, Amy, was drawn to join [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] by a [[Latter Day Saint movement|Latter-day Saint]] boyfriend. According to Amy, Schulz told her that the "church is either true or it's a [[hoax]]. And I think it's a hoax." Although Schulz was disenchanted by [[Mormonism]] and his daughter's conversion, he continued to support her and, according to Amy, told her that he appreciated the bond between the two of them created by her belief "in Christ and the scriptures."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wagner |first1=Danielle B. |title="Peanuts" Creator Charles Schulz's Missionary Comics, LDS Connection, and Legacy of Faith |url=https://www.ldsliving.com/peanuts-creator-charles-schulzs-missionary-comics-lds-connection-and-legacy-of-faith/s/80409 |access-date=24 January 2023 |work=[[LDS Living]] |date=30 May 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

From the late 1980s, Schulz said in interviews that some people had described him as a "[[secular humanism|secular humanist]]" but that he did not know one way or the other:<ref>Templeton, David. [http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/12.30.99/schulz2-9952.html My Lunch with Sparky], reproduced from the December 30, 1999 – January 5, 2000 issue of the ''Sonoma County Independent''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080917015352/http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/12.30.99/schulz2-9952.html Archived] November 28, 2008.</ref>

{{blockquote|I do not go to church anymore ... I guess you might say I've come around to secular humanism, an obligation I believe all humans have to others and the world we live in.<ref>{{harvnb|Johnson|1989|p=137}}</ref>}}

In 2013, Schulz's widow said:

{{blockquote|I think that he was a deeply thoughtful and spiritual man. Sparky was not the sort of person who would say "oh that's God's will" or "God will take care of it." I think to him that was an easy statement, and he thought that God was much more complicated.

When he came back from the army he was very lonely. His mother had died and he was invited to church by a pastor who had prepared his mother's service from the Church of God. Sparky's father was worried about him and was talking to the pastor and so the pastor invited Sparky to come to church. So Sparky went to church, joined the youth group and for a good 4–5 years he went to Bible study and went to church 3 times a week (2 Bible studies, 1 service). He said he had read the Bible through three times and taught Sunday school. He was always looking for what those passages REALLY might have meant. Some of his discussions with priests and ministers were so interesting because he wanted to find out what these people (who he thought were more educated than he) thought.

When he taught Sunday school, he would never tell people what to believe. God was very important to him, but in a very deep way, in a very mysterious way.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1snoy1/im_jean_schulz_my_husband_drew_the_peanuts_comic/|title=I'm Jean Schulz. My husband drew the PEANUTS comic strip for 50 years and I'm happy to talk with you and take your questions. : IAmA|work=reddit|date=December 11, 2013 |access-date=19 June 2015}}</ref>}}

===Failing health and retirement===
[[File:Charles Schulz crop 1993.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Schulz in 1993]]
In July 1981, Schulz underwent heart bypass surgery. During his hospital stay, President [[Ronald Reagan]] phoned to wish him a quick recovery.

In the 1980s, Schulz complained that "sometimes my hand shakes so much I have to hold my wrist to draw." This led to an erroneous impression that Schulz had [[Parkinson's disease]]. According to a letter from his physician, placed in the Archives of the [[Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center|Charles M. Schulz Museum]] by his widow, Schulz had [[essential tremor]], a condition alleviated by [[beta blocker]]s. Schulz still insisted on writing and drawing the strip by himself, resulting in noticeably shakier lines over time.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-debt-that-all-cartoonists-owe-to-peanuts |title=The Debt That All Cartoonists Owe to "Peanuts" |last=Ware |first=Chris |date=September 24, 2019 |magazine=The New Yorker |access-date=September 24, 2019}}</ref>

In November 1999, Schulz suffered several small strokes and a blocked aorta, and he was later found to have [[colorectal cancer|colon cancer]] that had [[metastasis|metastasized]]. Because of the [[chemotherapy]] and because he could not see clearly, he announced his retirement on December 14, 1999. The decision was difficult for Schulz, who told [[Al Roker]] on ''[[Today (American TV program)|The Today Show]]'', "I never dreamed that this was what would happen to me. I always had the feeling that I would probably stay with the strip until I was in my early eighties. But all of a sudden it's gone. It's been taken away from me. I did not take this away from me."<ref name=Michaelis>{{harvnb|Michaelis|2007|page=561}}</ref>

