Charles Schulz was born November 26, 1922, to Carl and Dena Schulz of St. Paul, Minnesota. Within a week, however, Charles became known as "Sparky," christened by an uncle with a soft spot for Barney Google's horse "Sparkplug." Schulz never lost his nickname, proof of a life devoted to comics.
Charles Schulz was both the brains and the brawn behind nearly 50 years of Peanuts comics. He single-handedly designed, researched, wrote, and drew every panel and strip that appear in daily and Sunday newspapers around the world.
Over the years, Schulz earned the respect and autonomy due an artist of his caliber.
When some editors suggested that Snoopy become less of a focus in the comic, Schulz quietly vetoed the suggestion. Surely we are all grateful today since Snoopy has become the most widely recognized and beloved character in the world.
When Schulz retired, it had been almost fifty years since the time he had submitted "roughs" for approval by the syndicate. Instead, he would submit finished strips. In fact, his mistakes were so rare, the syndicate wouldn't change so much as a comma without his OK.
The comic has always been his and his alone.
Honoring Charles M. Schulz
" Daddy's Site "
"LET ME KNOW YOU WERE HERE AND RETURN SOON"
The most successful comic strip in newspaper history, PEANUTS appears in some 2,600 newspaper in 75 countries and is translated into 21 languages.
United Feature Syndicate started the strip in syndication on October 2, 1950. The influence of Charles Schulz on several generations of cartoonists cannot be overstated. "With intelligence, honesty, and wonderfully expressive artwork, Charles Schulz gave the comics a unique world of humor, fantasy, warmth and pain that completely reconfigured the comic strip landscape," Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes, wrote in 1989.
It was PEANUTS that truly brought the American comic strip into the lives of contemporary readers using innovations such as Lucy's Psychiatric Booth, Linus' Security Blanket(a phrase originally coined by Mr. Schulz), Snoopy's fantasies, and Charlie Brown's baseball team. There will never be another cartoonist quite like Charles M. Schulz.
In accordance with the wishes of Mr. Schulz, United Feature Syndicate will not ask another artist or writer to take over the creation of the PEANUTS comic strip. Rather, United Feature Syndicate, which holds the copyright to PEANUTS, recently began offering its clients classic PEANUTS comic strips, starting with those that Mr. Schulz created in 1974. These strips began on January 4, 2000; the Sunday, February 13th comic strip was the last original created by Mr. Schulz. Nineteen seventy-four was chosen as the start of the classic series because it incorporates the characters of the strips's early days (Charlie Brown, Lucy, Schroeder and Snoopy) with characters who were introduced in more recent years such as Peppermint Patty and Woodstock.
During the 50 years that Charles M. Schulz drew and wrote PEANUTS, his style gradually evolved and matured. The strips that he drew in 1974 united the genius of his comic timing and dialogue with the artwork of a master. These classic strips will be new, of course, to at least two generations of readers.
Early on, Schulz recognized his own talents, realizing he could draw even better than his older cousin. An insightful kindergarten teacher once told him, "Someday, Charles, you're going to be an artist."
"It seems beyond the comprehension of people that someone can be born to draw comic strips, but I think I was", says Schulz. "My ambition from earliest memory was to produce a daily comic strip." 
On February 2, 2000, California Senator Diane Feinstein sponsored Senate Bill S.2060 - "to authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to Charles M. Schulz in recognition of his lasting artistic contributions to the Nation and the world, and for other purposes."
Senator Feinstein's bill also details the history of "Peanuts," the most popular comic strip in history. Here is the complete text of S.2060.
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2060
To authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to Charles M. Schulz in recognition of his lasting artistic contributions to the Nation and the world, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 10, 2000
Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BAUCUS, and Mr. HELMS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
A BILL
To authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to Charles M. Schulz in recognition of his lasting artistic contributions to the Nation and the world, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Charles M. Schulz was born on November 26, 1922, in St. Paul, Minnesota, the son of Carl and Dena Schulz.
(2) Charles M. Schulz served his country in World War II, working his way up from infantryman to staff sergeant and eventually leading a machine gun squad. He kept morale high by decorating fellow soldiers' letters home with cartoons of barracks life.
(3) After returning from the war, Charles M. Schulz returned to his love for illustration, and took a job with `Timeless Topix'. He also took a second job as an art instructor. Eventually his hard work paid off when the Saturday Evening Post began purchasing a number of his single comic panels.
(4) It was in his first weekly comic strip, `L'il Folks', that Charlie Brown was born. That comic strip, which was eventually renamed `Peanuts', became the sole focus of Charles M. Schulz's career.
(5) Charles M. Schulz has drawn every frame of his strip, which runs seven days a week, since it was created in October 1950. This is rare dedication in the field of comic illustration.
(6) The `Peanuts' comic strip appears in 2,600 newspapers around the world, and reaches approximately 335 million readers every day in 20 different languages. Because of this, Charles M. Schulz is the most successful comic illustrator in the world.
(7) Charles M. Schulz's television special, `A Charlie Brown Christmas', has run for 34 consecutive years. In all, more than 60 animated specials have been created based on `Peanuts' characters. Four feature films, 1,400 books, and a hit Broadway musical about the `Peanuts' characters have also been produced.
(8) Charles M. Schulz is a leader in the field of comic illustration and in his community. He has paved the way for other artists in this field over the last 50 years and continues to be praised for his outstanding achievements.
(9) Charles M. Schulz has given back to his community in many ways, including owning and operating Redwood Empire Ice Arena in Santa Rosa, California. The arena has become a favorite gathering spot for people of all ages. Charles M. Schulz finances a yearly ice show that draws crowds from all over the San Francisco Bay Area.
(10) Charles M. Schulz has given the Nation a unique sense of optimism, purpose, and pride. Whether through the Great Pumpkin Patch, the Kite Eating Tree, Lucy's Psychiatric Help Stand, or Snoopy's adventures with the Red Baron, `Peanuts' has embodied human vulnerabilities, emotions, and potential.
(11) Charles M. Schulz's lifetime of work has linked generations of Americans and has become a part of the fabric of our national culture.
SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.
(a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED- The President is authorized to present, on behalf of the Congress, a gold medal of appropriate design to Charles M. Schulz in recognition of his lasting artistic contributions to the Nation and the world.
(b) DESIGN AND STRIKING- For the purpose of the presentation referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury (hereafter in this Act referred to as the `Secretary') shall strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.
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