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Charles Schulz: A Eulogy?
by H. L. I don't know whether to admire Schulz for holding on to an idea, keeping his millions of fans satiated with the notion that something in this world is permanent, or whether to belittle him because "Peanuts," for the past twenty years, did nothing more than leave a bitter taste in our mouths every morning. As a kid, I adored the Peanuts characters for their inherent cuteness. As a twenty-something dilettante, I despised Charles Schulz for his sell-out and his inherent bitterness. As an adult, I wonder what happened to the man. War veteran, articulate pious philosopher turned esoteric apostate existentialist. While Johnny Hart ("B.C.") was converting to a shout-it-from-the-rooftops Christian, Schulz was desperately searching for answers in Shakespeare and Proust because he wore out his Bible. While so many Americans are quick to criticize our politicians, our prize-winning authors, our TV celebrities, and aging military leaders, why does no one ever say anything about the stagnation of the comics pages? It's as if once you've achieved the dubious honor of being syndicated and placed in over 75 newspapers, suddenly you are elevated to the status of archbishop and only an act of God can depose you. Looking at some the heavily-righteous content of the old "Peanuts," I wondered how many non-Christians Charles Schulz irritated by incorporating scripture in an inherently secular venue. When Charles Schulz retired, I wondered how many Christians he irritated by his apostasy. Granted, Schulz had very quietly over the past twenty years managed to preach his nihilism in the auspices of round-headed cartoon children. Unlike Billy Baldwin, who can shout his philosophy from the set of a television studio, Schulz had spent twenty years like the over-educated, overly pessimistic Alcibiades from Shakespeare's Timon of Athens, warning us kids and daily readers that we should not grow up too fast. Yet Schulz spent the first thirty years of his career delighting children as well as adults. Why no one saw the transformation I don't know. Why thousands upon thousands of fan letters couldn't put a smile on Charles Schulz's face, I don't know. Maybe it's because he didn't read them. Maybe it's because he didn't want the average uneducated citizenry to influence him. Granted, by virtue of the very pervasiveness of "Peanuts" characters in our culture, it would've been hard to say, "Okay, Chuck, hang it up." But Gary Larson knew when to quit, despite the pressure from his fans. He understood--and understands--the concept of "royalties." I don't know what Charles Schulz was looking for. He made his millions. He could've started a new feature called "Prunes" in which a group of senior citizens sits around the chessboard and argues over whether or not Nietzsche has more "spirit" than Kierkegaard. I'm telling ya, the depth in "Peanuts" was still there, just as it was in 1955. It just needed a new forum. They say that one of the stages of grief is anger. I have to admit, I'm angry at Charles Schulz for dying. Not because I'm going to miss his cute little endearing cartoon characters. And it's not because he took them with him; I'm actually grateful for that. It's because the guy died clutching a black marker in his hand. The rotten s.o.b. never saw what the comics page looked like without his feature on the top. The guy never had the class to say, "Okay, I've had my fun. It's time for some fresh blood to take my place." And this isn't just me being bitter. Were I syndicated, and I produced crap like Schulz did his last twenty years, I would have never made it out of my first year. For you regular readers of my feature, Schulz's departure will affect my immediate future: nada. Because there will be no vacancy to fill. And anyone who claims they can pick up where he left off is shouldering a big responsibility. Taking his place would be like Danny White taking Roger Staubach's place as the Dallas Cowboys' quarterback. I don't envy the guy that the syndicates will tout as the next Charles Schulz. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, Schulz quit drawing in 1979. Good for you, Chuck, for hanging it up. Ironically, it took an act of God to get you to do it. |
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