Schulz was asked if, in his final ''Peanuts'' strip, Charlie Brown would finally get to kick the football after so many decades (one of the many recurring themes in ''Peanuts'' was Charlie Brown's attempts to kick a football while Lucy was holding it, only to have Lucy pull it back at the last moment, causing him to fall on his back). His response, "Oh, no. Definitely not. I couldn't have Charlie Brown kick that football; that would be a terrible disservice to him after nearly half a century." But in a December 1999 interview, holding back tears, Schulz recounted the moment when he signed his final strip, saying, "All of a sudden I thought, 'You know, that poor, poor kid, he never even got to kick the football. What a dirty trick—he never had a chance to kick the football.'"<ref name="PBS"/><ref>{{cite interview |last=Schulz |first=Charles |interviewer=[[Al Roker]]|title=Interview with Al Roker|date=December 1999}}</ref>

==Death==
[[File:Santa Rosa Memorial Rose Grove - May 2023 - Sarah Stierch 07.jpg|thumb|A memorial to Charles M. Schulz at the Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery]]
On February 12, 2000, Schulz died in his sleep of a [[heart attack]] at his home in [[Santa Rosa, California]], at the age of 77. He was suffering from [[colorectal cancer]]. The last original ''Peanuts'' strip was published the following day. He had predicted that the strip would outlive him because the strips were usually drawn weeks before their publication. Schulz was buried at Pleasant Hills Cemetery in [[Sebastopol, California]].<ref name="NYTobit"/>

Schulz was honored on May 27, 2000, by cartoonists of more than 100 comic strips, who paid homage to him and ''Peanuts'' by incorporating his characters into their strips that day.<ref>[http://fivecentsplease.org/dpb/peantfaq.txt Peanuts Faq, section 3.6], Derrick Bang</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.chivian.com/chivian/PeanutsTribute.html |title = Cartoonists pay tribute to Charles M. Schulz and ''Peanuts''}}</ref> 
While United Features retained ownership of the strip, Schulz requested that the syndicator allow no other artist to draw ''Peanuts''. United Features honored his wishes, instead [[Print syndication|syndicating]] reruns. Because Schulz considered other media separate from the strip, new television specials and comic books with the ''Peanuts'' characters have been made since his death.

==Awards==
[[File:Schulz star.jpg|right|thumb|Schulz's star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]]]
Schulz received the [[National Cartoonists Society]]'s Humor Comic Strip Award in 1962 for ''Peanuts'' and the Society's Elzie Segar Award in 1980; he was the first two-time winner of their [[Reuben Award]] (for 1955 and 1964) and the winner of their Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sulkis |first=Brian |title=Cartoonist's characters spread a gentle message |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/02/11/WBG0VB7IFI1.DTL&type=printable |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=February 11, 2005 |access-date=November 11, 2008}}</ref> He was also an avid hockey fan; in 1981, Schulz was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding contributions to the sport of hockey in the United States, and he was inducted into the [[United States Hockey Hall of Fame]] in 1993.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Apple |first=Chris |title=Resolutions for 2002 |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/statitudes/news/2002/01/04/just_stats/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205223430/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/statitudes/news/2002/01/04/just_stats/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 5, 2006 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=January 5, 2002 |access-date=November 11, 2008}}</ref>

In 1988, Schulz received the [[Silver Buffalo Award]], the highest adult award given by the [[Boy Scouts of America]], for his service to American youth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Silver Buffalo Award Winners 1989-1980 |url=http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/SilverBuffalo/Previouswinners/1980-1989.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215646/http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Awards/SilverBuffalo/Previouswinners/1980-1989.aspx |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |website=Boy Scouts of America}}</ref> On June 28, 1996, Schulz was honored with a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]], adjacent to [[Walt Disney]]'s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Whiting |first=Sam |title=The Peanuts Gallery Is Closed |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1999/12/15/DD35372.DTL&type=printable |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=December 15, 1999 |access-date=November 11, 2008}}</ref> A replica of this star appears outside his former studio in Santa Rosa. On November 2, 2015, Snoopy was also honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 3, 2015 |title=Wow! Snoopy Receives A Star On Hollywood Walk Of Fame |url=http://www.filmibeat.com/hollywood/news/2015/wow-snoopy-receives-a-star-on-hollywood-walk-of-fame-203979.html |publisher=FilmiBeat}}</ref>

