THE STORY BEHIND PEANUTS' FINAL COMIC STRIP
- Peanuts debuted in 1950 and grew rapidly in popularity, showcasing a lovable cast of characters fans grew attached to.
- In 2000, Charles Schulz created his final Peanuts comic strips, hinting at the end of an era as his health declined.
- The legacy of Peanuts continues after Schulz's passing, with tribute strips and the series' growth into a multimedia franchise.
Peanuts debuted in 1950 and became a beloved comic strip series that grew in popularity rapidly year after year. Creator Charles M. Schulz developed one of the most adorable casts of comic strip characters, making it hard not to get attached to the Peanuts comics. Fans would open the Sunday comic section to see Charlie Brown miss the football or to watch Snoopy embark on amazing adventures. As the series became more loved, Peanuts eventually became a multimedia franchise with its own movies and television shows.
Fans everywhere held their breath as Peanuts neared its final days in February 2000. At the time, it was common knowledge that creator Schulz was getting ill and having an extremely difficult time continuing to illustrate the comic strips. While there were warning signs that the comic strip series was coming to a close, nobody could have predicted how the end of Peanuts would pan out.
Charlie Brown and Friends Had Their Last Snowball Fight
This is the Final Peanuts Comic Strip With a Story Line
Peanuts & 9 Other Comics Strips Too Good To Last
Peanuts had plenty of competition in the newspaper funnies, but even some of the world's best comic strips weren't imagined to last forever.
On January 1, 2000, three comic strips were released that would inevitably become Charles M. Schulz's final Peanuts strips. The first of that trio is featured above, where we can see Charlie Brown and his friends having a snowball fight while Snoopy tries to learn how to throw a snowball.
True fans of the series noticed something off about this comic strip right away. It became evident to readers all over the world that this comic strip, unlike the hundreds of others that came before it, had been lettered with a computer rather than with Schulz's pen and pencil. His health would sadly deteriorate quickly from this point on, and the comic strips that followed would also be typed rather than written by hand.
Peppermint Patty Played Her Final Ball Game
This Comic Strip Features the Final Appearances of Patty and Marcie
10 Most Popular Comic Strips Of All Time
Comic strips feature some of the most influential and amazing pieces of fiction, led by iconic strips like Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes.
The full-color Sunday comic was published in the newspaper the next day, Jan. 2. This comic strip features fans' final moments with Peppermint Patty and Marcie. The strip tugged on readers' heartstrings as Peppermint Patty asked if they had fun, noting that nobody said "good game." Reflecting on what would come in the following month regarding creator Charles Schulz's health, this comic strip has a sad aura that fans could feel in their chests.
This comic strip would be the final one before Charles' last Peanuts comic strip. After that point, beginning around Jan. 4, the newspapers would begin running reruns of old Peanuts comic strips while Charles' well-being progressively got worse. People had grown up with Peanuts since 1950, and the end was growing closer.
Charles M. Schulz Announced His Retirement in the "Final" Daily Peanuts Comic Strip
This Would Not Be the End of the Story, However.
10 Ways Peanuts Changed Between 1950 & 2000
Peanuts was one of the most famous comic strips in the world and remained popular despite the rise of Marvel and DC, thanks to a number of changes.
Monday, Jan. 3 would mark the final Peanuts daily comic strip published in newspapers. Schulz took the opportunity in this comic strip to write a heartfelt message to fans of the comic strip, as well as an ode to his main characters.
Dear Friends,
I have been fortunate to draw Charlie Brown and his friends for almost fifty years. It has been the fulfillment of my childhood ambition.
Unfortunately, I am no longer able to maintain the schedule demanded by a daily comic strip. My family does not wish "Peanuts" to be continued by anyone else, therefore I am announcing my retirement.
I have been grateful over the years for the loyalty of our editors and the wonderful support and love expressed to me by fans of the comic strip.
Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy, how can I ever forget them
Charles M. Schulz
The comic strip featured Snoopy in front of his typewriter atop his doghouse, as he had been many times before in the series. Charles M. Schulz dedicated his entire life to the Peanuts comic strip series. His farewell to fans and his legacy was both beautiful and absolutely heartbreaking.
Six Unpublished Sunday Comics Were Then Released
These Comic Strips Kept Fans' Hearts Warm Through the Winter
10 Funniest Peanuts Strips From The '60s, Ranked
The 1960s is sometimes considered the Golden Age for Schulz's Peanuts. In many ways, this was Charlie Brown and company's funniest era.
Much to the public's surprise, after Schulz's announcement regarding his retirement, more comic strips were released only on Sundays, from Jan 9 to February 13. The six comic strips released at this point had been done by Charles previously yet remained unpublished.
These comic strips fit the classic art style and humor fans had grown to know and adore. Readers could pick these Sunday comics out as ones they had never seen before among the reruns that ran for daily comics. With Charles officially retired, people could only wait and watch as Peanuts played out its final days.
Beautiful moments between Charlie Brown and Snoopy and strips featuring popular running gags were featured. Snoopy's alter-egos even appeared, with fans getting one last strip featuring a Lumberjack Snoopy sent off to chop wood for George Washington.
The Sixth and Final Peanuts Comic Strip Was Released
On February 13, the Comic Strip World Was Forever Changed
On Sunday, February 13, the final Peanuts comic strip was released to the public. It was an alternate version of Schulz's original retirement notice with a twist. As Snoopy sat before the typewriter one final time, fans watched as memories of the series floated around his head. The beloved characters everyone knew in their prime moments circled Snoopy's mind.
Tragically, the night before this comic strip was released, Charles M. Schulz had passed away from a heart attack. As Peanuts left the world, so did Charles Schulz. The man who had created a legacy within comic strips was no longer with us, and his fifty-year legacy was left in the unknown as he did. He noted that his family did not want anyone else illustrating the comics, and rightfully so, leaving fans wondering what would become of Peanuts, if anything at all.
Peanuts Touched The Entire World
Other comic strip creators honored the late Charles M. Schulz
"I think I've discovered the secret of life -- you just hang around until you get used to it."
- Charles M. Schulz
What Charles Schulz would not live to see were the beautiful homages other illustrators would make to his work. On May 27, 2000, over fifty comic strip creators honored Schulz's lifetime of work by paying tribute to him through their comic strips. Some of the most notable tributes came from the Garfield series, Mother Goose & Grimm, Blondie, and Get Fuzzy.
He would also not be here to see how Peanuts continued to grow and flourish after his death, truly speaking to his talent as both a storyteller and a creator. As Peanuts has grown into a multimedia industry known for its television shows and timeless Charlie Brown Christmas specials, Charles' memory continues to live on with it.
Peanuts
Charlie Brown, an everyman plagued by self-doubt, navigates life's challenges with his loyal dog Snoopy and friends like the bossy Lucy, philosophical Linus, and talented pianist Schroeder. Through everyday adventures and heartfelt moments, the series explores themes of friendship, resilience, and the simple joys of childhood.