Behind the Squiggly Lines: The Role of The Charles M. Schultz Museum in THE PEANUTS MOVIE

Special report and photos by Carlos Aguilar.

This weekend scores of Peanuts fans, young and old, will head to the multiplex to revel in the wonder of Schultz characters channeled through a team of animators whose most important task was to be faithful to man behind the 65-year-old comic strip. Yes, “The Peanuts Move” is a must-see for those who have fallen in love with Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and all the other rascals, but there is another trip worth taking for those who really want to go behind the scenes, or better said, behind the squiggly lines.

Located in the small town of Santa Rosa, California the Charles M. Schultz Museum is nothing short of a magical place and in our visit to the museum, thanks to the folks at BlueSky and Fox, we hanged out with the filmmakers and the talented children voicing the iconic characters in “The Peanuts Movie.” – the gang’s first big screen appearance. First there are the statues that adorn every corner of the museum’s grounds, the Santa Rosa airport, and other important locations throughout the city. One can get his picture taken next to Charlie Brown in hockey attire, Woodstock taking a bath under the sun, and Snoopy taking a nap atop of his doghouse.

Once inside, every wall displays the Schultz beloved drawings and their evolution. One especially fascinating piece of artwork is a wooden timeline that shows us the evolution of snoopy from his early days to the familiar image that younger generations know. We were then escorted to a special exhibit focusing, very fittingly, on the animated iterations of the characters including the classic TV specials such as “A Charlie Brown Christmas” or Linus’ favorite “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” Their transition from the comic strip to television via 2D animation expanded the appeal of the property. These predecessors certainly stand as points of departure for the next big jump, this time into the CGI realm.

Strips and more strips decorate the walls of a large portion of the museum where the transformation of both the characters and the stories can be appreciated. But once we got to the second floor, it was all about “Sparky,” which was Charles Schultz lifelong nickname taken from a comic strip character from the 1920s and 30s known as Spark Plug (the horse) in the popular comic from the time called “Barney Google.” Spark Plug was a new character introduced into the story in 1922, the year Schultz was born.

Charles M. Schultz was drafted into the military at age 20 in 1943. He served as a machine-gun squad leader in Germany, France and Austria. This section of the museum includes artifacts and photographs from that period of his life including several envelopes on which he would draw cartoons for friends. Schultz only formal education in cartooning was a correspondence course during his senior year in high school, an amazing fact considering his immense talent for conveying so much with just a few panels.

As a special treat our group was taken to sections of the museum usually off limits to visitors. In these rooms a huge collection of books involving the Peanuts characters is housed. Books in numerous languages and countries reflect the relevance and universal appeal of Schultz oeuvre. In one of these rooms the first comic strip where Franklin, the African American character in the gang, appeared. Charles M. Schultz created Franklin in response to his correspondence with a Los Angeles teacher who urged him to introduce a character of color into the story in 1968.

Our trip continued as we venture into sacred ground for any Peanuts fan. We visited Charles Schultz office where he would create his comic strips until the last one was published on February 13, 2000 a day after he passed away. Lastly, we entered the Redwood Ice Arena also known as Snoopy’s Home Ice a place that Mr. Schultz preserved for the community, particularly children, to have a place to skate and have fun. A joyful Snoopy statue welcomes everyone that walks into the arena.

Not surprisingly, “The Peanuts Movie” feels like an extension of this museum’s warm atmosphere and the endless ingenuity of Charles M. Schultz. He would be happy to know that, in spite of all the blockheads out there in the world, the museum keeps the legacy alive and thanks to Steve Martino and his team Charlie Brown and Snoopy will have an even longer life.

THE PEANUTS MOVIE is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the rest of the beloved “Peanuts” gang make their big-screen debut, like they’ve never been seen before, in state-of-the-art 3D animation. Snoopy, the world’s most lovable beagle ­ and flying ace ­embarks upon his greatest mission as he takes to the skies to pursue his arch-nemesis The Red Baron, while his best pal, Charlie Brown, begins his own epic quest. From the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the ICE AGE films, THE PEANUTS MOVIE will prove that every underdog has his day.