On January 1, 1974, Schulz served as the Grand Marshal of the [[Tournament of Roses Parade|Rose Parade]] in [[Pasadena, California]]. This led to the only ''Peanuts'' strip in which he made any reference to himself: Lucy was watching the parade, and told Linus that the Grand Marshal was somebody "you've never heard of". The same year, he received the [[Inkpot Award]].<ref>[https://www.comic-con.org/awards/inkpot Inkpot Award]</ref> In 1980, Schulz received the Golden Plate Award of the [[Academy of Achievement|American Academy of Achievement]], presented by Awards Council member Judge [[John Sirica]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url= https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/}}</ref>

Schulz was a keen [[contract bridge|bridge]] player, and ''Peanuts'' occasionally included bridge references. In 1997, the [[American Contract Bridge League]] (ACBL) awarded both Snoopy and [[Woodstock (Peanuts)|Woodstock]] the honorary rank of [[Masterpoints#American Contract Bridge League|Life Master]], and Schulz was delighted.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/10/arts/bridge-snoopy-s-finest-card-game-trump-that-red-baron.html |title=BRIDGE; Snoopy's Finest Card Game (Trump That, Red Baron!) |newspaper=The New York Times |first=Alan |last=Truscott |author-link=Alan Truscott |date=July 10, 2000 |access-date=July 16, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Who Plays Bridge |url=https://www.acbl.org/marketing_page/publicity/who-plays-bridge/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727200446/https://www.acbl.org/marketing_page/publicity/who-plays-bridge/ |archive-date=27 July 2020 |access-date=July 18, 2016 |website=[[American Contract Bridge League|ACBL]]}}</ref>

[[File:Charles Schulz Congressional Gold Medal obverse.jpg|right|thumb|Charles M. Schulz Congressional Gold Medal]]
On February 10, 2000, two days before Schulz's death, Congressman [[Mike Thompson (California politician)|Mike Thompson]] introduced H.R. 3642, a bill to award Schulz the [[Congressional Gold Medal]], the highest civilian honor the United States legislature can bestow.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d106:HR03642:@@@L&summ2=m&|title=Bill Summary & Status – 106th Congress (1999–2000) – H.R.3642 – THOMAS (Library of Congress)|work=loc.gov|access-date=June 19, 2015|date=June 22, 2000|archive-date=September 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904041517/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d106:HR03642:@@@L&summ2=m&|url-status=dead}}</ref> The bill passed the House (with only [[Ron Paul]] voting no and 24 not voting)<ref>{{cite news| url=http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/106/house/2/votes/19/ | newspaper=The Washington Post | access-date=April 28, 2010 | title=106th Congress, 2nd session, House vote 19}}</ref> on February 15, and the bill was sent to the Senate, where it passed unanimously on May 2.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d106:HR03642:@@@X|title=Bill Summary & Status – 106th Congress (1999–2000) – H.R.3642 – THOMAS (Library of Congress)|work=loc.gov|access-date=June 19, 2015|date=June 22, 2000|archive-date=September 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904041517/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d106:HR03642:@@@X|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Senate also considered a related bill, S.2060 (introduced by [[Dianne Feinstein]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:S.2060:|title=Bill Text – 106th Congress (1999–2000) – THOMAS (Library of Congress)|work=loc.gov|access-date=June 19, 2015|archive-date=September 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904041517/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:S.2060:|url-status=dead}}</ref> President [[Bill Clinton]] signed the bill into law on June 20, 2000. On June 7, 2001, Schulz's widow Jean accepted the award on behalf of her late husband in a public ceremony.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Charles M. Schulz Honored with Congressional Gold Medal: Schulz family members to accept award on behalf of famed PEANUTS comic strip writer |work=News from Senator Dianne Feinstein of California |publisher=feinstein.senate.gov |date=June 7, 2001 |url=http://feinstein.senate.gov/releases01/charles_schulz.html |access-date=2008-12-04 |archive-date=July 11, 2001 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010711132235/http://feinstein.senate.gov/releases01/charles_schulz.html}}</ref>

