A fond memory of my childhood is watching the Peanuts cartoon specials with my dad. Sitting on the Dijon mustard and ecru colored checked sofa in the living room, we couldn’t wait till it started. During the 70s, there was no on-demand streaming, no way to record it. Milton, our English Bulldog, would wander in from the den.
We enjoyed all of the specials — We didn’t have a favorite and the thing we both loved the most was when Snoopy laughed. It caught your attention because the was no dialogue for Snoopy. And the sight of him with his head thrown back, pounding on the table with his fists, all while sporting a gleeful smile, made us happy.
Schulz drew the iconic comic strip for 50 years, and 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of his death. At its peak popularity, the strip had 100 million readers. In 1988, he wisely observed, “The playground is a nasty place to be trapped.” This totally resonated with me; dodgeball could be brutal and I always felt it should have been called bruiseball, to more accurately describe the usual outcome. Charlie Brown was the hero for all who were teased, pummeled or just plain frustrated. In short, Charlie Brown made us feel “seen.” I personally cannot thank him enough. It was a comfort to know that Charlie Brown and his devoted dog existed to make people happy and console them when things were tough.
I’m Rosie Klepper and that’s my perspective.
