Author Spotlight: Charles Schulz

If you read my last Stacks in the City entry, then you know I went home to Minnesota for a few days in the beginning of March. While I'm sure you all know Minnesota for getting an over-abundance of snow eight months out of the year, having the Mall of America, being the Land of 10,000 Lakes, etc., Minnesota is also home to many famous celebrities, musicians, and writers — such as actor Josh Hartnett, musician Prince, TV host Samantha Harris, and author/illustrator Charles Schulz.

Are you wondering, who in the world is Charles Schulz? Well, I've got two words for you: Charlie Brown. Do you know who he is now? He's the writer and illustrator of one of the most famous comic strips in America, otherwise known as Peanuts.

So now that you know what Schulz is most famous for, here are some things I bet you didn’t know about him:

• Schulz was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on November 26, 1922.
• From 1943 to 1946, Schulz served in the United States Army, spending two years on the war fronts of World War II in Europe.
• His first cartoon strip was Li'l Folks, published 1947-1950.
• Schulz modeled his character Charlie Brown after himself. Both were shy and withdrawn. And both had a dog — although unlike Snoopy the beagle, Schulz's dog was a pointer.
• All of his characters in Peanuts are based off of people he knew.

Now that you've learned about author and illustrator Charles Schulz, reward yourself by doing the Snoopy Dance!

— Carly M., STACKS Staffer