Schulz was inducted into the [[United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame]] in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Rosewater |first=Amy |title=Skating survived just fine without Kwan, Cohen |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=2747202&type=story |publisher=ESPN |date=January 29, 2007 |access-date=November 11, 2008}}</ref>

Schulz was the inaugural recipient of [[Harvey Awards|The Harvey Kurtzman Hall of Fame Award]], accepted by Karen Johnson, Director of the Charles M. Schulz Museum, at the 2014 Harvey Awards, held at the [[Baltimore Comic-Con|Baltimore Comic Convention]] in Baltimore, Maryland.<ref>{{cite web |title=Charles Schulz to be honored with new Harvey Award (We Read Comics Exclusive) |url=http://blog.timesunion.com/comicbooks/harveyawards2014/1887/ |work=The Comics Multiverse |date=August 13, 2014 |access-date=June 19, 2015 |archive-date=June 4, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150604070845/http://blog.timesunion.com/comicbooks/harveyawards2014/1887/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Your 2014 Harvey Awards Winners |url=http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/your_2014_harvey_awards_winners/ |work=The Comics Reporter, September 7, 2014 |access-date=August 9, 2015}}</ref>

The U.S. Postal Service commemorated the 100th anniversary of Schulz's birth with postage stamps honoring him "alongside his beloved characters".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cartoonist Charles M. Schulz Honored Alongside His Beloved Characters With New Forever Stamps |url=https://about.usps.com/newsroom/national-releases/2022/0930-usps-charles-m-schulz-forever-stamps.htm |date=2022-09-30 |access-date=2023-12-03 |website=about.usps.com}}</ref>

==Military awards and decorations==
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"
|- style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"
| colspan=2 |'''U.S. service medals'''
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|[[World War II Victory Medal]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Army Good Conduct Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|[[Army Good Conduct Medal]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|[[European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|[[American Campaign Medal]]
|-
|{{ribbon devices|type=service-star|ribbon=Army of Occupation ribbon.svg|width=60}}
|[[Army of Occupation Medal]]
|- style="background:#ccf; text-align:center;"
| colspan=2 |'''U.S. Army badges and patches'''
|-
|[[File:Combat Infantry Badge.svg|140px]]
|[[Combat Infantryman Badge]]
|-
||[[File:20th US Armored Division SSI.svg|60px]]
|[[20th Armored Division (United States)|20th Armored Division]]
|}

==Biographies==
Multiple biographies have been written about Schulz, including Rheta Grimsley Johnson's ''Good Grief: The Story of Charles M. Schulz'' (1989), which Schulz authorized.{{sfn|Johnson|1989|p=}}

