A Visit With The Peanuts

Happy Friday, Imaginarians! Today's post is all about one of my favorite things in the whole world, The Peanuts Gang. Back in February, I had the opportunity to visit Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry with my sister and nephew. We went to see the Charles M. Schulz traveling exhibit which was on loan from the Schulz museum in Santa Rosa, California. This was a trip down memory lane, a celebration of my longest relationship ever. Yes, even Steven Tyler and Johnny Depp cannot replace Charlie Brown in my affections...37 years and counting.

They had memorabilia such as the Emmy award won in 1965 for "A Charlie Brown Christmas." They also had Schulz' office recreated with the actual furnishings. It was very cozy, yet just a bit plain. The entire collection of Snoopy ornaments was on display, including some that were never released. I was drooling over that, especially the WWI flying ace on his Sopwith Camel doghouse. That is my favorite Snoopy incarnation.

I loved the numerous wall displays for each character. Their full name was given and when they were introduced into the strip. I had no idea Lucy and Linus were Van Pelts. Peppermint Patty was really Patricia Reichardt and was Schulz's response to the burgeoning women's movement. Franklin had been been introduced after the assassination Martin Luther King, Jr. in response to a letter from a teacher who requested a black character for her students. And of course, Woodstock, who was indeed named after the rock festival, but he didn't get his name until 1970, after being in the strip for three years.

My favorite part of the exhibit was Snoopy's doghouse. They had a complete list of everything inside, including bunkbeds, a color television and tons of empty root beer cans. They had an interactive exhibit where one could wear all of Snoopy's personas and I could not resist wearing the goggles and leathers of a WWI ace. I have fantasies of hunting the Red Baron myself.

There was also an interactive animation station where kids learned how to draw the characters. They learned about the animation process that was used for each of the Peanuts animated specials. Back then it involved hand-painted cels rather than digital technology. They even had a few of those cels on display. True artwork they are.

I could not believe the amount of trivia that I learned. Did you know that the Apollo 10 Lunar Module and Command Module were named Snoopy and Charlie Brown respectively? Following the Apollo 1 fire, Snoopy became the official mascot of aerospace safety and the Silver Snoopy award is given to space program worker who has gone above and beyond in pursuit of safety and quality. Did you know that both Linus and Shroeder were introduced as babies while Shermy and Patty (not Peppermint) were Charlie Brown's first best friends?

I wanted to go again and again. :)

So what is everyone doing this weekend? I'm hoping to catch a good movie and do some writing.