On October 2, 1950, Charles Schulz’s beloved comic strip Peanuts debuted. The very first strip introduced Shermy and Patty, who observe Charlie Brown passing by. The initial humor, with Shermy's repeated observations of Charlie Brown culminating in a declaration of dislike, set a unique tone for the series.
Schulz's journey to Peanuts began with a strip called Li’l Folks, which ran in the St. Paul Pioneer Press from 1947 to 1950. He left that publication after his editor refused a requested raise. United Feature Syndicate then picked up the comic, but a name change was necessary due to an existing strip titled Little Folks. The name Peanuts was chosen, inspired by the term "Peanut gallery" used for the studio audience on the popular Howdy Doody Show.
From its modest beginnings in seven newspapers, Peanuts grew to be syndicated in over 2,600 newspapers worldwide, sharing the daily lives of Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and their friends for five decades. The strip’s conclusion arrived on February 13, 2000, with a poignant and somber final installment.
The Gradual Conclusion
By November 1999, Schulz’s declining health, including strokes and the discovery of colorectal cancer, made it impossible to maintain his demanding schedule. He announced his retirement on December 14, 1999, a decision not of choice but of necessity due to his deteriorating physical condition and failing eyesight.
The last daily Peanuts strip, featuring the characters in a snowball fight, ran on January 1, 2000. The artwork in this strip showed visible shakiness, reflecting Schulz’s difficulties in drawing at the time.
Following this, a Sunday strip featuring Peppermint Patty and Marcie was published on January 2, 2000, having been prepared weeks in advance. On January 3, 2000, Schulz concluded his daily series with a message to his readers, typed out by Snoopy. In this announcement, Schulz expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to draw the characters for nearly 50 years, fulfilling a childhood ambition. He explained that due to his health, he could no longer keep up with the daily schedule and that his family did not wish for Peanuts to be continued by anyone else, leading to his retirement.
However, the official end was still to come. Five more Sunday strips were published in January and February 2000 due to the advance preparation schedule. The final Peanuts comic strip officially ran on Sunday, February 13, 2000. This strip featured the same farewell message, but included an introductory panel with Charlie Brown on the phone and an image of Snoopy at his typewriter. This final strip was bordered by a montage of memorable Peanuts moments from its 50-year history.
While Schulz's retirement was necessitated by his health, the timing of his death—just one day before the final strip's publication—added a layer of poignant coincidence. Schulz passed away at age 77 on February 12, 2000. Although he had finished drawing the strip a month prior, his passing so close to the strip's final release date lent a somber and almost poetic finality to the end of an era in comic strip history.