The lengthiest biography, ''Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography'' (2007) by [[David Michaelis]], has been heavily criticized by the Schulz family; Schulz's son Monte stated it has "a number of factual errors throughout&nbsp; ... [including] factual errors of interpretation", and he extensively documents these errors in a number of essays. However, Michaelis maintains that there is "no question" his work is accurate.<ref>{{cite news|last=Schulz|first =Monte|title=Regarding ''Schulz and Peanuts''|newspaper=[[The Comics Journal]]| issue =290 | pages=27–78 |date=May 2008|issn=0194-7869}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tcj.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=837&Itemid=48|title=The Comics Journal&nbsp;– The Schulz and Peanuts Roundtable (excerpts from TCJ #290)|last=Schulz|first=Monte|author2=Gary Groth|date=May 18, 2008|newspaper=The Comics Journal|publisher=[[Fantagraphics]]|access-date=July 28, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208161351/http://www.tcj.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=837&Itemid=48|archive-date=December 8, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Cohen |first=Patricia |title=Biography of 'Peanuts' Creator Stirs Family |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/books/08schu.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin |access-date=October 8, 2007|newspaper=The New York Times| date=October 8, 2007}}</ref> Although cartoonist Bill Watterson (creator of ''[[Calvin and Hobbes]]'') feels the biography does justice to Schulz's legacy, while giving insight into the emotional impetus of the creation of the strips, cartoonist and critic [[R.C. Harvey]] regards the book as falling short both in describing Schulz as a cartoonist and in fulfilling Michaelis' stated aim of "understanding how Charles Schulz knew the world". Harvey believes that Michaelis‘ biography [[Inductive reasoning|inductively]] bends the facts to a thesis rather than [[Deductive reasoning|logically deducing]] a thesis from the facts.<ref>{{cite news |last=Watterson |first=Bill |title=The Grief That Made 'Peanuts' Good |url=https://www.wsj.com/public/article/SB119214690326956694.html?mod=djm_HAWSJSB_Welcome |access-date=October 16, 2007 | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=October 12, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last =Harvey | first =R.C. | title =The Pagliacci Bit | journal = The Comics Journal | issue =290 | pages=79–92 |date=May 2008 | issn=0194-7869 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last =Harvey | first =R.C. | title =Schulz Roundtable Round Two | journal = The Comics Journal | issue =290 | pages=101–105 |date=May 2008 | issn=0194-7869 }} Excerpt available: {{cite web|url=http://www.tcj.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=836&Itemid=48|title=The Comics Journal&nbsp;– Schulz Roundtable Round Two (excerpt from TCJ #290)|last=Harvey|first=R.C.|author-link=R. C. Harvey|date=May 18, 2008|website=[[The Comics Journal]]|publisher=[[Fantagraphics]]|access-date=July 28, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5ZeW5196M?url=http://www.tcj.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=836&Itemid=48|archive-date=July 28, 2008}} on July 28, 2008.</ref> Dan Shanahan's review, in the ''American Book Review'' (vol 29, no. 6), of Michaelis' biography faults the biography not for factual errors, but for "a predisposition" to finding problems in Schulz's life to explain his art, regardless of how little the material lends itself to Michaelis' interpretations. Shanahan cites, in particular, such things as Michaelis' crude characterizations of Schulz's mother's family, and "an almost voyeuristic quality" to the hundred pages devoted to the breakup of Schulz's first marriage.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Dan |last=Shanahan |title=Dancing in the Dark |journal=American Book Review |volume=29 |issue=6 |pages=12–15 |doi=10.1353/abr.2008.0127
|date=September–October 2008|s2cid=144983532}}</ref>

In light of Michaelis' biography and the controversy surrounding his interpretation of Charles Schulz's personality, responses from Schulz's family reveal some intimate details about Schulz's persona beyond that of a mere artist.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cartoonbrew.com/books/more-on-the-schulz-book#comment-34417 |title=Cartoon Brew: Leading the Animation Conversation " More on the Schulz Book |last=Amidi |first=Amid |date=October 13, 2007 |work=[[Cartoon Brew]] |access-date=July 28, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915100932/http://www.cartoonbrew.com/books/more-on-the-schulz-book#comment-34417 |archive-date=September 15, 2008 }} on July 28, 2008.</ref>

In August 2023, ''Peanuts'' fans Luca Debus and Francesco Matteuzzi wrote and illustrated ''Funny Things: A Comic Strip Biography of Charles M. Schulz''. In panels styled after his famous work, Schulz himself narrates the story of his own life, beginning with his childhood and going over the years as he grows up, fights in WWII, becomes a cartoonist, creates the ''Peanuts'' franchise, forms and loses relationships with family and friends alike, and comes to terms with his terminal diagnosis.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Debus|first1=Luca|last2=Matteuzzi|first2=Francesco|date=August 29, 2023|title=''Funny Things: A Comic Strip Biography of Charles M. Schulz''|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5Y7H9RY|publisher=[[Top Shelf Productions]]}}</ref>

