In memoriam: Charles Schulz
November 26, 1922 - February 13, 2000.

Charles Schulz was a cartoonist to the very end and for nearly 50 years he entertained children as well as adults with his life´s work; PEANUTS.

I remember seeing PEANUTS for the first time scrounging through my fathers things as a child is likely to do - being a big fan himself he did not mind me taking them out time and time again, for at least it kept me quiet. At the time I was unable to understand much of what was going on, the books were in a language I was just starting to learn and much of what went on there was way over the head of a 7 year old. As I grew older, the more I learned to appreciate them, the language was no longer a hindrance and as I learned more about the world, the more I understood.

PEANUTS had a real charm to it, what happened to Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy and the rest could just as well have happened to you or me...some of it probably did. Recently a comics writer and artist of great renown told me he did what he did not for himself but for others. This goes for Charles Schulz as well, on a regular basis he produced a newspaper strip which captured the hearts of those who read it and what more could a man ask for than the love and adoration of his fans. He only ever expressed one regret in regards to his work, that Charlie Brown never got to kick the ball.

3 months before his death Charles Schulz was diagnosed with colon cancer and a month later he announced his retirement and when the last PEANUTS strip would be published. Only hours before this final strip was on the street Charles Schulz passed away in his home at the age of 77.

Arni Gunnarsson is Interviews Editor of PopImage.

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