“Peanut Philosophies” Exhibit coming to Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa

(Santa Rosa, CA) Although Peanuts comic strip creator Charles Schulz insisted that he was not a philosopher, his cartoon creations certainly proclaimed plenty of their own philosophies.  From Charlie Brown’s “I only dread one day at a time,” to Lucy’s renowned “Happiness is a warm puppy,” the Peanuts Gang’s philosophies are explored in the Charles M. Schulz Museum’s newest exhibition, Peanuts Philosophies. Sixty-five original Peanuts comic strips will be on display in the Museum’s strip rotation gallery, running February 23 through July 11, 2011.

Peanuts Philosophies focuses on the insights of Charlie Brown, Sally, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, Rerun and Peppermint Patty. “Most longtime Peanuts readers know that many of the characters are deeply philosophical. Much of what has fascinated and entertained us for decades has been the spectacle of little children afflicted with adult concerns,” said Schulz Museum Curator Jane O’Cain.

Although his characters tend to ask life’s age-old questions, Schulz consistently stated that he was not philosophizing but simply drawing a comic strip; “For me broadly to tell you that everything I draw has a meaning just isn’t true. Most of the time, I’m merely trying to be funny.”

Among the Peanuts philosophies chronicled are; Sally’s nineteen irreverent philosophies, for example, “Who cares?” and “Where will it all end?”, and Charlie Brown’s night-time musings where he searches for meaning in the middle of the night with Snoopy draped over him asleep seemingly without a care.  In addition, Linus’s philosophy of “Five hundred years from now who’ll know the difference” and his cynical retort “I love mankind… it’s people I can’t stand” are revealed. Unlike much of the gang’s ponderings, Snoopy’s search for meaning often ends at his dog dish with philosophical tokens like “You’ll never convince me that there’s more to life than chocolate chip cookies.”