==Legacy==<!-- This section is linked from Peanuts -->
A proponent of crewed spaceflight, Schulz was honored with the naming of [[Apollo 10]] [[Apollo command module|command module]] ''Charlie Brown'' and [[Apollo Lunar Module|lunar module]] ''[[Snoopy#In aviation and space|Snoopy]]'', which launched on May 18, 1969. The [[Silver Snoopy award]] is given to [[NASA]] employees and contractors for outstanding achievements related to human flight safety or mission success. The award certificate states that it is in appreciation for "professionalism, dedication and outstanding support that greatly enhanced space flight safety and mission success".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mathewbenson.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/8-27-06%20084.jpg |title=A Silver Snoopy award given to NASA employee Matthew Benson |access-date=May 6, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714044926/http://www.mathewbenson.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/8-27-06%20084.jpg |archive-date=July 14, 2011}}</ref>

On July 1, 1983, [[Camp Snoopy]] opened at [[Knott's Berry Farm]]; it is a forested, mountain-themed area featuring the ''Peanuts'' characters. It has rides designed for younger children and is one of the most popular areas of the amusement park.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Merritt, Christopher |author2=Lynxwiler, J. Eric|title=Knott's Preserved: From Boysenberry to Theme Park, the History of Knott's Berry Farm |pages=144–147 |publisher=Angel City Press |location=Santa Monica, CA |date=2010 |isbn=978-1-883318-97-0}}</ref> Since, similar Camp Snoopy and [[Planet Snoopy]] areas have opened at several Six Flags parks.

When the [[Mall of America]] in [[Bloomington, Minnesota]], opened in 1992, its amusement park had a ''Peanuts'' theme, which was replaced by [[Nickelodeon Universe]] in 2006, when the mall lost the rights to use the characters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/camp-snoopy-who-nickelodeon-runs-the-show-now-at-mall-of-america/130570388/|title=Camp Snoopy Who? Nickelodeon runs the show now at Mall of America|website=Star Tribune|date=September 27, 2011 |access-date=December 22, 2018}}</ref>

The Jean and Charles Schulz Information Center at [[Sonoma State University]] opened in 2000 and now stands as one of the largest buildings in the [[California State University]] system, as well as in all of California, with a 400,000-volume general collection and a 750,000-volume automated retrieval system capacity. The $41.5 million building was named after Schulz, and his wife donated the $5 million needed to build and furnish the structure.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.sonoma.edu/pubs/newsrelease/archives/2000/12/snoopy_goes_to_college_at_ssu.html |title=Snoopy Goes to College at SSU |last=Wasp |first=Jean |date=December 5, 2000 |website=[[Sonoma State University]] |access-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref>

In 2000, the [[Sonoma County, California|Sonoma County]] Board of Supervisors renamed the county airport the [[Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport]]. The airport's logo features Snoopy in goggles and scarf, taking to the skies on top of his red doghouse.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sonomacountyairport.org/about-sts/our-history/ |title=Our History |website=[[Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport]] |access-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref>

Peanuts on Parade has been St. Paul, Minnesota's tribute to its favorite native cartoonist. It began in 2000 with the placing of 101 {{convert|5|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} statues of Snoopy throughout the city of St. Paul. Every summer for the following four years, statues of a different ''Peanuts'' character were placed on the sidewalks of St. Paul: ''Charlie Brown Around Town'' (2001), ''Looking for Lucy'' (2002), ''Linus Blankets St. Paul (2003)'' and Snoopy lying on his doghouse (2004). The statues were auctioned off at the end of each summer, so some remain around the city, but others have been relocated. The auction proceeds were used for artist's scholarships and for permanent bronze statues of the ''Peanuts'' characters, which are in Landmark Plaza and Rice Park in downtown St. Paul.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/parks-recreation/parks-recreation-programs/public-art/peanuts-characters |title=Peanuts Characters |website=Saint Paul, MN |access-date=March 5, 2018}}</ref>

The Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa opened in August 2002, two blocks away from his former studio, celebrating his life's work and the art of cartooning.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hilton |first=Spud |date=September 29, 2002 |title=Peanuts fan blankets Sparky's Santa Rosa |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/09/29/TR159136.DTL |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |access-date=October 12, 2007}}</ref> A bronze statue of Charlie Brown and Snoopy stands in Depot Park in downtown Santa Rosa.<ref>{{cite news |last=Snyder |first=George |date=August 6, 2012 |title=Santa Rosa Revs Schulz Memorial Drive |url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Santa-Rosa-Revs-Schulz-Memorial-Drive-2800345.php |work=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=June 19, 2015}}</ref>

Santa Rosa, California, celebrated the 55th anniversary of the strip in 2005 by continuing the Peanuts on Parade tradition, beginning with ''It's Your Town, Charlie Brown'' (2005), ''Summer of Woodstock'' (2006), ''Snoopy's Joe Cool Summer'' (2007), and ''Look Out For Lucy'' (2008).

In 2006, ''[[Forbes]]'' ranked Schulz as the third-highest-earning deceased celebrity, for he had earned $35 million in the previous year.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Charles M. Schulz |url=https://www.forbes.com/2006/10/20/tech-media_06deadcelebs_cx_pf_top-earning-dead-celebrities_3.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061103145957/http://www.forbes.com/2006/10/20/tech-media_06deadcelebs_cx_pf_top-earning-dead-celebrities_3.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 3, 2006 |journal=[[Forbes]] |date=October 20, 2006 |access-date=January 19, 2009}}</ref> In 2009, he was ranked sixth.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Miller |first=Matthew |title=Top-Earning Dead Celebrities 2009 |url=https://www.forbes.com/2009/10/27/top-earning-dead-celebrities-list-dead-celebs-09-entertainment_land.html?boxes=listschannelinsidelists |magazine=Forbes |date=October 27, 2009 |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref> According to Tod Benoit, Schulz's income during his lifetime totaled more than $1.1 billion.<ref>{{cite book |last=Benoit |first=Tod |title=Where are They Buried? How Did They Die?: Fitting Ends and Final Resting Places of the Famous, Infamous, and Noteworthy |publisher=[[Black Dog & Leventhal]] |year=2003 |isbn=1-57912-287-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/wherearetheyburi00todb}}</ref>

Schulz's [[Santa Rosa, California|Santa Rosa]] home was destroyed by the [[Tubbs Fire]], one of the [[October 2017 Northern California wildfires|October 2017 wildfires]] in [[California]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Allen |first1=Keith |last2=Park |first2=Madison |title=Charles Schulz, 'Peanuts' creator's home burns down in California fires |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/13/us/charles-schulz-home-california-fires/index.html |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=October 14, 2017 |access-date=June 20, 2022}}</ref>

In 2019, [[Apple TV+]] created a TV series titled ''[[For All Mankind (TV series)|For All Mankind]]'', imagining what would have happened if the Russians had landed on the moon first. In later episodes, an American base is established on the moon, and the latest astronaut to arrive at the station is given a badge featuring Linus with the camp blanket and is known as Linus until a new member arrives.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}

On November 26, 2022, over 75 syndicated cartoonists throughout the United States honored Schulz on what would have been his [[Centennial|100th birthday]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kennedy |first1=Mark |title=Cartoonists honor 'Peanuts' creator Charles M. Schulz on 100th birthday |url=https://abc7chicago.com/charles-m-schulz-100th-birthday-peanuts-cartoons/12497011/ |website=ABC 7 Chicago |access-date=27 November 2022 |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127201054/https://abc7chicago.com/charles-m-schulz-100th-birthday-peanuts-cartoons/12497011/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://schulzmuseum.org/tribute/ |title=Cartoonist Tributes #Schulz100 |publisher=Charles M. Schulz Museum |date=2022-11-26 |access-date=2022-11-26}}</ref>

In October 2023, ''[[Mutts (comic strip)|Mutts]]'' creator [[Patrick McDonnell]] wrote a story line where the character Guard Dog was freed from being tethered after many years. Guard Dog was renamed Sparky, in honor of Schulz.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://mutts.com/blogs/news/a-letter-from-patrick-the-guard-dog-story |title=A Letter From Patrick: The Guard Dog Story |date=2023-12-19 |access-date=2024-01-11}}</ref>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
'''Primary sources'''
* {{cite book|last=Schulz|first=Charles M.|year=1980|title=Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Me|location=Garden City, NY|publisher=Doubleday & Company|isbn=0-385-15805-X|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/charliebrownsnoo0000schu}}
** {{cite book|title=My Life with Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz|editor-first=M. Thomas|editor-last=Inge|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|year=2010|editor-link=M. Thomas Inge}}
** {{cite book|title=Around the World in 45 Years|location=Kansas City|publisher=Andrews and McMeel/United Features Syndicate|year=1994}}
** {{cite book|title=Go Fly a Kite, Charlie Brown|year=1959|location=New York|publisher=Holt, Rinehart and Winston}}
** {{cite book|title=Peanuts: A Golden Celebration: The Art and the Story of the World's Best-Loved Comic Strip|editor-first=David|editor-last=Larkin|location=New York|publisher=HarperCollins|year=1999}}
* {{cite book|last=Inge|first=M. Thomas|year=2000|title=Charles M. Schulz: Conversations|location=Jackson, MS|publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi|isbn=1-57806-305-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/charlesmschulzco00inge}}

'''Secondary studies'''
* {{cite book|last=Bang|first=Derrick|year=1999|title=50 Years of Happiness: A Tribute to Charles M. Schulz|location=Santa Rosa, CA|publisher=Charles M. Schulz Museum|isbn=0-9685574-0-6}}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Bang|editor-first=Derrick|year=2003|title=Charles M. Schulz: Li'l Beginnings|location=Santa Rosa|publisher=Charles M. Schulz Museum|isbn=0-9745709-1-5}}
* {{cite journal|last=Caron|first=James E.|title=Everybody Deserves a Security Blanket|journal=Studies in American Humor|year=2008|volume=17|pages=145–155}}
* {{cite journal|last=DeLuca|first=Geraldine|title='I Felt a Funeral in My Brain': The Fragile Comedy of Charles Schulz|journal=The Lion and the Unicorn|volume=25|issue=2|year=2001|pages=300–309|doi=10.1353/uni.2001.0017|s2cid=144770986}}
* {{Cite book|last=Johnson|first=Rheta Grimsley| author-link =Rheta Grimsley Johnson|title=Good Grief: The Story of Charles M. Schulz|year=1989|publisher=Pharos Books|place=New York|isbn=0-88687-553-6}}
* {{cite book|editor-link=Chip Kidd|editor-last=Kidd|editor-first=Chip|year=2001|title=Peanuts: The Art of Charles M. Schulz|location=New York|publisher=Pantheon Books|isbn=0-375-42097-5}}
* {{cite book |last1=Kidd |first1=Chip |last2=Spear |first2=Geoff |title=Only What's Necessary: Charles M. Schulz and the Art of Peanuts |date=2015 |publisher=Abrams Comic Arts |location=New York |isbn=978-1-4197-1639-3 }}
* {{Cite book|last=Michaelis|first=David|title=Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography|year=2007|publisher=Harper|place=New York|isbn=978-0-06-621393-4|url=https://archive.org/details/schulzpeanutsbio00mich}}
* {{cite book|last=Short|first=Robert L.|title=The Gospel According to Peanuts|location=Richmond, VA|publisher=John Knox Press|year=1964|title-link=The Gospel According to Peanuts}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|d=Q298920|c=Category:Charles M. Schulz|n=no|b=no|v=no|voy=no|wikt=no|s=no|species=no}}
* [http://www.flyingace.net/ Schulz's home page]
* [http://www.schulzmuseum.org/ Charles Schulz Museum]
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{Playbill person}}
* {{The Interviews about|charles-m-schulz}}
* [https://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/schulz.htm Lambiek Comiclopedia article.]
* [http://www.kpfahistory.info/dandl/peanuts.mp3 "Happiness is hearing an intellectual laugh!" Charles Schulz interviewed in his Marin County home study by Gail Rudwick and John Whiting, October 30, 1962]{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

{{Peanuts}}
{{Inkpot Award 1970s}}
{{Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame}}
{{Academy of Magical Arts Special Fellowship}}
{{Authority control}}
{{WildBrain}}

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